Weekend Edition: San Isidro

Weekend Edition: San Isidro

And, of course, we have some more suggestions to coast you through the weekend. Since it’s the festival of San Isidro the city will be crawling with art from symphonies to rock ’n’ roll to puppet theater...

Festivals in Madrid - San Isidro

Festivals in Madrid - San Isidro

This week in Madrid we celebrate the festival of San Isidro, the patron saint of Madrid. The dates of the festival aren’t set in stone but the majority of the activities are concentrated between the 14th and 18th. Since its inception in 1948, the celebration has become enormous encompassing everything from music to theater, but at its core it’s the celebration of this peasant saint. Traditionally it’s a day to take the pilgrimage to the Ermita de San Isidro, an 18th century chapel, to drink of its healing waters. For the occasion, many Madrileños...

Spanish Holidays and History - Dos de Mayo

Spanish Holidays and History - Dos de Mayo

Dos de Mayo (the Second of May) coupled with the May Day (International workers day, the first of May) forms a two-day festival in Madrid that is sometimes a Puente (literally bridge or long weekend) depending on how the dates...

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Goya's Dos de Mayo

Goya captures the uprising that took place on May 2, 1808 when the Spanish rebelled against the French occupation.

Travel in Spain: The Feria de Sevilla (Seville)

Travel in Spain: The Feria de Sevilla (Seville)

by Sean McNamara
The six-hour southbound bus ride passed quickly, as my anticipation for Sevilla’s famous spring Feria (Fair) grew and the monumental silhouettes of Andalusian bulls floated over the hills. Socibus, the company that shuttles travelers...

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Preparing for the Feria

Preparing for La Feria de Sevilla - dance, drink, food, horses and more. See for more article info. Photo and story by Sean McNamara.

Shopping and Food: Intercultural Spring Market in Madrid

Shopping and Food: Intercultural Spring Market in Madrid

If jostling through the crowds on Gran Via has lost its charm and you are feeling a bit on edge, before you do something drastic, take a “time out”. Just behind this tourist trodden avenue is a little secret, Plaza Luna, a square that has...

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The Intercultural Spring Market in Madrid

Roberto Wonka and the Chocolate Facory? Yes, that is a fountain of chocolate you are looking at. If you're seeking a quick lunchtime or evening escape in Madrid, try the current market in the Plaza de la Luna just off Gran Via. Roberto and his molten chocolate are waiting for you. For more information on Roberto's company, Chocolate Fondue (weddings, parties, conferences...), call 619 928 242.

Festivals - Las Fallas "Fire Festival" in Valencia

Las Fallas in Spain: Valencia's Spring Break Fire Festival

by Andre Nakazawa
Although it is known for its hardy paella and milky tiger-nut drink, horchata, once a year, for five crazy nights, pyromaniacs and fiesta-lovers from all over the world descend on the...

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Las Fallas Shine in Valencia

One of the many large-scale "ninots" (puppets) created to be destroyed by fire in Valencia's "Las Fallas" celebration. See story for details.

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Uff!

Most make it look effortless, but shouldering the weight of Semana Santa isn't easy. Photo by Kike.

Summer Music Festivals - Summercase!

From the Long Blondes to the Sex Pistols, Summercase Keeps you Rockin'!

by Kamila Darling
Summertime is here again, and that means it's time for the Summer Case Festival! This year's festival will take place at the Boadilla del Monte in Madrid and the Parc del Forum in Barcelona. As always, the entertainers set to perform do not disappoint. Indie newcomers the Long Blondes will make an appearance, as well as cult favorites, the Raveonettes and the always exciting Kings of Leon. The electronica set can look forward to the Japanese avant-garde blips and bleeps of Cornelius as well as club hero Tiga, M.I.A. and CSS's brand of electro-rock. And all of you original punk rockers: ever expected to see the Sex Pistols or the Stranglers live onstage again? Well... it's summer, anything's possible.

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Saint Pat's Hats

Left to right: Gonzalo Forero, Alberto Más, Angel García

Yes, it’s St. Patrick’s day, and, perhaps due to the luck of the four-leaf clover, we are coming up on a four-day weekend. As a consequence, there are exceptionally big Paddy’s Day parties! The week before Semana Santa isn’t so serious - even if you indulge tonight, you can tough the week out.

There are no shortage of places to check out the action. If you’re in the center, you can shop around and see which party looks the best. O’Connell St. boasts a “mega party”, James Joyce is raffling off tickets to Ireland, and O’Neil’s is hosting a U2 Tribute. You can’t go wrong, just show up and grab a pint.

