Madrid´s Christmas Lights Go On Tonight

Madrid´s City Council has announced that the traditional Christmas street lights will be going on tonight, Thursday 26th at 7.30pm.

It also spent €3 million on them, significantly more than last year due to the increase in number of streets lit up as well as the earlier opening of the festive season.

This year sees new designs as well as newly lit up streets including the segment of Alcalá between Sevilla y Sol which now houses the recently opened Four Seasons Hotel.

In addition the decorative lights go on in Duque de Medinaceli-Jesús, Plaza Elíptica, Sanchinarro, las Tablas, Usera and the M30 Joaquín Costa-Francisco-Silvela bridge to bring some early festive cheer to local residents.

In total some 210 streets will be decorated in the capital´s 21 districts.

In addition the very popular glass dome that went up last year in front of the Metropolis building in Gran Via will return with its 43,000 led lights lighting up the building and surrounds.

The Madrid City Council stressed the importance of bringing the festivities to the inhabitants of the capital after the trials of 2020.

A spokesperson pointed out that they must also make up for the cancelation of the Three Kings Parade due to ongoing coronavirus restrictions in place and  ” it must be taken into account that one of the most important events of the festivities has been cancelled, such as the parades of the Magi in the city’s districts”.

Not all of the festive plans have gone down well however, with some residents questioning why a kilometre long thread of lights which make up the national flag has been incorporated.

The Popular Party defended the move in a tweet, which said “There is no better symbol of unity in the difficult times that we are living”.

The lights will remain on until Three Kings Day on the 6th January.

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