More than 4,000 participants will join Spain’s National Day parade in Madrid on 12 October. RTVE will carry the ceremony live on television, radio and digital services.
At 11:00, the opening sequence will put a parachutist over central Madrid before the ground procession begins. The ceremony will involve 4,380 members of the armed forces, security bodies and civil institutions.
The route runs along the Paseo del Prado and Paseo de Recoletos, between the Glorieta del Emperador Carlos V and Plaza de Colón. It covers 1.5 kilometres, bringing the public close to aircraft and military vehicles. Horses and troops will form the rest of the main display.
The parade is expected to attract around 80,000 spectators, according to Infobae’s assessment of the event’s likely public attendance.
The figures show the scale of the operation. The contingent includes 3,850 men and 530 women. It will also bring 286 horses and five dogs to the route. The motorised section includes 144 tactical and armoured vehicles, together with 39 motorcycles.
Spain’s new 8×8 Dragón wheeled armoured vehicles will appear at the parade for the first time, according to EFE.
The aerial section will involve 34 fighter and training aircraft, 16 transport planes and 32 helicopters. Together, those categories total 82 aircraft, although earlier reports rounded the figure to around 80. One transport aircraft will support the parachute jump scheduled during the opening sequence.
For the third consecutive year, the parade will start near the main entrance to the Royal Botanical Garden. It will continue along the Paseo del Prado and Paseo de Recoletos before ending at Plaza de Colón. The authorities’ tribune will stand at Plaza de Cánovas del Castillo, beside the Neptune Fountain.
More than 20 Spanish defence companies are involved in the preparation of the parade, supplying vehicles, electronic systems, sensors and aviation platforms. The companies mentioned include Urovesa, the Tess Defence consortium and Santa Bárbara Sistemas, General Dynamics’ Spanish subsidiary.
Felipe VI and doña Letizia will lead the event with Leonor, the princess of Asturias. RTVE’s independent announcement also names Infanta Sofía among the royal family members expected to attend.
The royal family will receive military honours at Plaza de Cánovas del Castillo. They will then preside over the parade alongside Pedro Sánchez, Margarita Robles and the chief of the Defence Staff, admiral general Teodoro Esteban López Calderón.
The official programme begins with the arrival of the king and queen, followed by military honours and an inspection. The PAPEA parachute jump comes next. A tribute to those who gave their lives for Spain follows, along with the Mirlo Formation flypast, the wider aerial display and the ground procession.
The ceremony ends with the royal family’s departure and the lowering of the national flag. The ground column will include the goat of the Legion’s 3rd Tercio Don Juan de Austria. Mounted units and canine teams will also take part.
Women account for 530 of the 4,380 participants, or approximately 12.1%. Local reporting puts the comparable share in 2025 at 13.6%, although the published material does not explain the change. The figures therefore show a different gender composition from the previous year.
RTVE’s television coverage begins at 10:00 on La 1 and Canal 24 horas. The live parade starts at 11:00 peninsular time and will also be available on RTVE Play and RTVE Noticias. The corporation’s information networks will carry it as well.
Xabier Fortes will present the broadcast with Alejandro Riego. Yolanda Ferrer and Air Force captain Manuel Cuenca will also join the presentation team.
Radio coverage begins at 10:55 on Radio 5 and RNE Audio with Carlos Navarro. Alejandro Merino will provide protocol analysis alongside Mar Lupión, RNE’s defence correspondent. Commander Gonzalo Bernal will also take part.
RTVE Noticias will publish minute-by-minute updates, reports and analysis through its website and social networks. YouTube and X are among the named channels. The broadcaster also identifies Facebook, TikTok and Instagram.
RTVE’s digital coverage will remain available after the live transmission, as with its earlier political coverage. Recordings of the special programmes will stay on RTVE Play after the broadcast ends.
The public route is concentrated in central Madrid, while television, radio and streaming will carry the full ceremony nationwide. Infobae expects major traffic restrictions, with changes affecting 48 EMT bus lines. The main road closures are scheduled approximately from 07:00 to 15:00.
