Festivals & events – All our local tips

Flights to Madrid

The San Isidro Festival is an annual event which takes place around the 15th May and it celebrates Madrid’s patron saint, San Isidro.

During this festival there are open-air concerts, fireworks, religious processions and more importantly bullfights.  I would encourage anyone who has an interest in Spanish culture to go to Madrid during this spectacular festival and to go and see a bullfight.

Bullfighting is a controversial topic both in Spain and beyond. Is it an art or is it cruelty to animals? I have debated this topic on many occasions and so decided that I would have to go and see one to make my decision. So reluctantly I supported this ritual by paying to see a bullfight when on holiday in Madrid.

At first I was taken aback by the enthusiasm of the spectators both young and old; I was surprised at how seriously they take this tradition and so as I sat back among the many Spaniards who had obviously dressed for the occasion, I became immersed in the world of bullfighting.  The fight lasted around 2 hours and 8 bulls were killed – it felt like it lasted 20 minutes. I was captivated by the technique, art and beauty of this ritual. I didn’t know who to support, the bull or the matador.

I left with mixed feelings. I still think that it is cruel, but I cannot deny that there is some quite spectacular about watching the graceful matador kill the majestic bull.

If you are in Madrid during the San Isidro festival please go and see a bullfight and you may understand what I mean. If you don’t like it you can always leave.

“Matadero Madrid is a lively, constantly changing space at the service os creative, processes participatory artistic training and dialogue between the arts”, as they well define theirself.

It’s an impressive reinterpretation of several buildings that were used as a slaughterhouse and meat market in the past. The architects have respected the industrial spirit, keeping the walls and the big pipes, and mixed it with materials like plastic or crystals and original decorative elements give it an absolutely avant-garde aspect.

Matadero figures can scare you. The Madrid Council has 148.350 m2 dedicated to art, design and performances… In 2009 alone Matadero organised more than 200 activities. Most of them for free!

I have visited specially “las Naves del Español”, a great theatre inside one of the buildings. They usually program big and surprising performances for about 25 euro.

At the entrance, there is a nice bar to have a beer or something to eat before or after the performance. In the different buildings and in the patio you can assist to design expos, concerts, video art shows… it’s a training place and meeting point for creators, institutions, programmers, cultural managers, critics, and synthesizing, professionals of desing and art. Matadero opens for professionals from Tuesday to Friday, from 11:00 to 14:00.

El Matadero is in the South (souther than Lavapies) but it’s relatively close to the city center if you go by underground.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
El Matadero de Madrid | Art & culture, Theaters, Festivals & events | Free
Paseo de la Chopera 14 | Lavapies & Latina | +34915177309
Tue – Fri 16:00 – 22:00. Sat – Sun11:00 – 22:00