The 41st edition of the Veranos de la Villa, a festival organized by the Department of Culture, Tourism, and Sports of the City Council of Madrid, will begin next Monday, July 7, with Carmen: 150 years. Over 49 days, until August 24, more than fifty different proposals will come together featuring music, dance, theater, circus, comedy, and film, with national and international artists.
The commemoration of the 150 years of the universal work Carmen, premiered by Georges Bizet at the National Theater of the Opéra-Comique in Paris in 1875, will kick off the programming. La Fura dels Baus will offer the world premiere of this proposal at the Puente del Rey, with its unique language that encompasses lyricism, dance, and scenic elements created for the occasion, set to the musical foundation of the Municipal Symphonic Band of Madrid.
Under the musical direction of maestro Jan Cober and the stage direction of La Fura dels Baus and Carlus Padrissa, the show will feature artist Maite Alberola as Carmen, performing the famous habanera. International dancer Sergio Bernal will portray the bullfighter Escamillo, and a dance couple from the Antonio Gades Company, Esmeralda Manzanas and Álvaro Madrid, will portray Carmen and Don José.
Access to the restricted area for the public will only be through Avenida de Portugal, next to Café del Río.
Madrid through the sense of smell
The exhibition En el compás del verano proposes a journey through Madrid via the most invisible yet evocative sense: smell. Based on a selection of works from the olorVISUAL collection, created by Ernesto Ventós, the exhibition establishes a dialogue between contemporary art and olfactory reading about the city proposed by the Perfume Academy.
Notes like lemon, floral chords, chocolate, or leather serve as a starting point to rethink the multiple identities of Madrid from a sensory perspective. The route, available from July 10 to August 3, will cover different points in the capital, concluding at the Serrería Belga Cultural Space.
A dose of humor
The Theater at the Conde Duque Cultural Center will host the premiere in the capital of Wanted (Se busca) on July 10 and 11, directed by Carles Alfaro. In this play, Edu Soto, known for his versatility and ability to connect with the audience, will surprise with a complex and nuanced character. After a deep connection with his dog, our protagonist begins to adopt its characteristics, leading to a hilarious plot that will make us question our humanity.
Veranos de la Villa on the streets
The streets will also play a role in the first week of the festival. On July 12, the pasacalles Amparito Roca will sound along the route from Plaza de Oriente to Puerta del Sol and then to Plaza Mayor, celebrating the 100 years of the well-known pasodoble composed by Jaime Texidor. The Societat Unió Musical de Carlet, the Agrupació Musical L’Artística de Carlet, bands from the town where this piece premiered, and the Societat Musical L’Artística Manisense will all participate. Over two hundred musicians from these formations will perform this composition together in Plaza Mayor.
Additionally, the Trocos Lucos Company will land at La Vaguada Park on July 11 and at Plaza del Padre Llanos in Vallecas on July 12 with Tartana, a show that combines research on the Korean seesaw technique, hand balances, circus, and humor in a scene framed by a van, serving as a support, where an acrobatic composition and wild games unfold.
More information on all cultural proposals: veranosdelavilla.com
