Festivals & Heritage
Results by DATE
Displaying 1 to 20 of 33 results.
See in the New Year Spanish-style by gobbling grapes in Madrid. Every year on Nochevieja, huge crowds gather in the Puerta del Sol and everyone eats 12 grapes in time with the 12 strokes of midnight.
Madrileños put on their running shoes for the annual San Silvestre Vallecana - a 10km New Year's Eve dash through Madrid's Vallecas district.
Over 100 stalls occupy Plaza Mayor for the annual Madrid Christmas Market. Thankfully, you won't see many touristy knick-knacks, as locals visit this market to buy essential items for a…
An ancient arena is recreated at Madrid's Palacio de Deportes for Ben Hur Live. The show, which was 15 years in the making and coincides with the 50-year anniversary of the film, features over…
The Jardines del Descubrimiento in Madrid's Plaza de Colón transform into a lively Children's Christmas World (Ciudad de los Niños). The theatre, puppets, storytelling and dance performances…
The Procession of the Three Kings (Cabalgata de los Reyes Magos) is a popular Christmas tradition throughout Spain. Celebrations in the capital include theatrical re-enactments, pageants and…
If you're looking for unusual Christmas gifts, then the Madrid Christmas Craft Market on Plaza de España is the place to go. With over 200 stalls to browse, shoppers are bound to find a piece…
Madrid celebrates Saint Anthony's Day (San Antón, the patron saint of animals) with a pet extravaganza that puts Krufts to shame. Animal lovers bring pets of all shapes and sizes to be blessed…
After fancy-dress competitions and parties across the capital, Madrid's Carnival celebrations culminate on Ash Wednesday with the Entierro de La Sardina, translated as the Burial of the…
Madrid's largest festival, the Fiesta de San Isidro offers the chance to don traditional castizo finery and feast on delicacies such as thick steamy broth. Soak up flamenco, zarzuelas and…
San Antonio de la Florida Fiesta
Residents of Madrid's Moncloa-Aravaca district honour their patron saint, San Antonio de la Florida with a vibrant fiesta on 13 June. Men and women in traditional costume dance the choti and…
The evening preceding Saint John's Day is a night of exceptional Catholic revelry throughout parts of Spain. Also, as the longest day of the year, the fiesta marks the arrival of summer.…
The Chamberí district north of Madrid city centre comes alive around 16 July to celebrate its patron saint, la Virgen del Carmen. The fiestas revolve around the Plaza de Chamberí, which hosts…
Madrid's Vallecas district celebrates its patron saint, the Virgen del Carmen, with a good old-fashioned water fight. Dressed up as pirates, the local people use buckets, hoses and watering…
PHotoEspaña is a major international festival of photography and visual arts featuring exhibitions, debates and masterclasses. Budding photographers from far and wide enter the competition…
Blood at the Iglesia de la Encarnación
Madrid's Iglesia de la Encarnación church brings out an ancient relic containing the blood of a doctor, San Pantaleón, martyred in the 4th century AD. Spectators watch the congealed blood…
San Cayetano and San Lorenzo Fiestas
The people of Madrid's La Latina and Lavapies districts celebrate their patron saints, San Cayetano and San Lorenzo, by dressing up in 19th-century costume and hitting the streets. Religious…
Catch a slice of true Madrileño heritage at the Virgen de la Paloma Fiesta. The 18th-century celebration sees the Plaza de las Vistillas burst into life with locals wearing traditional…
The Veranos de la Villa arts festival is the perfect chill-out remedy for Madrid's scorching summers. Locals and tourists are treated to opera, pop concerts, nights of tango, flamenco…
Hemingway once wrote "Nobody goes to bed in Madrid until they've killed the night". Locals heartily practise this during White Night in Madrid. The extravaganza of arts and cultural events…
