Costa Blanca red days and 2026 public bank holidays

SPANISH BANK HOLIDAYS Whether you're living in our part of the Costa Blanca or just visiting, knowing when the bank holidays fall can help plan your stay here. Here's our list of all of Spain's public holidays you need to know about in 2026, and what they mean in English and Spanish.

How many bank holidays are there in Spain? Usually, each municipality of Spain is permitted to have 12 bank holidays each year. That includes 8 national “red days” set by the Spanish government, 2 regional holidays set by the provincial government, and 2 local holidays set by the municipality.

However, 2026 will offer 13 weekday bank holidays in Spain, including 9 national holidays, 2 Valencian Community public holidays, and 2 local holidays approved by the local town hall of Orihuela.

Some businesses, shops, shopping centres, and public offices will close or have reduced hours, so it's important to note the dates of Spain's public holidays.

This guide lists bank holidays in the Orihuela Costa area for the forthcoming year to ensure you don't miss out on anything important.

An introduction to Costa Blanca public and bank holidays

The central Spanish government sets the national holidays every year, although Spanish bank holidays often differ between regions. While each region observes the national holidays in Spain, additional regional bank holidays are set by autonomous governments – at a provincial and local level.

Bank holidays in Spain that fall on weekends are sometimes replaced with alternate days (usually the following Monday) if the regional government chooses. However, alternate days have not always been granted, depending on how many public holidays occur in the year.

Generally, regional Spanish holidays coincide with large Spanish festivals and can be a spectacular time to visit a new locale and try authentic Spanish food.

However, many of Spain's festivals are world-famous, and accommodation often fills up quickly. If your travel plans coincide with a Spanish national holiday, booking accommodation and making restaurant reservations early is important.

Many businesses also close during the national and regional holidays in Spain. Locally, Zenia Boulevard and other shops observe many of the annual public holidays, meaning shopping centres can be closed on bank holidays.

Public holidays for Orihuela Costa in 2026, what is a red day?

National bank holidays and important regional public holidays in the Costa Blanca are sometimes called “Red days” locally. On a “Red day” almost all businesses will close, and your shopping choices will be limited.

Bars and restaurants don't normally close on a public bank holiday in Spain, but making reservations during typically busy seasonal periods such as Christmas might be difficult. It's not unusual for restaurants to announce their Christmas menus around September, so it's always best to plan ahead.

Find out if Zenia Boulevard is open today, check out this article detailing the opening and closing times for the shopping centre during the year.

Or take a look at our article on 24-hour shops, late-night and bank holiday shopping in Orihuela Costa. The feature provides detailed information about retail outlets that offer residents and visitors out-of-hours shopping, complete with Google Maps from your location in Spain – handy for late arrivals or shopping on Sundays.

Looking for holiday ideas and travel inspiration? Find out more about our favourite recommended things to do on the Orihuela Costa or join the La Zenia community Facebook group and find out what's going on in the local area.

Photo credit: LaZenia.com