(AFP) – Culture as a climatic refuge: to help them better tolerate the heat, the City of Madrid wants to encourage tourists to visit its museums this summer during the hottest hours of the day, thanks to free and air-conditioned shows.
JAVIER SORIANO / AFP
The town hall of the Spanish capital started from an observation: in recent years, the city has become a leading tourist destination, even in the middle of summer, when temperatures approach or exceed 40 degrees.
Foreigners in particular, first and foremost Americans, Germans, French and Mexicans, are increasingly numerous, and each year marks a new record of affluence. In July and August 2023, Madrid welcomed more than 1.6 million tourists.
However, if the mornings are completely bearable, “the heat is a recurring problem and urban centers need to be cooled: even in Retiro Park, at 3 p.m., it is hot. The best places to take refuge are air-conditioned places, so museums, cinemas and libraries,” explains Marta Rivera de la Cruz, the municipality’s Culture and Tourism advisor.
Free performances
The Prado, Reina Sofía and Thyssen museums, the three most important, as well as the Royal Collections gallery, will host free flamenco performances all summer between 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. almost every day in July and August.
These are the big names of flamenco (Eduardo Guerrero, Rafael Andujar, Yolanda Osuna, etc.) who will play and dance in front of the public.
Cinemas will try to attract Madrilenians at the same times with reduced prices for the first showings (around 4:00 p.m.), while libraries will offer comedy monologue shows in the early afternoon.
The measure, implemented for the first time this summer, “will not involve an additional expenditure of energy,” stressed Marta Rivera de la Cruz, who prefers to avoid talking about the fight against climate change but rather about “changing attitudes towards heat” and “raising awareness.”
Relax
