|
| Date | Festival | What goes on | Location |
| Jan 5 | Cabalgata de los Reyes |
Three Kings procession crosses the city centre
to Plaza Mayor. A boisterous and colourful cortege of crazily
decorated floats, loud bands, firecrackers, Chinese lanterns,
locals in fancy dress make up a spectacular local cultural curiosity.
|
Central Madrid |
| February | Carnival |
For one week, Madrid celebrates the biggest masked ball of
the year. In a storm of confetti and loud music, a wild parade
snakes through the city centre and down to the Casa deCampo
park, culminating on Ash Wednesday with the traditional burial
of the sardine before Lent. |
Central Madrid |
| Feb 2 | Virgen de Candelaria |
Parades, Feasts, clowns dressed as Andalusian farmers bring
out"vaquillas" (young bulls), made of wooden frames with two
horns. "Bullfighters", dressed in multicolored silk pants, carry
lassos and wear paper flowers and belts, and perform hilarious
mock bullfights around town all day long. At the end of the
day in the town plaza, the bull is "killed," sangria is passed
around, symbolising its blood. |
Central Madrid |
| Feb 3 | San Blas |
Spanish bullfighting with Running with bulls, street party
with music, dancing and fireworks. |
Central Madrid |
| Mid Feb | International Fashion Week | WorldÌs top models showing off Spanish and global designers. | Campo de Naciones |
| Mar 8 | International WomenÌs Day | A march from Plaza Jacinto Benavente down Calle Atocha at 8pm, followed by fiestas in bars and clubs, organised by womenÌs groups | Central Madrid |
| Easter | Semana Santa (Holy Week) | Processions of huge silver thrones bearing statues of Christ/Virgin decorated with flowers and escorted by solemn hooded penitents. | Central Madrid |
| May | Festimad | Pop-rock music festival in a park in the suburbs of Madrid | Mostoles |
| May 1 | May Day | Political marches, big party in Casa de Campo with food and drink. | Central Madrid |
| May 1-2 | Gran Feria Medieval | Celtic music concerts, medieval dinner dance and street bands | El Alamo, Madrid |
| May 2 | Fiestas del 2 de mayo | A festival of the Community of Madrid, celebrations include a wide variety of concerts, open-air dancing and sporting events.Bullfights are also held on the first Sunday of May | Lavapies/ Vistillas/ Malasana districts Central Madrid |
May 10-18 | Fiestas de Juan Tornero | Street party, outdoor concerts, dancing and fireworks | La Latina, Madrid |
| May 15 | Fiestas de San Isidro | Honours the patron saint of Madrid. Very lively in Plaza Mayor, with performances by local bands and a giant cocido (stew). Fireworks.Huge open air party at San Isidro meadow (Marques de Vadillo tube) where traditional dress is worn and typical food served. Musiciansplay the barrel organ and the famous barquilleros gather to drink from the miraculous water at the fountain of the hermitage. San Isidro marks the start of the famous bullfighting season, which lasts from the middle of May to the middle of June at the Plaza Monumental Las Ventas bullring. Concerts, open-air dances and outdoor celebrations are also held. | Central Madrid |
| May 24 | Fiesta de la Primavera | Street party, outdoor concerts, sports and fireworks until 2 June. | Hortaleza, Madrid |
| May 30 | San Fernando | Running with bulls, street bands, music and dancing. | Aranjuez, Madrid |
| May 30 | Fiestas de Aluche | Open air celebration with street bands, fireworks until 8 June. | Aluche/La Latina |
| June 11-16 | Fiesta de los Carmenes | Outdoor concerts with bands and dancing, sports and fireworks. | Vallecas/La Latina |
| June 12 | San Antonio de la Florida | This is one for the girls! Single girls looking to find a man must place 13 pins in the baptismal font, and if one sticks to her finger, she will marry during the year. Big party outside the hermitage. | Central Madrid |
| June 14-15 | San Antonio | Dancing, fireworks, triathalon, Segovian folk music, drinking. | Cercedilla, Madrid |
| June 20-22 | Fiestas Barrio Bilbao | Open air celebration with street bands, dancing and fireworks. | Bilbao, Madrid |
| June 23 | Fiesta de las Aguilas | Outdoor concerts, music and dancing, fireworks. | La Latina, Madrid |
