Thousands of sheep marched through central Madrid at the transhumance festival

Sheep flocks returned to the streets of Madrid

On October 25, 2026, the streets of Madrid saw a flock of 1,250 sheep and 160 goats. The animals set out from Casa de Campo park, crossed the Puente del Rey bridge and made their way through the city's historic center, Euronews reports. Residents and tourists lined the streets to watch the procession, photograph it and follow along; according to the outlet, bells jingled, and streets and squares usually dominated by car traffic were filled with flocks.

Traditions and participants

Some shepherds wore traditional costumes, while others carried lambs in their arms or treated the animals to snacks. Folk musicians added to the festive atmosphere. The festival is dedicated to transhumance — the centuries-old practice of driving livestock between summer and winter pastures along the so-called vías pecuarias, drovers' routes. On the Plaza de la Villa, officials held a symbolic ceremony paying 50 maravedís per thousand animals, a tradition dating back to 1418.

A changed route and ecological significance

This year, the procession route was altered to bypass the Puerta del Sol square, where housing activists have set up a protest camp following the eviction and subsequent death of an 87-year-old local resident — Euronews reports. Beyond preserving rural heritage, the festival, according to the outlet, draws attention to the ecological role of traditional grazing: by eating vegetation, the animals reduce the amount of easily flammable undergrowth and lower the risk of wildfires. Editorially, it can be noted that combining the festive procession with a detour around the protest site shows how the organizers weigh the historical ritual against the current urban agenda, although the sources do not reveal details of how this decision was made.