Spain’s famous Easter processions are attracting even more foreign tourists than in previous years because the Iran war has led many to cancel plans to visit the Holy Land.

While Easter pilgrimages to the Holy Land and holiday trips to the Middle East in general have largely been cancelled because of the US-Israeli war on Iran, Spain is currently seeing a booking boom.

Travellers have been redirected to the country, which is far from the conflict and perceived as safe, the news portal 20minutos wrote on Thursday.

By the end of the year, the number of foreign visitors could rise by 3.5% compared with 2025 to a new record of around 100 million, the Tourism Ministry estimates.

The strongholds of the Easter processions in the south – in Seville, Córdoba, Málaga and Granada – are particularly in demand at the moment.

Hundreds of thousands of locals and foreign tourists line the streets to admire the magnificent parades in temperatures that are not yet too high, around 20 degrees Celsius.

The parades in Seville, especially those during the night of Holy Thursday to Good Friday, are among the largest and best known in the world.

As early as Palm Sunday, which fell on Sunday, parades took place in Palma de Mallorca and many other cities across the country to mark the start of Holy Week.

Easter week in Spain more important than Christmas

Holy Week is more important than Christmas in the Catholic country. The processions are not only an expression of deep religiosity but also an opulent, colourful folk festival.

In times of wars and crises, they are also seen as an expression of community that conveys a sense of security.

Eeerily beautiful atmosphere

The parades almost resemble religious theatre performances with light, incense and lamentations. In some cases, large figures of Christ and the Virgin Mary, weighing several tons, are carried through the streets.

Members of pious brotherhoods wear robes and cover themselves with pointed hoods. Their faces are often completely covered except for two eye slits, making them seem eerie, mysterious and almost somewhat frightening – but this too is an aspect that appeals to many.