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WHAT CHANGES IN SPAIN

Everything that changes in Spain in August 2023

A new government, supermoons, dozens of festivals, heatwaves, border controls, strikes, there's plenty happening in Spain this August despite it traditionally being the country's holiday month.

Published: 27 July 2023 09:27 CEST
Updated: 1 August 2023 09:05 CEST
Everything that changes in Spain in August 2023
A new government, more heatwaves and the Tomatina tomato fight festival, just some of what's in store for people in Spain in August 2023. Photos: Pierre Philippe Marcou, Pau Barrena, Jaime Reina/AFP

Could Spain finally have a new government?

Since the nail-biting general election on July 23rd led to a hung parliament, there’s still plenty of uncertainty about who will be able to govern the country next, which parties can form coalitions and if a re-election will have to take place later on in 2023.

Although Alberto Núñez Feijóo’s right-wing Popular Party (PP) won the vote, it fell short of a governing majority. Pedro Sánchez’s Socialists seem more likely to be able to gain an absolute majority through coalitions with regional parties, although this would involve getting the support of Catalan separatist parties such as Junts (who want an independence referendum and amnesty for their leaders in return), and the recount on August 1st of up to 2.3 million votes of Spaniards living overseas could tip the balance either way.

Spanish law states that the elected government must convene within 25 days of the elections, which means that the deadline for a new government to be formed will be on August 17th at 10am. Pedro Sánchez has been formally named caretaker prime minister of an interim government until agreements can be made. 

READ ALSO: If the PP was most voted party, why haven’t they won Spain’s elections?

Main summer ‘Operación Salida‘ to take place

Spain’s grand summer exodus from the cities towards the beaches and the countryside is known as ‘Operación Salida’ and takes place mostly during July and August. Spain’s General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) is expecting 95 million long-distance journeys to be made by road this summer alone.

The busiest time will be the weekend between July 28th and August 1st, however, there will be a second exodus in the middle of August between the 11th and the 15th.  The DGT has warned people to try and avoid these busy times if possible.

More heatwaves to come?

We’ve already experienced three heatwaves in Spain this summer, but could there be more in August? Meteorologists have predicted a welcome break to the scorching temperatures seen in July with the mercury expected to be below normal for this time of year at the beginning of August. This unfortunately is not expected to last long.

According to weather site ElTiempo.es, the rest of August will see temperatures higher than normal across the whole country, quite possibly meaning a fourth heatwave. Catalonia, Aragón and Valencia are also expected to be more humid than usual, making the heat that little bit harder to bear.

READ ALSO: Is it worth living in Spain if the summers are so unbearably hot?

Hotels on the coast and in the countryside are almost fully booked

It’s no surprise that this summer is predicted to be a busy one in Spain. Already in April, the number of foreign tourists visiting Spain reached record levels for that month and the tourism board predicted high figures for the summer too, which may even beat the record-breaking pre-pandemic year of 2019.

Valencian hotels are expected to have 90 percent occupancy this August, while rural tourism in the interior, northern and mountainous regions is expected to reach 75 percent occupancy. Madrid may not be the first place you’re planning on visiting during the August heat, but even the capital already has 50 percent occupancy predicted for this coming month. 

Supermoons are coming

This August will bring with it not one rare astronomical event but two, as two supermoons will be appearing in our skies. The first will take place on August 1st, the full Sturgeon Moon and the second will take place on the last day of the month, August 31st This will be the Super Blue Moon and occurs when two full moons take place in the same month.

Public Holidays

August may seem like one month-long public holiday in Spain, but there is actually only one public holiday for the whole country, which takes place on August 15th August. This means that anyone not already on holiday will be able to take one on this day. It celebrates the Day of the Assumption of the Virgen, which according to Christians, commemorates the day the Virgin Mary entered heaven.

More people are expected to head to the beaches and countryside this year with 90 percent occupancy. Photo: Pau BARRENA / AFP
 

August is festival month in Spain

Just because people are on holiday doesn’t mean that the festivities stop during August, no they simply continue and there are lots to look forward to. Málaga, Bilbao and San Sebastián all celebrate their most important events this month.

Málaga’s annual feria takes place this year from August 12th to 19th, while Bilbao’s Aste Nagusia or Semana Grande, held in honour of the Virgen de Begoña, will be held from August 19th to 27th. San San Sebastián also has its own Semana Grande with lots of fireworks, traditional games, sports and music. It takes place just before Bilbao’s from August 12th to 19th.

The famed Tomatina tomato fight in Buñol also takes place on the last Wednesday in August – this year August 30th.

