2027 Good Friday (Semana Santa)

Semana Santa, Holy Week, runs from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday and culminates in Good Friday, a national public holiday in Spain, with Maundy Thursday also a holiday in most regions. Its heart is the procession: religious brotherhoods, or cofradías, carry enormous floats (pasos) bearing statues of Christ and the Virgin through the streets, accompanied by brass bands, drums and rows of hooded penitents called nazarenos. Seville is the most famous, with dozens of processions culminating in the all-night Madrugá from Thursday into Good Friday and spontaneous saetas — flamenco-style laments — sung from balconies; Málaga's floats are so large they need hundreds of bearers, while Zamora and Valladolid are known for austere, silent processions. Traditional foods include torrijas, bread soaked in milk and honey and fried, and cod dishes for the meatless days. Hotels in Seville and Málaga sell out months ahead and procession routes are packed, so plan early. This countdown ticks to midnight Central European Time in Madrid on Good Friday.