When the May bank holiday arrives in Madrid, the city becomes a place full of joy and entertainment. Beyond the programmed activities, we can also find entertainment in the streets, which thanks to the good weather is rising. 

The 1st of May is a national celebration, and the 2nd is the celebration of the Comunidad de Madrid. This means everyone is ready to make plans to enjoy their free days. This year, given that the 1st and 2nd fall on the weekend, the 3rd on the Monday is also a public holiday in Madrid. 

This year due to the restrictions, we can’t count on having the same possibilities as usual, yet we can still enjoy plans in our own city. Some plans are specific to the puente de mayo, and others you can do all year round.

10 plans for this May Bank Holiday  in Madrid:

1- Celebrations of Malasaña

Every year for the 2nd of May celebrations, the Malasaña neighbourhood is the main character, given that it’s here in their streets that the end of the 1808 uprising against the French occupation took place. In other years, stages have been set up and different areas prepared for live music and the whole neighbourhood is filled with animation. This year the animation will be different. Last year there were online activities, this year the proposal is  that the neighbours decorate their balconies in a special way and that the shopkeepers decorate their shop windows. In this way, the exhibition ‘Haciendo barrio’, which normally could be seen in Conde Duque, will now take place in the windows and shop windows of Malasaña.

2- Concert by the artist Bejo

Normally during the Dos de Mayo festivities the streets of Malasaña are filled with music. This year it will have to be in a different way, we will have the concert of Bejo, who will perform a recital in the central courtyard of the Conde Duque centre. You will be able to enjoy it on Sunday 2nd May at 21h, its price will be 15€ and it will last 60 minutes.

3- Discover the city

A plan that never fails to delight is to walk around the centre of Madrid. During these dates the ‘Tour of the Uprising of May 2nd’, 1808′ takes place, through which you can enter the scenarios of that historic day for two hours. The tour starts in the Plaza de Isabel II and ends in the Plaza del Dos de Mayo. You can also enjoy another very interesting tour which is the ‘Illustrious Women’ tour, through which you can discover the history of some of the women who left their mark on Madrid. This tour lasts two hours and you will visit on foot the different places where they stood out, such as the Plaza de Santa Ana, the Congress of Deputies or the Monument to the Fallen for Spain.

Throughout the year you can find different Free Tours in Madrid that can be very interesting. Some of them are: Chueca and Malasaña, the Inquisition and El Capricho Park.

4- Bullfighting festivities

During this time of pandemic there has been a lot of controversy about the possibility of the return of bullfights. The Community of Madrid intends to hold bullfights during this long weekend. This proposal seeks to maintain the tradition, and also to help the bullfighting sector, which has been at a standstill for more than a year. Some of the names that are being mentioned are: Diego Ventura, El Juli, and José María Manzanares among others.

5- Mutua Madrid Open tennis tournament

This year the Madrid Masters 1000 coincides with the May long weekend. It will take place from 27 April to 9 May in the Caja Mágica. As every year,  there is the opportunity to see the best tennis players in the world, both male and female. You will be able to see great tennis players such as Rafa Nadal or Garbiñe Muguruza among others.

6- Discover Madrid on a Segway

If you are looking for a different way to discover Madrid, this is the plan for you. A Segway tour is the perfect way to discover the city in a fun way. There are different routes, you recommend the tour ‘Madrid de los Austrias and Madrid Río’ which lasts two hours and through which you will discover the history of these places. 

In case you have never ridden a Segway before, the guide will tell you everything you need to know to get around on your own. A helmet is also included just in case.

7- Discover the ‘Museo del Prado’

Visiting the ‘Museo del Prado‘ is always a good plan. If you visit it during the bank holiday you will have the opportunity to see some temporary exhibitions that are very interesting. For example, the exhibition ‘Mythological Passions’, where you can enjoy the six mythological paintings from the 17th century based on classical Greek poetry painted by Titian for Philip II. 

We recommend that you buy your tickets in advance to speed up access to the museum. There is also the possibility of taking a guided tour of the museum through which we can enjoy its most valuable works.

8- Enjoy a ‘Flamenco Tablao’.

‘El Corral de la Morería’ is the most famous flamenco tablao in the world. Many celebrities have been there, such as Natalie Portman or Pablo Picasso. In addition, great stars such as Pastora Imperio or Antonio Gades have performed there. 

We recommend you go there for dinner and enjoy the show. The establishment usually receives very good reviews, and its flamenco show is considered the best in Madrid.

9- Photography in the Plaza Mayor

There is no doubt that Madrid’s Plaza Mayor is very beautiful and photogenic. One of the activities that you can include in our plans for this bank holiday is a visit to this forum where we can enjoy the facade of the Casa de la Panadería and its murals. 

In the Plaza Mayor you can also find the Tourism Centre, where you can find out about the different tourist attractions in the city and the activities that are taking place these days.

10- Visit the Warner Park

During the month of May, the Warner Park is fully operational. In it you can find different attractions and shows based on Warner films and characters, such as Tweety Bird, Daffy Duck or Bugs Bunny among others. Some of its star attractions are the Superman ride, the Batman roller coaster or the Scooby-Doo ride.

There is the possibility of buying your ticket at a discount if you get it in advance. If you are a fan of amusement parks we recommend the following: Aquopolis, Parque de Atracciones de Madrid or Faunia.

Hotels for the May Bank Holiday

If you plan to visit the city over the May long weekend and explore the city, we recommend that you stay in a centrally located hotel, so that you can make short and comfortable journeys. 

A 19th century palace Gran Meliá Palacio de los Duques with a privileged location in Madrid de los Austrias, next to the Royal Palace, the Royal Theatre and the Almudena Cathedral, inspired by the work of the famous artist Velázquez.

URSO Hotel is located in a privileged enclave between the central districts of Chamberí, Tribunal, and Chueca. The hotel is a historic building built by José María Mendoza Ussía. This edifice integrates the royal character of the bourgeois architecture of Madrid during the 20th-century, with the modernity and comfort of a modern luxury hotel.

In the Puerta del Sol area, we recommend the Hotel Urban, a three star hotel with a very good value for money.

As you can see, Madrid proposes many and varied plans to carry out during the long weekend without the need to leave the city, without a doubt Madrid is always a good plan.