Granada’s €18 million ONCE jackpot turns earthquake fear into overnight joy

Gabriel Fernández still struggles to take it in. One minute the ground shook under his home in Vegas del Genil, just five kilometres from the epicentre of a massive earthquake, and sleep became impossible. Next, the Cupón Extra de Verano de la ONCE lottery poured nearly €18.3 million into the modest streets of Granada’s Cartuja industrial area, where he sells tickets every day.

Saturday night’s special summer draw delivered its biggest prize of €15 million plus 82 extra tickets worth €40,000 each to the same lucky spot on Calle Julio Moreno Dávila, right outside the Aldí supermarket. Four more €1 million prizes landed in Sevilla; Sitges in Barcelona province, Los Barrios in Cadiz, and Colmenar Viejo near Madrid, but Granada walked away with the lion’s share of the cash.

What exactly is the cupón extra de verano?

Every August the Organización Nacional de Ciegos Españoles runs this high-stakes summer special. Tickets cost €6 and offer a top prize of €15 million for the full five-digit number and series, plus ten additional €1 million prizes and a cascade of smaller wins. It has become a Spanish summer tradition since 2000, giving ordinary folk a real shot at life-changing money while supporting a much bigger purpose.

Understanding ONCE: Spain’s unique social lottery

ONCE, the Spanish National Organisation of the Blind, began in 1938 during the Civil War. Its mission has always been clear: give blind and severely visually impaired people dignified work and independence. Lottery sales have always been the backbone of that work. Sellers, many of them living with disabilities themselves, operate kiosks and street pitches across the country.

Money raised go towards funding education, rehabilitation, jobs and accessibility for people with visual and other disabilities through the ONCE Foundation and the wider Grupo Social ONCE. Buying a ticket is not just a flutter; it backs real inclusion.

From fear to celebration in Cartuja

Fernández, a seller for three years, felt the magnitude 5 quake that struck near Alhendin in the early hours of Saturday. Residents across the Granada metropolitan area woke to rattling windows, falling cornices and cracked walls. Some cars parked in the street were even crushed by falling debris. Aftershocks kept coming through the night and into Sunday. No one died, yet the scare left nerves frayed and no one slept that night, especially in working-class districts like Cartuja where people already push hard to make ends meet.

“After the scare of the earthquake, a joy for Granada,” Fernández said, voice cracking as he fought back tears. He had been having dinner with family in Motril when the news reached him. He barely finished the meal before racing back to celebrate with the customers who buy from him every day. “I’ve given it to a lot of people who really needed it, really needed it. Everyone here is hard-working. It feels like I’m dreaming.”

Last year the same Extra de Verano also dropped its €15 million top prize in Granada; that time at the Nevada shopping centre. This year’s win landed in a neighbourhood that truly felt the ground move.

Rain of money across Spain

While Cartuja claimed the headline fortune, other towns shared in the good news. Sevilla, Sitges, Los Barrios and Colmenar Viejo each saw a €1 million ticket sold. Altogether the draw sprinkled more than €22 million across the country, turning 15 August 2026 into a date many families will never forget.