Whether you’re staying in the capital or visiting, Holy Week 2026 in Madrid is packed with things to do. With the oppressive summer heat gone and the winter chill behind us, the city becomes a pleasant place in late March, with its mild afternoons, almond trees in bloom in its parks, and a calendar brimming with cultural activities for believers and non-believers alike.
Villaroy’s is , officially, the best torrija in Spain. This January, at Madrid Fusión, Martín Martínez Villamor’s torrija was proclaimed the crème de la crème of the torrija universe: you can find it at his charming spot in Chamberí.
But beyond that, Madrid’s love affair with the torrija is a declaration of love: Cercadillo, Formentor, La Oriental… The list of bakeries that master the recipe—and even successfully reinvent it—is long: Panod, Moulin Chocolat, and Paco Pastel are just a few of them.
The quintessential Catholic spectacle takes to the streets these days. As with every Holy Week, the processions in Madrid begin on Monday, but the most crowded ones are on Wednesday with the procession of Nuestro Padre Jesús de la Salud and María Santísima de las Antiguas, on Friday with the processions of Cristo del Pozo and Nuestra Señora de los Dolores, and on Saturday with the procession of Cristo del Perdón. And the highlight is Palm Sunday, when the procession of Nuestro Padre Jesús del Amor (La Borriquita) and the float of the Santísimo Cristo de la Fe y el Perdón (Los Estudiantes) take place.
Water jets shooting up to 50 meters high, magnificent 18th-century fountains adorning the gardens of the Royal Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso in Segovia, and a spectacular route that can be enjoyed by day or by night, from fountain to fountain, from visual displays of light and color to breathtaking aquatic spectacles. Once again, the monumental fountains of La Granja put on a show.
Concert by the Madrid Municipal Symphonic Band
Bach and Mahler will resonate in the Almudena Cathedral on March 19. The Madrid Municipal Symphonic Band, conducted by Jan Cober and featuring baritone Javier Franco as soloist, will lead a program of great classics.
Tamborrada
On Easter Sunday, a tamborrada will take place in the morning at Madrid’s Plaza Mayor. From there, a procession begins in which numerous members of religious brotherhoods, accompanied by drums and bass drums, provide the soundtrack to the commemoration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ two days after his death.
Plans for the uninitiated: a family-friendly idea, like Chaos Lab
Chaos Lab remains open during Holy Week and maintains its regular schedule (open Thursday through Sunday). It’s an ideal activity for children ages 4 to 10, but younger children can enjoy it too (with free admission for ages 0–3). The experience at this chaos lab begins with a mad scientist, Dr. Splat, who, experiment after experiment, will involve the children in his scientific shenanigans. And then? Rooms full of games for them to unleash their imagination and their desire to have fun.
An exhibition celebrating its final days right in the middle of Holy Week: ‘NIKE. Design in Motion’
NIKE. Design in Motion will close its doors on April 5, coinciding with the end of Holy Week. An exhibition that has brought the company’s history to Madrid in the form of iconic sneakers, uniforms, and historical artifacts that not only offer a different perspective on the global history of sports, but also on design and pop culture: from the Air Mag model from Back to the Future II (1989); to the Vandal High from Terminator; and including the original (signed) cap that Andre Agassi wore at Wimbledon in ’92.
