Lorraine Williamson
Spain’s holiday calendar isn’t one neat national list. It’s a layered system: a core set of national dates, a set of regional holidays chosen by each comunidad autónoma, and then two local days picked by your town hall. The BOE publishes the full official picture for 2026, but the way it plays out depends on where you live.
That matters because 2026 is a year of “swaps”. Some major dates land on a Sunday, which gives regions room to replace them with local favourites—or shift a day to create a more useful break. The BOE guidance explains exactly how those substitutions work under Spain’s holiday rules.
The national dates most of Spain shares
These are the big anchors that shape travel, school routines, and business closures. In 2026, the widely observed national dates include New Year’s Day (1 January), Epiphany (6 January), Good Friday (3 April), Labour Day (1 May), Assumption (15 August), Spain’s National Day (12 October), Immaculate Conception (8 December), and Christmas Day (25 December).
A small but important detail: public holiday “impact” isn’t only about days off work. If you’re dealing with paperwork, deadlines, and formal notifications, Spain’s official calendar of non-working days also affects how administrative time limits are calculated. The BOE publishes a separate 2026 “días inhábiles” calendar for that purpose.
What changes in Spain from January 1st 2026?
The puentes that will tempt people to book early
Some long weekends in 2026 practically advertise themselves. Labour Day falls on a Friday, giving many people a ready-made three-day break. National Day lands on a Monday, creating another easy long weekend. (Both patterns drive domestic travel, so accommodation prices often follow.)
Epiphany is on a Tuesday, which encourages the classic Spanish move: taking Monday off to stretch the break. Christmas Day falls on a Friday, which tends to make the last week of the year feel even shorter.
Why your region may look different in 2026
In 2026, All Saints’ Day (1 November) and Constitution Day (6 December) fall on a Sunday. That opens the door for regional substitutions, and you’ll see differences across Spain as communities choose alternative holidays that reflect local tradition.
Madrid is a good example of how this plays out in practice. The city and region publish their 2026 calendar clearly, including substitute days such as shifting a holiday to the following Monday in some cases, alongside region-specific dates like the Community of Madrid day.
A reminder about local holidays
Even after you’ve checked the national and regional lists, you still need the final layer: your two local holidays. These are set by each municipality and published through regional official channels. They can be the difference between a normal week and a surprise closure—especially in smaller towns with big patron-saint celebrations.
How to plan without memorising 17 calendars
Start with the BOE’s 2026 list, then check your comunidad’s calendar, then your town hall. If you travel between regions for work or family, save the relevant official pages rather than relying on social posts. And if you’re dealing with admin deadlines, cross-check the BOE “días inhábiles” calendar—because a day being a “holiday” isn’t always the same thing as a day being “inhábil” for time-limit purposes.
The takeaway for 2026
Spain’s 2026 public holidays will feel familiar, but the year’s weekend collisions make local variation more important than usual. The best plan is to treat the national dates as your skeleton, then build in your region and municipality to avoid surprises.