This afternoon, the Three Wise Men arrive in Madrid with their traditional parade. Under the slogan “Knowledge is shared.The journey of the three wise men“, the city is already prepared for the parade, where they will be accompanied by more than 1,500 pages and entertainers.
The parade will start at 6:00 p.m. in Nuevos Ministerios and will reach Plaza de Cibeles at around 9:00 p.m., where Their Majesties will give their Christmas speech to the children. In total, an influx of more than 200,000 people is expected, so the City Council has programmed a mobility plan.
Crosswalks along the entire route
The route that the floats will follow will start from the Plaza de San Juan de la Cruz, right next to Nuevos Ministerios. It will continue along Paseo de la Castellana, Doctor Gregorio Marañón square and Emilio Castelar traffic circle. It will then cross Plaza de Colón and continue along Paseo de Recoletos, ending at Plaza de Cibeles.
All these places will try to keep the crosswalks open so that the public can cross the roadway. In addition, there will be civil protection personnel and places for people with reduced mobility will be included, ensuring accessibility.
Cuts for the parade
The streets through which the cavalcade passes will suffer progressive traffic cuts throughout the day. Paseo de la Castellana from Raimundo Fernández Villaverde to Plaza de San Juan de la Cruz is cut from 9:30 am, except for the bus lane that will operate until 14-15 hours.
From 2:00 pm, Paseo del Prado will be closed to traffic from south to north and will not reopen until 1:00 am on January 6. The Plaza de Cibeles, Paseo de Recoletos, Plaza de Colón, Gran Vía, Montalbán street and the surrounding areas will also be closed to traffic.
Alternative routes by car
The Madrid City Council offers alternatives for those who need to move by private vehicle, although they recommend avoiding the center if possible, using the M-30 and M-40. All options are listed on the website of the consistory.
From north to south, you can access through Pío XII Avenue and Príncipe de Vergara to Mariano de Cavia, or use the axis of Guzmán el Bueno and Princesa Street. From east to west, drivers can use the routes from Alberto Aguilera to Juan Bravo via the Enrique de la Mata Gorostizaga bridge or the connection between Puerta de Toledo and Avenida del Mediterráneo, among others.
Getting there by public transport
Bus lines and cab and bicimad stops will be affected by the traffic cuts, so the best options are the subway and commuter trains.
The closest metro stops are Sevilla, Banco de España and Retiro (line 2); Colón and Serrano (line 4); Rubén Darío (line 5); Núñez de Balboa (lines 5 and 9) Gregorio Marañón (lines 7 and 10) and Nuevos Ministerios (lines 6, 8 and 10).
All of them will have reinforcements of trains and personnel and only Banco de España will be closed when the crowds outside are very high. On the other hand, the commuter options are Recoletos, Sol and Nuevos Ministerios.