This New Year’s Eve marked the first without pandemic restrictions, yet crowds gathered in cities across Spain, leading to a mix of celebrations and incidents. Reports describe thousands of participants at major events, with some clashes and heavy drinking noted during the festivities in Madrid, Pamplona, and Navarra. In Navarra, a number of people were injured when costumes caught fire and several house fires occurred amid the celebrations.
Large crowds gathered in illegal, high-energy gatherings that began on December 30 in La Peza, Granada. The operation involved road detours, controlled access, and a heightened security presence. Civil Guard sources cited a rustic municipal estate near the A-92 as the focal point for vehicles, caravans, and attendees, with roughly 300 vehicles parked on site.
La Peza’s city hall condemned the unauthorized event and noted disturbances that could be heard from kilometers away. Security duties included monitoring alcohol and drug use among drivers, policing the sale of narcotics, and assessing the environmental impact of the gathering, which was not evacuated for safety reasons.
incidents in Madrid
A 27-year-old suffered a serious knife wound in the Centro district, according to Civil Protection sources. Emergency responders arrived at the scene around 09:45, and the individual was transported to Clinical Hospital for treatment after stabilization.
Emergency calls to 112 showed a surge in activity as Madrid faced a busy night for services. Calls rose significantly compared with previous years, reflecting the strain on police and health responders. Nearly one million people visited entertainment venues across the capital and surrounding districts, with many discos and clubs reporting sold-out crowds.
burning costumes
In Pamplona, four young women, all around twenty years old, were taken to Navarra University Hospital with second-degree burns after their costumes caught fire at a nightclub. One was later transferred to the main burn unit in Zaragoza, according to the Navarre government.
Authorities in Navarra received a report at 6:20 am about a nightclub incident where a costume fire had prompted medical attention. Police and medical units responded quickly, and more people required assessment as responders arrived on scene.
Navarra’s Foral Police arrested nine people on the night for various offenses. A pair of them sustained injuries following blade-related clashes in Barañáin, and two others were taken to the University Hospital of Navarra.
shootings in Valladolid
In Valladolid, authorities documented about thirty shots fired into the air in Las Viudas neighborhood as part of New Year’s Eve celebrations. Local police noted the incident occurred shortly after bells rang, with no confirmed injuries at the time of reporting, though a firearm was involved.
The event followed a pattern seen in past years, when aerial gunfire accompanied the New Year celebrations. No arrests were immediately reported related to the discharge.
sexual assaults
New Year’s Eve brought the arrest of roughly 74 individuals across Catalonia, including three cases of attempted sexual assault. City data show around 120,000 people gathered along Avenida Maria Cristina for Barcelona’s biggest New Year event.
Barcelona’s Deputy Mayor for Prevention and Safety noted that the large city celebration proceeded with typical evacuation and crowd management practices. The Interior Ministry reported the overnight balance, with 74 arrests across the metro area. Among those detained, the majority faced property or violence offenses, with a portion linked to gender-based or domestic violence and other acts.
fire-related incidents
The Valencia Fire Brigade rescued a woman and two young children from a house fire in Bellreguard during the early hours of New Year’s Eve, addressing smoke inhalation risks. Firefighters arrived from Gandia and Oliva and found the fire fully developed on arrival.
Similarly, in Puebla de Sancho Pérez, firefighters reported carbon monoxide exposure affecting three men and one woman after a house fire. Fire crews extinguished the blaze, and the lightly injured individuals were transported to Zafra Hospital for treatment.