The most traditional festivities are back in Madrid. Starting this Friday and for ten consecutive days, the capital will experience one of its most important weeks, with daily celebrations and popular activities for all Madrileños. The bulk of the cultural and leisure offerings in honor of the city's patron saint, San Isidro Labrador, will take place over the weekend of May 12th to May 15th, with a diverse program that includes traditional celebrations in honor of the saint, family-friendly activities, and a long list of free concerts featuring artists like Marta Sánchez and Estrella Morente.
Gastronomy will also play a significant role in these festivities, where you can enjoy everything from the famous “rosquillas tontas” and “rosquillas listas” (types of pastries), accompanied by refreshing lemonade, to traditional delicacies like “entresijos,” “gallinejas,” and “zarajos.” It's a hearty menu that Madrileños can work off by dancing the “chotis agarrao” or enjoying any of the diverse musical performances included in the San Isidro 2023 Festival concert program.
The festivities will kick off with the opening speech, which this year will be delivered by singer José Ramón Márquez Martínez, better known as Ramoncín. On Wednesday, May 10th at 6:00 p.m., the speaker will deliver his speech from Plaza de la Villa, marking the beginning of the most anticipated festive weekend of the year for Madrileños.
In addition to the numerous concerts, the fair, and the traditional events that take place every year, there will also be fireworks, a pottery fair, the famous Rock Villa de Madrid Awards, and other events to fully enjoy the festivities. The “holy water” that springs from a spring next to the hermitage, which many people are devoted to for its miraculous properties, will not be missing, nor will the sale of gastronomic products, with stalls set up in the lower part of San Isidro Park.
As usual, most of the activities will be concentrated in the Carabanchel meadow, which has a large fairground open from Friday, May 5th, and several stages. The Plaza Mayor, Las Vistillas Garden, Matadero Madrid, and El Retiro Park are other locations in the city that will also host events related to the festivities.
Here is the detailed program of the San Isidro 2023 festivities:
Friday, May 5th:
SAN ISIDRO PRADERA
- 19:30 - Rojo (family show)
- 22:00 - DJ Nano (DJ set)
Saturday, May 6th:
SAN ISIDRO PRADERA
- 11:00 - Children's workshops (until 13:00)
- 17:30 - Children's games (until 19:00)
- 17:30 - Chulapa and Chulapo selection (until 18:35)
- 18:15 - Traditional performance (until 18:45)
- 19:00 - Water Blessing
- 19:30 - Go Out Brothers (family show)
- 22:00 - La Húngara (flamenco-pop)
Sunday, May 7th:
SAN ISIDRO PRADERA
- 11:00 - Children's workshops (until 13:00)
- 13:00 - Concentration of 600 cars (until 19:00)
- 17:30 - Traditional games
- 19:30 - Tararin Tantan (family show)
- 22:00 - Amistades Peligrosas (pop)
LAVAPIÉS
- 11:00 - Fiesta de los Mayos (until 13:00)
Monday, May 8th:
SAN ISIDRO PRADERA
- 18:30 - Choir and Rondalla Performances
- 20:00 - Mari Pepa de Chamberí (tribute to Sara Montiel)
- 22:00 - Dreams (musical show)
Tuesday, May 9th:
SAN ISIDRO PRADERA
- 20:00 - Flamenco de Madrid with Melon Jimenez and Lara Wong (musical show)
- 22:00 - David Velardo (Nino Bravo tribute)
Wednesday, May 10th:
PLAZA DE LA VILLA
- 18:00 - Opening Speech
- 18:00 - Giants and Big-Heads
- SAN ISIDRO PRADERA
- 18:00 - WOOOW (family show)
- 20:00 - La Troje (folk)
- 22:00 - Anís Guateque (cumbia)
Thursday, May 11th:
SAN ISIDRO MEADOW
- 18:00 - Traditional games
- 18:30 - Dog exhibition
- 19:30 - Magia a saco (family show)
- 22:00 - Ramoncín (rock)
Friday, May 12th:
PLAZA MAYOR
- 20:00 - Vicente Navarro (folk)
- 21:00 - Jordana B (indie)
- 22:30 - Marta Sánchez (pop)
LAS VISTILLAS
- 20:00 - Cintia Lund (indie)
- 21:15 - Karavana (pop)
- 22:30 - Crawford (DJ set)
