The Community of Madrid is launching Escena Escorial, an ambitious music and performing arts festival that begins this Friday and will run until September 19th. Under the direction of Alondra de la Parra, principal conductor of the Orchestra and Choir of the Community of Madrid (ORCAM), the event aims for international reach.
Alondra de la Parra herself will officially open the festival on Friday, August 28th, with the concert 'Los colores de América' (The Colors of America), accompanied by the Youth Orchestra of the Community of Madrid (JORCAM) and pianist Thomas Enhco. For over three weeks, the festival will host renowned artists such as Daniel Barenboim, Gaëlle Arquez, Nemanja Radulović, and Yamandu Costa, alongside premieres and new productions.
The opening weekend will feature Yamandu Costa on Saturday with 'Choros y Milongas' alongside a chamber ensemble from JORCAM, and 'Ecos Latinos' with the Alexis Cárdenas Quartet. On Sunday, Nemanja Radulović will present 'The Violin on Fire' with the Double Sens Ensemble. The main venues will be the Teatro Auditorio de San Lorenzo de El Escorial, the Real Coliseo Carlos III, and the Teatro de la Antigua Mina de Zarzalejo.
The program also includes the absolute premiere of 'Nascencia', a new creation by the Spanish Ballet of the Community of Madrid; the performance of Mahler's Symphony No. 2 Resurrection by the ORCAM and the RTVE Choir; the show 'Perhaps, perhaps… Quizás' by Gabriela Muñoz (Chula the Clown); and the recital 'In an Instant' by pianist Thomas Enhco.
The festival will conclude on September 19th with one of the most anticipated moments: Daniel Barenboim conducting the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, performing works by Wagner, Schubert, and Beethoven.
In parallel, the Performing Arts in Municipalities cycle, part of the Summer Scenes festival, bids farewell with performances by Sara Calero, Nacho Flores, La Canica, and Teatro Tyl in various towns such as Valverde de Alcalá, Guadalix de la Sierra, Colmenar de Oreja, Orusco de Tajuña, Quijorna, Villaconejos, and Navarredonda.
The Network of Theaters of the Community of Madrid will present plays in El Álamo, San Sebastián de los Reyes, and Parla, while the Sierra Norte Regional Humanities Center in La Cabrera will host the circus show 'Malabarian on the Rox' by Roxana Aïda Katcheroff.
In the capital, Summers in the Park at Parque de Santander will feature theater, circus, cinema, and dance, including 'Brimborions' by the French company Picto Facto. The XXVII Summer Cinema Circuit will offer free film screenings in 38 municipalities.
The exhibition offerings include 'Madrid in Construction, 1940-1985' at the Sala Cristóbal Portillo (until September 22nd), featuring photographs by Juan Pando Barrero, Otto Wunderlich, and Martín Santos Yubero, among others.
Until August 30th, 'Once and Again' by Dorothy Iannone can be visited at the CA2M in Móstoles. At the same center, 'The Sky and the Earth' by Antonio Ballester Moreno continues (until September 27th), along with 'Tetuan, Tetuán' by Adrian Schindler (until January 10th).
The Sala Alcalá 31 presents 'Modern Mythologies: Ouka Leele & Co' until October 18th. The Regional Library of Madrid hosts 'A Journey to the Sea of Shadow. Knights of Saltpeter' until Sunday, and the Lope de Vega House Museum features 'Women of Ingenuity. Golden Pens in the Golden Age' until September 13th.
In Alcalá de Henares, the Archaeological and Paleontological Museum (MARPA) displays 'Sabre-toothed' and the Cervantes Birthplace Museum offers 'With Cape and Sword. Fashion in Cervantes' Era' until this Sunday.
The Itiner 2026 Network brings exhibitions to various municipalities, including 'The Route of the Manila Galleon', 'Marisa Flórez. A Time to Look (1970-2020)', and 'Centenarian Madrileños. The Wisdom of Longevity'.
