Christmas in Costa Rica in 2026

Christmas in San José in 2026 has three fixed dates so far. The Ministry of Culture lists a Christmas concert in La Sabana park on 25 December and the horse parade (the Tope) on Saturday 26 December. Newspapers report Festival de la Luz for Saturday 12 December. Book rooms early, because December starts the dry season and the ICT says hotels get busy.

Status as of 4 November 2026: the Ministry of Culture's program is posted, with dates, times and routes. Festival de la Luz is not posted on the San José city hall website, so its date comes from newspapers and its route and start time are not out. The Zapote fair has planned dates but no confirmed operator. Check again in late November.

When are the Christmas events in Costa Rica in 2026?

Here is what is firm and what is not:

• Firm (posted by the Ministry of Culture): the 25 December concert, the 26 December Tope and the 27 December parade, with times and routes.

• Reported, not posted: Festival de la Luz on 12 December. The San José city hall has not put it on its site.

• In doubt: the Zapote fair, after three failed auctions for the fairground.

So plan around 25 to 27 December for sure, and treat 12 December and Zapote as likely but not fixed.

When is Festival de la Luz in 2026?

Note: La Nación, 15 September 2026: Festival de la Luz is on Saturday 12 December 2026. There will be no floats. Giant balloons will replace them, and bands will still march. The city council approved ₡31 million for the balloons. Canal 7 reported that the route will start at Plaza de la Democracia and go west to Torre Mercedes on Paseo Colón, but council members opposed the change (La Nación, read 4 Nov 2026)

Note: Observador, 27 September 2026: the San José city hall announced 14 bands for 12 December, up from 10 in 2025, with the Municipal Band of San José as host. The route would return to Paseo Colón and Avenida Segunda, but the city had not confirmed it (Observador, read 4 Nov 2026)

Note: 2025 edition: Saturday 13 December 2025, from 6 p.m. Two parades left from opposite sides of La Sabana park and looped around it, about 3.5 km in 3 to 4 hours. A show of 1,000 drones flew for 14 minutes (Observador, 13 December 2025, read 4 Nov 2026)

The San José city hall website had no Festival de la Luz page on 4 November 2026. If the route moves back to Paseo Colón, hotels near Paseo Colón and La Sabana are close to it. Wait for the official route before you book on that basis.

So 12 December is the reported date, but the start time and route are still open.

When and where is the Tope in 2026?

Hours: Ministry of Culture, 6 October 2026: the National Horse Riders' Day parade (Desfile del Día Nacional del Caballista) is on Saturday 26 December 2026, 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. (Ministry of Culture, "Tiempo de Compartir", read 4 Nov 2026)

Address: Route: Plaza Víquez, then Calle 11, Avenida Segunda and Paseo Colón, ending at La Sabana park with a concert by national groups. Rider sign-up opened on Monday 12 October 2026 on the Museo de los Niños page (same release)

The host town has changed in recent years. Teletica reported on 27 October 2026 that the Tope was in Montes de Oca in 2024 and in San Ramón in 2025, and La Nación confirmed San Ramón on 26 December 2025. The same Teletica report said some San José council members filed a motion to make the city "free of topes". It did not report a vote, and it is not confirmed whether the motion affects the 26 December parade.

So the Tope is set for 26 December in San José, but watch for news about the council motion.

Are the Fiestas de Zapote happening in 2026?

Note: La Nación, 16 October 2026: the San José city hall plans the Zapote fair for 25 December 2026 to 3 January 2027. Its third attempt to auction the fairground to an operator failed that day, with no bidders. Council members questioned whether the fair will happen. The city did not answer La Nación's questions by press time (La Nación, read 4 Nov 2026)

Price: 2025 edition: free concerts from 25 December 2025 to 4 January 2026, mostly at 8 p.m. Bullfights every day at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tickets ₡17,000 for afternoon or evening bullfights, boxes ₡25,000, with 3-for-1 afternoon and 2-for-1 evening offers. The city of San José ran it (CRHoy, 19 December 2025, read 4 Nov 2026)

The ICT also lists the Zapote fair as an end-of-December event, with rides, street food and dancing (ICT events page, read 4 Nov 2026). It gives no 2026 dates.

So do not plan a trip around Zapote until the city names an operator.

What other Christmas events are in San José?

