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2012 CALENDAR of EVENTS

Madrid boasts one of the most extensive calendars of concerts, sports events and exhibitions in the world. Take a look at a selection of the most important events programmed for 2012, which we have drawn up for you at esMADRID.com.

Exhibitions

• NASA. A Human Adventure (till 15 June at the Casa de Campo Trade Fair Park): large-scale exhibition on the most important space missions in history.
• James Coleman (24 April to 27 August at the Reina Sofía Museum): the first major retrospective on James Coleman (Ireland, 1941) includes the artist's most important works, dating from his stay in Milan in the 1970s to the present day.
• Marc Chagall (14 February to 20 May at the Caja Madrid Foundation and Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum): a retrospective of the Russian artist, from his early work to his exile in the United States.
• Diaghilev's Ballets Russes (1909-1929) (17 February to 3 June): an exhibition about Les ballets russes, the dance company Serge Diaghilev founded in 1909 and which collaborated with such renowned artists as Picasso and Cocteau.
• The Art of Piranesi (24 April to 9 September at CaixaForum Madrid): this exhibition tracing the Venetian artist's work brings together a considerable selection of his engravings and 3D videos of his famous etchings of 'imaginary prisons'.
  
• Ernst Ludwig Kirchner (from 26 May to 2 September at the Recoletos hall of the Mapfre Foundation): Spain will host its first ever retrospective of work by the German artist, founder and member of the Die Brücke Expressionist group. The show will comprise 140 works spanning his entire career, from his early days to the new style he adopted in his Davos retreat, and will feature paintings, watercolours, etchings, xylographs, lithographs, pictures, sculptures, photographs and even a couple of tapestries.
• PHotoEspaña (6 June to 22 July at different venues): a year on, the extensive photographic festival will be held at scores of exhibiton halls throughout the city, as well as in Lisbon, the second host city of the festival. Commissioned once more by Gerardo Mosquera, the event will feature a nearly two-month-long programme. This year's thematic section deals with the global circulation of art, under the heading From Here. Context and Internationalisation.
• Edward Hopper (12 June to 16 September at the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum): a two-part exhibition dedicated exclusively to the American artist covers his formative years and his mature period, beginning in 1925.
• Late Raphael (12 June to 16 September at the Prado Museum): a show on the final creative period of this great Renaissance artist, one of the most influential in art history.
• Murillo and Justino de Neve (26 June to 30 September at the Prado Museum): the Prado Museum and the Focus-Abengoa Foundation have joined forces to present this exhibition of the later work of the Baroque painter Bartolomé Murillo, painted as a result of his friendship with Justino de Neve, canon of Seville cathedral.
• Artaud's Spectrums: Language and Art in the 1950s (18 September to 17 December at the Reina Sof'ia Museum): French artist and theorist of the Theatre of Cruelty, Antonin Artaud, is the star of this exhibition which revolves around his influence on poetry and performing arts in the years following his death.
• Jean Paul Gaultier (4 October to 6 January at the Mapfre Foundation): a retrospective show of the French fashion designer's work, featuring 140 haute couture dresses along with ready-to-wear items from the 1970s onwards.
  
• Voyage to the Exotic: Homage to Gauguin (9 October to 13 January, 2013 at the Caja Madrid Foundation and Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum): works by Gauguin, Kandinsky, Matisse, Klee and Macke narrate the reconquest of Primitivism through Exoticism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
• Maria Blanchard (from 16 October to 25 February 2013 at the Reina Sofía Museum): an exhibition devoted to the avant-garde and Cubist painter from Spain who rose to fame in 1920s Paris.
  
• Cartier (23 October to 15 February 2013 at the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum): over 300 pieces of jewellery from the luxury jeweller's historical collection, including some belonging to Grace Kelly, Elisabeth Taylor and Coco Chanel, will be displayed in the Madrid museum.
• The Young Van Dyck (20 November to 3 March 2013 at the Prado Museum): exhibition focusing on works painted by Van Dyck before he left for London in 1620, a period when the young Flemish artist worked under Rubens.

