Wise kings parade

The 5^th of January is right around the corner and that means the Wise Kings (Melchor, Gaspar, and Baltasar) and their entourages will be bringing gold, frankincense, and myrrh to Jesus and, while they are at it, gifts to Catalan children. The Procession of Barcelona’s biggest street (La Cabalgata de Reyes) will once again fill the streets of Barcelona.

The great street spectacle and celebration winds for 5 kilometers through the most artistically important parts of the city and the generous kings will be throwing tons of candy to the revelers. Children have their last chance to drop requests for gifts to the Kings.

For the next day is Twelfth Night (The Epiphany) the day that children traditionally receive gifts in Spain. The carriages that take the Kings along their 5 kilometer strip through Barcelonaare two-tiered. One is for the Kings themselves, one for the 300 or so students from Barcelona’s dance and theatre schools who have been working on this big show since last summer. The city hall has gone all out to make this year’s spectacle the best ever.

The street theatre is incomparable and the vibe is festive. Baltasar will be accompanied by 35 percussionists and gigantic puppets representing African women. One carriage will be filled with with coal which will be delivered to the children who have been naughty.

The 5^th of January is celebrated everywhere in Spain, but Barcelona is the oldest recorded celebration; the first documented mention of the Cabalgata de los reyes goes back to 1855.
The parade begins on Marques de la Argentera street at 18:30 hrs., beside Parc de la Ciutadella, and the route go trough Via Laietana, Plaça Catalunya and Gran Via until Plaça Espanya, where you find the magic fountais.

We recomend to get there at least one hour before to have a good view.