In this guide
💡 The Short Version: At midnight on Thursday 31 December 2026, the ball on the tower of the Real Casa de Correos in the Puerta del Sol drops, the four quarter chimes sound, and twelve grapes go with the twelve chimes. It is free. The Preúvas, a rehearsal with the same crowd, is on 30 December. In 2025 the city emptied the plaza from 21:00 and reopened it at 22:00 through security filters with a cap of 15,000, and Sol Metro station closed from 21:00; the 2026 plan is not published. Or book an evening before: the Teatro Flamenco Madrid showad is from €32.
⚠️ Once the Puerta del Sol reaches its cap, nobody else gets in. In 2025 the cap was 15,000, the plaza was emptied at 21:00 and the doors opened at 22:00, so be at one of the four access streets by then.
The night at a glance
The 2025 pattern, from press reports of the city’s plan. In 2025 the plan was announced in the last days of December.
| When | What |
|---|---|
| 30 December | The Preúvas in the Puerta del Sol. In 2025 it had a set by the DJ duo Dream Team |
| 31 December, 21:00 | The plaza is emptied; Sol Metro station closes |
| 31 December, 22:00 | Access opens through four zones with a double police filter, until 15,000 people are in |
| 31 December, 00:00 | The ball drops, the four quarter chimes sound and the twelve chimes follow. In 2025 the singer Edurne gave a concert before the chimes |
| 31 December, 18:00 to 06:00 | The Christmas lights burn all night |
The Real Casa de Correos on the Puerta del Sol at night. Photo: Javier Perez Montes, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The grapes
Puerta del Sol · 31 December 2026, midnight · free · esmadrid.com
The Puerta del Sol is where the country counts in the new year. As the last seconds run down, the ball at the top of the Real Casa de Correos tower drops to a chime. Soon after, four quarter chimes sound, then the twelve chimes of the clock, spaced out so that nobody chokes on the grapes. One grape goes with each chime, twelve in all for the twelve months. esMadrid traces the custom to 1909, when grape growers in the Levante gave their surplus fruit away on New Year’s Eve and said it brought luck.
Grapes tied in ribboned bags for New Year’s Eve. Photo: Juan Emilio Prades Bel, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.
Getting in
In 2025 the city announced a maximum of 15,000 people in the plaza, slightly fewer than in 2024. Radio Televisión Española reported the plan on 31 December 2025 as follows. The Puerta del Sol is emptied from 21:00, and an hour later people can enter through four zones with a double police filter, a pre-filter and a filter, until the 15,000 are in. The access points are the Calle Mayor, the Calle Arenal, the Calle de Alcalá and the Carrera de San Jerónimo, and anyone who tries the Preciados or Montera streets is sent to one of them. The police advised everyone to note those four streets, because they are also the evacuation routes. The filters keep out dangerous objects.
The Preúvas on 30 December had the same limit of 15,000 in 2025.
The Metro and getting home
esMadrid lists the Metro stations for the plaza as Sol (lines 1, 2 and 3), Callao (3 and 5), Ópera (2, 5 and the Ópera branch line) and Sevilla (2), and the Cercanías station as Madrid-Sol. In 2025 the Metro closed Sol station from 21:00 on 31 December: trains passed through without stopping, and transfers inside the station stayed open. The Cercanías station at Sol also closed at night, with extra services at Atocha and Nuevos Ministerios. Fares and passes are in Madrid public transport.
What is shut
From the operators’ pages:
- Royal Palace: closes at 15:00 on 31 December. See Royal Palace tickets.
- Reina Sofía: closed on 31 December and 1 January. See the Reina Sofía and Guernica.
- Thyssen-Bornemisza: open 10:00 to 15:00 on 31 December and closed on 1 January. See the Thyssen.
- The Prado: its hours for 31 December and 1 January are on the Prado page.
The sun sets at about 17:57 on 31 December. AEMET’s Retiro normals for 1981 to 2010 give December a mean daily low of 3.6°C and a high of 10.0°C.
Before midnight
- San Silvestre Vallecana. The 10 km run from the Bernabéu to the Vallecas stadium holds its 62nd edition on the morning of 31 December 2026 (esMadrid).
- Dinner. The restaurants round the plaza are in where to eat in Madrid and Madrid tapas.
- The lights. In the 2025-26 pattern they burn from 18:00 until 06:00 on 31 December: see Christmas in Madrid 2026.
Where to stay
The links go to the hotel on Hotels.com. Where to stay in Madrid compares the areas, and hotels near the Puerta del Sol lists the hotels beside the square.
UMusic Hotel Madrid
Calle de la Paz 11 · 130 rooms · Michelin Selected · about 170 m from the Puerta del Sol · Hotels.comad
In the old Albéniz Theatre building, a short walk from the square. The hotel has an outdoor pool, the El Albéniz restaurant and a rooftop bar, Casa Chicote.
The Madrid EDITION
Plaza de Celenque 2 · 200 rooms · Michelin Selected · about 180 m from the Puerta del Sol · Hotels.comad
On a quiet square of historic buildings, with a rooftop terrace and an infinity pool on the fourth floor, according to the hotel.
Gran Hotel Inglés
Calle de Echegaray 8 · 48 rooms · one Michelin Key · about 370 m from the Puerta del Sol · Hotels.comad
Built in 1883 and one of the first buildings in Madrid lit by electric light, according to the hotel.
Next
For the days before, see Christmas in Madrid 2026, and for the first week of January, the Three Kings parade. Hotels near the Puerta del Sol lists the hotels within walking distance of the square, and where to stay in Madrid compares the areas. The best time to visit Madrid gives the weather by month. For another city that night, see New Year’s Eve in Berlin and Hogmanay in Edinburgh.
Common questions
Where do you eat the twelve grapes in Madrid on New Year's Eve?
In the Puerta del Sol, on 31 December. At midnight the ball on the tower of the Real Casa de Correos drops, the four quarter chimes sound, then the twelve chimes, and each chime is one grape. Entry to the square is free. The 30th is the Preúvas, a rehearsal with the same crowd.
Is there a limit on how many people can enter the Puerta del Sol on New Year's Eve?
In 2025 the limit was 15,000. The city emptied the plaza from 21:00 and opened it again an hour later, through four zones with a double police filter, until the limit was reached. The access points were the Calle Mayor, the Calle Arenal, the Calle de Alcalá and the Carrera de San Jerónimo. The 2026 plan has not been published.
Is the Sol Metro station open on New Year's Eve?
In 2025 Sol station was closed from 21:00 on 31 December: trains ran through without stopping and transfers inside the station stayed open. The Cercanías station at Sol also closed at night. Callao (lines 3 and 5), Ópera (lines 2 and 5 and the branch line) and Sevilla (line 2) are the nearest other stations. The 2026 arrangements have not been published.
Where does the tradition of twelve grapes come from?
The most widely held account, according to esMadrid, dates it to 1909, when grape growers in the Levante, with a surplus, gave their fruit away on New Year's Eve and said that eating it would bring luck.
What is shut in Madrid on 31 December and 1 January?
The Royal Palace closes at 15:00 on 31 December. The Reina Sofía is closed on 31 December and 1 January. The Thyssen-Bornemisza is open from 10:00 to 15:00 on 31 December and closed on 1 January.
How cold is Madrid at midnight on New Year's Eve?
AEMET's Retiro normals for 1981 to 2010 give December a mean daily low of 3.6°C and a high of 10.0°C. The sun sets at about 17:57 on 31 December.
