The turning on of the Christmas lights arrives in Madrid this Saturday, November 22, with a great show in Cibeles. Starting at 7:30 p.m., the façade of the City Hall will become a real Christmas projection through a videomapping show called The Energy of Christmas.
Right after, the Formula 1 driver from Madrid, Carlos Sainz, will be in charge of pressing the button to activate the lighting throughout the city, along with Mayor José Luis Martínez Almeida. This moment will be accompanied by a free concert by Pablo López, the Madrid artist who will provide the soundtrack to a night that celebrates the official arrival of Christmas.
Christmas from the home to the city
This Saturday’s videomapping will turn the Palacio de Cibeles into a living canvas, where a contemporary, family-friendly Christmas story will unfold. In it, the people of Madrid will be able to see their homes reflected, but also the most emblematic streets and squares of the capital.
To tell the story ofThe Energy of Christmas, they have combined 3D and artificial intelligence, achieving hyper-realistic textures. Thanks to 14 state-of-the-art projectors and half a million lumens, they will be able to provide viewers with a unique and vibrant experience. And, of course, the coordination between video, sound and rhythm will be fundamental.
The project, organized by the Madrid City Council in collaboration with Endesa, has relied on a team of 25 professionals with more than 300 years of experience to create the piece and the technical support of more than 150 people for its realization.
13 million light bulbs and a shower of snowflakes
Once the videomapping is over, Carlos Sainz will activate the Christmas lights, which this year include more than 13 million LED bulbs in 21 districts. There will be 126 cherry trees, 12 large fir trees and more than 7000 chains, totaling a length of 157 kilometers throughout the city.
According to the City Council, they have opted for warm tones to provide “a closer and more enveloping atmosphere“. In addition, they have included eight lights inspired by children’s drawings, designed by primary school students from different schools in Madrid.
For its part, Gran Vía maintains its prominence with a snowflake design, which transforms the street into a snowy postcard. Other figures to be highlighted will be the luminous fir tree between Alcalá and Gran Vía, the large walkable candle in Nuevos Ministerios or the luminous angels in Carlos V square.
And, to recreate the most traditional nativity scenes, a large luminous Baby Jesus has been designed in Puente de Ventas and a monumental Nativity of light in front of the Congress of Deputies. With all this, Madrid will receive Christmas full of light, consolidating its lighting as a tourist attraction for those who visit it at this time of the year.