Every town in Spain celebrates Semana Santa, but some places put a bit more effort into it than others.
Adeje is one of them.
The town hall, together with the local parishes, has unveiled the programme for Semana Santa 2026, which mixes religious traditions with cultural events, talks and one or two new additions this year.
Talks, exhibitions and a well-known guest
The programme actually started back on 9 March with the IV Vía Crucis del Pueblo, but things really pick up again from 21 March.
From that date there’ll be a series of talks under the title “History, Science and Mysteries of Christianity.”
These conferences will take place at the Espacio de Historia y Arte El Barranco and will be accompanied by a couple of exhibitions. One focuses on Marian apparitions, while another explores the many artistic representations of Jesus through history.
There’ll also be an exhibition in the Adeje convent showing the various Semana Santa processional figures, with information explaining their history and meaning.
One of the more recognisable names involved this year is Spanish writer and presenter Christian Gálvez, who has been invited to give the official opening speech for the celebrations.
He’ll also be presenting his new novel, He vencido al mundo, at 19:00 on 21 March in the Church of Santa Úrsula.
Music and cultural events
Before the main religious events begin, there will also be a sacred music concert at the San José parish in Los Olivos on 14 March.
These sorts of concerts have become quite a regular part of Semana Santa programmes across the island and tend to attract a good local crowd.
The main Semana Santa celebrations
The main stretch of Semana Santa in Adeje will run from 28 March to 5 April.
During that week the town will host the traditional processions and ceremonies including:
- Palm Sunday celebrations
- The Triduum of Our Lady of the Incarnation
- Santo Encuentro
- The Mandato procession
- The Santo Entierro
- The Silent Procession
- The Easter Vigil
- Easter Sunday Mass
One of the most well-known events is “La Pasión de Adeje,” which will take place on 3 April.
This combines a procession with a theatrical recreation of the Passion, staged along Calle Grande, and will also be broadcast on television and online platforms.
A new statue joins the celebrations
One of the biggest changes this year will happen on Easter Sunday (5 April).
After the Easter mass at 11:00am, the town will introduce a new statue of Jesus Resurrected into the celebrations for the first time.
The figure is a life-size sculpture carved from cedar wood, finished with oil polychrome paint and created by the Cordoba sculptor José Antonio Cabello.
It will be carried in procession from the Church of Santa Úrsula to the Plaza de la Cruz del Llano, accompanied by the Adeje Municipal Band, before returning to the parish.
Some route changes this year
Because of improvement works on Avenida Constitución, a few of the traditional procession routes will be slightly different this year.
The organisers are advising visitors to check the Adeje council website for updated routes and times before attending.
A long tradition in Adeje
Semana Santa in Adeje isn’t something new.
Records of the celebrations go all the way back to 1561, and over the centuries the town has built up an impressive collection of religious sculptures and processional figures.
Some of the most notable pieces include La Piedad in the Santa Úrsula parish, sculptures from the Álvarez Duarte workshop, and several works by well-known Spanish religious artists.
These figures still form the centrepiece of many of the processions held during the week.
The celebrations will eventually come to a close on 19 April with the Rogativa procession, marking the end of the town’s current lustral year.
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