Peter Pan, at the Teatros del Canal over Christmas

Peter Pan for the whole family at the Teatros del Canal over the Christmas holidays!
tickets on sale now: http://goo.gl/361tsW

The Ananda Dance group, winner of the 2006 Nation Dance Company award offers Peter Pan from December 12, 2013 until January 5, 2014. 

The classic fairy tale created by J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan, about the boy who wouldn´t grow performed as a ballet is an excellent Christmas holiday outing in Madrid for parents and kids.  Peter Pan and Wendy bring their magical adventures alive with the help of fairies, mermaids, Redskins and of course, Captain Hook ...

Madrid in Danza

It's almost time for Madrid to welcome another edition of Madrid en Danza, its annual international dance festival, which is now in its 26th year. This year's edition will feature 25 productions from ten countries, including Japan, Mexico and the UK, as well as performances by Spanish dancers. Some of the highlights of this year's programme include the curious Paradise in a Jar Odyssey 2001, a take on Stanley Kubrick's Space Odessey and The Odyssey by Homer set to traditional butoh dance; and more traditional performances such as Poppea/Poppea and New Work, which are based on classical operas and dances.

The festival runs between 7th and 27th November at various locations in Madrid. For full programme and where to buy tickets see here.

MTV Madrid Beach

Fans of live music are in for a real treat this weekend as there will be a free music festival taking place in the newly created Madrid Rio zone of the city. The lineup with feature both Spanish and international indie groups including The Casters, Zombie Kids, Delorean and Miss Caffeina, and the event will be run in conjunction with MTV.

The festival runs 1-3 September and the concerts will begin at 9pm.

The Teatros del Canal start a new season with two exciting productions

One of Madrid's best loved theatres, the Teatros del Canal will start the new season with two exciting productions; Cayetana su pasión and El Pisito.
Cayetana, su pasión is piece of flamenco-ballet which pays hommage to the very colourful Spanish aristocrat the Duchess of Alba, and features costumes designed by Victorio & Lucchino. The duchess herself is a big fan of flamenco ballet and a lover of all things typcially Spanish. The show runs from 31st August until 18th Setember in the Sala Rojo and tickets start from 14,50€.

If you have a decent level of Spanish, El Pisito is the story of a hard-up couple from the 1950's who due to their lack of money want to get married and have their own apartment, however they are offered one under some very strange circumstances. Although the story takes place in the past, it still has a lot of relevance today for young people struggling to buy a place to live due to the economic times. The show runs from 1st-18th September in the Sala Verde and tickets start from 12€.

The Barber of Seville

There's no better way to spend a summer night than enjoying some open air opera, even more so from the very elegant surroundings of the Sabatini Gardens located next to the Royal Palace. Ópera Cómica, one of Madrid's oldest opera companies will be performing the classic, The Barber of Seville in what should be a very delightful performance. The production runs from 18th-27th August and ticket prices start at 15€. They can be bought at entradas.com or at the venue box office.

Cossacks from Russia

As part of the Veranos de la Villa season, the Russian State Cossack Dance Company have been invited to come to Madrid to perform some traditional cossack dances in what promises to be a very energetic production with up to 50 dancers on stage! The performance includes dances from across the different regions of Russia as well as some with hints of oriental influences. Music will be provided by a full chamber orchestra. You can see the production between 4th-9th August at the Sabatini Gardens next to the Royal Palace. Tickets start from 15€ and can be bought from entradas.com or at the venue box office.

Human Bodies

Discover the hidden secrets of the human body at a fascinating new exhibition where visitors can see as never before ten human bodies and 100 human organs on display, which have all been preserved by the means of plastination. The exhibition promises to be a unique masterclass about the various systems of the human body and what lies beneath our skin. All visits come with a headset so you can enjoy commentary in the language of your choice. The exhibition runs until 23rd October at the Casa de Campo Pabilión XII (Metro L6 Alto de Extremadura or Lago L10). Tickets cost 10€. 

