The New Year’s Eve events taking place in Spain’s main cities

From the Basque Country to Andalusia, Spain's cities will each be seeing in the New Year in a unique way. 

We have scoured the internet for advertised events taking place across España for Nochevieja, but even if your city or town isn't included on this list, you can usually expect firework displays and people gathering in the town centre to party and have their 12 grapes, as the Spanish tradition goes.

Madrid
The main event in Madrid is of course at Puerta del Sol, which will be returning once again this year. Around 20,000 people typically gather for the New Year’s event which this year will include music, dancing, fireworks, confetti cannons and the countdown on the famous clock of the Real Casa de Correos.

Barcelona
Celebrations will return to Avenida de la Reina Maria Cristina and the Fuente Mágica de Montjuïc near Plaza d’Espanya. Music, fireworks, monumental scenery and technological innovation will come together for the much-anticipated event. The Magic Fountain will begin its dance of music, water and lights at 9:30pm, then at 11:48pm, there will be a display of more than 200 drones, celebrating various cultures from around the world. The evening will culminate in a 12-minute firework display.

Valencia
After two years of suspension due to the pandemic, the big New Year’s celebration at Valencia’s Ayuntamiento (town hall) returns. In the daytime, there will be special events for kids and a celebration at noon, while the main party for the adults will begin at 10:30pm. There will be performances by DJs Ele Dj and Paulens, as well as a magnificent firework display accompanied by music.

🎊#València celebra el Cap d’Any a la plaça de l’Ajuntament!
🍇Contacontes, màgia, animació, titelles i música a les #CampanadesVLC infantils, a les⏰12 del migdia del 31/12
🪩 Actuacions DJ Ele i @Paulens95🎶i focs artificials🎆, a partir de les 22:30 h
🔗https://t.co/aW9HijpF3u pic.twitter.com/veHgUnpzM4

— Ajuntament València (@AjuntamentVLC) December 27, 2022

Málaga
See in the New Year at Plaza de la Constitución, where the Málaga town hall will be giving out free party bags to the first 2,000 revellers. There will also be live music leading up to the famous midnight chimes.

Seville
There will be lots of events on for Nochevieja in Seville, but if you’re after something a little different, then one of the best alternatives is a midnight river cruise to see 2023 in on a boat floating down the river Guadalquivir. Many of the boats have live performances, including dancing, music and of course food.  

Córdoba
The Córdoba City Council is planning a big celebration in Plaza de las Tendillas this year to make up for the lack of celebrations during the previous two. It will include a variety of children’s activities in the daytime, followed by the grand New Year’s Eve party from 10pm onwards. 2023 will be welcomed in with live musical performances as well as the traditional chimes.  

Palma de Mallorca
As well as the regular parties and fireworks, Palma de Mallorca will be celebrating La Fiesta del Estandarte. It is held every year on December 31st and commemorates when the city was captured Jaime I of Aragón’s troops during the conquest of the island of Mallorca that began in 1229. Events include reading official proclamations and floral offerings.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBPliNDbuJA

Alicante
There will be double celebrations in Alicante this year in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento. From 11am to 1pm there will be a Children's Cotillion with entertainment and games and then the real party will begin at 11pm and go on through the night until 4am. Grapes will be given out for free in time for the midnight chimes and there will also be an orchestra performance.  

Jerez de la Frontera
The new year will be welcomed in style in Jerez. Bars and squares typically fill up from noon but the main event will be held in the Plaza del Arenal starting at 11pm. 

Benidorm
Playa de Levante and Avenida de Bilbao will be the centre of the fiestas in Benidorm, which will be extra big this year after the last two years of Covid. The event will attract more than 5,000 people and will begin at 6pm for a night of music and performances, until the big countdown at midnight. There will also be a second celebration at 1am, when the bells will be broadcast live from Big Ben in London, so that Brits can see in in the UK New Year too.

Vitoria i Gasteiz
In the Basque capital, New Year’s celebrations will be hosted by EITB media company in Plaza Nueva, from where the party will be broadcast live too. There will be an official firework display, as well as music and celebrity presenters.

San Silvestre Vallecana, Madrid
And finally, if partying and music are not your cup of tea and you’d prefer to see in the New Year with a healthy start, you can take part in (or watch) one of the most important races in Spain - La San Silvestre Vallecana. It’s a 10km route taking place along some of the main streets in Madrid. There are two different parts to the race, one that anyone over 10 years old can take part in and the other for 1,000 professional international runners who can run the route in under a set time. La San Silvestre is replicated across many parts of Spain on December 31st and January 1st, so make sure to google it if you want to get 2023 to a flying start.

Kick up a sweat before you eat the grapes this NYE in Spain. Photo: PromoMadrid / Max Alexander/Wikipedia

Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra to be broadcast live in cinemas around Spain
If you don’t feel like going out and partying, you can always have a civilised evening out at the cinema. The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra will be broadcasting a live musical performance starting at 5:30pm at 29 different cinemas in 21 different locations across Spain. This will include Madrid, Valencia, Alicante, Oviedo, Zaragoza, Albacete, Vigo, Sevilla, Jaén, El Puerto de Santa María, Fuengirola, Málaga, Córdoba, Vélez-Málaga, Mairena de Aljarafey, Jerez, Bilbao, Vitoria i  Gasteiz, Barcelona, Amposta and Palma de Mallorca. The concert will feature the tenor Jonas Kaufmann, as well as music Giuseppe Verdi and Pietro Mascagni. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bxHm0GD2es