Wednesday, August 12, 2026, will go down in history as the date of a historic astronomical event. This is no exaggeration: a total solar eclipse like the one that will cross northern Spain (from Galicia to the Balearic Islands) has not been seen since 1905 , and the Community of Madrid lies within the path of totality. In other words: it is one of the regions where the total eclipse will be visible.
“The movements of the Moon, the Earth, and the Sun combine in such a way that the Moon blocks the Sun’s disk from view for a few minutes, ”explains Jesús Gallego, professor of astrophysics at UCM and co-director of the CITT cluster.
To ensure that all residents of Madrid can witness this event—which is just over 140 days away (142, to be exact)— the Community of Madrid will distribute free, certified special glasses to “safely and risk-free observe the eclipse on August 12,” according to the regional government.
These glasses, which were available at the Community of Madrid’s booth during the Madrid is Science 2026 Fair (held through this past Saturday), will also be available at the 11 observation points that will be set up in the region for this major event.
Municipalities in Madrid where the 2026 total solar eclipse will be visible
These 11 observation points will be located in as many municipalities in the northern part of the region, from where the entire phenomenon will be visible starting at 8:30 p.m. with the following duration:
- Somosierra ( 1 minute and 29 seconds).
- Buitrago de Lozoya (1 minute 19 seconds)
- La Cabrera (1 minute 11 seconds)
- El Molar (1 minute and 1 second)
- Meco ( 55 seconds)
- San Agustín de Guadalix (53 seconds)
- Navacerrada Pass (49 seconds)
- Colmenar Viejo (43 seconds)
- Alcalá de Henares (41 seconds)
- Three Cantos (36 seconds)
- San Sebastián de los Reyes (35 seconds)
In addition to the various cultural and educational activities held as part of the Madrid is Science 2026 Fair, the Eclipse Festival will take place all day on August 12 at the Riosequillo pools in Buitrago de Lozoya, featuring family-friendly outdoor activities and food trucks.
The 2026–2028 Eclipse Trio
As if the event weren’t unique enough in itself, it takes place within an equally exceptional context: Spain will be the setting for three consecutive solar eclipses: August 12, 2026, August 2, 2027, and January 26, 2028. Two of them will be total and one annular. Our country will be the only one in the world where the first eclipse can be observed in its entirety, along with Iceland and Greenland.
The government, through the Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities, has launched the Trío de Eclipses España website so that anyone can “easily find useful information to plan trips, check transportation recommendations, discover top destinations, and learn what to see in each area.”
