Summer arrives on a day you least expect it, likely after weeks of rain, and it doesn’t leave for two months straight. But the official summer season has a clear date for the first dip: Madrid’s municipal swimming pools will officially open on May 15, 2026, coinciding once again with the San Isidro festivities, and will remain open until September 7. The city will have 25 summer pools spread across different districts, which will once again operate on a three-session-per-day schedule and with the same frozen rates as in previous seasons.
The Madrid City Council has confirmed that the 2026 swimming season will begin on Friday, May 15, and run through Monday, September 7, following the pattern of recent years. The opening day will once again be an open house, with free admission subject to the capacity of each facility.
In total, 25 municipal summer pools will be open, distributed across sports centers throughout the city, ranging from classics like Casa de Campo, Aluche, and La Elipa to newer facilities in expanding neighborhoods. In addition to these are the summer pools operated by the Community of Madrid (such as Puerta de Hierro, Canal de Isabel II, and San Vicente de Paúl), whose season typically overlaps with very similar dates, and venues like the popular Complutense University pool, which usually opens in early June and remains open until mid-September.
Swimming hours and sessions in 2026
Once again, the City Council is maintaining the three-shift-per-day schedule, designed to spread out capacity and facilitate user rotation during the hottest days:
- Morning session: 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
- Afternoon session: 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM.
- Full-day session: from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Those who purchase a full-day pass will be able to enter and exit the facility within those hours, while access during the morning and afternoon sessions is limited to the corresponding time slot. The City Council will also maintain the so-called “dynamic capacity limits, ” a system that adjusts available spots in real time based on occupancy and was already tested in previous seasons to prevent overcrowding.
Prices and admission policy
Rates remain unchanged from previous years, with prices varying by age and shift type:
- Children under 5: free admission during any session.timeout+1
- Children ages 5 to 14:
- Young people aged 15 to 26:
- Adults aged 27 to 64:
- Seniors 65 and older:
Tickets can be purchased, as in previous years, through the City Council’s website and app or at the ticket offices of each facility, subject to capacity availability.
A summer of dips… and debate
The opening of the pools has become one of the unofficial highlights of the Madrid summer: every year, thousands of residents await confirmation of dates and schedules to organize neighborhood outings that offer a respite from the heat. However, 2026 also brings criticism from the neighborhood movement and some political groups, who consider the current network of facilities insufficient in a city experiencing increasingly frequent heat waves and episodes of extreme temperatures.
While the City Council argues that it is maintaining affordable prices, expanded capacity, and a long season (nearly four months), community groups are calling for new pools in districts with high population density and a shortage of green spaces, as well as more shade, fountains, and cooling areas in public spaces beyond the paid facilities.