Public holidays in Spain 2026 – Complete calendar

Spain has 14 paid public holidays per year — roughly the same as Sweden. But the system works completely differently. Instead of a shared list, holidays are determined at three levels: national (8–9 days), regional (3–4 days) and local (2 days per municipality). This means your neighbour in another municipality may have a day off when you are working.

In 2026 the calendar creates at least four long weekends thanks to public holidays falling on Fridays and Mondays. Spaniards call this puentes — bridges between a holiday and the weekend. In this guide we go through all national public holidays, regional holidays for the three most popular coastal regions among Swedish buyers (Valencian Community, Murcia and Andalusia), local holidays for towns like Torrevieja and Alicante, and practical information about what applies on red-letter days.

How do public holidays work in Spain?

Spain's public holiday system is three-tiered and governed by law. It differs markedly from the Swedish system where all holidays are national.

National public holidays (fiestas nacionales) are decided by the Spanish government and published in the BOE (Boletín Oficial del Estado). In 2026 there are 8 national public holidays that apply throughout the country. These include New Year's Day, Good Friday, Labour Day, Christmas Day and a few others.

Regional public holidays are decided by each autonomous region (comunidad autónoma). Spain has 17 autonomous regions, and each region adds 3 to 4 of its own holidays to reach a total of 12 national plus regional days. Regions can choose to include Maundy Thursday, local patron saints or historical dates.

Local public holidays are decided by each municipality (municipio). Each town chooses 2 local holidays, often linked to the town's patron saint or a historical event. Torrevieja celebrates Virgen del Carmen (16 July) as it is a seafaring town. Alicante celebrates Hogueras de San Juan (23 June) with enormous sculptures that are burned on the beach.

What are Spain's national public holidays in 2026?

These 8 holidays apply throughout Spain in 2026. They are paid and non-recoverable — meaning your employer cannot require you to work them in lieu.

In addition to these 8 days each region adds further days. All Saints' Day (1 November) and Constitution Day (6 December) fall on Sundays in 2026 and are moved in most regions to the following Monday.

What regional holidays does the Valencian Community have in 2026?

The Valencian Community — the region that encompasses the Costa Blanca, including Alicante, Torrevieja and Orihuela — has four regional public holidays in addition to the national ones.

Notably: the Valencian Community does not celebrate Maundy Thursday as a public holiday — unlike most other Spanish regions. Instead it has Easter Monday. This means residents of the Valencia region have Good Friday + Easter Monday, while those in Murcia and Andalusia have Maundy Thursday + Good Friday.

San José on 19 March coincides with Fallas — Valencia's most famous festival, where enormous papier-mâché sculptures are burned in the streets. Even though Fallas is primarily a Valencia festival, the San José holiday is felt throughout the region.

9 October is the Valencian Community's national day. It is always a big day with parades, and in 2026 it falls on a Friday — a perfect long weekend.

What regional holidays does Murcia have in 2026?

The Region of Murcia — with the Costa Cálida and towns like San Pedro del Pinatar, Los Alcázares and Mazarrón — has these regional holidays:

Murcia celebrates Maundy Thursday (2 April) as a regional holiday, which creates a four-day Easter break together with Good Friday on 3 April. Semana Santa in Murcia city is one of Spain's most famous Easter celebrations with processions dating back to the 17th century.

Día de la Región de Murcia on 9 June falls on a Tuesday in 2026 — a classic puente situation where many people take Monday off for a four-day weekend.

In Murcia city, the local holidays are 7 April and 15 September.

What regional holidays does Andalusia have in 2026?

Andalusia — with the Costa del Sol, Marbella, Málaga and Estepona — has these regional holidays:

Like Murcia, Andalusia celebrates Maundy Thursday. Andalusia Day on 28 February falls on a Saturday in 2026, meaning it is effectively "lost" — no extra day off in practice.

All Saints' Day (1 November) falls on a Sunday in 2026 and is moved to Monday 2 November in Andalusia, creating a long weekend. Constitution Day (6 December) also falls on a Sunday and is moved to Monday 7 December. Combined with the Immaculate Conception on 8 December (Tuesday) this creates the classic puente de diciembre — a five-day break from Saturday 5 to Tuesday 8 December.

