Madrid marks Maundy Thursday with processions, saetas and central closures

Maundy Thursday marks the beginning of the Paschal Triduum in Madrid. Processions pass through the centre and several neighbourhoods. The singing of saetas and Benlliure’s work stand out. The city adapts its pace and mobility.

Key details Maundy Thursday (1 Apr 2026): Confirmed saetas - Ismael de la Rosa (Plaza Villa 19:30 “El Pobre”); Saray Muñoz (Hotel Moderno 21:15 Gran Poder). 6 processions in total (including Virgen Soledad Villaverde 19:00). Traffic closures: Mayor/Bailén/Toledo/Sol (avoid the car, use EMT). Viewing points: Plaza Villa/Sol.

Maundy Thursday once again marks one of the most intense moments of Holy Week in Madrid. This year, on 2 April, the centre and several neighbourhoods will experience a day in which processions and the religious atmosphere transform the city’s routine and pulse. For those travelling through the centre or planning to go out that afternoon, it is worth taking the routes and schedules into account, as traffic and pedestrian movement will be affected by the processions and the influx of the public.

In the heart of Madrid, three processions draw attention. Nuestro Padre Jesús Nazareno “El Pobre” will leave at 17:00 from the church of San Pedro el Viejo and travel through emblematic streets such as Mayor, Bailén and Plaza Mayor, with a special stop at Plaza de la Villa, where at 19:30 a saeta will be heard from the balconies. At 18:30, the image of Nuestro Padre Jesús el Divino Cautivo, a 1944 carving by Mariano Benlliure, will depart from Colegio Calasancio on General Díaz Porlier street. Its route includes stops at Parroquia de Nuestra Señora del Pilar, Hospital de la Princesa and Iglesia del Rosario de Filipinas, on a journey through the Salamanca neighbourhood that brings together worshippers and the curious every year.

Also at 18:30, the procession of Nuestro Padre Jesús del Gran Poder y María Santísima de la Esperanza Macarena will leave Colegiata de San Isidro, proceeding along Toledo street, Plaza Mayor and Puerta del Sol before returning to its church. On this route, the singing of saetas will once again take centre stage, especially in front of Hotel Moderno and at Real Casa de Correos, between 21:15 and 21:30, a moment that usually attracts those seeking the emotion of tradition in the very centre.

Beyond the centre, the districts of Villaverde and Barajas also hold their own processions. In Villaverde, the departure will be at 19:00 from Parroquia San Andrés, following streets including Doctor Pérez Domínguez, Ágata and Real de Pinto avenue. In Barajas, the procession will leave at 20:00 from Iglesia de San Pedro Apóstol, with the images of Santísimo Cristo de Getsemaní and Nuestro Padre Jesús Nazareno passing through the neighbourhood.

Holy Week in Madrid is not only a religious occasion, but also an urban phenomenon that affects mobility, the cultural agenda and daily life. The singing of saetas from balconies, the presence of historic images such as Benlliure’s and the involvement of neighbourhoods beyond the centre show how the city adapts its pace and spaces to a tradition that remains alive and changing.

For decades, the route of processions through central Madrid has reflected the coexistence of the historic and the everyday. The streets they pass through, many of them pedestrianised or with restricted traffic during Holy Week, become settings where residents and visitors mix, and where the city shows its ability to reinvent itself without losing its identity. Every spring, Madrid is already beginning to move in that direction.