Ibiza is preparing new island-wide rules for outdoor lighting that would affect public spaces, commercial premises, illuminated facades and other installations, as the Consell d’Eivissa moves towards the final approval of a regulation designed to reduce light pollution and protect the island’s natural environment.

Presented on 14 October 2026, the proposed Regulation for the Protection of the Night-Time Environment would establish different lighting requirements according to the location, type of installation and time of day. The restrictions would generally begin at 22:00 during winter and midnight during summer, although this does not mean that all outdoor lights would have to switch off at those times.

The Consell plans to bring the regulation to its October plenary session for final approval. Until the approval process is completed and the text is officially published, the new requirements should be treated as proposed rules rather than obligations already in force.

What Would Change Under the New Regulation?

The proposed regulation would cover outdoor lighting installations across Ibiza, including public street lighting, commercial and advertising lights, sports facilities, recreational spaces and decorative lighting.

The rules would address several aspects of artificial light:

• The intensity of lighting and how much light an installation emits.

• The direction of light, including preventing it from shining unnecessarily into the sky or neighbouring properties.

• The colour temperature of lamps and the proportion of blue light they emit.

• The hours during which particular types of lighting may operate.

• The protection of environmentally sensitive, coastal and astronomically significant locations.

One of the objectives is to reduce light spilling into homes from streetlights, shops and other external installations. This phenomenon, known as light intrusion, can disturb residents and interfere with normal sleep patterns.

The regulation is also intended to reduce unnecessary energy consumption while protecting wildlife, ecosystems and the quality of Ibiza’s night sky.

Will Ibiza’s Lights Switch Off at 22:00?

No. The proposed restricted hours do not mean the entire island will be plunged into darkness at 22:00 in winter or midnight in summer.

Instead, the regulation would establish periods during which certain lighting installations must reduce their intensity or remain switched off, depending on their purpose and the applicable requirements.

The general starting times for the restricted period would be:

• Winter: 22:00.

• Summer: 00:00.

Different conditions would apply to different types of lighting, with exceptions for certain activities, festivities and events. The rules would also take account of safety requirements and the needs of areas with significant commercial, leisure or transport activity.

The specific obligations for individual installations would depend on their characteristics and the zone in which they are located. The information presented by the Consell does not yet specify every requirement that would apply to each type of shopfront, sign or illuminated facade.

Four Lighting Zones Across Ibiza

A central element of the proposal is the division of the island into four lighting-protection categories, from E1 to E4. Each category would have different requirements according to environmental sensitivity and the level of activity in the area.

E1: Maximum Protection

E1 would cover areas requiring the highest level of protection, including protected natural spaces, environmentally and visually sensitive landscapes, and selected locations of astronomical interest.

Artificial lighting in these areas would face the strictest conditions.

E2: Rural Land

E2 would mainly cover rural land outside the areas classified for maximum protection.

The requirements would reflect the need to limit unnecessary artificial light in the countryside while taking account of legitimate uses and safety needs.

E3: Urban Areas

E3 would cover towns, urban centres and developed areas.

Lighting requirements would be adapted to the needs of residential areas, streets and other urban spaces, balancing environmental protection with visibility and public safety.

E4: Areas With High Night-Time Activity

E4 would be reserved for selected urban areas with substantial commercial activity, nightlife or transport movement, where higher lighting levels may be permitted.

The zoning system is intended to avoid applying identical requirements to a protected natural area and a busy urban entertainment district.

Special Protection for Cala d’Hort and Ses Salines

The proposal identifies several locations that require particular attention because of their natural, landscape or astronomical value.

These include the area around the Cala d’Hort Astronomical Observatory, the Ses Salines Natural Park, selected stretches of coastline and several islets around Ibiza.

The purpose is to limit artificial light that could affect sensitive habitats, wildlife behaviour, coastal environments and astronomical observation.

Light pollution is not only a question of how bright an area appears. The direction and colour of light can also influence its impact. The regulation would therefore introduce requirements intended to prevent light from being projected towards the sky or into spaces where illumination is unnecessary.

How Long Would Businesses and Public Authorities Have to Adapt?

The proposed regulation would not require every existing installation to be replaced immediately.

If the regulation is approved and published, it would enter into force 20 days after its full publication in the Official Gazette of the Balearic Islands.

From that point, different transition periods would apply:

• Lighting schedules: Existing installations would have up to three months to adapt their switching-on and switching-off schedules.

• Existing installations: The general adaptation period would be up to four years.

• Certain public installations: Some could receive up to eight years, depending on the circumstances specified in the regulation.

Municipalities would also have to prepare plans for bringing public lighting into line with the new requirements.

These transition periods mean that the regulation would begin a phased process of adaptation rather than trigger an immediate island-wide replacement of lighting equipment.

Businesses and property owners would need to check the final approved text to establish exactly which provisions apply to their installations and when compliance would be required.

Potential Energy Savings of 50% to 60%

The technical specialists involved in preparing the regulation estimate that modernising lighting installations could deliver energy savings of between 50% and 60%, depending on the existing equipment and the improvements carried out.

This is a technical estimate, not a guaranteed saving for every business, household or public authority.

Better-directed lighting and more efficient equipment can reduce unnecessary illumination while maintaining appropriate visibility. The aim is to concentrate light where it is needed instead of allowing it to spill into the sky, neighbouring buildings or natural habitats.

The proposed changes could therefore have implications for energy consumption, operating costs and the design of future lighting installations.

A Regulation Years in the Making

The regulation has been under development for several years. The Consell first presented the proposal for initial approval in September 2023, followed by a public consultation period.

A total of 38 submissions were received during the consultation. The island government said the submissions were reviewed to determine which proposals could be incorporated into the final text, although the precise changes resulting from that process were not fully detailed in the announcement.

The technical drafting was carried out by Lumínica Ambiental, with input from specialists in light pollution and astronomy.

The proposal develops the Balearic Islands’ existing legal framework for protecting the night-time environment and improving the efficiency of outdoor lighting.

What Happens Next?

The next major step is the Consell d’Eivissa’s planned final approval during its October plenary session. The regulation must then be published in full in the Balearic Islands’ Official Gazette before the 20-day period leading to its entry into force can begin.

After that, the first changes would concern lighting schedules, followed by a longer period for adapting existing installations.

For residents, businesses and local authorities, the practical impact will depend on the final wording, the applicable lighting zone and the characteristics of each installation.

The proposal represents a shift towards more carefully controlled outdoor lighting across Ibiza, with the stated aims of protecting the island’s night sky, reducing unnecessary energy use and limiting the effects of artificial light on homes, wildlife and sensitive landscapes.