Europe solar eclipse: millions watch rare spectacle across Spain, UK and Iceland – as it happened

Eclipse witnessed by tens of millions across western Europe as enthusiasts gather along path of totality Solar eclipse 2026 across Europe: in pictures Cruise ships, quiet towns and an all-day festival: millions flock to eclipse viewing spots across Europe Thank you for following today’s special solar eclipse with us on Europe Live. But, but, but… before you go, make sure to save the date: the next total eclipse seen from the UK, France and mainland Europe will be in September 2081. For a selection of the best photos from today’s eclipse, you can browse this gallery by our picture desk: “It was one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen in my life,” Sara García Alonso, a reserve astronaut for the European Space Agency, told broadcaster RTVE. “It gave me goose bumps.” Standing next to her, the astronaut Pablo Álvarez Fernández nodded in agreement: “It had been described to me so many times, but it was much more beautiful than what I had expected.” Strangers shared picnics, drinks and eclipse glasses, which had been very tricky to source in Cornwall. The wind picked up as the eclipse took hold and the temperature, which had reached the 30s during the day, p