Arrival of the schooner Santa Eulàlia and welcome for the Three Kings

The welcome for Their Majesties, who will be arriving on the schooner Santa Eulàlia, takes place a different spot on the coast to usual. This is because there will be no members of the public attending and the event will only be able to be seen at home on municipal websites. The Mayor, Ada Colau, will be handing the Three Kings bread, salt and the keys that open the doors to all the homes in the city.

Three Kings Parade

Later on, Their Majesties will be moving on to the start point for the parade, located in Av. Marquès d’Argentera. The kings, their floats and the entire entourage are due to set off on the procession at 6.15 pm. With six themed sections and 800 participants (500 fewer than other years), this is the first time the parade will feature helpers to explain the arrival of the Three Kings in sign language. The parade route should be completed around 9.10 pm, when the entourage reaches Av. Reina Maria Cristina.

The route for the Three Kings Parade means restrictions to mobility from roughly 4 pm to 9.30 pm. People needing to travel in the city are recommended to take the metro and avoid using private vehicles. Check all the disruptions to mobility here.

Safety measures

Citizens attending the parade are recommended to spread out along the route and use all available space to prevent build-ups of people and to maintain physical distances. Safety measures such as the following must also be respected:

• Face masks mandatory at all times. No sweet throwers are taking part on this occasion, helping avoid the incorrect use of face masks and clusters of people trying to grab sweets.
• No mixing bubble groups: all members of the same bubble group should stick together, without mixing with other groups.

Changes to the parade

Adapting the parade to the health situation hasn’t stopped some new changes being introduced to the parade, such as:

• New outfits for Their Majesties: the designer Raquel Bonillo has created the new wardrobe which Melchior, Gaspar and Balthasar will wear, with a clearly artistic inspiration.
• The Barcelona float: this new float opens this year’s parade and features a dancing and partying space which the city will use to welcome the Three Kings with a grand television programme.
• The giant Olmut is the new character in the entourage for the Three Kings of the Orient. This royal messenger is seven metres tall and is made from the letters and wishes of the children of Barcelona, arriving to pay homage to collective hopes and excitement.
• The Page Estel and her float are among the best-loved and most acclaimed elements of the entourage for the people of Barcelona. This may be more so than ever on this occasion, with a never-ending trail making her shine twice as bright.
• The new coal float brings up the rear in the parade, with a coal-mine-inspired space where the miners shine as brightly as ever, even though they’re still covered in coal.