One of the most anticipated spring events in the capital is the celebration of its patron saint. The festival of San Isidro in Madrid in 2023 is the date on which the Holy Year of San Isidro Labrador ends, and in his honor, as every year, a festive day full of joy is held in the Pradera accompanied by dancing, lemonade and donuts. Discover everything you can't miss about the San Isidro festival in Madrid 2023.
It is a pilgrimage in which Madrid presents its most festive and hospitable face to all those visitors who want to join the party. At Hotel Cortezo we are traditions and we love being able to show them to the guests who decide to stay with us in the center of Madrid to participate in San Isidro festival and take the opportunity to discover the main tourist attractions of the city. Do you sign up?
Dates and program of the San Isidro festival in Madrid 2023
Dates of the festival of San Isidro
May 15, 2023 will be the date on which this festival is celebrated in honor of San Isidro Labrador. Curiously, this year, the Holy Year of San Isidro is celebrated for the IV Centenary of his canonization.
Tradition
The celebration of this May festival revolves around the relationship between water and the saint. The pilgrimage takes place in the Pradera de San Isidro and it is customary for the chulapos and chulapas to drink the "water of the saint" that flows from a spring attached to the Hermitage of San Isidro.
San Isidro Program
A wide program of events and activities is distributed throughout the city with traditional celebrations such as the pilgrimage in the Pradera de San Isidro or the San Isidro bullfighting fair; typical gastronomy, concerts, performances, dances, contests, parades and festivals. Curiously, this year, the Holy Year of San Isidro is celebrated for the IV Centenary of his canonization.
The traditional parade of Giants and Big Heads kicks off the San Isidro festival in Madrid, touring various areas of the center. One of the sections of your tour will take place in front of our hotel, between Puerta del Sol and Plaza Mayor.
This is followed by several days of festivities with countless stages throughout the city with music, traditional activities and activities for children, making it also an ideal event to enjoy with the family.
Live music is the guiding thread of the San Isidro festival, with proposals that range from the most innovative, to folklore, through pop rock, electronics or world music.
Fireworks in San Isidro
Another of the great images of Madrid in San Isidro is its lighting with fireworks that are usually launched from different enclaves of the city: from Madrid Río, the Royal Palace, the Almudena Cathedral, the Vistillas Garden and theTío Pío Hill Park. The finishing touch is the traditional fireworks in the Pradera de San Isidro.
San Isidro bullfighting fair
For a month, on the occasion of the San Isidro festival in Madrid, the Plaza Monumental de Las Ventas in Madrid hosts the most prestigious bullfighting event on the international scene: the San Isidro Fair, in which representative figures from the bullfighting world come together every year in the ring.
Gastronomy
This party is not understood if it is not accompanied by its traditional lemonade, made with wine, lemon, sugar and chopped fruit; and the donuts, either 'dumb' (with egg), or 'ready' (with egg and covered in icing sugar). The ones from Santa Clara (with a layer of white meringue) and the French ones (with almonds) are also highly coveted, and since 2022, new donuts have joined the list, those of the Holy Year, covered in chocolate.
Where to stay in Madrid during the San Isidro festival
If you don't want to miss the San Isidro festival in Madrid and you also want to see the city's monuments of tourist interest, Hotel Cortezo will be your best option to make the most of your visit. We are next to Puerta de Sol and Plaza Mayor, and we are perfectly connected to the Pradera de San Isidro, 12 minutes by car or half an hour by bus line 17 or metro 5. A hotel that will be your point of rest and comfort throughout your stay, with a wide variety of services at your disposal, such as a private garage. Are you going to miss it? Book at the best price on our web!