Letter of introduction

The Veranos de la Villa Festival reaches its 24th edition in 2009, leaving it one year away from celebrating its silver anniversary. At this ripe old age, the festival grows year after year, fixing its roots in the hearts of the citizens whilst at the same time retaining the capacity to reinvent itself with each new edition.

Last year, the slogan was Madrid, siempre abierto a la cultura (Madrid, always open to culture), and this year, with the same goal in mind, the slogan could well be: Madrid, un gran espectáculo (Madrid, one big show). The Festival has appropriated both concepts with the desire to come closer to, to the point of almost merging with, everything that Madrid stands for, being the active, lively, modern, cosmopolitan and international city that it is. We share the Madrilenians desire to stage the 2016 Olympic Games in Madrid and we also strongly desire to enjoy, all year round, but especially in the summer, a cultural programme packed with an array of performance disciplines boasting exceptional artistic quality. The Veranos de la Villa Festival aims to channel all those feelings, hopes and realities and to offer a solid and attractive programme, which this year gathers artists from 30 countries, with over 130 stage projects –plus the film festival– and over 1,100 performances.

This edition sees the incorporation of a new outdoor cultural setting for the festival and the city, which we have called Escenario Puerta del Ángel. Located in the Casa de Campo exhibition site, and accessible from Avenida de Portugal, it replaces the traditional Conde Duque courtyard, with a programme focusing, essentially, on music and dance. Following the trend commenced in other cities –New York with Central Park and London with Hyde Park–, Madrid will be staging a good part of the most important summer programme in the city's main green area. This stage has spectacular environmental quality, and is surrounded by vegetation. Furthermore, it offers stunning panoramic vistas of Madrid: views from the cornice of the Royal Palace over the Campo del Moro. Furthermore, the new venue also has a privileged position that guarantees easy access from all the neighbourhoods in the capital. Populations located in the south of the region can also reach the venue easily. Not only does it have excellent public transport connections, but there are also a great number of parking spaces available.

Another innovation for this year are the shared initiatives between the festival and the city's theatres and companies. Thus, the programme will include proposals and collaborations that hope to fulfil the maxims that have shaped Madrid and the Veranos de la Villa Festival: Madrid, un gran espectáculo (Madrid, one big show) y Madrid, abierta siempre a la cultura (Madrid, always open to culture). By attracting Madrid's private sector, the festival expands and diversifies the cultural offer in the summer season, welcoming the initiative contributed by the theatres and companies that will share the limelight during the festival. Some of the associated venues are the theatres Bellas Artes, Arenal, Latina, Alcázar and Compac Gran Vía.

As well as the previous novelties, the Veranos festival could not meet the expectations in terms of participation and quality without the events programmed for the Sabatini Gardens, not to mention the Veranos en la calle, alongside productions organised by the Teatro Español, Teatro Fernán Gómez, Teatro Circo Price and the Naves del Español, at Matadero Madrid.

The programme includes other unmissable events such as Titirilandia, the puppet festival for the youngest members of the family, or the endless list of films that will be screened as part of the La Bombilla Film Festival or the performances organised by the Asociación de Salas de Música en Directo (Live Music Venues Association), for the second year in a row, and, of course, the shows running at Teatro Pradillo and Cuarta Pared, two venues with which the festival has created strong links for these summer nights.

We welcome each and every one of them to a new edition of the Veranos de la Villa and thank them for contributing to improving the festival and expanding and multiplying the opportunities to enjoy a summer loaded with dreams.

Indeed, the Veranos de la Villa are back, eager to arouse a smile, a gesture of surprise or a dream in every spectator with each and every one of their proposals. Striving to share what they mean and what they contribute –creation and art– to the city and its citizens. We're expecting you!

Alicia Moreno
Delegada de Las Artes (Head of the Arts Department)