New Year's Eve in Madrid 2026: Puerta del Sol, the 12 Grapes and How to Do It

Why all of Spain watches this clock

The clock that rings in the New Year crowns the Real Casa de Correos, the building that presides over the square. It was completed in 1768, designed by the French architect Jacques Marquet for Charles III as the central post office, and today it houses the office of the President of the Comunidad de Madrid. The clock came almost a century later: it was a gift from the clockmaker José Rodríguez de Losada and was inaugurated in 1866 in the presence of Queen Isabella II. The chimes have been broadcast on television since 1962, and ever since then half of Spain has eaten its grapes watching this facade. At its foot lies the Kilometre Zero plaque, the point from which the country's radial roads are measured. For more stories about the square, read our article on Puerta del Sol history and legends.

Where the twelve grapes come from

You will often read that the grapes were invented in 1909 to sell off a surplus harvest. There was a commercial push that year, but the custom is older, and the press recorded it: on 2 January 1894 the newspaper El Correo Militar was already describing eating the grapes when the first stroke of twelve rang out. The most widely cited explanation for the link with this square goes back to 1882, when Mayor José Abascal imposed a fee on anyone going out to greet the Three Kings, and many Madrilenians answered by heading to Puerta del Sol to eat grapes, mocking a custom of the well-to-do. So: 19th century, not 20th.

One practical detail that catches many people out: before the chimes, the ball on the tower drops and the cuartos ring, four double strokes. The grapes go with the twelve chimes that follow, one per stroke.

The preúvas rehearsal on 30 December

The night before, the square holds the preúvas, a full rehearsal with the real clock at midnight, designed for anyone who cannot be there on the 31st or simply wants to do it twice. In 2026 the 30th falls on a Wednesday. In 2025 it followed the same rules as New Year's Eve: capacity of 15,000 people, the square cleared at 9pm and reopened at 10pm with staggered entry, DJ sets until midnight, and no street access to or from Sol station from 6pm. The 2026 arrangements are published in December.

The chimes on 31 December: access, capacity and when to arrive

The official 2026 plan is published in December by the City Council and the central government's regional office. In the meantime, this is how it worked in 2025. There is no official arrival time, but the logic is simple: with 15,000 places and the square reopening at 10pm, anyone who wants to be inside queues at the entry points before then. If you arrive late, the square may already be full and you will have to stay outside the checkpoints.

• Capacity: 15,000 people. Once it is full, nobody else gets in.
• The square is cleared at 9pm and reopens at 10pm.
• There are only four ways in: Calle de Alcalá, Carrera de San Jerónimo, Calle Mayor and Calle del Arenal, with police checkpoints that count people and check bags.
• Sol station, both metro and Cercanías commuter trains, has no street entry or exit from 6pm. Use nearby stations such as Ópera, Callao or Sevilla.
• The metro kept its usual New Year's Eve hours and closed at 1.30am.

What to bring and what to leave behind

Once you are in, there is no easy way to leave and come back, so arrive fed and with everything you will need. Here is the short list:

• Your grapes ready to go: seedless, peeled if you like, in a small plastic tub.
• Warm clothes, because you will be standing for hours on a winter night.
• Travel light: bags are checked at the entrances and dangerous objects are not allowed. Leave glass bottles and fireworks at home.
• A charged phone and a meeting point outside the square, because it is easy to lose each other in the crowd.
• Patience for the way out: emptying the square takes time and Sol station stays closed.

Other ways to ring in the New Year in Madrid

If crowds are not your thing, there are alternatives. Many bars and restaurants in the centre show the chimes on TV, and some offer dinner and a party pack with party hats and noisemakers if you book. Several hotels around Sol sell packages with views of the square, and they sell out early. Another option is to join the preúvas on the 30th and take the 31st more calmly.

And a fun fact: since New Year's Eve 2018, the Sol clock rings the twelve chimes again at 1am for the Canary Islands, which are an hour behind, according to the Comunidad de Madrid. A second chance if the first round catches you still on your way.

The afternoon of the 31st: the San Silvestre Vallecana

Before the grapes, Madrid runs. The San Silvestre Vallecana takes place on 31 December 2026, as it does every year: 10 kilometres starting on Avenida de Concha Espina, next to the Santiago Bernabéu stadium, passing the Puerta de Alcalá, Cibeles and Paseo del Prado and finishing in Vallecas. In 2025 the popular race started at 4.55pm and the international race, with elite athletes, at 7.55pm; the 2026 times are confirmed closer to the date. Watching thousands of runners in fancy dress go past Cibeles is quite a show. Road closures start in the morning, so use the metro that day.

Make the most of the morning of the 31st with a free tour

On the morning of the 31st the centre can still breathe, and it is the best time to see Puerta del Sol without barriers or crowds. The Madrid Essentials free tour passes through the square and continues to Plaza Mayor, the Mercado de San Miguel and the Royal Palace. In the current calendar it has departures on the morning of the 31st, at 10am, 11am and 12pm, in English and Spanish (check the times on its page). The Sol stop is the perfect moment to ask your guide about the clock and the grapes, and you still have the afternoon to rest before the big night. On another day of your trip, the Madrid Medieval free tour, in English, takes you back to the Muslim town of Mayrit; check its departures on its page.

New Year's Day: what is open on 1 January

1 January 2027 falls on a Friday and is a public holiday. The city wakes up late: on 1 January 2026 the metro opened at 7am, the Prado is closed that day and the nativity scene in the Real Casa de Correos was closed too. The Christmas lights stay on until Three Kings, and many bars and churrerías in the centre open during the day: chocolate con churros is the New Year's Day breakfast of choice. If you want to get out and walk, check whether there are departures that day on the page of each of our free walking tours. And for the rest of the holidays, up to the Three Kings parade on the 5th, see our guide to things to do in Madrid in December.