Málaga Christmas lights: 2.8 million LEDs switch on 27 November

Málaga's Christmas lighting will be switched on on Friday 27 November, with a performance by the Málaga singer El Kanka on a stage in calle Larios, according to Diario Sur. The Ayuntamiento de Málaga (town hall) says this year's display has 2.8 million LED light points in the Centro Histórico and other emblematic areas.

Key facts

• Switch-on: Friday 27 November, with the inaugural session ending in a concert by El Kanka.
• Scale: 2.8 million LED points; more than 500 streets will be lit across the city, according to Diario Sur.
• Light show: 'Natividad de luz' on calle Larios, three shows a day from 27 November to 4 January, except 24 and 31 December.
• Video mapping: new show 'El cielo desciende' on the Cathedral's torre mocha from Saturday 28 November.
• New designs: 19 locations get new lighting designs.

Calle Larios show

Calle Larios will again host 'Natividad de luz', a light-and-sound show built around large medallions depicting the Nativity, the town hall said in its press note. Shows run at 18:30, 20:30 and 22:00. The press note gives 5 January as the end date for the Larios display, while the show passes are listed until 4 January.

Diario Sur reports that the motifs are the same as last year, but the columns have been decorated with traditional Christmas baubles. The music includes songs by David Bisbal, Mariah Carey, La Oreja de Van Gogh, José Feliciano and Edmund Angerer. The person who will press the switch-on button had not yet been identified, the paper said.

What is new this year

According to Diario Sur, citing the town hall, 19 locations will have new lighting designs. They include calles Granada, Echegaray, Carretería, Puerta del Mar, Córdoba, Molina Lario, Salinas, Especerías, Santa Lucía, Calderería and Tomás Heredia. Also on the list are plaza de la Constitución, plaza de la Marina, plaza Marqués de Larios, Paseo del Parque, Alameda de Colón, plaza Manuel Alcántara and the signs at the city entrances.

The display will also include three pines and 3D structures, six illuminated signs, 203 light arches, 44 decorated street lamps, 124 grouped motifs, 4 illuminated façades and 39 floor figures in pedestrian areas. There will be 20,490 garlands and a number of small trees, including 87 small, 79 medium and one large natural tree, plus 21 more in squares and avenues.

Cathedral video mapping

The torre mocha façade, on the south side of calle Molina Lario, will again host a projection over 750 square metres. The new show, 'El cielo desciende', tells a Christmas story featuring a girl and the fauna and flora of Málaga, from dolphins, turtles and anchovies to wild goats, foxes and the moonflower of the Jardín Botánico de La Concepción, ending with the nativity scene.

The show lasts roughly 8 to 10 minutes and is produced by Firefly Events, in collaboration with the Obispado (diocese). It starts on Saturday 28 November with passes at 19:00, 20:30 and 22:00.

Opening hours and politics

The lights will be on from 18:30 to midnight on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday. On Thursday, Friday, Saturday and the eve of public holidays they stay on until 02:00. On 24 and 31 December they remain lit until 06:00 the next day.

Diario Sur noted that the switch-on falls on the last day of the campaign for the general elections, which had raised doubts about whether the event would go ahead as usual. Festivals councillor Teresa Porras answered "¿por qué no?" (why not?) and said the event has been held for more than 20 years and has nothing to do with an election event.

Businesses

Porras urged shops and hospitality businesses to decorate their windows and premises too. Rodrigo Bocanegra, president of the Centro Histórico traders' association, said it is "una de las fechas más bonitas del año" and that traders will again carry shoppers' purchases home for them. José Simón, vice-president of the hoteliers' association, also attended the presentation.

For residents and visitors, the centre is likely to be busy from the switch-on, so it is worth checking the schedules above before heading to calle Larios or the Cathedral.