The 33rd Fiesta de la Trashumancia is set to take place on Sunday, 25 October, in central Madrid, featuring a procession of 1,250 sheep and 160 goats. This annual event, which has been celebrated since 1994, aims to advocate for the preservation of cattle routes and emphasise the role of transhumance and extensive livestock farming in biodiversity conservation.
This year, the route has been altered, and the procession will not pass through Puerta del Sol or reach Plaza de Cibeles and the City Hall due to a campsite at the city's kilometre zero. The journey will commence at Casa de Campo, proceeding via Puente del Rey, Cuesta de la Vega, Calle del Duque de Nájera, Calle Mayor, Plaza de la Villa, Plaza Mayor, Calle de Toledo, Plaza de la Cebada, Carrera de San Francisco, Calle de Bailén, and returning to Casa de Campo. The flock is expected to arrive at Plaza de la Villa between 11:15 and 11:25.
Borja Carabante, the delegate for Urban Planning, Environment, and Mobility, will welcome the shepherds and farmers at Plaza de la Villa, where the Concordia of 1418 will be read, and the '50 maravedís per thousand' fee, which shepherds were required to pay for using cattle paths, will be presented.
The festival will feature groups dressed in traditional regional costumes, musicians, and folk dances. Additionally, various activities are planned at the Casa de Campo Environmental Education Centre, starting the weekend prior with a digital seminar and a day dedicated to agroecology and pastoralism. The programme includes spinning workshops, walks with the flock, and exhibitions on transhumance and its cultural heritage.
This year, the Community of Madrid has declared transhumance a Cultural Heritage Asset, recognising its significance in the region's architectural and cultural heritage.
