Madrid, city of entertainment
The capital of Spain, with an exceptional location in the centre of the peninsula, Madrid hosts thousands of events of interest every year.
The most populated city in the country, with more than three million inhabitants, still has the capacity to receive around seven million tourists a year. A place of business and great monuments, its entertainment offer must be at the same level.
Some of the country’s most renowned theatres are in its streets. Like the Lope de Vega Theatre, which for more than a decade has been offering the world-famous musical The Lion King. Another of the most historic venues is the Teatro Real, which has been offering different plays in the Plaza de Oriente since 1850.
Another neighbour of Plaza de Oriente is the Royal Palace, with its faithful Almudena Cathedral and the beautiful Sabatini Gardens next door. Close to these monuments is the renovated Plaza de España, the root of the city’s most famous street, Gran Vía. Following this wide street, full of life, shops and theatres, we reach the very centre of the country, the Puerta del Sol. Here, every December 31st, Spaniards celebrate the arrival of a new year. At the foot of its tower is the kilometre zero, the starting point for all the roads in the country. There are many places, stories and legends in the city. More than enough reason to attract millions of tourists. But it is not only musicals and monuments that feed the visitors and inhabitants of Madrid.
Sport is also an important attraction for the masses, and the Spanish capital can boast of organising an infinite number of events throughout the year.
Some of the highlights of 2024 are, of course, the football matches. With three of the city’s teams in the top league and two of them in the Champions League, there is always a ball rolling in Madrid. Basketball, with Real Madrid at the top, is also a big attraction, such as popular races, marathons and the Madrid Athletics Meeting WACT/Europe Silver 2024, the national show jumping competition and the races at the Zarzuela racecourse. Alse the Spanish Motocross Grand Prix, the Mutua Madrid Open and the World Padel Tour Masters. These are examples of elite events hosted by the city.
All these sports events have also transformed the city’s architecture. This has allowed Madrid to have two of the most modern stadiums with the Wanda Metropolitano and the Santiago Bernabéu. However, one of the places with the longest sporting history in the city is also one of the least known, the Jal Alal pelota court. Since 1891 it has been one of the hidden gems in the streets of the capital.
As for badminton, Madrid hosted the World Championships in 2006. Afterwards, it hosted several editions of the International Challenge in the mythical Marqués de Samaranch sports hall. More recently, it hosted the European Championships in 2022 and is currently hosting the second of four editions of the Madrid Spain Masters by Iberdrola. This event brings to the country some of the best athletes in the world of the racket and the shuttlecock. A privilege that everyone who comes to the Centro Deportivo Municipal El Gallur will be able to enjoy.
Don’t forget that, from Tuesday 26th to Friday 29th, access to the tournament is free. You can also enjoy all the matches and check the results on the usual platforms of BWF and the Spanish Federation. If this is not enough for you and you want to see the semi-finals and finals of the event live, you can buy your tickets here.