| June 24 | San Juan | Sports tournaments, street bands and open air celebration. | Huertas, Madrid |
| June 29 | San Pedro | Open air concerts and dancing, street bands, fireworks. | Carabanchel, Madrid |
| June 30 | Veranos de Vaguada | Live music acts, open air movies until 10 August. | Templete del Parque
de la Vaguada |
| July | World Music Getafe | Music festival with acts from all over the world. Fiesta Africana Batik workshops, storytelling, African cuisine and music. Getafe | Hospital de San Jose |
| July | Los Veranos de la Villa | Famous summer festival. Prolific cultural season in Madrid.For two months from the beginning of July to the end of August, some of Madrid's most beautiful historic venues participate, featuring music concerts, traditional flamenco and dance shows,
activities for kids and a carnival celebrating Spanish customs. | Central Madrid |
| July 4-13 | Fiestas de San Blas | Street party with music and dancing and fireworks. | San Blas, Madrid |
| July 5-8 | San Cristobal | Music, dancing and fireworks. | Villaverde, Madrid |
| July 7 | El Boalo (San Fermin) | Festival and running with the bulls | Central Madrid |
| July 16 | Virgen del Carmen | Street bands, dancing, sports, fireworks | Chamberi/Vallecas/La Latina/Carabanchel |
| July 25 | Santiago Apostol R |
Spanish bullfighting with running with bulls through the streets. |
Chinchon/ Colmenarejo/ Collado/ Villalba/ VillanuevaCanada |
| August is the month of celebration in some of the typical districts of Madrid. During the first half of the month the old districts of Lavapies, La Latina and Las Vistillas celebrate the popular Fiestas of Cayetano, San Lorenzo and La Paloma. |
| Aug 6 | Lozoya processions, |
Open-air dancing, sidewalk concerts. |
Vistillas, Madrid |
| Aug 6-8 | San Cayetano |
Processions, open-air concerts with dancing, fireworks. |
La Latina/ Lavapies, Madrid |
| Aug 9-11 |
San Lorenzo |
Processions, open-air concerts with dancing, fireworks. |
El Escorial/ Central Madrid |
Aug 12 | Brea de Tajo |
Sporting events, musical groups and local fiestas. |
Brea de Tajo, Madrid |
| Aug 12-16 | Virgen de la Paloma |
Processions, open-air concerts with dancing, fireworks. |
Central Madrid |
| Aug 14-15 | La Antigua | Outdoor concerts and fireworks. | Vicalvaro, Madrid |
Aug 24 | San Bartolom» | Festival dates from the 12th century, music and bull-fighting. | Alcala de Henares |
| Sep 1-7 | Fiestas de Canillejas |
Street party, music and dancing, sports and fireworks. |
Canillejas, Madrid |
Sep 3-14 | Virgen de la Torre |
Outdoor concerts, street bands, dancing and fireworks. |
Vallecas, Madrid |
Sep 5-7 | Fiestas de Goya |
Street party, music and dancing, sports and fireworks. |
La Latina, Madrid |
Sep 8-14 | Melonera | Open air concerts, street bands, exhibitions, fireworks. | Arganzuela, Madrid |
| Sep 13-18 | Mejorada del Campo | Outdoor concerts, running with the bulls and typical food. | Mejorada del Campo, Madrid |
| Sep 15 | Soledad | Outddor concerts, dancing, bullfighting and fireworks. | Barajas, Madrid |
| Mid Sep | International Fashion Week WorldÌs top models showing off | Spanish and global designers. | Campo de Naciones |
| Sep 20-23 | Lucero | Street party, music and dancing, sports and fireworks. | La Latina, Madrid |
Sep 22-25 | San Miguel | Street party, music and dancing, comedy, sports events and fireworks. | Parque de Berlin,
C/San Ernesto, s/n Chamartin |
| Oct 11-12 | Fiestas de Pilar | Processions, sports activities, street bands and dancing. | Salamanca, Madrid |
| 1st weekend in Oct Running with bulls, typical food, music, games and fireworks. Brea de Tajo |
| Nov 9 | Almudena | Picturesque popular celebration with a religious meaning in honour of Almudena, the patron saint of Madrid. | Central Madrid |
| Dec 24 | Christmas Eve | Spanish families have their traditional Christmas meal at home Livlier after midnight with street parties. Clubs open all night! | Central Madrid(Plaza de Chamberi) |
| Dec 31. | New YearsÌ Eve | Thousands of people flock together at Puerta del Sol.In the rhythm of the beats of the big clock at midnight,
everybody tries to eat twelve grapes for good luck.After midnight, the city erupts into a massive party | Central Madrid |
