KEY POINTS: What changes about life in Spain in August 2025
A month of festivals, holidays and closures, Airbnb to start sending information on unlicenced lets to the Spanish government, Trump tariffs to hit Spanish economy - here's what's happening in Spain this August.
Main summer 'Operación Salida' to take place
Spain’s grand summer exodus will take place this month as thousands escape the hot cities and head for the beaches and the mountains. This is known as ‘Operación Salida’. This year it will mainly take place from 1pm on July 31st up until midnight on Sunday August 3rd. Spain’s General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) is expecting more than 100 million long-distance journeys to be made by road this summer alone.
The roads will again be busy at the end of the month with people returning to the cities from the coasts, particularly the weekend of August 30th – 31st. The DGT has warned people to try and avoid these busy times if possible.
Spain closes up shop
OK while it’s not totally true that everyone takes their holiday in August in Spain, it can seem like that with many small and independent businesses taking a break for the month. While big supermarket chains, large stores and many restaurants will likely stay open, many admin businesses, local independent cafes and trade workers will close up shop.
Around 18 percent of businesses in Spain close during August according to Madrid-based business management consultant Grant Thornton. That means that almost one in five businesses shut their doors and shut up for the month or at least part of the month. Businesses close to the coast are more likely to open than ones further inland.
READ ALSO: Do I have to take most of my annual leave in August in Spain?
Public Holidays
As mentioned, the whole of August may seem like one month-long public holiday in Spain, but there is actually only one official public holiday this month. This is on Friday August 15th and celebrates the Day of the Assumption of the Virgen, which according to Christians, commemorates the day the Virgin Mary entered heaven. Any businesses not already closed will close on this day, including big supermarkets.
Fiesta time
Most of Spain is holiday, but doesn’t mean that the celebrations do too. August is prime festival month in Spain. Málaga, Bilbao and San Sebastián all celebrate their most important events this month.
Málaga’s annual feria takes place this year from August 16th to 23rd, while Bilbao’s Aste Nagusia or Semana Grande, held in honour of the Virgen de Begoña, will be held from August 16th to 24th.
San Sebastián also has its own Semana Grande with lots of fireworks, traditional games, sports and music. It takes place just before Bilbao’s from August 9th to 16th.
The well-known Tomatina tomato fight in Buñol also takes place on the last Wednesday in August – this year August 27th.
Airbnb to start sending information to the Spanish government
Starting in August, Airbnb has agreed to send all the information on tourist and temporary rentals to the Housing Department on a monthly basis, including the corresponding state and regional registration numbers. It has also agreed to remove listings that show irregularities in the national registry or do not appear on it at all.
As landlords had until July 1st 2025 in order to register all tourist, temporary and seasonal rentals with the government, and many had not done so by the deadline, expect to see many more rentals being removed from the platform this summer.
READ ALSO: Airbnb to cancel listings for lets not registered with Spain's government
Migrant minors to be redistributed across Spain
The Spanish government will begin transferring 3,000 migrant minors from the Canary Islands, Ceuta, and Melilla to other regions in Spain in late August, despite opposition from several regions governed by the Popular Party.
The PP insists that the government has acted unilaterally without discussion and has already filed an appeal with the Constitutional Court to stop it from happening. Despite the disagreements, however, the government has confirmed that the €40 million has been promised to strengthen child care initiatives and across the country and that 1,000 new places will open up for migrant minors in different regions.
Trump's tariffs to hit Spain in August
If they go ahead, US President Trump's trade tariffs are to start on August 1st. According to the Minister of Economy, Trade and Business, Carlos Cuerpo, this could be set to jeopardise €22.7 billion in exports.
He explained that the volume of exports directly affected would be €15.1 billion, to which would be added approximately €7.6 billion "in terms of re-exports”.
In Spain, one of the worst sectors affecting will be olive oil "with exports exceeding $1 billion to the United States”.
When it comes to the whole of the EU, exports affected by US tariffs would be "around €380 billion, approximately 70 percent of total EU exports to the US market”, the Congressional Economic Commission explained.
Financial help to pay rent in Valencia available in August
The Valencian City Council has opened up the application period for municipal subsidies aimed at helping those who pay monthly rent for a an entire home or just a room.
These grants can be applied for up until August 4th and offer up to €360 per month for renting an entire home and €180 for renting a single room, or up to 40 percent of the monthly amount paid between December 2024 and December 2026.
To be eligible you must earn below €28,800 per year in 12 instalments per household. The maximum eligible rent limits have also been increased: up to €900 per month for entire homes; and up to €450 per month for rented rooms for contracts up to one year.
Priority is given to those young people between 18 and 34 years old, as well as those over 65, victims of gender violence, large or single parent families and those with disabilities or were affected by the flood last October.
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