Portugal to introduce border controls with Spain for the Pope’s visit

Portugal is to impose checks on everyone who enters from Spain until August 7th because of the visit of Pope Francisco. Travellers wanting to cross one of the 21 border crossings with Portugal will have to show an identity document to enter until August 7th. The Spanish consulate in Lisbon has recommended that children also carry a valid ID or passport.    

Madrid and Barcelona are under construction

Spain’s two biggest cities – Madrid and Barcelona are undergoing massive transformations this summer. In Madrid ‘Operation Tarmac 2023’ will mean that the pavements of 266 streets in 21 districts across the capital of will be replaced. It will also mean roadblocks on the A-6 over the four weeks of the month. The extension of metro line 11 will also cause many disruptions to both road and rail.

While in Barcelona, the whole centre of the city seems to be one big construction site with works on La Rambla, the Port Olímpic, Camp Nou and Via Laietana, bisecting the Old Town.

READ ALSO: Why is Barcelona one big construction site right now?

More police in Barcelona

Barcelona is to have 220 new Mossos d’Esquadra or local police agents by the end of August, on the order of the city’s new mayor – Jaume Collboni. This will hopefully help to decrease the number of crime incidents in the city.

112 emergency call centre workers on strike in Barcelona

Call centre workers who operate the 112 emergency lines in Barcelona and Reus have announced an indefinite strike during weekends, which will begin on August 4th. Employees are demanding that the service be internalised and that they have their own agreement, rather than depending on Ferrovial. They also want an improvement in working conditions, stating that at night they are only paid €1.80 per hour and 90 percent of the contracts are part-time.  

Córdoba to require e-scooter users to contract insurance

In February, the Mobility Ordinance came into force which meant that drivers of personal mobility vehicles (VMPs), such as e-scooters, have to have civil liability insurance.

In Córdoba, drivers had a period of six months to contract the insurance, which will end on August 18th, when the Córdoba City Council will take action against anyone who doesn’t have it.

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WHAT CHANGES IN SPAIN

KEY POINTS: Everything that changes in Spain in May 2024

Mortgage price drops, help for young people to buy a house, new obesity medication, Catalan elections, lots of fiestas, public holidays and more - here's what's in store for Spain in May 2024.

Published: 29 April 2024 17:41 CEST
Updated: 1 May 2024 06:26 CEST
KEY POINTS: Everything that changes in Spain in May 2024

May 1st public holiday
El Día del Trabajador or Labour Day in Spain is a public holiday in Spain’s 17 autonomous communities and is held on May 1st. In 2024, May 1st will fall on a Wednesday, mid-week.

It will be a holiday in all regions across Spain, so no matter where you live you will most likely have this day off. Schools, most businesses and shops will also be closed on this day. 

May 2nd holiday in Madrid 
May 2nd is also a public holiday in Madrid and commemorates the day in 1808 when the population rose up against Napoleon’s troops in the Peninsula War.

Refusing to give into French demands to surrender, the Spanish made their last stand in an archway to the barracks before being killed.

Schools will be closed and streets of Malasaña will be filled with art, music, dancing and events to mark Dos de Mayo including stages set up in Plaza Commendadores, Conde Duque, Plaza San Ildefonso.

READ ALSO: What is ‘Dos de Mayo’ and why does Madrid celebrate it?

Number of tourists to soar
While officially May is the shoulder season in Spain, its good weather marks the start of the mass tourist arrivals, which usually reach their pinnacle in July and August.

The Ministry of Industry and Tourism is anticipating a surge in the number of tourists this May, however, with 9.49 million expected to arrive in May. This will be 14 percent more than in the same month of 2023, according to forecasts by Turespaña. It’s estimated tourists will spend almost €12,000 million in the fifth month of 2024, an increase of around 22 percent compared to the same period last year.

Catalan regional elections
Catalonia’s President Pere Aragonès announced in mid-March that he was dissolving the Spanish region’s parliament and would call early elections, after his proposed budget was rejected by the assembly.

This means that the new elections will be held on May 12th. Originally, they been set for early 2025. May 2nd is the last day to request a vote by mail, while May 6th is last day to vote by mail. On May 10th marks the electoral campaign ends at midnight and then May 12th will be the actual election day. 

Vigo Airport to close for refurbishment
Back in October 2023, the city of Vigo in Galicia announced that its airport would close in order to carry out refurbishments. The comprehensive remodel on the airport’s runway will leave the city without a working airport for almost the entire month of May, meaning no flights will be running in or out of the city. It will last from May 6th to the 30th and will include an investment of €30 million for the rehabilitation of its 2,400-meter deteriorated runway.

