Why choose to spend the New Year's Eve in Madrid instead of London or Paris? Three good reasons: the Spanish capital is cheaper, the winter is less severe and Madrid's nightlife is unparalleled.
Engaging parties in the square, suggestive dinners with flamenco shows, a nice tradition that is followed almost religiously, trendy clubs for the youngest or for the "in" people: Madrid is a capital that loves to live and have fun even in the winter holidays and offers a all the opportunity to spend an unforgettable New Year.
Our guide on how to spend the New Year in Madrid includes information on local traditions and customs, including parties in the square, dinners and night clubs, as well as links to book hotels and flights at the best price.
How to get to Madrid
Thanks to direct low cost flights from Italy, Madrid is an easily reachable destination in a short time and without spending a fortune. With the flight search form below you can search for all flights to Madrid at the best price for the period of your choice, including New Year's Eve!
How New Year's Eve is celebrated in Madrid
dinner
Also in Spain on the evening of December 31st it is customary to have dinner with family or friends while waiting for the stroke of midnight and the celebrations that follow. Family New Year's Eve is a traditional dinner, but there are plenty of options for tourists visiting the city.
A nice idea is to combine the New Year's Eve dinner with an engaging one flamenco show: you can choose between traditional, contemporary and fusion shows.
If you prefer one price without a show you can indulge in classics of Spanish gastronomy such as paella and tortilla or more sophisticated menus in luxury restaurants; whatever your choice, it is good to book in advance.
Another possibility is to start the party on the street already at dinner time and go to a tapas bar at the other, to immediately enter the warm atmosphere of "fiesta" that distinguishes the Spanish capital.
The chimes of the Puerta del Sol and the grapes
It is now a tradition throughout Spain but it is in Madrid that we live with greater intensity: let's talk about twelve grapes to eat at the stroke of midnight.
After a dinner with the family or at a restaurant, people from Madrid meet in Puerta del Sol, one of the largest and most important squares in the city, to wait for midnight. The magical moment that marks the end of one year and the beginning of the next is marked by the twelve strokes of the clock that dominates the square: at each stroke the people of Madrid eat a grape as a propitiatory rite for the new year.
There is no need to travel with a bunch of grapes in your suitcase: the 12 grapes that you will need to ensure a year of prosperity and luck can be bought directly in the square from street vendors.
Parties in the square
Puerta del Sol is certainly the busiest, but all the squares and streets in Madrid fill up with people for celebrate New Year in the street. The people of Madrid love to be outdoors and on the occasion of the New Year they express all their joviality with songs, dances and inevitable toasts. Join the collective euphoria without inhibitions!
A recent custom is to wear extravagant colorful wigs: you too can buy one the days before or the same evening, which will save you the money of an elaborate styling at the hairdresser and will catapult you into the party atmosphere and desire for fun.
Night clubs
Don't want to spend the whole New Year's Eve on the street? Then you couldn't have chosen a better destination: the Madrid nightlife it is overwhelming, it starts late and ends when it is already morning. You can choose between night clubs from lively no-frills tapas bars to trendy mega-clubs, but wherever you go you are guaranteed a crazy night of pure fun with music and drinks.
Theoretically there is no end to the Madrid New Year's Eve: your physical stamina will determine the time to end the dance. Before going to sleep, do as the Spaniards do, regain your strength with an invigorating hot chocolate accompanied by the sweetest Churros.
Before the celebrations: the San Silvestre Vallecana
Do you need an excuse to give yourself a particularly abundant dinner? Sign up for the San Silvestre Vallecana, the traditional 10km race that takes place in Madrid on December 31st. It starts at 17pm with an amateur race while it gets serious starting at 20pm with the professional race.
Accomodation
Madrid offers a huge choice of hotels and lodges to suit all budgets. Choose the structure that's right for you with the search engine below, enter the dates of your stay and you will have the Madrid accommodation available on New Year's Eve at the best price.
