Holidays and Vacations in Spain 2026: A Complete Guide for Planning
Life in Spain quickly teaches you one important thing: if you haven't checked the holiday calendar, there's a high chance you'll find yourself without bread on a Sunday or facing the closed doors of a government office on a seemingly ordinary Tuesday.
Holidays here are not just weekends; they are an entire system that can be easy to get lost in. They are generally divided into three levels:
- National (Estatales): Celebrated throughout the country, from Madrid to the smallest villages.
- Regional (Autonómicos): Each autonomous community chooses its own significant dates. For example, while Valencia is in full Fallas celebration mode, it will be a normal working day in Barcelona.
- Local (Locales): The icing on the cake — every city has two more "personal" holidays per year in honor of its patron saints.
The main trick is the "puentes" or bridges. Spaniards are masters at connecting a holiday that falls on a Thursday with the weekend, creating a mini-vacation for themselves. To help you plan your appointments, travels, and bureaucracy errands, we have compiled a grid of the main dates for 2026.
| Date | Holiday | Day of the Week |
|---|---|---|
| January 1 | New Year's Day (Año Nuevo) | Thursday |
| January 6 | Epiphany (EpifanÃa del Señor) | Tuesday |
| April 3 | Good Friday (Viernes Santo) | Friday |
| May 1 | Labor Day (Fiesta del Trabajo) | Friday |
| August 15 | Assumption of Mary (Asunción de la Virgen) | Saturday |
| October 12 | National Day of Spain (Fiesta Nacional de España) | Monday |
| December 8 | Immaculate Conception (Inmaculada Concepción) | Tuesday |
| December 25 | Christmas Day (Natividad del Señor) | Friday |
How Holiday Substitutions Work in 2026
In Spain, there is a rule: if a holiday falls on a Sunday, regional authorities can (but are not obliged to) move the day off to the following Monday. In 2026, this fate awaits November 1 and December 6, but the autonomous communities have taken different paths, and no universal agreement was reached.
| Region | Move Nov 1 to Nov 2 | Move Dec 6 to Dec 7 |
|---|---|---|
| Andalusia | Yes | Yes |
| Aragon | Yes | Yes |
| Asturias | Yes | Yes |
| Balearic Islands | No | No |
| Canary Islands | Yes | No |
| Castilla-La Mancha | Yes | No |
| Castilla y León | Yes | Yes |
| Madrid | Yes | Yes |
| Valencia | No | No |
| Extremadura | Yes | Yes |
| Murcia | No | Yes |
| Navarre | Yes | No |
| Basque Country | No | No |
Holidays in Madrid: What to Expect in the Capital?
The Madrid government usually tries to squeeze the most out of the calendar, moving everything possible to weekdays. In 2026, the situation in the capital region looks quite favorable for those who enjoy short trips around Spain.
Main dates to watch out for:
- May 1–2 (Friday and Saturday): Day of the Community of Madrid (May 2) falls on a Saturday, but combined with May 1, it still makes for a proper three-day weekend.
- May 15 (Friday): The city itself celebrates San Isidro. This is a solid three days of rest in mid-May — a great excuse to travel somewhere before the extreme summer heat begins.
- November 9 (Monday): Our Lady of Almudena. Another long weekend for the collection. In this regard, Madrid wins over many other regions in November, where Monday will be a working day.
| Date | Holiday | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| March 19 | Saint Joseph (San José) | Whole Region |
| April 2 | Maundy Thursday (Jueves Santo) | Whole Region |
| May 1 | Labor Day | Whole Region |
| May 2 | Day of the Community of Madrid | Whole Region |
| May 15 | San Isidro | Madrid City Only |
| November 9 | Almudena | Madrid City Only |
Don't forget that besides these dates, every town in the outskirts of Madrid (whether Alcorcón or Getafe) will have two more local holidays — usually dedicated to local saints. If you plan to handle business in a specific municipality, it's better to double-check their calendar in advance.
Catalonia: Its Own Rules and Long Weekends
Catalonia always has its own way, and the holiday calendar for 2026 is no exception. While Madrid is already resting on Maundy Thursday (April 2), it's a normal working day in Barcelona. However, there are unique holidays here that don't exist in the rest of Spain.