Calé

Joaquín Cortés is one of Spain's best loved flamenco performers, and Calé is an exciting musical journey which takes us through his 20 year career as a dancer and portrays his influences, experiences and glories. Cortés has tourned the world with this show, including in the USA, and of course seeing him perfom in Spain, it is going to be a much more special experience. Calé runs at the Teatro Coliseum at Gran Vía 78 (Metro: Plaza de España L3, L10) from 3-14th August beween Weds-Sun and tickets costs from 28,50€.

Teotihuacan- The City of Gods

A fascinating new exhibtion dedicated to the treasures of Teotichuacan, the most important city during Aztec times, has just opened at the Caixa Forum Madrid. It features around 400 artifacts selected from some of Mexico's best museums which were found at the ancient site located on the edge of modern day Mexico City. Visitors to the exhibition will be able to learn how the city's ancient inhabitants lived, their religion and culture, and how they organised their society during the city's 800 year history. Best of all the exhibition is free. You can catch the exhibition at the Caixa Forum (Paseo del Prado 36- look for the wall of plants) until 13th November).

Chicago the Musical makes a return to Madrid

From the 17th November, the global hit musical Chicago will be back in Madrid, this time at the Nuevo Teatro Alcalá. This year is extra special as the show will be celebrating its 15th anniversary. Tickets are altready on sale and cost from 14,90€ upwards. You can buy tickets here.

Open air cinema in Madrid

It's cinema as you've never seen it before! To make the most of the summer months, an open air cinema and leisure zone has been errected in the Parque Enrique Tierno Galván for the month of July. The cinema will show each day a film selected from recent favourites such as Black Swan, The Tourist, Pirates of the Carribean 4 and The Social Network. In the leisure zone you will find plenty of restaurants, cafés, bars and snack stands. Each night the film will begin at 10.15pm, but access to the leisure zone will open at 8pm. The cinema season runs from 7th-23rd July. For full programme and to buy tickets, consult the Open Air website. Cinema tickets cost 15€ which includes access to the leisure zone.


How to get there: Parque Enrinque Tierno Galván, metro Mendez Álvaro or Arganzuela-Planetario (L6)

The Russian Imperial Ballet make a return to Madrid

One of the best known ballet companies, the Russian Imperial Ballet will be back in Madrid this month to treat us to some of our favourite ballet pieces. From 6th to 10th July, they will perform Sherezade, Chopiniana and Bolero; and from 12th to 31st of July they will perform Swan Lake. They have performed in Madrid many times before and always get excellent reviews. The shows will be running at the Teatro Compac Gran Vía. Tickets from 20€ and are available from entradas.com, El Corte Inglés and Caja Madrid/Ibercaja ATMs.

Antonio López at the Thyssen Bornemsiza

Today (Tuesday 28th June) the Thyssen Museum will inaugurate its summer temporary exhibtion which is dedicated to the Spanish artist and sculptor Antonio López (1936-). López's style is often described as realist, yet his earlier works often have a more surreal air to them. Many of his paintings have a striking real-life quality to them, that it is difficult to tell whether it is a photograph or a painting. One such example is the incredible series of paintings he produced during the 1960's of Madrid, which includes a well known one of Gran Vía. López also produced the giant baby head sculptures which can be found at the entrance to Atocha station in Madrid. If you want to catch the exhibtion it will run until 25th September. Admission costs 10€ to the exhibition alone or 13€ when combined with entry to the full collection.

A Taste of Portugal in Madrid

The first ever International Festival of Fado Music, traditional music from Portugal will be happening in Madrid this weekend, and there will be a number of events relating to Portuguese culture and gastronomy running in parallel to the festival. The 17, 18 and 19th June there will be concerts given by Carmo Carminho Rebelo de Andrade, Cuca Roseta and Carlos do Carmo, some of the greatest names in contemporary fado music at the Teatros del Canal. Attendees will have the chance to sample some typical Portuguese delicacies. We went along to the presentation of the festival and heard some of the songs which will be performed, and we can say that it is a very powerful and moving genre of music, which is performed from the soul. If you want to find out more, here's an article from Wikipedia. It is in someways similar to flamenco, yet contains elements of tango. Additional events taking place include a special Portuguese menu at the restaurante of the Teatros del Canal and the projection of four films relating to the fado culture (free entry). For more details about the events taking place and where to buy concert tickets, visit the Festival Fado Madrid blog.


