You don’t need a beach or the coast to celebrate San Juan, although the feeling of jumping into the sea after lighting a bonfire is hard to come by in the capital. However, in some districts of Madrid, such as Ciudad Lineal, nothing has stopped them from celebrating their San Juan Festivities from Friday, June 19, to Sunday, June 21.
The program is spread across two venues: the fairgrounds on Agastia Street, in the San Juan Bautista neighborhood, and the one on Derechos Humanos Street, in San Pascual. They are organized by the San Juan Bautista, San Pascual, Barrio Blanco, and La Alegría neighborhood associations, in collaboration with the district’s municipal council.
The celebrations will kick off with a parade departing from the San Juan Bautista School and heading to El Flori Park on Agastia Street. At 7:45 p.m., the official opening speech will be delivered, followed by performances by the groups No Idols and Vulperia, with a closing set by DJ Macías and Moreno.
At the same time, the San Pascual venue will also open on Friday with a brass band, children’s games, the “Zumikids at the Farm” show, a capoeira exhibition, and performances by Charkito and Merodementes.
Saturday, June 20: San Juan bonfires in both neighborhoods
Saturday’s program will combine sports, folk culture, and music. At the San Juan Bautista venue, there will be a padel tournament, a bike ride, a craft fair, chess and petanque tournaments, line dancing by the Senior Center, flamenco, and a puppet show. In the evening, Cigarrito Negro, Don Opas y los Hostiles, and Gross will perform before the bonfire is lit.
In San Pascual, Saturday’s program includes a bike ride, a board game fair, volleyball and soccer tournaments, and a foam party. In the afternoon, All4Gospel, You Who, and The X Hod dance school will perform. The lighting of the bonfire will be accompanied by a set by JD Poly.
The final day, Sunday, June 21, features a classic car show, yoga sessions, belly dancing and Latin dance performances, a soccer match, and a visit to the Magerit garden, located in Salvador de Madiriaga Park. To top it off, there will be a closing reception to wrap up the festivities starting at 1:00 p.m.
The Retiro district, for its part, also has a full program to join in the celebration of this saint.