Two exclusive international flights from Barcelona
Barcelona-El Prat Airport will launch an exclusive route directly to Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. In the month of May, Vietnam Airlines will operate two special flights, according to the Aeroinfo Barcelona-El Prat X (formerly Twitter) account. The first flight will take place on May 1st and the second on May 8th.

So far only these two flights have been announced and there are no more guarantees for future flights directly between Barcelona and the Vietnamese, so you might want to take advantage while you can.

Mortgage price drop for 4 million households

Banks are preparing to reduce mortgage re-payments, on average, by around €50 per month starting in the second half of the year. The fall in interest rates will be welcome news for four million people who have variable-rate mortgages and have seen their payments increase month after month, in recent years.

The 12-month Euribor averaged 3.609 percent in January, below the 3.679 percent in December. This is the third consecutive month that this index has fluctuated downwards. 

Help for young people to buy a house 
Starting in May, banks could help young people and families with children to buy a home by giving them access to state-backed mortgages. This measure will allow some 50,000 beneficiaries to access mortgage loans on favorable conditions, with the possibility of financing up to 100 percent of their first home.  It will be available for all those under the age of 35 with an annual income less than €37,800 gross and for families with children under their care, providing that they haven’t bought a property previously.  

READ ALSO: Spain’s govt to act as first home guarantor for young people and families

New obesity medication
From May 1st, one of the most anticipated drugs to fight obesity will become available in Spain. It has been developed by Novo Nordisk and is called Wegovy. The Danish company has warned that “given the unprecedented high global demand for Wegovy, the supply of this drug will be carried out in a limited and responsible manner in each country. It’s not currently included as part of the National Health System.

The new drug is a physiological regulator of appetite and calories and deals with receptors in the brain.

Help to complete annual tax return for over-65s
The income tax campaign for 2023-2024 is well underway, but many taxpayers are finding it difficult to complete their tax returns. Among them, those over 65 years of age tend to be the group with the greatest problems.

In order to solve this issue, the government is promoting a special aid plan for them, which will be offered in more than 500 small municipalities, in 46 provinces, with less than 3,000 inhabitants. Help will be offered from May 7th in collaboration with the different town councils. In order to benefit from it you will have to make an appointment starting on April 29th.  

Mother’s Day on May 5th

Unlike Father’s Day in Spain, which is always celebrated on the fiesta of San José on March 19th, Mother’s Day changes each year.

It is celebrated on the first Sunday in May, which this year will fall on May 5th. Spain has been celebrating Mother’s Day in this way, changing each year for the past 59 years.

It is typically celebrated by children giving gifts to their mothers and going for celebratory family meals.

Teachers’ strike in Valencia region

Teachers from public schools and institutes in the region of Valencia are set to go on strike on Thursday, May 23rd, according to The Platform in Defence of Public Education. The platform has called on teachers and families from all non-university public education establishments to participate in the mobilisation.

Students will also be able to join the strike from 3rd year of secondary school. The walkout will be staged in order to put a stop to cuts and force a negotiation that improves the conditions of the teachers and schools. 

A month of fiestas

May is a month packed full of festivals in Spain, particularly in the south of the country and the city of Córdoba. Córdoba in fact has a whole month of celebrations in May beginning with the Cruces de Mayo from April 26th to May 1st, where flower-adorned crosses will be set up across the city. This will be closely followed by the Patios Festival from May 2nd to 12th, in which visitors can see inside the city’s private walled gardens, decorated with flowers for the occasion.

A couple of hours to the southwest the Romería del Rocío will be taking place in the small Huelvan village from May 17th to the 20th. During the event more than one million people will make the pilgrimage to Rocío, many on horseback, filling its sandy streets with a lively atmosphere.

While in northern Spain, there are more flowery scenes at the Temps de Flors in the Catalan city of Girona. During the festival held from May 11th to the 19th, elaborate art installations created from plants and flowers will be set up across the historic Jewish quarter, city walls, cathedrals and churches.

Weather in May
According to meteorologists from Eltiempo.es this May will be warmer than normal throughout Spain, although the northwest and north of the peninsula will experience lower temperatures than the rest of the country.

The month will begin, however with above-average rainfall in the northeast of the peninsula, including the Balearic Islands, the Pyrenees, northern Aragón, Catalonia and Navarra. Rainfall is predicted to be slightly below average in the Canary Islands and some areas of southern Andalusia.

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