The 42nd edition of Veranos de la Villa will open its doors today, Tuesday, July 7, with a free concert at Matadero Madrid and a program that will run for two months throughout the city. The festival, organized by the Madrid City Council’s Department of Culture, Tourism, and Sports, will bring together national and international artists at iconic venues such as the central courtyard of Conde Duque, the theater on the same grounds, and the districts of Tetuán and Usera.
The opening ceremony will feature LOS40 and “La canción del verano (de la Villa),” an outdoor show hosted by DJ Fernandisco from LOS40 Classic, which will begin at 8:30 p.m. The evening will revisit major hits from the collective imagination, such as “La Macarena,” “Aserejé,” and “Danza Kuduro.”
The following day, July 8 at 10:00 p.m., the central courtyard of Conde Duque will kick off its program with a zarzuela gala performed by the Orchestra and Choir of the Community of Madrid (ORCAM) under the musical direction of Óliver Díaz. ORCAM is the first of three major symphonic ensembles linked to Madrid that will perform at the festival: on July 17, the Madrid Municipal Symphonic Band (BSMM), alongside singer and actress Roko, will headline a concert featuring more than 80 musicians with James Bond music as the central theme—marking a world premiere at the festival. The festival will close on August 29 with the RTVE Orchestra and Choir paying tribute to the legacy of ABBA under the baton of Raúl Benavent.
On July 9, the courtyard at Conde Duque will also host “Fieralinda,” a performance by artist and theater creator Ede that blends movement, music, and theater. The following weekend will feature three events: Alain Pérez will perform his latest album, *BINGO*, live on July 10 at 10:00 p.m.; on July 11 at the same time, Chano Domínguez, Pepe Rivero, Iván “Melón” Lewis, and “Cucurucho” Valdés will come together for *Gigantes del piano*. Los Valdés; and on July 12, also at 10:00 p.m., Farruquito will close out the weekend with flamenco.
“Veranos de la Villa” will decentralize part of its program with free events. The Whatever Jazz Band, which specializes in Dixieland, will perform for the first time on July 10 at 9:00 p.m. at Avenida del Presidente Carmona, 3, in the Tetuán district, as part of a series that will run through August 9.
In the Usera district, the show *Fuman, the Traveling Musician Clown* will kick off on July 11 at 9:00 p.m. in the Plaza de la Junta de Distrito, featuring a performance that combines circus, music, and clowning through July 25.
