Dinner at ten, club at two, breakfast on the way home. Madrid and Barcelona run all week, the islands run all summer.
Live city guides: Barcelona, Bilbao, Ibiza, Madrid, Seville, Valencia.
Best clubs: Barcelona, Valencia, Madrid, Seville, Bilbao, Ibiza.
Where to go out
The night starts late and ends later. Spain's nightlife runs on its own clock: dinner at ten, bars from midnight, clubs from two, closing around six. Arriving at a Spanish club at midnight means an empty room. Sleep in the afternoon if you have to.
Madrid and Barcelona are different nights. Madrid goes out every night of the week and keeps its clubs and late bars within walking distance in the centre. Barcelona leans on electronic music, the beach and a summer of festivals. Time Out named Madrid Europe's best city for nightlife in 2025.
Summer moves to the islands. From late spring to October, Ibiza runs its club season, with opening parties in May and closing parties into October. On the mainland, June brings Primavera Sound and Sónar to Barcelona.
If your ideal night begins at one and ends with breakfast, Spain is built for you.
Sónar and the Ibiza season make Spain a pilgrimage for house and techno from June to October.
Beer is cheap, club entry often includes a drink, and tapas bars feed you as you go.
Las Fallas, Primavera Sound, Sónar and Madrid Pride give the calendar a big event almost every month from March to July.
Madrid's Chueca and Barcelona's Gaixample are among the largest queer districts in Europe.
Barcelona, Valencia and the islands let you swim at five in the afternoon and dance at three in the morning.
Not for you if you want an early night. Arrive before one and you are the only one there; leave at three and you missed the peak.
Five days of fireworks, street parties and giant sculptures that burn on the last night. The city does not sleep.
Rock, pop and electronic music at the Parc del Fòrum by the sea, with sets running well past midnight.
Three days of electronic music: Sónar by Day in the afternoon, Sónar by Night until morning. The anchor of Barcelona's summer.
MADO fills Chueca and the centre for about ten days, with the big parade on the Saturday.
The running of the bulls by day and nine days of street parties in white and red. Rooms sell out early.
Opening parties in late spring, the peak in July and August, closing parties from late September into October.
Friday on the terraces and in the late bars of Malasaña, Saturday at a big club until six. The Madrid nightlife guide covers the doors and the búho night buses.
A beach bar at sunset, a club after two, a festival if it is June. The Barcelona nightlife guide has the timings and the Saturday all-night metro.
Two nights each, about two and a half hours apart by high-speed train. Start in Madrid midweek and finish in Barcelona for the Saturday all-night metro.
Two nights in Barcelona, then a short flight or an overnight ferry to Ibiza for the weekend. Summer only, and book the clubs first.
Club until six, then out into the morning. The Madrid guide has the rooms worth staying for.
Mid-June in Barcelona. Big rooms, long sets and a crowd from everywhere.
Late September to mid-October. The last night of a club's season is the one people fly in for.
Three bars, a caña and a small plate in each. Dinner and the warm-up in one.
March. Firecrackers at two in the afternoon, bonfires in the streets on the last night, and nobody goes home early.
Thick hot chocolate and fried dough after the club. Madrid's traditional end to a long night.
Fried dough dipped in thick hot chocolate. Madrid's classic finish, eaten at six in the morning.
A baguette with ham, tortilla or fried squid. Cheap and sold late near the centre.
Fried potatoes with a spicy sauce. The tapa you order at one in the morning.
A wedge of potato omelette from a bar counter. Filling, cheap, everywhere.
Every nightlife area has one open until the clubs close.
A Spanish door price often covers one drink, called entrada con consumición. Keep the ticket for the bar.
Guest lists, online or through promoters, give cheaper or free entry before a set time. It is normal and widely used.
Mainstream clubs refuse sportswear, shorts and flip-flops, even in summer. Techno rooms are relaxed.
Clubs check it, and a photo on your phone does not count.
Before one the room is empty. Arriving at half past one is on time.
Noise complaints close venues and bring fines. Residents in Madrid and Barcelona take it seriously.
| Club entry, often with a drink | €15–25 |
| Beer (caña) in a bar | €3–5 |
| Mixed drink in a club | €10–15 |
| Metro single, Madrid (contactless) | €1.50 |
| Night bus (búho), Madrid | €1.50 |
Tapas, cañas and a club door with a drink included, night bus home.
Madrid or Barcelona club, three mixed drinks, a shared taxi.
Ibiza in season, or a festival ticket with drinks and a taxi.
Madrid's metro runs from 06:00 to 01:30, and búho night buses from Cibeles cover the rest. Barcelona's metro runs until midnight Sunday to Thursday, until 02:00 on Friday, and all night on Saturday.
Clubs are 18+ and check ID at most doors. Carry a passport or national ID card.
Cards and contactless work almost everywhere. Madrid's metro gates take contactless bank cards.
Big clubs and festivals sell online. Guest lists give cheaper entry before a set hour.
Street drinking, the botellón, is banned and fined in most cities. Terraces are the legal alternative.
Pickpocketing is the main risk, especially in central Barcelona. Keep phones in front pockets in crowded bars and on the metro.
Banned inside bars and clubs since 2011. The terraces are full of smokers instead.
English works in the centre of Madrid, Barcelona and on the islands. A few words of Spanish help; in Barcelona you will also hear Catalan.
Dinner around ten, bars from midnight, clubs from two. Clubs usually close around six, and a few after-hours rooms carry on into the morning.
Madrid for a dense, late centre that goes out every night. Barcelona for electronic music, the beach and festivals. They are two and a half hours apart by train.
For the biggest names in house and techno, yes, between June and September. It is also the most expensive night in Spain by some distance.
Often, yes. Many clubs sell entry with one drink included. Ask at the door and keep the ticket.
No. Street drinking is fined in most cities. Drink on a terrace or inside.
18, and ID is checked at most doors.
