Overview

• Thousands gathered at Plaza de Colón for Estefan’s 50th‑anniversary set, which featured guest turns by Nathy Peluso, Emilio Estefan and Emily Estefan, with regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso in attendance.
• The Gran Cabalgata set off along Gran Vía with about 2,500 participants from 23 countries, led by Argentina as guest of honor and including the Philippines for the first time.
• Madrid deployed roughly 800 Municipal Police officers and closed Gran Vía to traffic from 16:00 to 22:00, with additional road restrictions and controlled Metro access in central stations.
• Published figures show €484,000 budgeted for Estefan’s performance and €400,000 spent on a Univision-led campaign to distribute festival programming and promote Madrid in the U.S. and Mexico.
• Running October 3–12 with 200+ activities, the festival highlights cultural diplomacy and tourism goals, with Bomba Estéreo slated to close the edition on October 12.