Experience Madrid's Essence at the San Isidro Fair

Celebrating Madrid’s patron Saint

The San Isidro Fair is a celebration of Madrid’s patron Saint, San Isidro. Each year in the middle of the month of May, the city comes together for street performances, special concerts, friendly competitions and parties. The feast of San Isidro takes place on the 15th May, which is a public holiday in Madrid. A religious pilgrimage and a large public lunch for locals and visitors alike lends this joyous day a proper sense of occasion.

Events on the Pradera de San Isidro

The main festivities occur on the 15th May at the Pradera de San Isidro, which has been the traditional site of the celebration for centuries and is now part of a much larger park with the same name. Having a picnic in the Pradera de San Isidro is very traditional during the festivities, with many stalls selling local delicacies, such as Rosquillas, which are little doughnuts with aniseed flavouring, or Cocido Madrileño, Madrid's famous specialty, a beef and chickpea stew. Though the Pradera de San Isidro is at the heart of the San Isidro Fair, the festivities spread throughout the city and visitors will be delighted to stumble across free concerts and parties in the streets throughout the day.

Enjoy traditional Madrilenian culture with the Chulapos

The festivities are a great way to enjoy typical Madrilenian culture as a visitor to the city. A major part of the festivities are the Chulapos and Chulapas. These are none other than the inhabitants of the city dressed up in the traditional clothing of Madrid for the festivities. The male Chulapos wear black trousers with a smart white shirt, a waistcoat with a checkered pattern and a red carnation flower, along with a matching hat. The female Chulapas don sleek dresses with a bright-coloured flare at the bottom of the hem. They also wear Spanish shawls, head coverings and carnations to match those of their male counterparts. This style of dress is most common amongst children and older people, and many visitors also join in the fun. Seeing the Chulapos dance to traditional music in the streets is one of the many joys of the San Isidro Fair.
More traditional participants begin the festivities by making a pilgrimage to the Pradera de San Isidro to collect water from the shrine dedicated to the Saint and pay their respects, but most then move on to the modern day celebrations as well. The 15th May is the opening night for the fair grounds, which comprise amusement park rides, carnival games and entertainment for the whole family including traditional folklore music and dance, as well as more modern concerts. Many of the larger amusement rides offer splendid views over Madrid.

Gastronomical delights and thrilling bullfights

The San Isidro Fair is associated with many delicious savoury and sweet food specialties. Fried tripe, fish and churros are traditional dishes found at the fair. A common drink is Clara con limón, which is beer mixed with a lemon carbonated drink that is refreshing in the heat. The San Isidro Fair is also an opportunity for charity organisations to represent their work and many can be found with stalls in the vicinity of the celebrations, serving food or drink and raising money for their causes.
The San Isidro Fair is also the traditional starting date of the famous bullfights which take place in Madrid in May and June each year. The fighting takes place over 24 afternoons throughout the two months and is one of the largest bullfighting festivals in the world.
The Pradera de San Isidro is easily accessible by public transportation. Take the metro line 5 and alight at Marques de Vadillo.

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