Ana M. López
Research expert covering travel, tourism and hospitality
Nightlife venues in Spain - statistics & facts
As one of the most popular tourist destinations worldwide, Spain has also gained a big name for nightlife entertainment. In 2023, the Iberian country hosted the highest number of top nightclubs out of the main 100 clubs worldwide. What is more, nine of the clubs listed in the ranking that year were in the Balearic island of Ibiza: HÏ, Ushuaia Beach Hotel, DC-10, Pacha, Amnesia, O Beach, LIO, Nassau Beach Club, Playa Soleil.
According to the latest National Classification of Economic Activities (CNAE), this industry included all establishments that serve beverages for immediate consumption on the premise such as bars, pubs, taverns, nightclubs, coffee shops, breweries, fruit juice bars, and beverage street stalls or street vendors.
”El tapeo”: Spain’s most popular going-out plan
The nightlife in Spain is very diverse, including more than just regular dance clubs. One of the most popular going-out plans among Spaniards is the so-called “tapeo”, which consists of getting drinks in restaurants or bars accompanied by tapas – traditional small bites of appetizers such as cheese, olives, omelets, bread with toppings, traditional hams, among many others. According to a 2024 survey, beer was the favorite beverage to drink with tapas for both Spaniards and international visitors. When it came to the number of tapas eaten per visit, most restaurant or bar clients consumed between three and five.The beverage serving industry in Spain
The number of beverage serving establishments in Spain has shrunk steadily in the past years, dropping to approximately 164,000 at the beginning of 2023. This figure was 19.3 percent less than in 2010. Andalusia was the autonomous community with the highest number of such establishments in 2023, with more than 32,000, followed by Catalonia with roughly 24,000.According to the latest National Classification of Economic Activities (CNAE), this industry included all establishments that serve beverages for immediate consumption on the premise such as bars, pubs, taverns, nightclubs, coffee shops, breweries, fruit juice bars, and beverage street stalls or street vendors.
