May Day in Madrid

[Kiwi-family]

We are just in the process of booking tickets. We can arrive in Madrid either on May 1st or 2nd around midday. Will there be celebrations to see if we make it on the 1st? If not, I'm inclined to just hop on a fourth plane and head straight for Seville!

 

[Kanga]

I don't know if May 1 is a holiday but Madrid during a fiesta is fabulous. By coincidence we had España Day in Madrid and it was so much fun. Plus all the galleries and museums are free. We stayed in the area between Sol and Plaza de Santa Ana - eat street central!

 

[Anniesantiago]

I landed in Madrid two years ago on May 1.
I didn't see any fiesta - but EVERYTHING was closed!
If you can manage, I'd say arrive on May 2.

 

[Caminofácil]

May 1 is Labor Day in Spain. It's a holiday, so most stores and businesses will be closed, and there aren't any celebrations (unless you want to see the demonstrations by trade unions...).

May 2 is a local holiday in Madrid. There might be some local ambient on the streets, but I'm not aware so far of any big events (that would more on San Isidro, on May 15th, which is Madrid's patron saint).

 

[Castilian]

May 1st is International Workers day and a public holiday. Unions make demonstrations in favor of workers' rights and some other activities to celebrate the day.

May 2nd is the day of the Autonomous Community of Madrid and another public holiday in Madrid. There's a festival on the dates around May 2nd (and May 2nd itself) with some acts at several cities and towns of the Autonomous Community of Madrid (including the city of Madrid). To get an idea of what sort of acts are them, you can take a look at the events of the festival in 2015 at www.madrid.org/fiestasdel2demayo/2015/index.html (be aware, as I said above, that some events aren't in the city of Madrid but in other towns and cities of the Autonomous Community of Madrid so look for events that quote Madrid as location).

 

[Kiwi-family]

Straight on to Seville on a connecting plane then! Thanks for the info.

 

[KinkyOne]

Straight on to Seville on a connecting plane then! Thanks for the info.

Nooooo, Rachel, attend and enjoy the demonstrations. After all we're all workers and have our rights which have to be defended from ever rising power of the capital "movers"!

Sorry moderators for turned into political direction