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From the Rute chocolate nativity scene to the Cruz Conde lights, the Christmas being prepared in Córdoba and its province

Topics Bujalance Cerro Muriano Encinas Reales

The Rute chocolate nativity scene is already open, Lucena sings to Christmas on Saturday 14 and the lights are being put up in Cruz Conde. This is what already has a date in Córdoba and its province, and what can be expected, based on what happened last year, in the capital and the towns.

Redacción ·

La calle Cruz Conde de Córdoba de noche, cubierta por un techo de cortinas de luces blancas con estrellas doradas, y gente paseando bajo él.
Photo: JamesNarmer / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
In the province of Córdoba, Christmas begins in Rute, where the chocolate nativity scene opened its doors in mid-October. In the capital, work is already underway on Calle Cruz Conde, which will once again have its light and sound show, and in Lucena the first Christmas event with a date is Saturday, November 14. At this point, almost nothing else has an official date for 2026. Town councils usually present their programmes in late November or early December. We first report the little that is already confirmed and, for the rest, what was done last year, so you know what to expect.
What already has a date
Fecha Lugar Cita
Desde mediados de octubre Rute, Galleros Artesanos Belén de Chocolate
Sábado 14 de noviembre Lucena, Caseta Municipal Así Canta Jerez en Navidad
Hasta el 19 de noviembre Sede electrónica de la Diputación Plazo para los Campamentos de Navidad
Del 26 al 29 de diciembre Cerro Muriano, albergue de la Diputación Campamentos de Navidad, de 8 a 16 años

Rute, the Christmas town

In Rute, Christmas lasts almost three months. The Chocolate Nativity Scene of Galleros Artesanos can already be visited, at the workshop on the Lucena to Rute road, kilometre 19. This year it revolves around the civilisations of the Mediterranean, with pieces such as the Parthenon or Santorini, and it has been made with about 1,600 kilos of chocolate. It opens every day from 10:00 to 13:30 and from 16:00 to 19:00. It closes on the afternoons of December 24 and 31 and January 5, and all day on December 25 and January 1. Last year admission cost 1.5 euros, which was then deducted from purchases in the shop, and children under 4 did not pay. The nativity scene is only one part. In the town you can also visit the Anise Museum, the Mantecado Museum, the Sugar Museum and the Ham Museum. Last year the Diputación presented the Rute campaign as «El corazón de la Navidad» on November 7; this year's has not yet been presented.
Postes de señales en una calle de Rute que indican el camino al Belén de Chocolate, al Museo del Turrón, al Museo del Mantecado, al Museo del Anís y al Museo del Jamón.
Signs to the museums and the chocolate nativity scene in Rute. File image. Photo: Luis Rogelio HM / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Saturday, November 14: Así Canta Jerez, in Lucena

The first Christmas event with a date in Lucena is a concert. «Así Canta Jerez en Navidad», the show of Christmas carols, zambombas and Jerez flamenco directed by Luis de Perikín, celebrates its 15th anniversary with a stop at the Caseta Municipal on Saturday, November 14 at 18:00. It has the collaboration of the Ayuntamiento and tickets cost from 25 euros, at Giglon and at the La Casa del Papel stationery shop, according to the Ayuntamiento de Lucena has reported.

From December 26 to 29: camps in Cerro Muriano

The Diputación is once again organising its Christmas Camps at the Cerro Muriano hostel, which last year were not held due to works. They run from Saturday, December 26 to Tuesday, December 29, with 200 places for children and young people aged 8 to 16, and cost 75 euros. There are free places for minors at risk of exclusion and for people with disabilities. Applications are submitted on the Diputación's electronic headquarters until Thursday, November 19. We report it here.

In the capital, Cruz Conde is already being prepared

The Ayuntamiento de Córdoba began in late October to set up the light and sound show on Calle Cruz Conde. It will be similar to last year's, with a «rain of stars»: a 230-metre tunnel between Manuel de Sandoval and San Álvaro, with 21 arches and almost half a million LED lights. The work will last all of November and the premiere date has not yet been announced. In addition, there will be special lighting on 74 streets. The 2026 Christmas programme has not been presented either. Last year it was published on the municipal website Córdoba es Navidad and it was like this:

Christmas 2025 in the capital

  • Cruz Conde: the show premiered on Tuesday, December 2 at 18:30 and continued until January 4, with shows at 18:30, 19:00, 19:30, 20:00 and 20:30. The 19:00 and 20:00 shows had the lowest sound, designed for people with autism.
  • Chiquilandia, the children's space at Vial Norte: it opened from November 21 to early January, with theatre and activities.
  • Belén Municipal, at the Oratorio de San Felipe Neri: it was inaugurated on December 2 and was open until January 5, from 11:00 to 14:00 and from 17:00 to 20:00.
  • Los Patios de Córdoba en Navidad: routes through patios with choirs and flamenco Christmas carols on the weekends from December 5 to 28, from 17:00.
  • Zambombas flamencas at the Posada del Potro: on Sundays December 14, 21 and 28 at midday, with free entry until full capacity.
  • Drone show next to the Calahorra: on Saturday, December 13, at 19:00 and at 20:00.
  • Christmas market on the paseo de la Victoria, which opened on November 24, from 10:00 to 22:00, and markets in the neighbourhoods: Villarrubia, El Higuerón, Alcolea and Cerro Muriano.
La plaza de las Tendillas de Córdoba de noche, con casetas de madera adornadas de Navidad, farolas encendidas y naranjos con luces.
Christmas stalls in the plaza de las Tendillas. File image. Photo: Pitxiquin / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Nativity scenes to see in the centre