Concerts

• Coldplay (20 May at the Vicente Calderón Stadium): after finishing their world tour to present their new album, the English band will return to Madrid for just one concert in Spain.
• Montserrat Caballé (9 June at Madrid Arena): the Catalan soprano will perform a recital titled Gracias, Montserrat, accompanied by her daughter, singer Montserrat Marti, and the Region of Madrid Orchestra and Choir.
  
• Bruce Springsteen (17 June at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium): as part of his latest world tour, The Boss will visit Madrid together with the E Street Band and offer what promises to be one of the best concerts of the year.
• Teatros del Canal Fado Festival (21 to 24 June at Teatros del Canal): the popular festival dedicated to Portugal's most renowned music genre, returns to Madrid this summer for its second edition. Featuring some of the stars of contemporary Fado, such as Mariza, the event will come packed with an array of activities that include exhibitions, workshops, tastings and documentaries.  
• Día de la música (22 and 23 June at Matadero Madrid): this year's edition will bring together contemporary bands from across the globe for two days of great music. The confirmed line up so far is as follows: Two Door Cinema Club, Love of Lesbian, Maxïmo Park, St. Vincent, The Raveonettes, Metronomy, Christina Rosenvinge, Twin Shadow, Fanfarlo, Apparat, Julia Holter, Mikal Cronin and Pegasvs.
• Clazz Continental Latin Jazz (28 June to 1 July at Teatros del Canal): the second edition of the Latin jazz festival will feature such artists as Chano Domínguez, Jerry González and the David Murray Cuban Ensemble. Jorge Pardo and Néstor Torres will kick off the event with a tribute to Brazilian musician Jayme Marques. 
• Rock in Rio Madrid (30 June, 5-7 July at Ciudad del Rock): Madrid will be hosting the third edition of the renowned festival which, this year, will be headlined by Rihanna, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Incubus, Lenny Kravitz, Maná and Deadmau5, among others. July 6 will be completely dedicated to electronic music and will feature David Ghetta and Pitbull.
• The Cranberries (10 July at Palacio de Vistalegre): It´s been two years since Dolores O'Riordan and her band last gave a concert in Madrid. This time they will be performing tracks from their new album Roses.
• Serrat & Sabina (19 September at the Sports Palace): the two great Spanish singers and songwriters present their new duo album La orquesta del Titanic in Madrid.

Sports

• King's Cup final (25 May at the Vicente Calderón Stadium): Atlético de Madrid's stadium will host  this unmissable match between two of the great teams in the Spanish league: Fútbol Club Barcelona and Athletic Club de Bilbao.
• Copa del Mundo de Triatlón Madrid 2012 (26 and 27 May at Casa de Campo): Part of the International Triathlon Union's world circuit, it is one of the 8 tournaments that make up the world championship of this discipline which combines swimming, cycling and running.
• Corazón Classic Match 2012 (3 June at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium): Real Madrid and Manchester United's old boys will be playing the now traditional charity match organised by the Real Madrid Foundation to raise money for their cooperation project in Africa. Players of the stature of Butragueño, Figo, Zidane, Morientes, Redondo and Makelele for the Spanish team, and Bryan Robson, Van der Sar, Johnsen and Andy Cole for the German team will be out on the field.
• Swimming (15 to 17 June): divers will be competing in the fifth meet of the FINA Diving Grand Prix, organised by the International Swimming Federation. The circuit commenced in Rostock (Germany) in February and will finish in Bolzano (Italy) at the end of June.
• Wrestling (7 and 8 July at the Pabellón Exterior of the Consejo Superior de Deportes): Madrid will be hosting the Gran Premio de España tournament with three categories: Greco-Roman, freestyle and female wrestling.
• Meeting Madrid (7 July): as part of the celebration of the IAAF World Challenge, this track athletics competition brings the world's best athletes together in its 30^th edition.
• Rafa Nadal-Novak Djokovic (14 July at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium): the ATP world number 1 and number 2 will come face to face in this charity match, sponsored by the Rafa Nadal and Real Madrid foundations as part of their "integration and sport" programmes. The event will also celebrate Real Madrid's 110th anniversary.
• Arnold Classic Europe (11 to 14 October at Madrid Arena Casa de Campo's Glass Pavilion): bodybuilding and fitness fans in Europe won't want to miss this festival organised by Arnold Schwarzenegger, a former professional bodybuilder. The event will once again feature exhibitions, competitions and seminars given by stars of different disciplines.  
• San Silvestre Vallecana (31 December): the city bids farewell to the year with this popular 10 km race which attracts mass participation.
  

