New Year’s Eve at Puerta del Sol: Grapes, Access and Metro
Spain sees in the new year with 12 grapes under the clock of Puerta del Sol. Here is how entry works, when to arrive and how to get home afterwards.
On New Year’s Eve, Puerta del Sol admits about 15,000 people through four police checkpoints on Calle Mayor, Calle Arenal, Calle Alcalá and Carrera de San Jerónimo. Entry is free, the square is usually cleared and reopened in the evening, and it fills well before midnight, when the crowd eats 12 grapes to the 12 chimes of the clock.
What happens at Puerta del Sol at midnight?
The clock on the Real Casa de Correos, the seat of the regional government, rings in the new year live on national television. The custom is to eat one grape on each of the 12 chimes, the campanadas, and to finish by the last one for good luck. People also open cava, hug strangers and stay in the square for a while before the crowd starts to move.
The tricky part comes before the chimes. The clock first plays a carillon and then four double strokes, the cuartos (quarters). Many first-timers start eating on the quarters and run out of grapes. Wait for the ball on top of the tower to drop and for the first of the slower, single chimes.
Supermarkets sell tins and small cups of 12 peeled, seedless grapes in late December. They are much easier to eat quickly than whole fruit.
How do access and capacity work?
The plan is set each year by the Ayuntamiento with the Policía Nacional. The 2026 plan had not been published as of mid-November 2026. The 2025 plan, announced by the city on Dec. 30, 2025, worked like this:
| Item | 2025 arrangement |
|---|---|
| Capacity | 15,000 people |
| Clearing the square | From 21:00, reopened at 22:00 |
| Entry points | Calle Mayor, Calle Arenal, Calle Alcalá, Carrera de San Jerónimo |
| Checks | Two police filters at each entry, staffed jointly by Policía Municipal and Policía Nacional |
| Other streets | People arriving via Preciados or Montera are sent round to the four entry points |
| Staff | More than 300 municipal police, medics, firefighters and cleaners each night |
Once the count reaches the limit, the filters close and nobody else gets in. Police look for dangerous objects, stop street vending and watch for pickpockets. In practice, leave glass bottles, large bags and anything sharp at home. Read the city’s notice on madrid.es in the last days of December, because details can change from one year to the next.
What are the preúvas on Dec. 30?
The preúvas are a rehearsal held at midnight on Dec. 30, a day early. The clock rings 12 times and people eat sweets or grapes to practice. It suits people who spend the real night at home with family, and it now draws a large crowd of its own. In 2025 the city applied the same security set-up on both nights. If you want to try the grapes in Sol without the biggest crowd, Dec. 30 is the easier night, although it is still busy.
How do you get there and home by Metro?
Metro stations near Sol close or restrict access on Dec. 30 and Dec. 31 in some years, and reports for 2025 disagreed on the exact hours. Do not plan on using Sol station. Use Ópera, Callao, Gran Vía, Sevilla or Tirso de Molina and walk to the nearest checkpoint.
- Dec. 31: in 2025 Metro kept its normal closing time of about 01:30, according to press reports. Trains are packed in the first hour of the year.
- Jan. 1: the regional transport consortium (CRTM) said in December 2025 that service on Jan. 1 started one hour later than usual, at 07:00.
- Night buses: the búhos run from Cibeles through the night and are the main way home after Metro closes.
Check the special Christmas plan on crtm.es or the Metro de Madrid app in late December. Our guide to Metro hours and night buses lists the búho routes, and taxis and ride-hailing are compared in taxi vs Uber and Cabify in Madrid. Expect long waits and higher app prices just after midnight.
What are the alternatives to Sol?
- Watch on TV at home or in a bar. Most of Spain does this. TVE and the main channels broadcast the chimes from Sol, so you get the same countdown with a seat.
- A dinner or party with the grapes included. Many restaurants and hotels sell New Year’s Eve menus that include the grapes and the broadcast. Book early; prices rise sharply that night.
- A terrace or rooftop. Some hotel terraces sell tickets for the night. Check what the price includes and if there is a screen in view.
- The San Silvestre Vallecana. Spain’s best-known end-of-year road race runs in the afternoon of Dec. 31 in Vallecas. You can watch the race, then head home or to a bar for the chimes.
How do you stay safe in the crowd?
- Arrive early, eat beforehand and use the toilet before you join a queue. There are few facilities inside the square.
- Agree on a meeting point outside the square in case you get separated. Mobile networks often slow down around midnight.
- Keep phones and wallets in front pockets or a closed bag worn in front. Pickpockets work the crowd.
- Do not bring very young children into the packed center of the square.
- Follow police instructions on the way out and leave by the nearest open street rather than pushing toward Metro entrances.
In an emergency call 112; police and medics are on duty around the square all night. Our page on emergency numbers in Madrid explains when to use 112, 091 or 092.
Bottom line
If you want to be inside Sol at midnight, be at one of the four checkpoints by about 22:00 and do not leave once you are in. If being in the square matters less than the moment itself, the Dec. 30 preúvas or a bar a few streets away give you the same chimes with far less waiting.
FAQ
Do you need a ticket for Puerta del Sol on New Year’s Eve?
No. Entry is free and works on a first-come basis through the police checkpoints until the 15,000-person limit is reached.
What time should you arrive at Sol?
In 2025 the square was cleared at 21:00 and reopened at 22:00. Arriving between 21:30 and 22:00 gives you a good chance of getting in.
Can you bring cava to Puerta del Sol?
Glass bottles are usually taken away at the checkpoints. If you want a toast, bring drinks in plastic or cans.
Is the Metro free on New Year’s Eve?
No. Normal fares apply. Your usual card or pass works as on any other day.
