Three Kings Parade of Córdoba

The first Three Kings Parade of Córdoba was held in 1925, organised by Carlos Romero Berral, rector of the parish of San Francisco, with the support of the then mayor José Cruz Conde. Its aim was to hand out toys and clothes to the 214 children of the Ave María Parish School. The original route ran through the San Francisco district, starting from the Posada del Potro and stopping at the Ermita de la Aurora, where a nativity scene was set up.

The parade grew quickly: in 1926 it extended to other charitable centres in the city, and in 1935 the courtyard of the Provincial Council gathered 3,000 people. It was not always held without incident: it was suspended in 1933 and 1934, cancelled in 1940 because of heavy rain, and suspended again for bad weather in 1955 and 1963. From the 1950s Córdoba City Council took on an ever greater role in its organisation, extending the route and professionalising the floats.

In 1961 the parade began to set off from the Alcázar of the Christian Monarchs, with a design by the municipal architect José Rebollo Dicenta, a starting point that has remained a reference ever since. Today it is organised jointly by Córdoba City Council and the Federation of Cordoban Peñas.

These are the moments that define the evening of 5 January in Córdoba.

Melchior, Caspar and Balthazar lead the parade on their main floats, waving to the crowd throughout the route before the final ceremony.

Alongside the Kings' floats parade others devoted to children's stories, biblical scenes and the history of Córdoba. In the 2026 edition the parade had 22 floats and more than 500 participants.

It is the moment children look forward to most: thousands of sweets and the odd small toy are thrown from the floats during the more than four hours the full route lasts.

The parade ends with the Adoration of the Child Jesus by the three Kings, the act that officially closes the procession. In the 2026 edition this final ceremony took place at around 22:00.

Besides the official parade in the centre, Córdoba's outlying neighbourhoods hold their own parades that same afternoon, organised by peñas and residents' associations, with staggered departures from mid-afternoon.

The Three Kings Parade of Córdoba is always held on 5 January, in the afternoon. In its latest edition, 2026, the official parade set off at 17:00 from Plaza de Santa Teresa, on a route of about four and a half hours that made its way through the centre and the busiest neighbourhoods to finish in the north of the city.

The neighbourhood parades are held that same afternoon, with staggered departures between 15:30 and 18:00.

It is a free, open-access parade: no ticket or booking is needed, just find a spot on the pavement before the procession passes.

As it is the Christmas event with the largest crowds of the year in Córdoba, it is worth arriving with time to spare to find a good spot, especially on the central stretch of the route.

The exact itinerary is published every year by Córdoba City Council and the local press a few days before 5 January, so it is best to confirm it close to the date rather than assume the route of previous years.

If you prefer to avoid the crowds in the centre, the neighbourhood parades are a quieter and equally free alternative, with a more intimate atmosphere.

The Three Kings Parade is, almost a century after its first edition, the way Córdoba closes its Christmas festivities. There is no need to buy anything or reserve a place in advance: just come to the route on the afternoon of 5 January to watch it go by.