Start at the Opening Speech, Then Follow the Noise
Carnival in Madrid runs annually from the weekend before Shrove Tuesday through Ash Wednesday, and in 2027 it falls on 6–10 February. The festivities open with an inaugural speech, and from there the city fills with free themed activities for all ages. The recent hubs have been Matadero Madrid and Madrid Río Park, so that is where you should point yourself first: expect the crowd to gather, the programme to be family-friendly, and the streets around both to stay busy well into the evening.
Chase the Murgas and Chirigotas Through the Streets
The sound of Madrid's Carnival is the murgas and chirigotas — street musician groups who perform satirical, costumed sets in public. They are the thread that runs through the whole celebration, so treat them as your compass rather than a single appointment.
- Position yourself in the central hubs — Matadero Madrid and Madrid Río Park — where the programme concentrates.
- Keep moving: the performances are street-based, so the best approach is to wander and let the music pull you along.
- Go in the evening, when the crowds thicken and the costumed groups are at their most active.
Watch the Manteo del Pelele
Among the signature rituals is the Manteo del Pelele — the blanket-tossing of a straw doll. It is one of the defining images of Madrid's Carnival, a communal, slightly chaotic spectacle that draws a crowd. Check the official programme for where and when it is staged during the 6–10 February run, and arrive early enough to get a view.
See Out Carnival at the Burial of the Sardine
Everything closes on Ash Wednesday, 10 February 2027, with the Burial of the Sardine — a tradition depicted by Goya. Costumes are put away, the fanfares end, and the sardine is buried with honours to mark the end of Carnival and the start of Lent.
- The procession usually starts at Plaza de San Antonio de la Florida.
- The sardine is customarily buried at the Pajarito Fountain in Plaza de las Moreras, Casa de Campo Park.
- The ceremony closes with a bonfire.
Plan your evening around the route from San Antonio de la Florida out to Casa de Campo, and stay for the fire.
Eat a Carnival Sardine
In recent years, Madrid's bakeries, restaurants and markets have sold original Carnival Sardines throughout the festivities — made in various sizes with sweet and savoury ingredients, as a tribute to the sardine at the heart of the Ash Wednesday ritual. This is the seasonal thing to eat while you are in the city: pick one up from a bakery or market stall during the celebrations, before the sardine itself is buried on 10 February.
Before You Book
The 2027 dates are fixed: 6–10 February, with Ash Wednesday on the 10th. The programme is free and themed for all ages, and the reliable anchors are the inaugural speech, the murgas and chirigotas, the Manteo del Pelele and the Burial of the Sardine. Check the official Madrid Carnival programme closer to the time for the full schedule of venues and timings, then build your days around Matadero Madrid and Madrid Río Park — and keep Ash Wednesday evening free for the procession to Casa de Campo.