The capital’s upcoming Christmas season will see a sweeping display of Panama holiday lights across dozens of public spaces after the municipality signed off on a B/.3,299,893.00 contract with a single bidder. The agreement, formalized in late July 2026, hands responsibility for the full design, installation and upkeep of the festive illumination to DISAROCA GROUP, S.A., the only company that submitted a proposal for the tender. While the lack of competition in a multi‑million‑dollar procurement often raises eyebrows, the evaluation committee gave the firm a perfect score of 100 points, clearing the way for one of the largest holiday lighting deployments the district has seen in recent years.
Panama Holiday Lights to Brighten 35 Public Spaces
The service will touch every corner of the capital, bringing illuminated decorations to 35 carefully selected locations. The list spans iconic urban landmarks and quieter residential corregimientos alike. Visitors strolling through the historic Casco Viejo will find the Plaza Catedral dressed in glowing ornaments, while Santa Ana Park and the Amelia Denis de Icaza Park in El Chorrillo get their own animated installations. Along the bay, the five zones of the Cinta Costera will serve as a continuous corridor of color, and residents of Ernesto Córdoba Campos will see the Cinta Norteña transformed for the season.
Neighbourhoods farther from the centre are included as well. Corregimientos such as Pacora, Tocumen, Las Cumbres and Chilibre each have parks slated for decorations, ensuring that the holiday spirit reaches communities that often feel removed from the capital’s grander celebrations. The scale of the operation means that crews will be crisscrossing the city for months, mounting structures that blend classic Christmas motifs with modern LED technology.
Sole Bidder Secures Full Marks in the Tender
The procurement process, governed by Panama’s Law 22 of 2006 and its consolidated text under Law 153 of 2020, moved swiftly once the call was published on the PanamaCompra electronic platform on 29 May 2026. When the public act took place on 13 July, only DISAROCA GROUP, S.A. stepped forward with an economic offer of exactly B/.3,299,893.00. That figure became the final contract value after the evaluation commission reviewed the bid and concluded it satisfied every requirement in the tender documents.
Awarding a seven‑figure contract to a sole bidder can stir debate, yet the municipality’s resolution, signed by Mayor Mayer Mizrachi, stressed that the company met all minimum criteria and presented a price considered convenient for the state. Under Panama’s public contracting rules, a bid must score at least 80 points to be eligible for adjudication. DISAROCA GROUP, S.A. surpassed that threshold comfortably, receiving the maximum possible rating and leaving no technical grounds to reject the proposal.
What the 15-Month Contract Actually Covers
‘The project will have a total execution period of 15 months.’ [Translated from Spanish]
That timeline divides the work into two distinct phases. The visible Panama holiday lights display runs for roughly four months, scheduled to switch on for the public on Sunday, 29 November 2026, and remain lit through 31 January 2027. Once the decorations come down, the contractor’s role shifts to an 11‑month maintenance obligation, stretching from February to December 2027. During that period, the company must care for the permanent LED lighting already installed on the palm trees of the Cinta Costera and the Cinta Norteña, guaranteeing those waterfront fixtures stay operational year‑round.
The technical specifications demanded by the municipality go far beyond simple string lights. The supplier has to provide LED cords, hoses and curtains, reflectors, mini‑LEDs, garlands and fireproof fabrics that can withstand the coastal humidity and the wear of thousands of visitors. At least 20 large‑format three‑dimensional decorative structures are required, each standing a minimum of five metres tall. The pliego de cargos also insists on audio systems playing Christmas music in the intervened parks, along with branded “selfie frame” structures carrying the “I STAR PTY” mark, a detail that turns each site into a social media‑friendly destination.
The money covers a full‑service rental model. That means DISAROCA GROUP, S.A. is responsible for supplying every decorative element, transporting them, installing and connecting the equipment, troubleshooting faults during the display window and, finally, dismantling everything once the season ends. The all‑inclusive approach shields the municipality from additional logistics costs and keeps the focus on delivering a polished visitor experience across the 35 neighbourhood spots.
For residents and tourists, the result will be a city wrapped in colour at a time when public spaces become gathering points for families, carol singers and holiday markets. The choice of locations along the Cinta Costera and in community parks also ties the project to the capital’s ongoing efforts to reclaim waterfront areas and green zones for cultural use. Critics of past holiday spending, who have questioned the transparency and value of such contracts, will likely watch the rollout closely, especially given the uncontested tender. Still, the sheer geographic spread of the 2026 edition signals an ambition to make the festive illumination more inclusive than ever, reaching barrios that have never before been part of a coordinated Christmas lighting effort. As the November switch‑on approaches, the conversation around Panama holiday lights will shift from procurement paperwork to the visual impact that millions of balboas can buy.