Spain has a rich calendar of public holidays — or 'red days' (días festivos) because of how they are marked on Spanish calendars. There are three layers: national holidays, regional holidays (specific to each of Spain's 17 autonomous communities) and local holidays (specific to your town or city).
National Holidays in Spain
Observed across the whole country:
- 1 January — New Year (Año Nuevo)
- 6 January — Epiphany / Three Kings (Día de los Reyes Magos)
- Good Friday — varies annually (Viernes Santo)
- 1 May — Labour Day (Día del Trabajador)
- 15 August — Assumption of Mary (Asunción de la Virgen)
- 12 October — Hispanic Day (Fiesta Nacional de España)
- 1 November — All Saints' Day (Día de Todos los Santos)
- 6 December — Constitution Day (Día de la Constitución)
- 8 December — Immaculate Conception (Inmaculada Concepción)
- 25 December — Christmas Day (Navidad)
Regional Holidays
Andalucía (Costa del Sol)
- 28 February — Andalusia Day (Día de Andalucía)
- Holy Week — Semana Santa, especially in Málaga and Sevilla
- 16 July — Virgen del Carmen, the patron of fishermen
- August — Feria de Málaga, week-long celebration
Murcia (Costa Cálida)
- 9 June — Murcia Day (Día de la Región de Murcia)
- Late April — Entierro de la Sardina, the famous Sardine Burial in Murcia city
- Late September — Roman and Carthaginian Festival in Cartagena
Valencian Community (Costa Blanca)
- 9 October — Valencian Community Day (Día de la Comunidad Valenciana)
- 23–24 June — Bonfires of Saint John (Hogueras de San Juan), spectacular in Alicante
- Varies — Moors and Christians Festival in Alcoy and Villajoyosa
- Early July — Dénia's Bous a la Mar (Bulls to the Sea)
Famous Local Holidays
- San Fermín in Pamplona — the famous running of the bulls (7 July).
- La Tomatina in Buñol — the tomato-throwing festival (last Wednesday of August).
- Las Fallas in Valencia — March, huge pyrotechnic festival with giant sculptures.
- Semana Santa in Sevilla — one of Spain's most famous Holy Week celebrations.
Tips for Expats
- Banks, schools and many businesses close on red days. Public transport runs reduced schedules.
- Local holiday calendars vary by town — check your ayuntamiento's website at the start of each year.
- Holidays falling on Tuesday or Thursday often trigger a 'puente' (bridge) where Spaniards take the Monday or Friday off too — expect everything to be quiet for four days.
- Booking ahead is essential for popular festivals like Semana Santa in Sevilla, San Fermín or Las Fallas.
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