Fashion - Pasarela de Cibeles, SIMM, and more...

Madrid is En Vogue - Pasarela de Cibeles, SIMM, and more...

Every February and Sept. Madrid is en vogue. It’s an exhilarating time in Spanish fashion as Madrid hosts a series of high profile fashion events. The two biggest events are The Pasarela Cibeles...

festival - Valentines Day

A Hug Parade?

What’s more depressing than being single and surrounded by affectionate couples? Well, being single on Valentine’s Day, of course. And when you’re alone, far from friends or just feeling really lousy, the approaching Valentine’s Day holiday can make you curse the day Valentine was ever canonized a Saint. But...

Festival - Carnival

Carnaval - Parades, Costumes and... Sacrificial Sardine Burnings?

So you can’t jet to Carnaval in the Canary Islands or Brazil? Big Deal. Did you think Madrileñnos would miss the opportunity to celebrate one of the biggest parties of the...

Theater - Alternative Festivals

Theater in Madrid - Festival Alternativo de las Artes Escénica

The Festival Alternativo de las artes Escénica, in its 8th year, provides Madrid and surrounding areas with ground-breaking performances from around...

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The Alternative Scene

The Festival Alternativo de las artes Escénica starts today the 30th of Jan. See article for more info. Pictured is RAIO X from Brasil. Photo by Dominik Fricker .

health - San Silvestre

The Mad Dash Just Got Madder

(“Fresh from the fight” so to speak, I just ran in the door from the San Silvestre race. Gloves still on and fingers numb – not to mention really low blood sugar – I will attempt to be coherent.) New Year’s always feels like a...

Holidays - New Year's Eve

New Year’s Eve Eve (Yes, we meant to write that 2wice!)

So you’ve celebrated New Year’s Eve, but have you ever celebrated New Year’s Eve Eve? Here’s the situation: by now everyone knows about the big bash going down on the 31st in Puerta del Sol. Perhaps everyone who lives in Madrid should experience this once: bone-crushing crowds, bottles flying threw the air...

concerts - gospel

Gospel Hits Madrid

If the beautiful lights and abstract Christmas trees around Madrid haven’t inspired enough holiday cheer, consider a trip to the Centro Cultural de la Villa de Madrid for this week’s Festival of Gospel & Negro Spirituals. The Festival, in its 13th year, is being sponsored by Caja Madrid and represents a collaborative effort between the cultural center, Obra Social, and the Madrid...

Parties - New Years Eve is Coming!

Avoid New Year's Eve Pressure - Make Plans Now!

In a very scrooge-like way, I hate New Year’s Eve - always have. No other night puts more pressure on having a robust social life than Nochevieja as it’s known here in Spanish. You scramble to make the biggest, best plans, mostly just to have a confident answer when asked, “Hey, what...

cinema - CineMad '07

Festival of Independent and Cult Film

It is back! The 14th annual festival de CineMad has hit the town! As always they will dish up every type of independent and cult cinema from Bollywood to horror flicks to Documentaries. This year’s featured artist is Alejandro Jodorowsky, the Chilean-born mad man who seems to have dabbled in everything over his lengthily career: mime, writing, directing, psychotherapy… His seminal films such as...

festival - Goa Party

Club Sundays!

If you are looking for a different sort of “communion” on Sundays, perhaps the Goa Party is it. On the 25th of November, from noon to midnight DJs will spin non-stop. Everyone from the uber-hip Ivan Smagghe to the modest Belgian guys of Spirit Catcher will take a set and do their best to rock your world. Come on! It finishes at midnight – you never get to bed before then anyway!...

cinema - festivals and flicks

Three Film Festivals and More!

As the weather turns cold, it’s always good to have film weekend. This weekend there is no shortage of festivals and flicks. Madrid (and neighboring Alcalá de Henares) offers a full spectrum of possibilities. For those interested in the Spanish scene, there is El Festival de Cine de Alcalá (Alcalá Film Festival). Focusing on short films by young directors, this event offers a smorgasbord...

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Film Festivals

This weekend in addition to film festivals in Alcalá de Henares, there are also the Science and Lesbian/Gay festivals here in Madrid in addition to a host of English language films - see article.

Wintercase - Super Furry Animals, Editors, Spoon and more!

Madrid's Wintercase Festival will Keep You Rockin' in November

Wintercase San Miguel, now in its sixth year, is back in Madrid. With all the concerts held at the historic Joy-Eslava Theater, the series, which started in October with a concert by Spiritualized Acoustic Mainlines and the Soulsavers, really kicks...