What to prepare for:
- Easter Break: Unlike the center of the country, Catalonia takes the Monday after Easter off (April 6).
- San Juan (June 24): In 2026, it falls on a Wednesday. It's the equator of the week, when the city turns into one big party with fireworks, and the next day everyone tries to recover.
- September Holidays: September 11 (La Diada) is a Friday, so we can expect a great three-day break.
| Date | Holiday | What to Know |
|---|---|---|
| April 6 | Easter Monday | Traditional regional holiday in Catalonia. |
| June 24 | Saint John (Sant Joan) | Main summer festival, falls on a Wednesday in 2026. |
| September 11 | National Day of Catalonia (Diada) | Official regional day, providing a long weekend (Friday) this time. |
| December 26 | Saint Stephen's Day (Sant Esteve) | Important family holiday in Catalonia. In 2026, it's a Saturday. |
For those living in Barcelona: The capital of the autonomy adds two more holidays of its own, which is a nice bonus: September 24 (La Mercè) falls on a Thursday. This is the perfect chance to take Friday off and arrange a four-day vacation. Also, don't forget "Second Easter" — May 25 (Monday).
Valencian Community
In the Valencian Community, the 2026 calendar largely mirrors the Catalan one: Maundy Thursday is ignored here too, in favor of resting on the Monday after Easter. But there are also purely Valencian "features" to know in advance.
| Date | Holiday | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| January 22 | San Vicente Mártir | Valencia City Only (Thursday) |
| March 19 | Saint Joseph (Fallas) | Valencia and Surroundings (Thursday) |
| April 6 | Easter Monday | Whole Community |
| April 13 | San Vicente Ferrer | Valencia City and Surroundings |
| June 24 | Saint John (Sant Joan) | Whole Community (Wednesday) |
| October 9 | Day of the Valencian Community | Whole Community (Friday!) |
Many ask: what about Fallas? It's tricky. Despite the scale of the madness, March 19 (San José) is not an automatic holiday for all of Spain.
In 2026, March 19 falls on a Thursday. For Valencia itself and dozens of neighboring towns, it will be an official non-working day. Moreover, it creates the perfect "puente": if you take Friday the 20th off, you can officially escape reality for five days along with the whole city.
North of Spain: Basque Country and Navarre
Northern regions have their own relationship with the calendar. While Madrid and Andalusia move holiday Sundays to Mondays, the Basque Country and Navarre have decided to simply bring back their historical dates to the schedule.
In the Basque Country in 2026, two days are worth noting:
March 19 (San José): Thursday. While the rest of the country works, Basques rest (along with Valencians).
July 25 (Santiago Apóstol): Saturday. A case where the region chose an important date, but in 2026 it "fell out" of the weekdays.
In Navarre, a very profitable calendar moment is emerging in December 2026. December 3 (Thursday) is the Day of Navarre. If you take one Friday (December 4) off, considering the subsequent weekend and the holidays on December 7 and 8 (which Navarre kindly moved or kept as days off), you get 6 days of rest in a row, spending only one vacation day. It's the perfect time for a trip to the mountains or visiting neighbors.
| Date | Holiday | Where We Rest |
|---|---|---|
| March 19 | Saint Joseph | Basque Country |
| July 25 | Saint James (Santiago) | Basque Country |
| December 3 | Day of Navarre | Navarre |
Instead of an Afterword: What to Do When Everything Is Closed?
Understanding the holiday calendar in Spain is a kind of "entry ticket" to a quiet life without surprises. When you know for sure that the bank won't open next Monday and the grocery delivery won't arrive, you start planning life a little more "Spanish-style."
The main thing to remember: on national holidays, life in the cities doesn't freeze; it simply moves from offices to terraces. And since you now know when you officially don't have to work, it's high time to learn how to spend these weekends correctly.
Holidays are the perfect excuse to finally understand the local leisure culture. And so you don't feel left out of the celebration, check out our guide: how to properly visit bars in Spain and not look like a tourist. There, we’ve covered everything — from when it’s appropriate to order vermouth to the unwritten rule of "throwing napkins on the floor."
¡Disfrutad de las fiestas! 🧡