Madrid to hold its first Day of the Dead parade on November 1

Madrid will hold its first official Day of the Dead parade on November 1, organized by the Ánima festival, starting at 18:00 on Bailén and ending in Plaza Mayor. Participation is open to the public with prior registration.

This year Madrid joins the Mexican tradition of the Day of the Dead with a parade through the city centre on **November 1**. The event starts at **18:00** on Calle de Bailén, in front of the Royal Palace, and ends in Plaza Mayor. Behind the initiative is Ánima, Madrid's International Day of the Dead Festival, which celebrates its first edition with this official parade.

## A route through the city centre with prior registration

The parade is not a procession reserved for a few: anyone can take part, as long as they register in advance. The organizers want to turn the streets into a meeting place for Madrileños, Mexicans and visitors. The stated goal is to bring the traditions out into public spaces and share them with anyone passing by.

The idea is not just aesthetic. There is an explicit element of cultural exchange. **Adriana Vega Vázquez Mellado**, Minister of Tourism of Querétaro, sums it up like this: they want the Day of the Dead to be experienced in Madrid as a shared celebration, one in which Madrileños, Mexicans and visitors can take part and feel part of it. The minister highlights the parade as an opportunity to bring the traditions into public space and foster encounter between the two cultures.

## Six days of music, dance and gastronomy

The parade is the centrepiece of Ánima, but not the only one. The festival runs from **October 29 to November 3**, six days of music, dance, gastronomy, workshops, art installations and activities for all audiences. The thematic focus of this first edition is the Mexican state of **Querétaro**: its identity and its traditions.

On the same November 1, later in the evening, Plaza Mayor hosts the Querétaro Fiesta at **20:30**, right after the parade. It will be a show with musical and dance performances bringing the folklore of Querétaro closer to the public.

The programme also includes spaces for dialogue and reflection on the role of traditions in contemporary society, with attention to their historical, social and cultural dimensions. And there is room for cuisine: the festival promotes a gastronomic exchange between Mexico and Spain through a collaboration with **Casa Lucio**, which will explore the links between the two cuisines with a joint proposal.

## Who is behind it

Ánima is the festival organizing all of this, and this is its first edition. The stated ambition of its promoters is to establish in Madrid a space for celebrating and spreading Mexican culture, bringing its artistic and popular expressions to residents and visitors over the six days.

The parade, in particular, is conceived as a lasting event: its organizers present it as the first official Day of the Dead parade in the Spanish capital. If the reception is good, the idea is for the event to be repeated and become part of Madrid's autumn cultural calendar.

Anyone who wants to take part in the November 1 parade must register in advance through the festival organization. Admission to the Plaza Mayor activities as a spectator does not require registration according to the information released, although it is advisable to confirm logistical details with Ánima before travelling.