Summer in Madrid has a wide range of activities of all kinds, such as dance, theater, outdoor exhibitions, activities for children. Many of these activities are totally free.
One of the most important events is Los Veranos de la Villa, which includes in its program from cultural activities to concerts. A festival with a program for all ages.
Music festivals in Madrid this summer
During its summer season, Madrid offers festivals for all tastes, with the best national and international artists on its billboard.
One of the most important and successful is “Las noches el botánico”. It celebrates its eighth edition this year and runs from June 7 to July 27. The Royal Botanical Garden of Alfonso XIII, located very close to the Complutense University of Madrid, hosts a series of concerts both in the afternoons and evenings of summer. It has a wide selection of artists such as Sheryl Crow, Status Quo, Take that, Tom Jones or James Blunt among many others.
Another of the festivals that you can’t miss in Madrid this year is Mad Cool Festival from July 10 to 13, which this year will feature the presence of Dua Lipa and Avril Lavigne.
The Coca-Cola Experience will return to Madrid as it does every year on September 13 and 14. A festival that never disappoints with its impressive line-up of national and international stars. This year it will feature stars of the stature of Raw Alejandro, Manuel Turizo or the “influencer”, from Madrid by the way, Marina Rivers.
The Rio Babel Festival is the one that inaugurates the summer in Madrid and is held on July 4, 5 and 6. It is a festival that unites music with humor. With artists such as Juanes, Amaral or La Pegatina.
Electronic music lovers also have their festival this summer, Zamma Festival, which will take place on July 5 and 6 in the Sierra de Ayllón, between Segovia and Madrid. A unique experience with one of the best visual spectacles.
Cultural events
Madrid, Almodóvar Girl
From 11 June to 20 October, the Exhibition Hall 1 of the Conde Duque Cultural Centre is hosting an exhibition in which the relationship between Pedro Almodóvar’s films and the city of Madrid is analyzed.
2024 marks fifty years since Almodóvar began his career in Madrid. The “Movida Madrileña” could not be understood without our most international director. Madrid, for the filmmaker from La Mancha, is not a simple setting, but one more protagonist in his films of his already long and successful career.
The Berlin Wall, a divided world
From August 1963 to November 9, 1989, the Wall divided the city of Berlin into two areas and became the symbol of a divided world. If you want to know more about this emblem of the Cold War, you can’t miss the exhibition that takes place at the Canal Foundation, where you can see more than 300 objects of citizens on both sides of the Wall.
Sporting events
Among the sporting events offered by Madrid, it is worth highlighting El Hipódromo de la Zarzuela. It is not only a place to contemplate and experience first-hand the popular horse races, but you can also enjoy excellent gastronomy, ranging from Food Trucks to the most typical tapas and portions of Madrid, as well as offering live music in its gardens.
The European Championship has already begun, and the Ice Palace turns its ice rink into a summer cinema, with a giant screen, where you can enjoy all the matches of the Euro 2024 championship. Access is free, and there will also be a gastrobar area and free parking.
Fairs and Markets
Every Sunday, since 1984, in the Plaza del Conde de Barajas we find the famous Mercadillo de Pintores, a collective exhibition of outdoor painting that collects original works by around 40 artists.
In 1984, the Municipal Board of Madrid Centro gave a space next to the Arco de Cuchilleros to the collective of Madrid painters Taller Abierto, for the exhibition and sale of paintings. Since then, this exhibition has been one of the main showcases of the talent of the painters of this association.
One of the most important markets in Madrid is the Mercadillo del Gato, with more than 60 exhibitions, offering different products such as crafts, gourmet, decoration or cosmetics and children’s fashion.
It is characterized by offering unique pieces to the public such as bags, scarves or pendants. Every year the stands are changed so that they result in different experiences each time you visit it.
And how can we not mention the August festivities, where the most traditional Madrid is lived, with the popular festivals of San Cayetano, San Lorenzo and the Virgen de la Paloma. These three festivals run from August 2 to 15. There are those who say that Madrid is empty in August, nothing could be further from the truth. Its streets are filled with parties, fun and a multitude of events and above all life.
Experience Madrid in summer!