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Wintercase in Madrid

Editors will come to Madrid on Saturday, November 17, as part of the San Miguel Wintercase Festival. This month's line-up also includes: Spoon, Super Furry Animals, Explosions in the Sky, Ratatat, and How I Became the Bomb. See article for details.

Festival de Otoño - The Collected Works of Bill the Kid

A Play from the Author of "The English Patient"

The United States is often chronicled and critiqued, quite well, by our quieter cousins in Canada. From Marshall McLuhan, to Douglas Couplan to all the folks at Adbusters Magazine, they consistently offer perspective on the sprawling spectacle that is....

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Bikers Overrun City

Photo by Quico López

See Article

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Halloween

Photo by Lindsey Rose Inman
The ghoulish day of Halloween will be upon us sooner than you think. Now is the time to plan your costume and night. Stay tuned in the coming weeks as we direct you to the best costume shops and parties in town.

Festival de Otoño

The Festival de Otoño is Picking up Where Summer Left Off

Hardly have the summer festivals finished when the fall excitement begins. Starting Monday, the 15th of October, and running until Sunday, the 18th of November, The Festival de Otoño presents a vast array of theater, dance, and music to insure that autumn is every bit as exciting as summer was. The agenda covers every possible point on the spectrum of performing arts from the high-energy modern circus of “Piratas, Piratas” to more traditional...

Rocking Ramadan

Noches De Ramadan Madrid

Head on down to the Parque de La Reina in Lavapiés tonight and tomorrow night to check out the "Noches De Ramadan (Ramadan Nights), celebrating the end of the Muslim holy festival of Ramadan with free concerts, tea, and sweets...

Festival - "Fémina '07"

"Fémina '07" Presents “Rimas Contra La Violencia de Genero" at Madrid's Sala Caracol

In conjunction with the “Fémina ‘07” festival, tonight there’s “Rimas Contra La Violencia de Genero" (Rap Against Domestic Violence) at Sala Caracol. All proceeds will go to the Funcación Mujeres. In the past, “Fémina” has showcased women performers of every region and genre imaginable including big names like Kodama, Venexxa, and Sara Da Pin Up...

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Her Night to Shine

Here is a shot from Noche en Blanco – the night that the city shone even more brightly than usual. Featured here is the old post office which has since been converted. The building has frequently been mocked for being excessive – often being compared to an ostentatious wedding cake. On the excessive night of Noche en Blanco, however, she finally fits in.

Fashion

Alternative Fashion Booms in Madrid

Think you are fashionable? Have you checked out Moda Tours? If you are a sucker for off-beat clothes not sold by the commercial franchises, a peek into Moda Tours 2007 will give you directions to explore plenty of alternative and unconventional stores in the Malasaña barrio...

film - San Sebastian Film Festival

Arabic Directors Win Top Spots at Spanish Film Festival

Arabic directors have made a strong showing at the internationally acclaimed San Sebastian Film Festival here in the north of Spain. Two excellent films are being presented with the Cinema in Motion Award...

Markets - The Rastro

The Bloody History of the Rastro

The Rastro, Madrid’s largest outdoor market can only be described as “a universe unto itself”. With origins that stretch back nearly five centuries, one can only imagine the plentitude of traditions surrounding this massive Sunday event...

Health - Running San Silvestre

San Silvestre: Lace up for New Year’s Eve

We aren't even done with September but that’s all the more reason to start planning what you will be doing on New Year’s Eve. There’s still enough time to laces up your running shoes and start training for one of Madrid’s most popular runs...

Dance - Flamenco

Cumbre de Flamenca - Free Flamenco All Week

Also see our feature on the history of flamenco.

Five days of free flamenco! That’s what the third annual “Cumbre de Flamenca” (Flamenco Summit) offers. All you have to do is get yourself to the uh... metro station, Chamartin. Ya, on one hand, performances on this scale don’t typically happen in the subway station, but, on the other hand, there is no more appropriate place considering this is a form which prides itself on being inextricably linked to the common people and folk traditions...

Music Festival

Don’t Stop Dancing

You know summer isn’t quite over yet when outdoor dance festivals are still happening. The upcoming “Weekend Dance” is the perfect way to end a fabulous summer.

Flamenco

Flamenco Festival – The Inside Scoop!

Like all traditions, flamenco has a beautiful past to preserve and exciting frontiers to explore – the series revels in the tension between these two poles. But beyond this duality of old and new, the art itself is a miraculous blending of Andalusian, Islamic, Jewish, African, and Indian cultures.

