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Vigo is gearing up to defend its title as Spain’s capital of Christmas, with plenty of other cities queuing up to steal the spotlight.

 

The Galician city hasn’t announced when its lights will be switched on, with the mayor, Abel Caballero, describing the date as one of the best-kept secrets, although mid-November looks likely as in previous years.

 

This time round the Cíes Market and the Ferris wheel are moving from the Alameda park to a spot near the Vialia shopping centre. The lighting will include 7,000 decorative motifs, 2,700 trees with cool-toned lights and 1,500 arches, along with walkable structures up to five metres high and more than 12 million LED lights on 500 streets, which is 40 more than last year. Mr Caballero also expects the tree to be the tallest in Spain and the world.

 

Elsewhere, Badalona will welcome Christmas on November 21 with a metal tree more than 40 metres tall in Plaça del President Tarradellas, complete with its own LED light show.

 

Málaga plans to turn its lights on a few days later on November 27, with Calle Larios once again hosting big illuminated structures, arches and light shows, while Plaza de la Constitución and Plaza de las Flores join in alongside markets selling traditional products.

 

Madrid is spreading its decorations across all 21 districts, with more than 250 illuminated spots and a series of craft markets, including the traditional one in Plaza Mayor, La Navideña in Plaza de España and the craft fair on Paseo de Recoletos.

 

Barcelona’s lights on Passeig de Gràcia and Carrer d’Aragó also go on on November 21, and visitors can browse the Fira de Santa Llúcia beside the cathedral and the Fira de Nadal at the Sagrada Família.

 

In A Coruña, wooden stalls are already going up in Plaza de María Pita for a market that should open in the first week of December. It will have a commercial area with food stalls, a pergola for sitting down, a giant tree and bandstand in the middle and a children’s zone with a carousel, a polar train and a garden of illuminated figures.

 

Sevilla hasn’t confirmed its switch-on date but is expecting the last weekend of November, with decorations on Avenida de la Constitución and Plaza de San Francisco and the traditional Nativity Scene Fair.

 

Bilbao rounds off the list with an illuminated tree in Plaza Elíptica, a light and sound tunnel in Doña Casilda Park, an ice rink on the Arenal dock and a six-lane toboggan run in Ripa.

 

 

Image: Ayuntamiento de Sevilla