The Ministry of Culture's "Tiempo de Compartir" season runs from 19 November to 27 December 2026, with 18 activities. These are the ones with a fixed date, time and place in its release:

• Festival de Boyeros (ox cart festival): 28 November, 1 p.m. to 10 p.m., and 29 November, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., in La Sabana. The parade is on Sunday.

• Band parade and "Costa Rica Canta" concert: Tuesday 1 December, from 6 p.m., from Cine Variedades to Plaza de la Democracia.

• Teatro Melico Salazar lights: Tuesday 8 December, 6 p.m.

• "Donde nace la luz" at the Teatro Nacional: 6 to 16 December, 7 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday and 5 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets ₡2,000 to ₡10,000.

• Christmas market at CENAC: 18 to 20 December, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

• Christmas concert in La Sabana: Friday 25 December, 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.

• "Costa Rica de Fiesta" parade of the 7 provinces: Sunday 27 December, 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., from Plaza de la Democracia along Avenida Segunda and Paseo Colón to La Sabana.

The release gives a price only for the Teatro Nacional show. It does not say the other events are free. See the Ministry of Culture release for the full list.

So most of the big public events are in La Sabana and along Paseo Colón, from late November to 27 December.

Is Costa Rica busy at Christmas?

Note: The ICT says the dry season runs from mid-December to late April. In winter, hotels, restaurants and tours in national parks and other outdoor sights can get busy, so plan ahead. Humpback whales from the Pacific Northwest arrive in late December (Visit Costa Rica, "When to visit", read 4 Nov 2026)

Note: 25 December and 1 January are paid national holidays under Article 148 of the Labor Code, and the Ministry of Labor said in 2024 that neither moves to another day (MTSS release 061-2024, read 4 Nov 2026). Employers must pay the aguinaldo, a yearly bonus of one twelfth of the year's wages, by 20 December (MTSS release 049-2022)

The ICT gives no holiday prices, and live room prices were not checked. Book rooms and park tours early for the weeks of 25 December and 1 January.

So expect full hotels and busy parks from mid-December into the new year.

What is the weather like in Costa Rica in December?

The WMO climate normals for 1991 to 2020, published by NOAA NCEI, give these December averages:

The ICT climate page says December is the rainiest month on the Caribbean side, while the Pacific side starts its dry season.

Note: San José airport says passenger numbers in its 2025 to 2026 high season, November 2025 to 5 April 2026, were 7.9% above the year before and the highest on record. December and March had the biggest rises, driven by the year-end holidays and Holy Week (SJO airport report of 7 May 2026, read 4 Nov 2026)

The full year is on the best-time page linked above.

So for a dry Christmas, stay in San José or on the Pacific side, not on the Caribbean coast.

Do non-US citizens need a visa for Costa Rica?

It depends on the passport. Costa Rica sorts passports into groups in its visa directive of 17 November 2025, and some groups can skip the Costa Rican visa with a valid multiple-entry US visa or US residence. That directive was not re-read for this update, so the group rules, the passport validity rules and the green card question are on the Costa Rica entry guide, which quotes the text.

So check your own passport group on that page before you book.

What we checked and what can change

Read on 4 November 2026:

• The Ministry of Culture's Tiempo de Compartir release of 6 October 2026: dates, times and routes for the Tope, the 25 December concert, the 27 December parade and the other season events.

• The San José city hall website: no Festival de la Luz or Zapote page found.

• The ICT's When to visit and events pages, and its Climate page.

• The SJO airport report of 7 May 2026: high-season passenger growth, with December among the busiest months. The airport's site had no holiday travel advice on 4 November 2026.

• The WMO 1991 to 2020 normals from NOAA NCEI for stations 78762, 78774 and 78767.

• The Ministry of Labor releases 061-2024 (holidays) and 049-2022 (aguinaldo).

• News reports, used only where no official page exists: La Nación of 15 September 2026 (Festival de la Luz), 16 October 2026 (Zapote) and 26 December 2025 (Tope in San Ramón); Observador of 27 September 2026 and 13 December 2025 (Festival de la Luz); Teletica of 27 October 2026 (council motion); CRHoy of 19 December 2025 (Zapote 2025).

Not confirmed: an official 2026 date, time and route for Festival de la Luz, any 2026 Zapote program or prices, the outcome of the council motion on topes, whether the Ministry of Culture events are free, holiday room prices, and any holiday travel advice from SJO airport (its site had none on 4 November 2026).