Christmas Lights and More

 Christmas is coming quicky to Madrid! Here is some information to help you celebrate!

The annual lighting of the Christmas Lights around the city will be on November 21st. There will be a special event in Plaza Cibeles at 6 pm to celebrate. The city has a total of over 164 kilometers of lights to illuminate the city! 

More info about lights: https://www.elmundo.es/como/2026/11/04/6aeb07e5fc6c8324588b457b.html

                          https://www.esmadrid.com/agenda/navidadmadrid/luces-navidad-madrid

There will also be several Christmas Markets to visit around the city, like in Plaza Mayor (open November 27), Plaza España (open November 25), and Paseo de Recoletos (open December 1). These markets have all kinds of artisanal gift options, food, drinks, and more. 

Some ice rinks will also pop up around the city, like in Plaza España and Puente del Rey. Take your friends for a spin on the ice and enjoy the atmosphere!

More info about markets and ice skating: https://www.esmadrid.com/agenda/navidad-madrid/mercadillos-navidenos

El Matadero: A Curious Cultural Space

 El Matadero is a lively culture and art space located in Legazpi, just in front of the Madrid River Park. Its history is an unusual one, as this space was originally the city's largest slaughterhouse and meat market. The space was built in 1924-1925 and once had as many as 64 neo-mudejar style buildings, although now not all of them remain. Its location was ideal for a slaughterhouse because it was on the outskirts of the city at the time of construction, which was important for both hygiene and transportation purposes. There was even a railway system built to transport the product to other areas for sale. The site was used as an active meat-packing plant until usage slowed the 1980's. It was officially closed in 1996 and later repurposed to give the spacious buildings a new life. 

Nowadays, this space holds many different types of events, like art exhibitions, workshops, dance classes, live music, theater, festivals, and more. The space also has a cantina, a greenhouse, artist workshop spaces, and a lovely plaza to explore. Check out the current program of events here: https://www.mataderomadrid.org/. 

All Saints Day/ Day of the Dead

Mexican Altar

At the Casa de México in Madrid, you can check out the annual Day of the Dead altar. This year's celebration of life and death is dedicated to Agustín Lara, nicknamed "El Flaco de Oro". He was a Mexican singer, composer, and actor who specialized in writing Boleros. His music served to unite Mexico and Spain- he even wrote songs dedicated to Spain despite never having visited before. Click on the link below for more information and reserve your tickets (they open on Sept 18 and run out fast)!

https://www.casademexico.es/altar-de-muertos-2026/\

Celebrations in Madrid

On November 1st, Spaniards celebrate el Día de Todos los Santos (All Saints Day). This tradition is similar to the celebrations in Mexico, where people visit their family's burial sites to clean, offer gifts, and spend time with their departed loved ones. There are also some religious processions that take place in other cities around Spain, like in Sevilla. Click the link for more information about celebrations in Madrid.

https://vitium.es/quehacerenmadrid/4-planes-en-madrid-para-el-dia-de-todos-los-santos/

Typical sweets and baked goods

You can try these pastries at some local bakeries in Madrid, like Pastelería Mallorca, La Duquesita, Horno de San Onofre, and El Riojano. 

Huesos de Santos- Typical in Madrid, a rolled pastry filled with creme

Buñuelos de Viento- Typical in Madrid, a type of small doughnut, often filled with creme or chocolate

Pestiños- Typical in Andalucía, a sweet fried dough

This Parade is the GOAT

                   

On October 24th, Madrid will hold a very special type of parade- one full of goats and sheep! This event is called La Trashumancia- the annual herding of the livestock from their summer grazing grounds to their winter home. Several main streets of Madrid will fill up with animals, shepherds, and curious locals who line up to see the spectacle. The parade route begins in Casa de Campo, climbs up Calle Mayor through the city center, Sol, all the way to Plaza de Cibeles, and back. 

This unique celebration began in 1994, as an example of how useful and important the rural livestock routes are. This was used to support a new law to make them a part of the public domain and to name them as a World Patrimony site. The livestock routes aren't the only important tradition on display, as the shepherds also often wear traditional Spanish folklore attire, representative of the region where they raise their herd.

https://www.esmadrid.com/agenda/fiesta-trashumancia

Cultural Events in October

Día de la Hispanidad (Spanish Heritage Day)

The city of Madrid will hold many celebrations for Spanish Heritage Day (October 12th) throughout the week. Check out free concerts in plazas around the city, like Sebastián Yatra, Marta Sánchez, Carlos Baute, and Spanish folklore music groups. There will be parades, special expositions in museums, theater, dance, and conferences to explore. The United States will be honored as a special guest as well, in celebration of  our 250 years. Be aware that some Spaniards have a negative view of this holiday, due to Spain's colonialist history. We encourage you to learn about the past and the opinions of the locals, while still taking advantage of these exciting modern celebrations and events.

https://www.comunidad.madrid/hispanidad-2026

Cinema in the Botanical Garden

Every Tuesday evening in October, you can visit the gardens and watch films inspired by nature. These films have themes like flowers, fire, and water. You can connect with nature, right in the middle of the city!

https://rjb.csic.es/agenda/ciclo-cine-en-el-jardin/

Madrid Otra Mirada (Another View of Madrid)

From October 12-18, you can visit over 200 of Madrid's beautiful palaces, museums, theaters, churches, and more for free. Many of these spaces are normally closed to tours, but for this short time only, you can explore these hidden gems and see a unique view of our city! This event includes concerts, classes, presentations, tours, and free entry to many locations. Reserve your tickets on September 29th at 10 am.

https://www.esmadrid.com/agenda/madrid-otra-mirada-mom

Hidden Corners of Retiro

 We all know the most popular tourist spots in Retiro, like the pond where you can rent a paddle boat, but there are many hidden "rincones" to discover! 

The Peacocks

Inside of the park, next to Hospital Niño Jesus, you will find the  Jardines de Cecilio Rodríguez , which is home to a colony of peacocks! These wonderful creatures aren't afraid to get close to humans and may even show off their feathers for you. Be aware that during times of high wind or other inclement weather, this garden is often closed. 

Metro: Ibiza, Retiro

The Artificial Mountain

Another interesting spot in the park is the artificial mountain that you can climb, or admire from the ground. It is nicknamed "Cat Mountain", likely due to the proximity of the cat colony that lives in the park, based in the nearby Fisherman's Hut. Although this space is beautiful, it also has historical significance in the form of archeological remnants which were discovered during construction. These ruins are housed inside the mountain and now, after being closed for over 20 years, you can visit them and look up to see the oculus that allows light to pass from outside.

Metro: Retiro, Principe de Vergara

The Devil

Inside of Retiro is a very curious statue, considering the strong Catholic history of the country of Spain. The statue of "El Angel Caído" is one of very few representations of Lucifer that can be found in Madrid.

Metro: Retiro

The Memorial Forest

This section of the park was built in 2005 as a quiet place of reflection, in honor of the 192 victims of the Atocha Station terrorist attack the year prior. It is a calm and peaceful place, where you may even forget that you are in the center of the capital city. Bring a blanket and a book to spend the afternoon among the trees.

Metro: Atocha, Retiro

And The Winner is...

A four-member staff jury, unaware of the photo’s authorship, unanimously selected this image as the winner of this edition of the AU Photo Contest (author: William Parnell).

These are all the pictures submitted:

Congratulations, William!