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By Nazario Rodriguez • Updated: 30 Oct 2026 • 21:01 • 3 minutes read

Eyewitness described a desperate effort to rescue passengers Credit: Rafa Martín FB (passenger)

Council-run Halloween celebrations have been cancelled or rearranged across the Axarquia and Costa Tropical following three days of national mourning after a fatal train accident in Toledo.

Families planning to attend Halloween celebrations this weekend will need to check the latest arrangements, as several town halls have cancelled their events while others have moved activities to November 1 and 2.

The changes follow the Spanish Government’s declaration of three days of official mourning after a fatal train accident in Urda, Toledo, on October 28.

For a wider explanation of what the mourning period means for private parties and commercial celebrations, read EWN’s guide to whether Halloween is cancelled in Spain.

Halloween cancelled in parts of the Axarquia

Several municipalities in the Axarquia have decided to cancel their planned Halloween celebrations altogether.

Rincon de la Victoria has suspended its municipal Halloween activities in the town, La Cala del Moral and Benagalbon. The cancellation was confirmed following the announcement of the national mourning period.

Velez-Malaga has also cancelled its entire municipal programme. The decision affects the town and surrounding population centres, including Torre del Mar, Caleta de Velez, Benajarafe, Almayate, Chilches, Valle-Niza, Cajiz, Triana, Mezquitilla and Lagos. The Velez-Malaga Town Hall announcement confirming the cancellation of all municipal Halloween activities lists the affected areas.

Halloween celebrations in Torrox and El Morche have also been cancelled, while Frigiliana has suspended its municipal festivities.

The decisions are part of wider changes across the Axarquia, with several other municipalities also cancelling or rearranging their programmes.

Maroween moves to Sunday in Nerja and Maro

One of the area’s best-known autumn celebrations has not been cancelled.

Maroween, the traditional combination of Halloween and the Chestnut and Sweet Potato Festival in Maro, has been moved to Sunday, November 1.

Nerja Town Hall has confirmed that the programme will start at 5pm, with the planned activities including:

• A Halloween parade.
• Traditional roasted chestnuts and sweet potatoes.
• Fancy dress competitions.
• Live musical performances.

The official Nerja Town Hall announcement confirming the new Maroween date confirms that the original programme will be maintained.

Almuñecar moves Halloween to November 1

On the Costa Tropical, Almuñecar has moved its municipal Halloween party to Sunday, November 1.

The change was announced by the Culture Department as part of wider adjustments to the town’s events programme during the national mourning period.

The announcement from Almuñecar’s Culture Department confirms that the Halloween party will go ahead on Sunday.

Other cultural events have also been rearranged, including the Fall Fest concert, which moves to Monday, November 2.

Motril rearranges Halloween celebrations

Motril has also confirmed that its Halloween activities will take place on Sunday, November 1, instead of the original date.

The revised programme includes a spooky parade leaving Plaza de España at 7pm, followed by a DJ party at Plaza de las Comunidades Autónomas from 7.40pm.

A haunted passage will also open at 7.40pm in the basement of the Tourist Office.

The Motril Town Hall announcement confirming the revised Halloween programme provides the updated timings.

Salobreña spreads celebrations over two days

Salobreña has reorganised its Halloween programme across Sunday, November 1, and Monday, November 2, rather than cancelling the celebrations.

Activities on Sunday will take place in the neighbouring communities of Lobres and La Caleta, between 6pm and 8pm.

Children and young people can enjoy inflatable attractions, fancy dress competitions and sweets, with local groups also organising traditional refreshments.

Lobres will have roscos, chocolate, chestnuts and anise, while La Caleta’s Juventud Escaletera group will provide a spooky afternoon snack.

Salobreña’s main municipal celebrations will then take place on Monday, November 2, between midday and 2pm.

Activities will include inflatable attractions, a fancy dress competition, sweets and a horror maze.

The official Salobreña Town Hall announcement confirming the November 1 and 2 Halloween programme provides the full details.

Check before heading out

Residents and visitors are advised to check their local council’s announcements before travelling to Halloween events, as programmes and arrangements have changed at short notice.

While some municipalities have decided to cancel their celebrations, others have made alternative arrangements so children can still enjoy Halloween after the period of official mourning.

Anyone in Spain who orders cheap clothes, phone cases or gadgets from outside the EU has had a €3 customs charge hanging over their basket since July. Well, from Sunday there’s a second one, though whether it ever shows up on a receipt is uncertain.

A second charge arrives on Sunday November 1 

People in Spain who shop on Temu, Shein and AliExpress will face a new €2 EU handling fee on qualifying parcels from Sunday November 1. It follows the €3 customs duty brought in on Wednesday July 1, and is meant to cover the cost to customs authorities of checking the flood of small parcels now arriving from outside the EU.

That flood is huge. The EU received about 5.9 billion low-value items in 2025, around 16 million a day, with 93 per cent of them from China, according to the European Commission.

It’s not a flat €2 on every parcel

However, the fee isn’t a flat €2 on each parcel. It’s charged per item on the customs paperwork, and goods of the same type count as one item, so three identical T-shirts would attract one fee while a T-shirt, a pair of sandals and a phone case could mean three.

The €3 duty works in a similar way, per type of goods rather than per parcel. Put the two together and each type of item in an order can carry €5 in extra charges, so that three-item basket could pick up €15 before the seller has added anything of its own.

Whether you’ll see it is up to the sellers

The fee is dealt with through the customs process, not at your front door. It’s settled by the platform or seller handling the paperwork, and nothing in the rules says it has to appear as a separate line on your order.

So some sellers will simply absorb the cost, while others will build it into the price or the delivery charge. Spain’s Tax Agency began a testing period for the system on Thursday October 1, according to Spanish reports.

Shoppers are already ordering less often

There are signs people are changing their habits. Francisco Aranda, president of Spanish logistics body UNO Logística, said shoppers are planning more, comparing prices and bunching several items into one order rather than buying on impulse.

Over the border in France, imports of small parcels from China have fallen by between 30 and 40 per cent since July, according to the French Ministry of Economy.

With Black Friday only weeks away, the best advice is to check the total at checkout rather than the price tag, and to see whether it says duties are included before you pay.