Aranjuez relives the 1808 Mutiny this weekend with its historical reenactment.

It is a Festival of National Tourist Interest (1990) and also an International Festival (2014). We are talking about the Aranjuez Mutiny festivities , which are held this weekend (September 4-7) and recreate the historical events of 1808 that sparked the Spanish War of Independence .

Aranjuez is one of the most prominent enclaves in the Community of Madrid. It was declared a World Cultural Landscape by UNESCO in 2001. Also extremely famous are the Strawberry Train , its royal palace , and its gardens . Thanks to the Catholic Monarchs, it was designated a Royal Site, but it was under the Bourbons that the municipality acquired the status it still boasts today. In fact, under the reign of Ferdinand VI, the current layout of the town was drawn up, making Aranjuez a key court center.

At the beginning of the 19th century, Charles IV and Napoleon signed an alliance against England in Aranjuez, a pact the French emperor used to invade Spain with his troops. Under Ferdinand VII, son of Charles IV , the historic episode that gives rise to this weekend's festivities occurred: when he rose up against his father's government in March 1808, the Aranjuez Mutiny was organized.

At the time, Manuel Godoy was Charles IV's prime minister and his right-hand man. He was the protagonist of the popular uprising that stormed his palace, resulting in his imprisonment, and the King abdicating in favor of his son, Ferdinand VII.

Today, the Aranjuez Mutiny festivities are a celebration born from the popular sentiment of that historic and vital episode for the political and social development of the Spanish people who participated in that revolt. A page in history that reopens every year, after the summer, in a unique festival, as it is the residents of the Royal Site and Town themselves who ensure this celebration lives up to its prestige.

The inhabitants of Aranjuez themselves embody the historical figures of that 1808, interpreting the events through the " National Episodes " of Benito Pérez Galdós . The reenactment of the Aranjuez Mutiny will take place in the Plaza de Parejas on Saturday, September 6 at 10:00 p.m. Just beforehand, the city council will have named the Madrid 112 Security and Emergency Agency (ASEM 112) as the 2025 Major Mutiny , in recognition of its essential work in citizen protection.

The 2025 Aranjuez Mutiny festivities also include the 44th edition of the Pirate Descent, in which several boats will compete to be the most original and creative as they navigate the Tagus River. It will take place on Sunday, September 7, at La Piragüera (11:00 a.m.).

The Aranjuez Bicentennial Bullring will host the traditional Corrida Goyesca on Saturday, September 6th at 6:30 p.m., featuring six bulls from Don Juan Manuel Criado for Morante de la Puebla, Juan Ortega, and Pablo Aguado. The fairgrounds will once again be a meeting and entertainment venue with attractions for all ages.

The OBK performance (Saturday at 10:00 p.m. in the Plaza de la Constitución), sports tournaments , street parties , the Goyesco Market , children's activities and orchestras will continue throughout the weekend until Sunday, when the fireworks will bring the Aranjuez Mutiny 2025 festivities to a close.