Christmas season in Palma: Over 300 events bring festive spirit to the city

Palma warms up: more than 300 activities, lots of life on the streets

When the lanterns on the Plaça Major flicker in the evening and breath forms small clouds in the cool air, you notice: Palma puts on its winter coat. The city administration has announced over 300 individual activities this year – spread across squares, churches and cultural venues. If you now stroll through the old town, you hear voices, a distant piano, the clatter of heels on cobblestones and again and again the laughter of children. It is precisely this atmosphere that makes the pre-Christmas period here special.

Nativity scenes, Mercat de l'Olivar and an unusual place for the switching-on

The large nativity scene in the town hall, the Cort, is again in the center and is open until January 5; on weekdays mostly into the evening, on weekends shorter. Other nativity scenes invite you to linger in churches and cultural institutions across the city. A particularly generous installation is currently attracting many visitors daily to the Mercat de l'Olivar – eyes linger on figures, lights and small details.

A tip for everyone who wants to watch the festive switching on of the lights: for safety reasons the ceremony no longer takes place on the Passeig des Born, but this time on the Plaça d'Espanya. The date is Saturday evening at 6:30pm – the show starts with music, and those who arrive early can still grab a seat on one of the benches with a view of the lights.

Local retailers focus on experience rather than mere decoration

In cooperation with the trade associations, the economic development agency has organized around 140 downtown activities: extended opening hours, small plays, market actions and morning offers on weekends so that families with young children can experience something during the day. The shop windows do not just sparkle, they become stages for short performances – street music mixes with the smell of freshly brewed café con leche and the occasional honk from further out.

Music and participation play a major role in Palma. Choirs sing at the Plaça de Cort and on the Passeig del Born, there are flashmobs, elf performances and mimes on small squares. One particularly lovable project is called "Piano en Ciutat": public pianos on which passers-by can play. I have already spent afternoons there – an elderly lady absorbed in Chopin, students improvising, tourists stopping and clapping. These are the moments that make the city special.

There's something for all age groups

The program thinks of young and old: craft workshops, hot cocoa hours for children, collection points for toy donations and libraries with reading circles. Plays are aimed at families, and for seniors there are specially organized lighting tours by bus – comfortable, with a blanket and explanations from the guide. At the end of December, the official events still lead to traditional rituals, before the Three Kings conclude the season in early January and the streets become quieter again.

Anyone who is out and about in Palma in the coming weeks should bring warm shoes and time. Between small stages, market stalls and the public pianos it's easy to find a moment that lingers: the sound of a song, the smell of freshly roasted almonds or simply a good café con leche on the Plaça Major. The city has visibly made an effort to make the holidays accessible and lively – and that does the city center good these days.