Colombia Public Holidays 2027: All 18 Festivos
Short on time? Colombia has 18 official public holidays (festivos) in 2027. Thanks to the Ley Emiliani, most movable feasts are observed on the following Monday — creating the beloved long weekends Colombians call puentes. In 2027 that produces ten Monday holidays. Below: the full list with weekdays, then what each one actually means if you are living in or visiting Medellín.
The full 2027 list
| Date (2027) | Weekday | Holiday | Spanish name |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | Friday | New Year's Day | Año Nuevo |
| January 11 | Monday | Epiphany (observed; actual Jan 6) | Día de los Reyes Magos |
| March 22 | Monday | Saint Joseph's Day (observed; actual Mar 19) | Día de San José |
| March 25 | Thursday | Maundy Thursday | Jueves Santo |
| March 26 | Friday | Good Friday | Viernes Santo |
| May 1 | Saturday | Labour Day | Día del Trabajo |
| May 10 | Monday | Ascension Day (observed) | Día de la Ascensión |
| May 31 | Monday | Corpus Christi (observed) | Corpus Christi |
| June 7 | Monday | Sacred Heart (observed) | Sagrado Corazón de Jesús |
| July 5 | Monday | Saints Peter and Paul (observed; actual Jun 29) | San Pedro y San Pablo |
| July 20 | Tuesday | Independence Day | Día de la Independencia |
| August 7 | Saturday | Battle of Boyacá Day | Batalla de Boyacá |
| August 16 | Monday | Assumption of Mary (observed; actual Aug 15) | Asunción de la Virgen |
| October 18 | Monday | Day of the Race (observed; actual Oct 12) | Día de la Raza |
| November 1 | Monday | All Saints' Day | Todos los Santos |
| November 15 | Monday | Independence of Cartagena (observed; actual Nov 11) | Independencia de Cartagena |
| December 8 | Wednesday | Immaculate Conception | Inmaculada Concepción |
| December 25 | Saturday | Christmas Day | Navidad |
Not official holidays but culturally load-bearing in Medellín: Palm Sunday (March 21) and Easter Sunday (March 28) bookend Semana Santa; December 7 (the night of Día de las Velitas, the eve of Immaculate Conception) is when Medellín lights candles across the city and the Christmas season effectively begins; and December 31 is a family day even though only January 1 is the festivo.
How the system works (the 30-second version)
- Fixed holidays stay on their date: January 1, May 1, July 20, August 7, December 8, December 25 — plus Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, which move with Easter.
- Emiliani holidays move to the next Monday if they fall on another day: Epiphany, Saint Joseph, Ascension, Corpus Christi, Sacred Heart, Saints Peter and Paul, Assumption, Day of the Race, All Saints and Cartagena Independence.
- Easter in 2027 falls on March 28, which sets Semana Santa (March 25–26) and the three Easter-derived Mondays: Ascension (May 10), Corpus Christi (May 31) and Sacred Heart (June 7).
What actually changes in Medellín on a festivo
- Banks, government offices and most businesses close. Migración Colombia, consulates and notaries do not process on festivos — do not schedule a visa extension or a nomad visa errand on one.
- Pico y placa does not apply on public holidays — a festivo Monday is one of the best driving days of the year in the valley. See the current rotation.
- The Metro runs a Sunday/holiday schedule (roughly 5:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.).
- Puentes are when Colombians travel. On a Monday-holiday weekend, expect full buses and flights, higher prices to Guatapé, Santa Fe de Antioquia and the coffee region, and a noticeably emptier, calmer Medellín. Book intercity travel early or enjoy the quiet city — both are good plans; drifting into a puente unprepared is the bad one.
- Supermarkets and malls generally open, often on reduced hours. Neighborhood shops decide for themselves.
The 2027 dates that matter most in Medellín
- Semana Santa — March 25–26 (and the whole week): the city slows dramatically; many residents leave, processions fill the center, and Good Friday is the quietest day of the Medellín year. A wonderful week for residents, a confusing one for first-time visitors expecting nightlife (see La 70 — it revives on Saturday night).
- Feria de las Flores — early August (dates announced by the Alcaldía each year; the festival traditionally spans about ten days around the August 7 and August 16 holidays): Medellín's signature festival — the Desfile de Silleteros, concerts, and the city's fullest hotels. In 2027 the Boyacá holiday falls on Saturday August 7 and Assumption is observed Monday August 16, which brackets the likely festival window neatly. Book accommodation months ahead and expect airport demand to spike — plan transfers with our airport guide. Festival dates in this paragraph are the traditional window, not an announced schedule; we will update when the Alcaldía publishes 2027 programming.
- Alumbrados season — December: the Christmas lights along the river and in the parks run through December into early January, with Día de las Velitas (December 7) and the December 8 festivo as the season's unofficial opening nights. Medellín in December is a destination in itself — see our guide to Christmas lights in Medellín.
Planning rules for 2027
- Count the Mondays before you book. Ten Monday festivos means ten three-day weekends when domestic travel prices spike. If your dates are flexible, the week after a puente is often the cheapest and calmest time in the city.
- Never land a bureaucracy deadline on a festivo week. Visa, banking and notary timelines in Colombia are counted in business days — Semana Santa week contains only three.
- Two holidays fall on Saturday in 2027 (May 1 and December 25, plus August 7) — under the Emiliani system these are not moved, so workers and visitors simply lose them. Expect May 1 and the Christmas period to feel different from the Monday-heavy rest of the year.
Bookmark this page — we publish the new calendar each year, and the Medellín seasons guide shows how the holidays layer over the city's weather and events calendar.
