The residents of Ciudad Lineal denounce that the district board has left them out of the organization of their neighborhood festivals. In the week when the most important events are held, collectives and cultural associations have denounced that the administration of councilor Nadia Álvarez Padilla has unilaterally canceled a concert by Cuban singer-songwriter Orlis Pineda, as well as an inclusive dance by the group Somos Agua. While the associations attribute the changes to an “ideological motivation,” the City Council asks that the days of the fair “be for celebration and not be used to promote political messages.”
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The Regional Federation of Neighborhood Associations of Madrid (FRAVM) states that the changes in the program were not communicated to the collectives. Carlos Gutiérrez, president of the Cultural Association Tricolor, confirms this. According to what he told EL PAÍS, his group submitted a proposal in June that included the concert and the inclusive dance. He recalls that the Board made no negative comments at that time, but a month later, when the official program was published, he saw that the two activities had been left out.
In the 2025 edition, the penultimate day of the La Elipa festivities coincided with the closing of the Vuelta a España and with demonstrations against the participation of the Israel-Premier Tech team in the cycling competition. That day, the leader of the group Somos Agua expressed solidarity with Gaza and Palestine from one of the festival stages. Carlos Gutiérrez believes that this expression was the reason why the group’s performance was not approved for this year. Regarding the singer-songwriter, Gutiérrez speculates that his performance was suspended “because of his opinions against the U.S. blockade of Cuba.”
In response to an inquiry, the Madrid City Council has replied that the district boards are responsible for designing and publishing the festival program, but they take “into account the proposals they consider appropriate.”
Adrián, a member of the Neighborhood Association of the Bilbao and Pueblo Nuevo neighborhood who did not want to give his last name for fear of reprisals, says this is the first time a neighborhood proposal has been left out of the La Elipa Festival program. He also regrets that the decision “eliminates plurality” and that “residents are prohibited from participating in the festivals of their own district.”
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The Ruta de la Tapa, a gastronomic activity in which local restaurateurs compete to offer the most original creation to attendees, has also been left out of the program. Although the City Council and residents agree that the activity took place normally, Adrián regrets that its omission from the poster has reduced the impact it had in previous editions. He also points out that changing the name of the La Elipa Popular Race to Popular Race causes the festival to lose identity.
Another complaint presented by the FRAVM is that the Municipal Board will not allow the installation of the purple point for prevention and support against gender-based violence at the Ciudad Lineal Equality Table. In this regard, the council has clarified that it will install the official purple points, dependent on the Social Policies Area, and they will operate from Thursday to Saturday from 9:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.
The La Elipa festival program includes activities for all ages until September 14. One of the main stages is the fairground, where artists such as Nacha Pop, Cepeda, La Década Prodigiosa, and even a tribute to Michael Jackson will perform.