- 23:30 - Damian Schwartz (DJ set)
SAN ISIDRO PRADERA
- 18:00 - The Life of San Isidro (musical)
- 19:30 - Larreal en la Pradera (dance)
- 20:00 - Elure (alternative rock)
- 21:05 - Biznaga (punk)
- 22:25 - K!ngdom (electronic pop)
- 23:40 - Laura Put (DJ set)
- 00:50 - Bling! By Cascales (DJ set)
MATADERO MADRID
- 20:00 - Irenegarry (pop-folk)
- 21:30 - Samuraï (pop)
- 23:00 - Flaca (DJ set)
PLAZA DE LAS COMENDADORAS
- 10:00 - 41st Edition of the Cacharrería Fair (until 21:00)
Saturday, May 13th:
PLAZA DE LA VILLA
- 11.30 - The Old Madrid (guided tour)
PLAZA MAYOR
- 11.45 - Tribute to San Isidro by regional houses (folklore)
- 21.30 - Estrella Morente with the Municipal Symphonic Band (flamenco)
LAS VISTILLAS
- 11.00 - Workshops, games, children's performance, and Castizo Entertainment (until 14.00)
- 15.30 - Parade from Sol to Las Vistillas (until 16.30)
- 16.30 - Distribution of carnations
- 17.00 - Castizo performance (until 19.30)
- 20.30 - Alba Reche (pop)
- 21.30 - Candeleros (psychedelia)
- 23.00 - Tropical Macaw (DJ set)
SAN ISIDRO PRADERA
- 11.00 - Children's workshops and photo booth (until 13.00)
- 18.00 - Monstruos Monstruitos (children's show)
- 18.30 - Festival 21 Districts: A Stage in Flames (rap)
- 19.30 - Malcriando Band (family show)
- 20.00 - Melenas (krautrock)
- 21.30 - Carolina Durante (pop rock)
- 22.00 - San Isidro Videomapping Show at the Ermita del Santo
- 23.00 - Chimo Bayo (DJ set)
- 00.30 - Califato 3/4 (DJ set)
MATADERO MADRID
- 19.30 - L.A.S DJs (DJ set)
- 20.20 - Girli (pop, punk, and rap)
- 21.45 - Sports Team (alternative rock)
- 23.15 - Cupido (pop)
- VARIOUS LOCATIONS IN THE CITY
- 23.59 - Fireworks Display
PLAZA DE LAS COMENDADORAS
- 10.00 - 41st Edition of the Pottery Fair (until 21.00)
Sunday, May 14th:
PLAZA MAYOR
- 19.00 - Los 40 Classic at San Isidro (festival)
LAS VISTILLAS
- 12.00 - Madrid dances with us (folklore)
- 18.00 - 43rd Edition of the Rock Villa de Madrid Awards
- 23.00 - Mori (bedroom pop)
- 00.00 - Dembooty (DJ set)
PRADERA DE SAN ISIDRO
- 11.00 - Children's workshops and photo booth (until 13.00)
- 13.00 - Vermouth Dance and Castizo Entertainment (until 15.00)
- 18.30 - Festival 21 Districts: Yo Soy Ratón (family show)
- 19.30 - Clownies (family show)
- 20.00 - Dora (electronic pop)
- 20.30 - Come and Dance Castizo with Us (dance)
- 21.30 - Belén Aguilera (pop)
- 23.00 - Dorian (pop)
- 00.30 - David Purón (DJ set)
MATADERO MADRID
- 20.00 - Judeline (bedroom pop)
- 21.30 - Alice Wonder (indie)
- 23.00 - Fernanda Arrau (DJ set)
- PLAZA DE LAS COMENDADORAS
- 10.00 - 41st Edition of the Pottery Fair (until 21.00)
Monday, May 15th:
PLAZA DE LA VILLA
- 10.15 - La Pradera (until 12.15)
PLAZA MAYOR
- 12.00 - Festival of Madrid Dances (folklore)
- 20.00 - María Toledo (flamenco)
- 21.30 - Los Carmona (flamenco fusion)
LAS VISTILLAS
- 12.00 - Festival 21 Districts: Arigato (family show)
- 18.30 - Jiménez con J (copla)
- 20.00 - Olga María Ramos (cuplé)
- 21.30 - Mari Pepa de Chamberí (Castizo music)
PRADERA DE SAN ISIDRO
- 10.30 - Parade from Plaza Quince de Mayo to the Ermita del Santo (until 12.00)
- 11.00 - Children's workshops (until 13.00)
- 12.00 - Distribution of carnations and Vermouth Dance (until 13.00)
- 13.00 - Field Mass
- 14.30 - Distribution of stew
- 16.30 - Performance by traditional Madrid groups (until 18.30)
- 19.30 - Anthology of Zarzuela (musical performance)
- 19.30 - Festival 21 Districts: Jauja (family show)
- 20.30 - Chotis Contest and Castizo Entremeses (until 21.15)
- 21.00 - La Terremoto de Alcorcón (musical parody)
- 22.30 - Camela (techno-rumba)
- 23.59 - Fireworks Display
MATADERO MADRID
- 18.00 - Amore (pop)
- 19.00 - Cariño (indie)
- 20.15 - Soto Asa (reggaeton)
- 21.30 - DJ Coco (DJ set)
PARQUE DE EL RETIRO
- 22.00 - Monumental Zarzuela (musical performance)
PLAZA DE LAS COMENDADORAS
- 10.00 - 41st Edition of the Pottery Fair (until 21.00)