Three Kings Parade in Madrid: road closures, EMT diversions and reinforced Metro this 5 January

The Three Kings Parade will transform Madrid this 5 January. More than 200,000 people will attend. Twenty-nine EMT lines and 14 night lines will see their routes altered. Metro will increase frequencies and there will be closures on key roads. Find out how to get around and which areas to avoid.

The Three Kings Parade returns to Madrid this 5 January and will bring significant changes to mobility in the city. The event, which is expected to bring together more than 200,000 attendees, will require traffic to be closed on main arteries, alter the routes of 29 EMT bus lines and reinforce Metro service in the busiest areas.

The parade will start at 18:00 from Nuevos Ministerios and travel through Plaza de San Juan de la Cruz, Paseo de la Castellana, Plaza del Doctor Gregorio Marañón, Glorieta de Emilio Castelar, Plaza de Colón and Paseo de Recoletos, ending at Plaza de Cibeles. The City Council has planned reserved spaces for people with reduced mobility at strategic points along the route.

From 15:30, traffic closures will spread along the entire route, until the Paseo de la Castellana–Paseo de Recoletos–Paseo del Prado axis is completely closed from Nuevos Ministerios to Plaza de Neptuno, including cross streets and the bus lane. The side road of Paseo del Prado, between Plaza de la Lealtad and Plaza de Cibeles, will remain closed from 14:00 on 5 January until 01:00 the following day. Plaza de Cibeles will also gradually be closed to traffic from 12:00.

The City Council recommends using public transport, especially Metro, and avoiding private vehicles in the affected areas. For long journeys, use of the M-30 and M-40 is recommended. The public car parks at Serrano, Plaza de Colón, Recoletos and Las Cortes will also be affected by the closures.

The EMT disruptions will affect lines 001, 1, 2, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12, 14, 15, 16, 20, 21, 27, 34, 37, 40, 45, 51, 52, 53, 61, 74, 146, 147, 150, CO3, E1 and Exprés Aeropuerto from 12:00 until the end of service. At night, 14 night-bus lines (N2, N3, N8, N9, N10, N11, N12, N13, N14, N15, N17, N25, N26 and N27) will also have their routes changed until 02:00 on 6 January.

Metro de Madrid will increase train frequency on lines 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 10 during the busiest hours. The stations closest to the parade will be 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). In the event of overcrowding, trains may not stop at Banco de España.

On the Cercanías network, the Recoletos, Sol and Nuevos Ministerios stations will be available to those travelling to the event. More than 400 Policía Municipal officers and 200 Samur personnel will ensure safety throughout the day.