Overview
- The government and regional authorities have published operational plans for the total solar eclipse on 12 August 2026, with Madrid listing 51 official observation points (some reports say 52) and a free Festival del Eclipse in Buitrago de Lozoya limited to 3,000 registered attendees.
- Madrid will distribute about 56,500 ISO‑certified eclipse glasses total after adding 36,500 new units to 20,000 already handed out, while the Observatorio de Yebes has been designated as the national logistics and media hub for official scientific broadcasts.
- A government economic assessment projects roughly 446,700 extra foreign visitors and about €342 million in additional spending for Spain, a surge that has left hotels in key zones such as the Sierra Norte near full capacity and pushed prices higher.
- Civil‑protection and emergency services will be reinforced with PLATERCAM activation, boosted Emergencias 112 and fire service resources, preventive forest‑agent patrols, and extra public‑transport runs to manage large crowds and reduce wildfire risk.
- The eclipse will begin around 19:30 and reach totality in many northern and central locations at about 20:28–20:32 near sunset, an event that coincides with the Perseids meteor peak and starts a rare sequence of eclipses affecting Spain through 2028.