In the capital you can do a nativity scene route on foot. Last year, the municipal programme proposed this route: the Belén Municipal, the one at the church of San Hipólito, the one at Kutxabank, the one at the Fundación Cajasol and the one at the Diputación. The Diputación's is set up in the church of the Palacio de la Merced. In 2025 it was done by the Asociación Cultural Belenista de Córdoba, with about 30 figures dressed in the Hebrew style, and it was inaugurated on December 5 with the Christmas proclamation. Around it there was a small series, «La Navidad en el Palacio de la Merced», with concerts and with the Auto Sacramental de los Reyes Magos, performed by the residents of El Viso. Everything was free until full capacity.

January 5: the parades

The Cabalgata de Reyes of Córdoba is organised by the Ayuntamiento and the Federación de Peñas Cordobesas, with about fifteen floats. Last year it set off at 17:00. That same day there were parades in the neighbourhoods: El Higuerón at 15:30, Villarrubia at 16:00, Alcolea at 17:00, Trassierra and Cerro Muriano at 17:30 and Santa Cruz at 18:00. This year January 5 falls on a Tuesday. The route and the names of the 2027 Reyes Magos are not yet known.

Living nativity scenes, zambombas and Reyes Magos in the towns

None has yet announced its date for 2026. This is what there was last year:

In 2025

  • Jauja (Lucena): the Living Nativity Scene «De Jauja a Belén» celebrated ten years with more than a hundred neighbours. It was on December 5 and 6 in the area around the plaza de la iglesia de San José, with performances at 18:30 and at 20:00, and the proceeds went to charity.
  • Encinas Reales: living nativity scene on Saturday, December 27 at the Casa de las Navas, from 19:00 to 22:00, with cofradías and hermandades and a zambombá.
  • Zuheros: the IV Zambombá was on Saturday, December 6. At 18:30 the pasacalles set off with the Carrizo de Zuheros and a tasting of polvorones and liqueurs from Rute; at 20:00 the lights were switched on and afterwards there was a flamenco zambombá in the marquee on the paseo de la Constitución.
  • Priego de Córdoba: two zambombás, on December 7 and 19, organised by the hermandades del Mayor Dolor and de la Paz, and Christmas in the Barrio de la Villa from December 20.
  • Almedinilla: the Palacio Real de los Reyes Magos, a theatrical tour with challenges for children in the Coliseo, opened from December 26 to 28 and from January 2 to 4. Tickets cost 8 euros in advance and 10 at the box office.
  • Bujalance: the XXXIX Navidad Flamenca «La Pajarona», on December 13.

Light switch-ons and markets in the villages

The light switch-ons are spread between the end of November and mid-December. Last year it was like this:

Christmas 2025 in the villages

  • Puente Genil: it was among the first to switch on, on Friday, November 21 at 20:15 on the paseo del Romeral, with more than two million LED lights and more than 30 activities until January 5.
  • Priego de Córdoba: switch-on on November 28 at 18:30 at the Paseíllo, with nearly a hundred activities.
  • Lucena: switch-on on Friday, December 5 at 20:00 in the plaza Nueva, with a light and sound show with daily performances and a tourist train. The Mercado Navideño de El Coso was from December 12 to 14, and there was a route with 18 nativity scenes.
  • La Rambla: switch-on on December 5, daily light and sound show on the paseo de España, videomapping at the Ayuntamiento on December 14 and Mercado de Reyes from January 2 to 4 in the plaza de los Trinitarios.
  • Iznájar: Christmas village, visit from the Cartero Real and the subida de la Virgen en borriquita with Christmas coplas.
  • Bujalance: switch-on on December 12 and parade on January 5 at 19:00 from the recinto ferial.
  • Pozoblanco: Mercado Navideño from December 18 to January 3 in the plaza de la Iglesia.
  • Dos Torres: Mercado Navideño from December 19 to 21 in the centre.
  • Encinas Reales: Christmas market on Saturday, December 13, from 12:00 to 22:00, on calles Cruz and Pozo Dulce.
  • Fuente Obejuna: light and sound show «Bienvenida la Navidad» in the plaza Lope de Vega to switch on the lights, with hot chocolate.

More plans in the InfoCórdoba agenda

In What's On: Así Canta Jerez en Navidad · 14 de November

In What's On: Campamentos de Navidad de Cerro Muriano · from 26 de December to 29 de December

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