Santa Lucia parade in kayaks

Every year on December 13th, you can experience a beloved Danish tradition – the Lucia parade in beautifully decorated kayaks along the canals of Copenhagen. If you are unfamiliar with the tradition, let us enlighten you. The Lucia parades are a Danish Christmas tradition held on December 13th to celebrate Saint Lucia. Participants, often dressed in white with candles, sing traditional songs while processing, symbolising light during the dark winter. This alternative Lucia parade has taken place annually since 2006, when only twelve kayaks participated, and has now grown to more than 500 sparkling, decorated kayaks with singing paddlers. The parade is led along the route by a canal tour boat, where the live choir Tritonus joins in on the communal singing. The atmosphere is completed by the thousands of spectators gathered along the waterfront, singing along to the Lucia song.

The program for Saturday, December 13th, 2025, includes:

10:00 – Warm-up for Lucia in Kayak with brunch and breakfast at Kayak Bar
12:00 – Kayak Bar serves hot dishes, mulled wine, and traditional Danish “æbleskiver”
15:00 – Kayak preparation and decoration
16:45 – Tritonus choir performs from the Stromma boat by Kayak Bar
17:00 – Departure from Kayak Bar and Kayak Republic
17:15 – Singing at Nyhavn
17:45 – Singing at BLOX
18:10 – Singing at Gl. Strand / Højbro Plads
18:45 – Singing and conclusion at Kayak Bar
19:00 – Mulled wine, æbleskiver, and dinner at Kayak Bar (bouillabaisse and vegetarian soup)
19:00 – DJ and dancing at Kayak Bar until midnight
01:00 – Thank you for joining Copenhagen’s most enchanting Christmas tradition

Please note that brunch and dinner must be booked via Kayak Bar’s website.

If you wish to participate in the parade by kayak, you must bring your own. Unfortunately, it is not possible to rent a kayak, as all boats are already fully booked.

You can read much more about the Lucia parade on Kayak Republic’s website.