During the San Isidro Festivities, the Spanish capital becomes a large open-air ballroom, where the chotis and pasodoble take center stage. Venues such as the Pradera de San Isidro, Las Vistillas, and the Plaza Mayor host various activities that celebrate regional identity through music and dance.
Matadero Madrid will be the hub for the open-air dances, featuring four orchestras performing from May 14th to 17th. Each afternoon, prior to the main acts, pairs of chulapos and chulapas, accompanied by an organ grinder, will dance chotis, encouraging the public to join the celebration. The Orquesta Nuevo Versalles will open the series on May 14th, followed by La Gran Rockset, the Orquesta Invictus, and the Orquesta Panther Show on subsequent days, offering a varied repertoire from classics to contemporary hits.
The fifth edition of the ‘Bailando por Madrid’ exhibition will take place on the Saint's big day at the Puerta del Sol. This event, celebrating its fifth anniversary, will feature exhibitions of chotis, pasodobles, javas, and swing, culminating in a traditional parade that will proceed towards the Plaza de Oriente. Organized by a ballroom dance academy, it aims to attract chulapos to enliven the route through Madrid's streets.
Goyesque and Castilian folklore will also have its place. Various choirs and dance associations from Madrid, dressed in traditional attire, will perform in the Jardines de las Vistillas on May 15th. Majos and majas will perform seguidillas, jotas, panaderos, and boleros. These same associations will participate on May 16th in the Plaza Mayor at the 42nd Festival of Madrilenian Dances.
The Plaza Mayor will also host the 73rd Exhibition of Folklore from Regional Houses on Sunday, May 17th, where ten groups from regional houses established in Madrid will showcase the typical dances of their communities of origin. Concurrently, the Pradera de San Isidro will offer its own folk dance program from May 9th to 17th, organized by the Federation of Traditional Madrilenian Groups, with performances by various groups and associations.