Shows

• Más de 100 mentiras (Teatro Rialto Movistar): Joaquín Sabina's songs link together stories of poets and small-time crooks in this musical by the Úbeda-born singer and songwriter.
• The Lion King (Teatro Lope de Vega): the musical adaptation of Disney´s classic is taking Madrid by storm. Over 50 million people have already seen the show which was born in Broadway and will soon be staged for the first time in Spain. Meet Simba, the lion cub who, together with his friends Timon and Pumba, sets out to defend his right to the throne.
• Geronimo Stilton (30 March to 20 May at Teatro La Latina): The Rodent's Gazette journalist is coming to Madrid for a musical about one of his famous adventures. Directed by Àngel Llàcer and with music by Manu Guix, the show will be packed with magic, imagination and lots of laughs.
• Autumn Festival in Spring (9 May to 3 June at various venues across the city): The renowned dramatic arts festival returns for its 29^th outing. 23 international companies from nine countries will offer a packed programme of theatre and dance as well as live music. Unmissable acts include playwright Peter Brook and such troupes as Complicite, la Comédie Française, Odin Teater and DV8 Physical Theatre. The festival will include six world premieres including Robert Lepage's latest project: Playing Cards 1: SPADES.
• Cyrano de Bergerac (10 to 22 May at the Teatro Real opera house): Spanish tenor Plácido Domingo plays the lead role in this opera based on Edmond Rostand's famous novel.
• Follies (from 8 June to 29 July at Teatro Español): in a famous old theatre which is about to be demolished a group of former stars relive their experiences. Musical directed by Mario Gas, starring Vicky Peña and Carlos Hipólito.
• Compañía Nacional de Danza, A Night with Jirí Kylián (16 to 27 June at Teatro de la Zarzuela): continuing with his desire to familiarise audiences with the different aspects of international contemporary dance, CND dirctor José Carlos Martínez presents a programme comprising three pieces by prestigious Czech choreographer: Petite Mort, Sinfonía de los salmos and Sleepless. 
• Les Luthiers (25 September to 21 October at the Municipal Conference Centre): The entertaining musicians and comics from Argentina return to Madrid with their Lutherapia tour.
• Cirque du Soleil (26 to 29 December at the Sports Palace): the world's most famous circus is returning to Madrid to present Michael Jackson. The Inmortal World Tour. The troupe's new show, which pays tribute to the King of Pop, will feature 64 dancers, musicians and acrobats from across the globe.
  

Other events 

• MadridFoto (7 to 10 June at Matadero Madrid): an international trade fair dedicated to contemporary photography, aimed at private, corporate and institutional collectors.
• Casa Decor (17 May to 24 June at the Palacete de la Real Compañía de Minas Asturianas): this annual event turns the interior of a building into a huge showcase of work by numerous interior decorators.
• Madrid Book Fair (25 May to 10 June at El Retiro Park): dozens of outdoor stands representing booksellers and publishers from all over Spain fill the renowned park during this fair, whose guest country this year is Italy. Writer Claudio Magris will be in charge of kicking off the programme of cultural activities which will also feature Roberto Calasso and Erri De Luca and will commemorate 100 years since the birth of Elsa morante.

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