Approximate date: the organiser has not confirmed it yet.
Cruces de Mayo de Córdoba 2027 Crosses of flowers in squares and patios
All the information
About the event
Crosses of flowers take over the squares of the old town. It opens Córdoba's cycle of May festivals.
Key points
- They usually fall between late April and May
- Free entry at every cross
- San Basilio, Santa Marina, San Andrés and the centre
- The list of crosses is published beforehand
When the Cruces de Mayo are in 2027
The Cruces, the May Crosses, open Córdoba's May and are held around 3 May, the Day of the Cross. In 2026 they ran from Wednesday 29 April to Sunday 3 May. The 2027 dates are not settled: the likelihood is that they will again take up the 1 May long weekend, which that year falls on a Saturday. The City Council publishes the calendar, the full list of crosses and the times a few weeks beforehand. It is worth checking as spring approaches, because the spread of days changes depending on where the weekend falls.
What exactly a May cross is
A May cross is a large cross set up in a square or a patio and completely covered in carnations, surrounded by flowerpots and embroidered shawls. They are put up by neighbourhood associations and peñas, which compete in a municipal contest with prizes by district. Around each cross there is a bar with tapas and drinks, and sevillanas music plays until late into the night. There is no entry charge at any of them: you walk from one to the next, have something and carry on.
Which neighbourhoods to walk through
Most of the crosses are spread across the historic centre and the traditional neighbourhoods: San Basilio, Santa Marina, San Andrés, San Agustín and the central area. The distances are short, all walkable, and the fun lies in linking one square to the next with no fixed plan. Anyone short of time does well to start with the Alcázar Viejo and San Basilio, very close together and a stone's throw from the Mezquita-Catedral. There is more atmosphere at night; in the morning the flowers are easier to see and can be photographed with nobody in front.
The first link in Córdoba's May
May in Córdoba is a chain of festivals one after another: first the Cruces, then the Festival de los Patios for two weeks and, to finish, the Feria de Nuestra Señora de la Salud at the end of the month. Fitting two of the three into a single trip is possible if the dates work out, and it is worth looking into before buying your tickets. That said, it is the month of highest demand of the year in the city: accommodation goes up in price and sells out early, so the sooner you book, the better.
The municipal contest, since 1925
Behind the festival is a contest the City Council has been holding since 1925. It has three categories, depending on where the cross is set up: historic centre, modern areas and enclosed spaces. In each there are three prizes and three runner-up awards, decided by a jury that tours the crosses during the festival. The City Council puts the number of crosses taking part each year at more than seventy, set up by brotherhoods, neighbourhood associations and peñas.
The Tendillas cross and the Batalla de las Flores
The city's own cross is set up in the Plaza de las Tendillas, which on those days also hosts the Concurso de Academias de Baile de Córdoba, the dance schools' contest. It is a good starting point: it is right in the centre and from there you can walk to the crosses of the historic centre. The festive May also includes the Batalla de las Flores, a parade of decorated floats held at the beginning of the month.
Dates from 2027 to 2030
The Cruces open Córdoba's May and are always held in the first days of the month, on a long weekend that links up with the 1 May holiday. That will also be the case in 2027, 2028, 2029 and 2030. The City Council publishes the list of crosses and the exact dates of each edition during the spring, a few weeks beforehand.
