The 2026 retail calendars allow shops to open on 12 October on Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro, but not on Gran Canaria or Tenerife. The public holiday will bring different shopping arrangements across the Canary Islands, with each business deciding whether to operate.
Island calendars set the Sundays and public holidays when retail businesses may open. The Boletín Oficial del Estado, or BOE, says Canarias establishes these dates each year, without setting opening hours in the calendar. Permission to open does not require every shop to operate. Residents and visitors should check the island and the specific store or shopping centre.
On Tenerife, Siam Mall and Rosa Center have announced daily opening from 10:00 to 22:00, while Centro Comercial Martiánez in Puerto de la Cruz lists hours of 10:00 to 20:00 on Sundays and public holidays.
Gran Canaria has selected 4 January, 2 April, 30 May, 15 August, 2 and 29 November, plus 6, 13, 20 and 27 December 2026. October 12 is not on the list, so shops on the island will remain closed that day.
Tenerife follows an almost identical schedule. Its approved opening dates are 4 January, 2 April, 30 May, 15 August, 2 and 29 November, and 8, 13, 20 and 27 December. The island has also left 12 October off its retail calendar. Most supermarkets and shopping centres are expected to close, although individual outlets in tourist areas may choose to open.
Guía de Isora received a local regime from 9 October 2026 that allows shops to open any day of the year, including Sundays and public holidays. The measure grants permission without requiring businesses to open, so each one still sets its timetable in line with labour rules and collective agreements.
The contrast is clearest in the eastern islands. Lanzarote and Fuerteventura both include 12 October among their permitted opening days, alongside 4 January, 2 April, 31 May, 15 August, 2 November and 8, 13, 20 and 27 December. Their shops will so be allowed to operate on the Día de la Hispanidad. The calendar does not determine each retailer's actual schedule.
La Palma has also listed 12 October, together with 2 April, 30 May, 5 and 15 August, 2 November and 8, 13, 20 and 27 December. La Gomera's schedule includes 4 January, 2 April, 15 August, 12 October, 2 November and 6, 8, 13, 20 and 27 December.
El Hierro has the same October arrangement as La Gomera. Its permitted dates are 4 January, 2 April, 15 August, 12 October, 2 November and 6, 8, 13, 20 and 27 December 2026.
Spain's national structure sets a minimum of 16 Sundays and public holidays when shops may open. That number can be adjusted to local commercial needs, but the Canary Islands figure cannot fall below 10 days. The 2026 island calendars apply the rule through separate selections, not one opening timetable for the whole archipelago.
In practice, the calendar is only the first check. Reports by Diario de Avisos and El Día indicate that Mercadona closes on Sundays and national public holidays, while Lidl opens only selected locations. Its Puerto de la Cruz store has listed hours of 08:00 to 22:00, whereas stores in La Laguna, Tacoronte and Santa Cruz de Tenerife were scheduled to close. Alcampo La Laguna has also listed 12 October as a closing day.
Restaurants, cafés and other food-service businesses may continue operating on the holiday, particularly in tourist areas. Many petrol stations also remain open, though their hours may change.
For shopping on 12 October, Gran Canaria and Tenerife will have their shops closed under the island calendars, while Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro will be allowed to open. Check both the island calendar and the individual outlet's timetable.
