New Year's Eve in Spain 2026: Where to Celebrate

Quick answer: Spain sees in the New Year with twelve grapes, one for each chime of midnight, and the chimes that count are those of the clock at Puerta del Sol in Madrid, broadcast to the whole country. In 2026 New Year's Eve falls on Thursday 31 December. You can be in the square for free, but entry is capacity-controlled: for New Year 2025–26 Madrid capped it at 15,000 people, cleared it from 21:00 and let people back in from 22:00 through police filters. The other big public parties are Barcelona's midnight show on Avinguda de la Reina Maria Cristina below Montjuïc, Valencia's Plaza del Ayuntamiento and Granada's Plaza del Carmen, while Palma starts 31 December with the medieval Festa de l'Estendard and Madrid's afternoon belongs to the San Silvestre Vallecana, a 10 km race with up to 42,000 runners. Most 2026 programmes are published in December, so the times in this guide are from the 2025 editions.

The twelve grapes: how Nochevieja works

Across Spain, in a square or at home in front of the television, people eat twelve grapes at midnight, one on each of the twelve chimes (campanadas), and getting them all down means twelve months of luck. Madrid newspapers mention grapes at the chimes from the 1880s, when the city's bourgeoisie copied a French custom, and a bumper harvest in Alicante in 1909 helped turn it into a national habit. The televised ritual follows a fixed script: the ball on the Puerta del Sol clock tower drops, the four cuartos ring, which trap newcomers into eating early, and then come the twelve chimes, about three seconds apart. Supermarkets sell tins of twelve peeled, seedless grapes for the purpose; buy them before the 31st.

Dinner on Nochevieja is a long family affair that ends just before midnight, and the night continues with cava, the cotillón (party bags of hats, streamers and noisemakers) and, for the young, parties until dawn, finishing with chocolate con churros. Red underwear is worn for luck; 1 January is a public holiday and one of the quietest days of the year.

Madrid: Puerta del Sol

The square is free and unticketed, but access is controlled. For New Year 2025–26 the city capped it at 15,000 people, cleared it from 21:00 and reopened it at 22:00 through four entrances with double police checks on Calle Mayor, Calle Arenal, Calle de Alcalá and Carrera de San Jerónimo. Glass, firecrackers and other pyrotechnics are not allowed, and Sol metro station closed from 18:00, so walk in from Callao, Ópera or Sevilla. Once the square is full nobody else gets in, and the surrounding streets fill with people watching on their phones. Madrid also stages a full rehearsal, the Preuvas, at midnight on Wednesday 30 December, for those who want the ritual with a little less pressure. For queuing times, Metro hours and alternatives, read our Puerta del Sol New Year's Eve guide.

Earlier on the 31st the San Silvestre Vallecana takes over the city: the popular 10 km race starts beside the Santiago Bernabéu stadium and finishes in Vallecas, with up to 42,000 runners, many in fancy dress. In 2025 the popular race set off in waves from 16:50 and the international race followed at 19:55. Registration for 2026 opened in June; check availability on the official website. The route runs along Calle de Alcalá past Cibeles and down the Paseo del Prado, and the pavements fill with spectators.

After midnight: cotillón parties in hotels and clubs (book ahead) and a slow walk home. The Metro does not run all night: on 31 December 2025 it closed at its usual time of 1:30 and reopened at 7:00, and night buses left from Cibeles. For the tradition and the clock, see our Nochevieja at Puerta del Sol page and the Madrid region guide.

Barcelona: Montjuïc and the Home dels Nassos

Barcelona's public Cap d'Any takes place on Avinguda de la Reina Maria Cristina, the wide avenue below the Magic Fountain of Montjuïc and the Palau Nacional. In 2025 it was a 20-minute show of music, fireworks and drones from 23:50 to 00:10, with the twelve chimes in the middle and the Magic Fountain back in action. Confirm the 2026 times in December on the city's Christmas website. Earlier in the day, children go looking for the Home dels Nassos, the man with as many noses as days left in the year: the city's Home dels Nassos figure parades on the morning of 31 December, children receive toy noses, and he hands the authorities the key that opens the New Year in Plaça de Sant Jaume. The Metro ran all night on New Year's Eve 2025. Barcelona is covered in more depth in our Catalonia region guide.

Valencia: Plaza del Ayuntamiento

Valencia gathers in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento. In 2025 the square was closed from 20:30 and the entrances opened at 22:00; the party started at 22:30 with DJs on the town hall balcony, the twelve chimes came from the town hall clock, and lights and fireworks marked midnight before more DJs took over. On the morning of 31 December the same square held children's chimes at midday. Valencia's winter continues with the Three Kings arriving by boat on 5 January and the Fallas season opening with the Crida on the last Sunday of February; see our Las Fallas page.

