Holy Week in Gandia 2026: full schedule of events and processions
In Gandia, Holy Week is far more than a series of religious processions. For several days, the city takes on a different rhythm as its historic centre, churches and long-standing neighbourhoods become the setting for one of the most deeply rooted traditions in its calendar. The official 2026 programme begins on March 22 with the Tamborrada and the Proclamation, before unfolding its main events from March 27 to April 5, with a final act on April 13, Saint Vincent’s Monday.
Holy Week in Gandia is experienced on many levels. There are major public moments that draw large crowds, such as the Palm Sunday procession, the General Procession of the Holy Burial or the Glorious Encounter on Easter Sunday. But there are also quieter, more intimate events shaped by music, devotion and the identity of each brotherhood. That balance is precisely what gives Gandia’s Holy Week its character year after year.
When does Holy Week in Gandia 2026 begin?
Although the central celebrations take place between Friday of Sorrows, March 27, and Easter Sunday, April 5, the official programme begins earlier, on March 22, with two symbolic opening events: the Tamborrada at 11:45 am in Plaça Escoles Pies and the Proclamation of Holy Week at 12:30 pm in the Church of the Escuelas Pías.
From that point on, Gandia fully enters one of the most distinctive periods of the year. The programme brings together masses, transfers, Stations of the Cross, palm blessings, sacramental performances and processions that pass through some of the city’s most recognisable settings, from Plaça Major to Passeig de les Germanies, and from the Ducal Palace to Santa Clara, the Raval district, Beniopa and the Grau.
The key dates of Holy Week in Gandia 2026
March 22: Tamborrada and Proclamation
The official programme places the symbolic beginning of Holy Week on this date. The morning starts with the Tamborrada in Plaça Escoles Pies and continues with the Proclamation in the Church of the Escuelas Pías, two events that open the calendar before the main processions begin.
March 27: Friday of Sorrows
The first major day of processions arrives with Friday of Sorrows. The programme includes some of the most reflective and solemn events of the week, such as the Eucharist of the Brotherhood of the Holy Cross, the Penitential Procession of the Three Denials by the Brotherhood of Saint Peter the Apostle, the prayer of the Seven Sorrows of the Virgin of Piety, and the penitential procession of Our Lady of Sorrows, one of the central Marian figures of these days in Gandia.
March 28: Saturday of Passion
Saturday offers one of the most varied programmes of the week. In Beniopa, the blessing of palms and branches is followed by a liturgical procession. Later in the evening, one of the most collective acts of the calendar takes place: the Procession of the Holy Rosary, in which all the brotherhoods take part alongside the image of the Virgin of Solitude. At the end of the procession, the programme also includes the Sacramental Play of the Trial of Jesus.
March 29: Palm Sunday
This is one of the liveliest days in the city. Official events begin early in the morning, but the central moment comes with the Solemn Procession of Palms and Branches, scheduled for 11:00 am from Plaça Escoles Pies, with the participation of the public, all the brotherhoods, the ecclesiastical presidency and the band. That same day also features the Living Stations of the Cross of Santa Anna, one of the most distinctive and deeply rooted performances in the local calendar.
March 30 and 31: Holy Monday and Holy Tuesday
These are especially intense days, particularly for those who want to experience a more local and neighbourhood-based side of Holy Week rather than just the major central events. Holy Monday includes, among other moments, the Penitential Stations of the Cross at the Calvary of Beniopa, the Descent of Christ of the Angustias, the procession of Jesus Praying in the Garden, the Stations of the Cross of Christ at the Flagellation and that of the Holy Face. Holy Tuesday brings the transfer of Christ of the Angustias, the procession of Saint Peter the Apostle, that of Christ at the Flagellation, the Ecce Homo procession, the Holy Face procession and the solemn descent of Christ of the Good Death.
April 1: Holy Wednesday
Holy Wednesday gathers some of the most recognisable events of the week. Among them are the Transfer of the Virgin of Solitude to the Ducal Palace, the Procession of the Three Falls of Our Father Jesus Nazarene, the Stations of the Cross with the Christ of Love from Santa Anna, the procession of Mary Magdalene beside the Cross of Jesus, the procession of the Ecce Homo, the procession of the Virgin of Hope in the Resurrection and the Procession of Christ and the Virgin of Silence, one of the most visually striking and emotionally powerful moments of the entire programme.
April 2: Maundy Thursday
The night of Maundy Thursday is one of the most complete and moving of Gandia’s Holy Week. The official programme includes the Procession of Fraternal Love, the procession of Our Lady of Piety, that of Christ of the Angustias, the transfer of the Descendimiento in the Grau district, the honours paid by Christ Lying in the Crucifixion to the Virgin of Solitude, the procession of Our Lady of Sorrows and the moment known as “The Last Glances” in Plaça Major. The evening continues with the procession of Christ of the Good Death, the Virgin of the Most Precious Blood, Jesus Nazarene and, after midnight, the penitential procession of the Holy Sepulchre.
April 3: Good Friday
This is the central day of the whole celebration. Early in the morning, the transfer of the penitential crosses takes place, followed by the Solemn Penitential Stations of the Cross, which begin at the sanctuary of Blessed Andrés Hibernón. At the same time, another formation with the image of Our Lady of Sorrows sets out from the Palace Church. Both processions meet in Plaça Major for the traditional Encounter. In the afternoon, the programme continues with the children’s transfer of the Ecciamet, the vigil and meditation before the Holy Sepulchre, the XLI Band Parade and, at 7:00 pm, the General Procession of the Holy Burial, one of the most representative and widely attended events of Holy Week in Gandia.
April 4: Holy Saturday
The day begins with an event of strong cultural and historical significance: the Visitatio Sepulchri of Gandia, a work attributed to Saint Francis Borgia, with free admission in the Collegiate Church. At night, the Virgin of Solitude presides over the Procession of Silence, which invites all the brotherhoods to take part and passes through much of the city centre before returning to the Ducal Palace.
April 5: Easter Sunday
The programme closes with the Glorious Encounter, one of the most anticipated final moments of the whole celebration. One procession departs from the Ducal Palace accompanying the Virgin of Solitude, while the remaining brotherhoods accompany the Risen Christ from the Collegiate Church. Both processions converge in Plaça Major, where the final encounter takes place and brings the 2026 Holy Week celebrations to an end.
The final event in the programme: Saint Vincent’s Monday
The official programme still adds one later event on April 13, Saint Vincent’s Monday, with the Eucharist of the Congregants at 8:30 am, followed by the Procession of the Sick. It is the final note in an especially extensive programme that reaches across different parts of the city.
A celebration that also reveals Gandia
Beyond its religious meaning, Holy Week offers another way of reading Gandia itself. The historic city, the neighbourhoods with the strongest brotherhood tradition, the squares that become ceremonial stages and the heritage buildings that frame many of these routes all help shape the experience of these days. It is not only about watching a procession, but about understanding how a shared tradition can transform the rhythm, atmosphere and identity of the city.