Festivals

Block Party – Not the Band, The annual Street Fiestas

For the next nine days the streets in the center will be turned into three separate party zones celebrating the Fiestas de San Cayetano, San Lorenzo and la Virgen de la Paloma thus making the world once again safe for “Botellon” a.k.a street drinking.

Tickets on sale: 30€

Code Summer Festival

Just when you thought the weekends were safe… Code is taking the party to the next level with CODE Summer Festival. After throwing their famed monthly blow-outs here in Madrid, they’re going to redefine “summer festival” with 30 Djs, two dance zone, 14 hours of music, and 10,000 clubbers!

Are You FIB-ing?

Festival Internacional de Benicàssim

We aren’t fibbin’ we are telling ya just like it is. There is no rest for the wicked this weekend because Spain is throwing yet another kickin' music festival – this time it is the big one: Festival Internacional de Benicàssim (FIB).

From our former site

Ojos de Brujo - Hip Hop Flamenco And More!

Hip Hop Flamenco and More! Sponsored by: Leganès, Ciudad Abierta Saturday, July 7th 20.30h Teatro Egaleo Direction - METROSUR: Julián Besteiro; Renfe Cercanías: Leganés y Zarzaquemada; BUS: 484, 485, 486 (Leganés) 483, 486 y 487 (La Fortuna) Tx: 10 ...

From our former site

Sebastiao Salgado - Photography of Africa

To many people Sebastiao Salgado is photography...

From our former site

Wrapping up Gay Pride Madrid, 2007

Things over here at MAP Magazine have been a little, well...gay, lately. We're not a gay publicaction, but we certainly do support the gay pride initiatives in Madrid this week! Now it's time to ...

From our former site

Pride Parade Route - Madrid Pride!

Parade Map Hey, today starting at 18h check out the Pride Parade! It starts at La Puerta de Alcalà and finishes at the Plaza de España. The route goes by Plaza de Cibeles, Alcalà and all of Gran Via. At the culmination point, there will be a ma...

From our former site

Gay Pride TV!

Hey everyone, this is MAP director Phil Stark here. As many of you know, I work in video production...

fiestas - Gay Pride

Gay Pride - European Headquarters, Madrid

If you are reading this article outside of Madrid City, my first recommendation is to get on the Internet right know and buy a ticket: You MUST come! From Wednesday...

From our former site

Infinita 2007 - The Biggest Gay Party In Madrid!

Thus begins Orgullo Gay Week (Pride). For the next week Madrid, the European center of the celebration, will run amuck with proud people from every country imaginable. The biggest party, as is true every year, will be held in the Casa de Campo – Metro Lago. DJs include Bob Sinclair, Miguel Picasso, Ismael Rivas, Javier Gonzalez, and David Berna. The party is rumored to be a bit over the top, but that is what Pride is all about, no?

From our former site

Photo Espana - Lourdes Grobert’s Lucha Libre (Mexican Wrestling)

Photo Espana, (PHE) is an annual festival of international photography and visual arts; it’s held in the most important museums, galleries and exposition centers in Madrid. One of the many prolific photographers featured is Lourdes Grobert with Espectacular de Lucha Libre, housed in Casa de America. Lucha Libre means “Free Fighting” it’s wrestling for us English speakers and Lourdes Groberts has been photographing it since 1975. Her photos...

Music - Summercase Festival

Get Tickets now! Summercase festival - Scissor Sisters, Arcade Fire, Bloc Party, Flaming Lips, Air, Jarvis Cocker, PJ Harvey…

Ice cream, short shorts, and glowing tans are all closely associated with summer and, of course, music festivals are one of the season’s most important rituals. After all, it’s where some of us got our first kiss, had our first huge fight with our best friends or even had our first alcoholic drink....

music Mtv Festival

MTV Day 2007 - Melendi, El Sueño de Morfeo, Mikel Erentxun…

Concert - Flamenco Icon, Kiko Veneno

Free Street Party: Kiko Veneno Plays the Fiestas de Hortaleza!

Kiko Veneno is an icon of the Movida, the post-Franco cultural explosion in the 80s. In line with the alternative disposition of the Movida, Kiko remained underground for decades. During his early years, he gathered influences and honed his talent while traveling through Europe and The US taking in concerts by the greats such as Bob Dylan and Frank Zappa...

From our former site

Aluche - Street Party in Madrid

One of Spain's most famous groups: Dover Street Party in Aluche Metro: Aluche The official website (below) has been down recently and no other sites have the information posted; however, it has been confirmed that the festival is continuing in spi...