Holy Week 2027 · 21 to 28 March
Where to travel at Easter
In 2027 Holy Week falls early: from Palm Sunday, 21 March, to Easter Sunday, 28 March. It is a time of processions that are completely different from one city to the next, and of the first spring getaways. Here are the most special ones, in Spain and beyond.
Updated 20 October 2026 · How we make our guides
Processions in Spain
Every city has its own way of living it: from Andalusian bustle to Castilian silence.
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SpainSeville
Dozens of brotherhoods, centuries-old floats and the Madrugá, the night from Maundy Thursday to Good Friday, when some of the most revered brotherhoods process. The most famous in Spain.
What to see in Seville -
SpainMálaga
Huge floats carried by hundreds of bearers, marching bands through the centre and, on Maundy Thursday, the Christ of Mena carried by the Spanish Legion.
What to see in Málaga -
SpainZamora
A sober Holy Week with centuries of tradition, with silent processions among Romanesque churches, a world away from Andalusian bustle.
What to see in Zamora -
SpainValladolid
Floats with carvings by Gregorio Fernández and Juan de Juni, jewels of Castilian religious sculpture, and the great general procession on Good Friday.
What to see in Valladolid -
SpainCuenca
The turbas and drums of the Camino del Calvario procession through the steep streets of the old upper town, and the Religious Music Week.
What to see in Cuenca -
SpainLorca
The biblical parades of the Paso Blanco and Paso Azul brotherhoods, with chariots, horses and silk-embroidered cloaks that are true works of art.
What to see in Lorca -
SpainCartagena
Californios and Marrajos, parades of almost military precision and illuminated floats covered in flowers.
What to see in Cartagena -
SpainLeón
Processions with thousands of papones, as the brotherhood members are called here, the Encuentro in the Plaza Mayor on Good Friday and limonada, the drink of the season.
What to see in León
Beyond Spain
Holy Weeks with traditions of their own, a few hours’ flight away or across the Atlantic.
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ItalyRome
The Pope’s Way of the Cross at the Colosseum on Good Friday and Easter Mass in St Peter’s Square, with the city in full spring.
What to see in Rome -
PortugalBraga
Portugal’s most famous Holy Week, with the Ecce Homo procession and its farricocos, hooded figures lighting the way with torches.
What to see in Braga - Europe
Malta
Good Friday processions in Valletta and in many of the island’s villages, and the figolla, the almond pastry of the Maltese Easter.
Malta travel guide -
GuatemalaAntigua Guatemala
Carpets of coloured sawdust and flowers that cover the cobbled streets and come apart as the processions pass: one of the most impressive Holy Weeks in the Americas.
What to see in Antigua Guatemala
Frequently asked questions
When is Holy Week in 2027?
From Sunday 21 March (Palm Sunday) to Sunday 28 March (Easter Sunday). Maundy Thursday is the 25th and Good Friday the 26th. Easter Monday, 29 March, is a public holiday in several Spanish regions.
Where can you see the most famous processions in Spain?
Seville and Málaga draw the biggest crowds; Zamora, Valladolid and León are the most sober; Cuenca, Lorca and Cartagena have unique traditions.
Do you need to book well in advance?
Yes: in Seville and Málaga accommodation fills up months ahead. The sooner the better, for flights too.
What happens if it rains?
The brotherhoods may decide not to go out, or to return early, to protect the floats. Check the forecast and have a back-up plan.
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Reviewed 20 October 2026. Dates and seasonal warnings: the same data the Bagintravel app uses. Sources and method.
Cover photo: Cofrades 2020 sevilla (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikimedia Commons.