El Noche en Blanco

On September the 11^th there is an annual fiesta called El Noche en Blanco, which is uniquely celebrated in Madrid. The streets were packed throughout the entire city, with music and performances in all the plaza’s, exhibitions and antiquities in abundance with large swings and hammocks installed all down the Gran via. Each plaza had a different theme or activity, some where thousands of people were dancing the tango, one where a thousand beach balls had appeared from somewhere and were being thrown everywhere, others with fire jugglers and acrobats. Even the university had organised a huge party with dj’s all night, they even provide breakfast before you get the metro home! The attendance was huge, the only event comparable in London is perhaps new years eve, but they try to get people to leave as soon as possible rather than enticing them to stay out all night with the promise of a free breakfast! The fiesta attracts people of all ages, as well as music and performance, a major feature of the fiesta is that all the museums in the city are open all night and are free to enter. It was strange to see a mile long queue for what you would presume would be a club, only to walk along and see that they are queuing for El Thyssen to view the collections of 17^th century painting!