Seville and Granada

Seville does not have a fixed council programme every year; crowds traditionally gather in Plaza Nueva, in front of the town hall, and in 2023 national TV broadcast the chimes from there. Check the council's Christmas programme in December. Granada celebrates in Plaza del Carmen, the town hall square. In 2025 capacity was 3,500, with entry only from Calle Reyes Católicos: the square was cleared at 21:00 and reopened at 22:00, grapes and cotillón bags were handed out from 22:30 to 23:30, fireworks followed the chimes and the party ended at 2:00. Plan 1 January carefully: the Alhambra and Seville's Real Alcázar are both closed that day. See the Andalusia region guide.

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria: a warm New Year

For a New Year without a heavy coat, head for Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, where the average December low is about 16 °C. In 2025 the city's official party was in Plaza de Canarias, behind Parque Santa Catalina and a short walk from Las Canteras beach, with concerts from 22:00 until 5:30. Expect the 2026 programme in December, and book flights early because the Canaries are busy over the holidays. The Carnival of Las Palmas follows a few weeks later, so many visitors stay on.

Palma de Mallorca: the Festa de l'Estendard

Palma's 31 December begins centuries before the grapes. The Festa de l'Estendard commemorates King James I's entry into the city on 31 December 1229 and is one of the oldest civic celebrations in Europe. In 2025 it began at 10:15 in Plaça de Cort, outside the town hall: the royal standard is raised, a procession goes to the cathedral for mass with traditional dances, and back at Cort La Colcada is recited. At night Plaça de Cort hosts the public New Year party with live music and the chimes, with a big screen in Plaça de la Reina when Cort is full. The 2026 programme is published by the Ajuntament in December; see also our Balearic Islands guide.

Other ways to see in 2027

• Salamanca's Nochevieja Universitaria, now officially the Fin de Año Universitario, happens weeks earlier, on a Thursday in mid-December, when students eat twelve jelly sweets instead of grapes in the Plaza Mayor. In 2025 it was on Thursday 18 December, with room for about 18,500 people; the 2026 date had not been announced by late October.
• Towns and villages. In many places people gather in the main square for the chimes; ask locally or check the council's programme.
• Hotels and restaurants sell cena de Nochevieja set menus, often with grapes and cotillón included and at well above normal prices; book by early December.

Practical tips

1. Grapes. Buy the tins of twelve before the 31st, choose small seedless grapes and practise the rhythm: a chime every three seconds is faster than it sounds.
2. Squares. Entry is free, but the biggest parties are capacity-controlled. In 2025 Madrid (15,000), Granada (3,500) and Valencia filtered access from the evening, so arrive early or have a plan B.
3. Dinner and shopping. Many restaurants serve only set menus on the 31st and others close. Most big supermarket chains close early on the 31st, around 19:00 and some by mid-afternoon, and many stay shut on 1 January.
4. Transport. In 2025 Barcelona's Metro ran all night; Madrid's closed at 1:30 and reopened at 7:00, with night buses instead. Taxis are very hard to find just after midnight, so walk or stay central.
5. Weather. AEMET's average December lows are 3.6 °C in Madrid, 5.7 °C at Barcelona airport, 7.3 °C at Seville airport and 16.2 °C at Gran Canaria airport. Bring a hat and gloves for Madrid, and leave glass and firecrackers at home.
6. 1 January. A public holiday: many shops and restaurants stay closed, and the Prado, the Alhambra and Seville's Real Alcázar are shut. Churrerías and hotel breakfasts are the morning plan.
7. Fireworks. In 2025 Barcelona, Valencia and Granada all marked midnight with fireworks.

Our solo-travel safety guide has advice for crowded nights, and the December calendar lists everything that leads up to the 31st.

FAQ

Why do Spaniards eat twelve grapes at midnight? One grape for each chime of midnight brings luck for each month of the year. Madrid newspapers mention the custom from the 1880s, and a bumper Alicante grape harvest in 1909 helped spread it across Spain.

Can I get into Puerta del Sol on New Year's Eve? Yes, free and without tickets, but capacity is limited: for New Year 2025–26 it was 15,000, and the square was cleared from 21:00 and reopened at 22:00 through police filters. Join a queue by about 21:00; glass and fireworks are not allowed.

Where is New Year's Eve celebrated in Barcelona? On Avinguda de la Reina Maria Cristina, below Montjuïc. In 2025 the show of music, fireworks and drones ran from 23:50 to 00:10, with the chimes in the middle, and the Metro ran all night.

What is the San Silvestre Vallecana? Madrid's 31 December 10 km race from beside the Bernabéu to Vallecas, with up to 42,000 runners in the popular race. In 2025 the popular waves started at 16:50 and the international race at 19:55.

Is anything open on 1 January in Spain? Very little in the morning. Churrerías and hotel breakfasts are your best bet, and big sights such as the Prado, the Alhambra and the Real Alcázar are closed.

Which is the warmest place for New Year in Spain? The Canary Islands. In Las Palmas de Gran Canaria the average December low is about 16 °C, against 3.6 °C in Madrid.

What is the Festa de l'Estendard? Palma's 31 December civic festival recalling King James I's conquest of the city in 1229. In 2025 it began at 10:15 in Plaça de Cort, with a procession to the cathedral, mass and the recitation of La Colcada back at Cort.

Key dates 2026