After a challenging first half of the season in LaLiga and the Champions League, Real Madrid is welcoming some much-needed holiday spirit at the Bernabéu.
This week, the stadium will be aglow with festive cheer as it debuts “Mavidad,” a clever play on the Spanish term for Christmas, “Navidad.”
Open from December 23 to 31, this winter wonderland has transformed the Bernabéu’s pitch into a snowy village filled with activities. Event organizers, Somos Experiences, describe Mavidad as “a unique experience in a place where magic comes alive.”
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Unfortunately, many of Real Madrid’s players have already embarked on their holiday getaways following Saturday’s victory over Sevilla. Vinícius Júnior has already shared his Dubai travel plans on social media, while Kylian Mbappé posted a birthday photo from his private jet.
For any teammates who remain in town for Christmas and wish to experience Mavidad, they will need to coordinate with the club to get on the guest list, as tickets sold out within hours of being released.
An event map reveals nine different attractions and activities spread across the Bernabéu pitch. “The Magic River” invites visitors to skate around an enchanting ice rink, complete with a grand Christmas tree. “The Frozen Lake” offers a unique twist on bumper cars, allowing riders to navigate on ice bumpers. Additional highlights include a carousel, a food market, and an exhilarating giant slide that sends riders down from the Bernabéu stands to the field below.
“The Bernabéu is preparing for its most magical Christmas yet,” proclaimed the newspaper Marca, sharing videos of the illuminated stadium adorned with festive imagery, including the Three Wise Men. Local channel Telemadrid heralded the event as “the season’s most spectacular, family-friendly Christmas plan,” featuring what is claimed to be “the world’s largest snowball.”
Mavidad exemplifies Real Madrid’s ambition to turn the Bernabéu into a year-round entertainment hub following its €1.3 billion renovation, offering much more than just football. As the renovation nears completion, several projects have been launched recently, including the “Bernabéu Market,” a culinary space featuring 17 food stalls from some of the city’s finest eateries.
However, plans for concerts had to be paused — Taylor Swift praised the venue during her May 2024 performance — due to noise complaints from neighbors. The club is now finalizing measures to soundproof the stadium, as noted by president Florentino Pérez. It remains to be seen if the sounds of Mavidad’s jingle bells will pose an issue.
The Bernabéu joins a growing list of sports arenas embracing the holiday spirit. Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles hosted a Holiday Festival in 2021, and Chicago’s Wrigley Field transforms into Winterland during the festivities.
Across Europe, Paris Saint-Germain’s Parc des Princes features a smaller-scale Christmas event with an ice rink, food chalets, and opportunities to meet Santa, while nearby, Atletico Madrid’s Metropolitano Stadium boasts a speed skating rink.
But at Real Madrid, only the grandest experiences will suffice. The Bernabéu edition of Mavidad was set up in a race against time, with players departing the field post their final match of 2025 just after 11 p.m. on Saturday, ahead of Tuesday’s event launch.
“We had 48 hours to create this magical world,” revealed Margarita Calvo, Mavidad’s director, to Telemadrid, emphasizing that “there’s no room for error” – a familiar sentiment for coaches at Real Madrid over the years.