Semana Santa in Granada 2025, Alhambra and Granada

Spanish Easter traditions are among the most spectacular in the world. The festivities span a week, starting on Palm Sunday (Domingo de Ramos) and last till Easter Monday (Lunes de Pascua), with the most important events held on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday. Also, visitors must take into account that Maundy Thursday and Good Friday are bank holidays in Spain.

In Granada, Semana Santa (Holy Week) is primarily associated with street processions. Thanks to elaborate floats and unparalleled settings, Granada's pious walks stand out from others across Andalucia. Besides, these ancient traditions often stem from the 16th century. Read on to find out the highlights of the last week of Lent.

Easter processions

If you visit Granada during Semana Santa, you may have a unique experience every single day. In eight days from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday, 32 of Granada's brotherhoods partake in street processions across the city. The spectacles feature over 2,000 "costaleros," carrying 58 "pasos" (the floats of religious figures), and countless "nazarenos" in pointed hoods. The marches typically step off from the Tribuna Oficial in Calle Ängel Ganivet next to Puerta Real and move towards the Cathedral to perform the Station of Penitence.

Holy Tuesday

The procession at the Church of Santa Anna (Iglesia de San Gil y Santa Ana), carried on Holy Tuesday, is one of the biggest highlights of Semana Santa. People gather in the Plaza Nueva in front of the church, waiting for the procession of Nuestro Padre Jesús del Gran Poder and Nuestra Señora de la Esperanza to start at 6:30 pm. You can see several other processions in Granada on the same day, including the Nuestro Padre Jesús de la Amargura and Nuestra Señora de los Reyes procession at 5 pm, which starts at San Juan de los Reyes church.

Holy Wednesday

At dusk on Wednesday, another special parade takes place at the Sacromonte Abbey (Abadía del Sacromonte). The procession of Santísimo Cristo del Consuelo y María Santísima del Sacromonte is also known as Los Gitanos (the gypsies). At about 6:45 pm, the gypsies receive the icons with bonfires and sing prayers saetas in flamenco style.

Maundy Thursday

For Maundy Thursday, thousands of people line the narrow streets of Albaicín to see Nuestro Padre Jesús del Perdón and María Santísima de la Aurora. The procession leaves from San Miguel Bajo church at 5:40 pm. Another procession leaves one hour earlier from the Monastery de la Concepción.

Good Friday

Good Friday is the culmination of Holy Week. Six processions take place on this day in Granada. Many activities are centered in the Realejo neighborhood, where thousands of people gather to pray to the statue of Señor de los Favorites and visit Realejo churches — Santo Domingo and San Cecilio. At 7 pm, many devotees gather at the Monastery of San Jerónimo to see Soledad, one of the most famous icons in the city, which is paraded before the public on this day.

Holy Saturday

On Saturday, head to Alhambra, the medieval palace and fortress. At 6 pm, you can witness Santa Maria de la Alhambra procession, when the famous sculpture of the Virgen de las Angustias, dating back to 1750, is paraded through the streets.

Easter Sunday

Easter Sunday is a joyful and solemn day, when all church bells tell to celebrate the Resurrection. At 10:30 am, you can see a children's procession, which starts at the Church of Santo Domingo. The participating children ( Facundillos) carry a throne with a beautiful image of the Infant Jesus and play different musical instruments. The procession finishes at Cathedra at about noon.

Street processions are not the only attraction during Semana Santa in Granada. This period of the year is about vibrant passion plays, mass repentance, and finally, the joy of Jesus' resurrection and indulgence in delicious foods. You can genuinely feel the spiritual atmosphere in Granada, which is undoubtedly worth your time and effort. Amazing art, music, and costumes make Andalucian Easter a truly unique spectacle.