Nochevieja (New Year’s Eve)
While Spain, and Malaga in particular, is known for its raucous celebrations, many visitors to the city are often surprised by the relatively low-key celebrations for New Year’s Eve (known as Nochevieja, literally “old night”).
That said, Malaga still knows how to welcome the New Year with style, and Plaza de la Constitución becomes the beating heart of celebrations as the clock strikes midnight.
If you’re planning to spend New Year’s Eve in Malaga, you’ll find yourself part of a time-honoured Spanish tradition that transforms the city’s main square into an open-air party.
How to celebrate New Year’s Eve in Malaga
The festivities kick off well before midnight, typically around 9pm, giving you plenty of time to secure a good spot and soak up the atmosphere.
Unlike the often pub-based British New Year’s Eve, Spanish celebrations are decidedly public affairs, with entire families gathering in squares to welcome the year together.
Live music fills the square in the hours leading up to midnight, with local bands warming up the crowd for the main event.
Cotillón party accessories (hats, streamers, masks and noise-makers) are a staple of Spanish New Year celebrations, creating an infectious carnival atmosphere.
When the clock strikes twelve, a multimedia spectacle accompanies the campanadas, with high-powered projectors illuminating the square.
The Spanish campanadas tradition explained
The centrepiece of New Year celebrations in Spain is the campanadas. These are the twelve chimes of the clock at midnight, and eating one grape with each chime is perhaps Spain’s most beloved New Year’s Eve custom.
This ritual dates back over a century and is observed across the entire country, from the famous Puerta del Sol in Madrid to town squares throughout Andalucía.
According to tradition, swallowing all twelve grapes before the bells finish ringing brings good luck for the year ahead.
The historic clock in Plaza de la Constitución takes centre stage for this ritual, with thousands gathering in Malaga’s most emblematic square to share in the countdown.
READ MORE: Why do they eat grapes on New Year’s Eve in Spain?
Many Spaniards wear red underwear on New Year’s Eve, believing it brings love and passion in the coming year, while others tuck a gold ring or coin into their champagne glass for prosperity.
The celebration doesn’t end when the grapes are eaten (far from it), with dancing and revelry continuing well into the early hours of New Year’s Day.
(No) fireworks on New Year’s Eve in Malaga
If you’re expecting a spectacular fireworks display to accompany the midnight countdown, you might be surprised to learn that Malaga doesn’t organise an official municipal fireworks show for New Year’s Eve.
The city saves its major pyrotechnics for the annual Feria in August and the San Juan celebrations in June, when the skies above Malaga truly come alive with colour.
You might spot small, scattered fireworks from private hotels or beach clubs around the port area, but these aren’t guaranteed and certainly aren’t the coordinated displays you’d find in London or Barcelona.
Instead, Malaga’s New Year celebration focuses on the communal experience of the campanadas, the multimedia light show and the infectious energy of thousands of people welcoming the year together in the historic centre.
For many visitors, this is a refreshing change from fireworks-heavy celebrations elsewhere, offering a more intimate and authentically Spanish way to mark the occasion.
Practical tips for celebrating New Year’s Eve in Malaga
If you’re celebrating New Year’s Eve in Malaga, wrap up warmly, as December evenings in Malaga can be surprisingly chilly despite the city’s reputation for mild winters.
Be sure to arrive early if you want to secure a good viewing spot for the campanadas, as Plaza de la Constitución fills up quickly as midnight approaches.
The square gets absolutely packed, so prepare for crowds and keep an eye on your belongings in the festive chaos.
Don’t forget to bring your own grapes if you want to participate in the tradition properly (tip: buy seedless (sin semillas) to stand a chance of completing it!).
If Plaza de la Constitución feels too crowded, many Malaga locals head to the beach or gather in neighbourhood squares for more intimate celebrations.
New Year’s Eve 2025 in Malaga
This year’s celebration begins at 9pm on Wednesday 31 December with a performance by Señor Mirinda, a popular local band who’ll keep the energy high throughout the evening.
The group will play until shortly before midnight, when they’ll pause to let the campanadas take centre stage.
The multimedia show promises 75,000 watts of lighting powered by high-intensity mobile projectors, ensuring the square looks as spectacular as the moment feels.
After the clock strikes twelve and the New Year officially arrives, the party continues until 1.30am, giving you plenty of time to dance your way into 2026 in proper Andalusian fashion.
Daryl is the co-founder of Malaga Guru. He is a copywriter, editor and translator who moved to Malaga over a decade ago, having first fallen in love with the city on his Erasmus year. After working for many years at local expat newspaper SUR in English, Daryl gained expert knowledge in life from the perspective of foreign residents and decided to co-found this site in 2016.