What local holidays apply in popular coastal towns in 2026?

Each municipality chooses its own 2 local holidays. Here are the dates for the towns most popular among Swedish property buyers:

Torrevieja

• 13 April (Monday) — San Vicente Ferrer
• 16 July (Thursday) — Virgen del Carmen, patron saint of seafarers. The celebration includes a sea procession where the Madonna is carried out to sea. Torrevieja has deep seafaring traditions and this is the most important local festival of the year.

Alicante city

• 16 April (Thursday) — Santa Faz. One of Spain's largest pilgrimages with hundreds of thousands of participants walking from Alicante to the Santa Faz monastery.
• 23 June (Tuesday) — Hogueras de San Juan. Alicante's most famous festival with enormous sculptures burned on midsummer night. Similar to Fallas in Valencia but with its own character.

Orihuela

• 17 July (Friday) — Día del Pendón Glorioso del Oriol. Celebrates the Reconquista festivities with the Moors and Christians festival.
• 8 September (Tuesday) — Virgen de Monserrate. Orihuela city's patron saint.

Marbella

• 11 June (Thursday) — San Bernabé. Marbella's patron saint and the centre of the city's feria celebrating the reconquest of 1485.
• 19 October (Monday) — San Pedro. Feria de San Pedro Alcántara with flamenco, horses and culinary traditions.

What is a "puente" and why is it important to understand?

A puente (bridge) is when a public holiday falls on a Tuesday or Thursday and people take the bridging day (Monday or Friday) off to create a four-day weekend. It is not an official public holiday — it is a cultural tradition that permeates all of Spanish society.

During a puente this happens in practice:

• Government offices often run on skeleton staffing or close entirely on the "bridging" day
• Small businesses close — your plumber and electrician are probably not available
• Motorway traffic increases dramatically on the Friday before and the Sunday after
• Short-term rental prices rise by 30–50 % during popular puente weekends

In 2026 there are several excellent puente opportunities:

How do Spanish public holidays differ from Swedish ones?

Sweden and Spain have roughly the same number of public holidays per year, but they are distributed and structured in completely different ways.

The biggest cultural difference is Epiphany (6 January). In Sweden it is a quiet holiday. In Spain it is the most magical day of the year for children — Reyes Magos (Three Kings). Children receive their Christmas presents on 6 January, not 24 December. The evening before (5 January) sees the grand Cabalgata de Reyes — a parade with three kings throwing sweets to the children.

Another important difference: Sweden has Christmas Day, Boxing Day and Christmas Eve. Spain has only Christmas Day (25 December) as an official holiday. Christmas Eve (Nochebuena) is culturally important but not an official red-letter day. Many Spaniards work half a day on 24 December.

What is open and closed on public holidays in Spain?

Here is a practical overview for those who live in or visit Spain:

Always closed on public holidays:

• Banks and financial offices
• Government offices (town halls, immigration offices, traffic authorities)
• Schools and universities
• Most post offices

Closed with exceptions:

• Large supermarkets (Mercadona, Lidl, Carrefour) close — but in tourist zones along the coast there are often exceptions
• Shopping centres close on national holidays, but may be open for regional ones
• Health centres have reduced staffing — accident and emergency departments are always open

Normally open:

• Restaurants and bars (adjusted hours)
• Small food shops and kiosks
• Beach bars and tourist businesses along the coast
• Pharmacies operate a rotating on-call system (farmacia de guardia) — at least one pharmacy per municipality is always open

Public transport: Buses and trains run on Sunday timetables during public holidays. Expect fewer departures, especially on local bus routes. During major holidays (Christmas, Easter) RENFE adds extra long-distance trains but at higher prices.

Frequently asked questions about public holidays in Spain

Last updated: April 2026. Public holidays are set annually by the Spanish government (BOE), regional authorities and municipalities — always check your municipality's official calendar for local variations.