Source: Upcoming Holidays and Festivals in Spain
Summary: Rick Steves’ rolling calendar of Spanish public holidays and major festivals through 2026 and into 2027. The page warns that sights and banks close on national holidays, so itineraries should be planned around them. Festival dates should be reconfirmed on the festival’s own site before booking around them.
Sources: Upcoming Holidays and Festivals in Spain.md (ricksteves.com/europe/spain/festivals)
Last updated: 2026-05-13
Caveat from the source
“Holidays can strike without warning… verify the festival dates on the festival’s website or with a local tourist information office” (source: Upcoming Holidays and Festivals in Spain.md).
Treat all dates below as a planning starting point, not a guarantee.
Barcelona / Catalunya events 2026
- June 23–24, 2026 — Nit de Sant Joan across Catalunya (bonfires + fireworks evening of 23rd; closures in Catalunya and Valencia on the 24th). See sant-joan.
- August 15–21, 2026 — Festa Major de Gràcia, Barcelona (decorated-street competition in the Gràcia neighborhood).
- September 11, 2026 — Catalunya National Day (closures in Barcelona). See catalan-culture.
- September 22–27, 2026 (likely) — La Mercè, Barcelona’s biggest annual festival (street theater, music, parades, light shows). See la-merce.
Barcelona / Catalunya events 2027
- February–March 2027 — Barcelona Carnival.
- April 23, 2027 — Diada de Sant Jordi (Catalan St. George’s Day; book-and-rose markets across Barcelona). See sant-jordi.
Spain-wide closures that hit a Barcelona trip
National or near-national holidays that close sights/banks:
- May 2, 2026 — Dos de Mayo (Madrid; spillover closures possible)
- June 4, 2026 — Corpus Christi (Madrid + Castile–La Mancha)
- August 15, 2026 — Assumption (general)
- November 1, 2026 — All Saints’ Day
- December 6, 2026 — Constitution Day
- December 8, 2026 — Immaculate Conception
- December 24–26, 2026 — Christmas Eve, Christmas, St. Stephen’s Day (the 26th is especially observed in Catalunya)
- January 1, 2027 — New Year’s Day
- January 6, 2027 — Día de los Reyes Magos / Three Kings
- March 21–27, 2027 (Holy Week), with some closures Maundy Thursday and Good Friday
- March 28–29, 2027 — Easter Sunday and Monday
Nearby regional events worth knowing about
- Aug 23–24, 2026 — Festival of St. Bartholomew, [[day-trips-from-barcelona|Sitges]] (part of Festa Major).
- Sept 22–23, 2026 — Festes de Santa Tecla, Sitges.
- Oct 23–Nov 1, 2026 — Fires de Sant Narcís, Girona (human-tower building, fireworks).