Here's a taster:

Music festivals in Madrid

Alternative music fans are in for a treat with two music festivals this month in Madrid. This weekend (18/19 June), Heineken Día de la Música will be taking place at the Matadero de Madrid in Legazpi. International acts performing include Lykke Li, Caribou, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Crystal Fighters and Janelle Monáe, as well as Spanish artists such as Russian Red and Vetusta Morla. The two day pass costs 24€ plus booking fee, however day tickets can be bought for 15€.  The following weekend (June 24/25) DCode Festival will be held for the first time at the university campus. Acts confirmed include big names such as My Chemical Romance, Kasabian, The Vaccines, Crystal Castles and Sum 41. Weekend tickets cost 70€ plus booking fees.

 For more info about the festivals and to get your tickets see:

Día de la Música
DCode Festival

Madrid Tapas Fair

For all you food lovers, some of the top tapas chefs will be at the Feria de la Tapa (Tapas Fair) at Palacio de Deportes making delicious tapas. Each tapa costs 1,20€ and comes with a caña (small draught beer) or soft drink... bargain! Entry to the event is free and it runs between 9th-12th June from 12pm until midnight. The Palacio de Deportes is located in the Salamanca district near metros Goya (L2, L4) and O'Donnell (L6).

Suma Flamenca Festival 2011

Estrella Morente, daughter of flamenco legend Enrique Morente who passed away at the end of last year, will on Thursday 9th inaugurate this year's annual Suma Flamenca festival which is organised by the city hall of Madrid. Lasting nearly one month, this is one of the biggest flamenco festivals of its kind in Spain, and the flamenco performed here is a lot more authentic than many of the overpriced shows aimed at tourists. This year's lineup includes greats such as Rocío Molina, Niño Josele and El Cigala. The flamenco shows will take place across a number of venues in Madrid and ticket prices vary. To get more information about the shows and for tickets, see the Suma Flamenca website (in English). The festival ends on 2nd July.

Month of international rock concerts in Madrid

From 3rd- 24th July some of the world's best known rock stars will be in Madrid for a series of concerts known as Los Veranos de Villa, which will take place at the Escenario Puerta del Ángel. Artists performing include Kool & the Gang (3/7); Playing for Change (8/7); Pablo Alborán (9/7); Wynton Marsalis (11/7); Chicago (14/7); The Beach Boys (15/7); Mavis Staples (19/7); Return to Forever IV (22/7), Cassandra Wilson (23/7) y Cyndi Lauper (24/7). Ticket prices vary, but you can buy them online here.

A great month for photography lovers!

If you're interested in photography you're in for a real treat this month as there are two very important photography events happening in the city. First the World Press Photography Exhibition will be in town from 2nd-26th June at the Junta de Moncloa as part of its world tour. The exhibiton features the award winning photographs from the annunual international photojournalism competition organised by the non-profit organisation World Press Photo. The other event is PhotoEspaña, an annual celebration of photography held across different galleries and exhibition spaces across Madrid, with around 70 different exhibitions in total. It's in its 14th year and this years theme is faces. The event runs between 1st June-24th July. See here for more info about the exhibitions and participating spaces.

Magia Potagia!

A great one for the kids! Juan Tamariz is a an Andalucian magician who has performed far and wide including in Tokyo, Los Angeles and throughout Europe. He'll be in Madrid in early June to present Magia Potagia, a spellbinidng new magic show which makes the unreal real. You can catch the show from 2nd-19th June at the Teatro Marquina (Calle Prim, Chueca) Thurs-Sat 8.30pm and Sunday 7.30pm.