Week of 14 to 21 July 2025

A mid-summer pulse across Europe brings vibrant festivals, critical conversations over migration and climate, rising retail activity, and flight alerts. Here’s your detailed outlook for the week ahead.

Spain: Culture, Commerce and Social Pulse

The San Fermín Festival in Pamplona drew to a close last week, but the Jazz de Vitoria-Gasteiz festival begins on 14 July in the Basque Country—featuring international performers and a strong focus on emerging talent. Meanwhile, rising hospitality-sector strikes in the Balearic Islands are confirmed, affecting workers in Mallorca, Ibiza and Menorca from 10 July onwards. These walkouts threaten disruption for hotels, restaurants and transport services during peak season.

Retail momentum continues: Mango Home’s standalone store on Barcelona’s Avenida Diagonal remains a landmark, and Carrefour is progressing towards 100 new convenience store openings this year.

United Kingdom: Music, Sports, and Interesting Activities

Glasgow hosts the TRNSMT Festival from 18 to 20 July, coinciding with a heatwave reaching 28 °C. Organisers warn of travel disruption, as the Glasgow subway has issued strike notices on 11 to 13 July overlapping event dates.

On 14 to 15 July, London enjoys candlelit ‘Bridgerton’-style concerts, outdoor film screenings and culinary festivals attracting broad social interest. Cricket fans will follow the Lord’s Test Match continuing through 14 July.

The Ministry of Defence has scheduled low-flying helicopter exercises (Exercises Agile Spear and Storm Warrior) across northern England and Scotland from 7 to 24 July, with evening to morning activity noted.

Flight Alerts and Airspace Notices

A fresh wave of travel disruption is anticipated due to continued airline delays across Spain and Europe, driven by air traffic delays, staff shortages, and climate-related wildfires. Flight notices urge passengers to confirm schedules, as airports in Spain and the UK remain under pressure.

EU and Policy Briefing

The EU Commission is reviewing the new UK-France migrant return agreement, which proposes a weekly “one in, one out” arrangement. Several member states, including Spain, have urged scrutiny to ensure fair EU-wide asylum practices.

Spain is re-evaluating its share of EU recovery funds after missing deadlines for pension and tax reforms, resulting in a €1.1 billion freeze. This pause may delay future investment in digital and sustainability initiatives.

Meanwhile, a coalition led by Spain and France is advancing a plan to increase aviation taxes on private and premium flights, signalling a shift in environmental policy thinking.

Health and Public Safety

Temperatures across southern Spain and parts of the UK soared this week; health authorities are firmly emphasising hydration, limiting outdoor activities, and expanding cooling centre access.