In 2025, Spain and Portugal experienced a major power blackout that caused widespread disruption across both countries. On a seemingly ordinary Monday, shortly after 11:30 AM local time, cities including Madrid, Barcelona, and Lisbon suddenly lost electricity. This blackout halted trains, froze offices, disrupted traffic lights, and caused cancellations and delays at major airports, plunging daily life into chaos

. The blackout was triggered by a rare atmospheric event known as "induced atmospheric vibration," caused by sudden and extreme temperature swings over inland Spain. This phenomenon caused violent oscillations in the high-voltage power lines, upsetting the delicate synchronization of the electricity grid that connects Spain, Portugal, and parts of Europe. The resulting instability led to a massive disconnection of power generation, including stations in France, and a drop of about 15 gigawatts in Spain's energy supply-about 60% of the electricity in use at that time-causing the entire Spanish grid to collapse

. Authorities in both countries launched investigations into the blackout. Spain established an investigation commission and explored possible causes including cyberattack, although no malicious intent was confirmed. The event was unprecedented in scale and complexity, occurring on a warm, sunny day without the usual triggers like fires or storms

. Aside from the blackout, both Spain and Portugal continued to host numerous cultural and festive events in 2025. Spain held iconic celebrations like the April Fair in Seville, a vibrant festival with music, dance, and traditional parades. Portugal featured major festivals such as the Carnaval de Torres Vedras, NOS Alive music festival in Lisbon, and the Senhor Santo Cristo dos Milagres religious festival in the Azores, among others

. In summary, the key event affecting Spain and Portugal in 2025 was a massive blackout caused by a rare atmospheric phenomenon disrupting the power grid, leading to extensive social and transport chaos. Meanwhile, both countries maintained their rich cultural calendar with major festivals and events throughout the year.