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The Hipódromo de la Zarzuela brings Imperial Rome back to life with combat and spectacle
This June, Madrid adds to its calendar an event that blends spectacle, history, and a good dose of surprise. For four days, the Hipódromo de la Zarzuela will swap horse racing for gladiator fights, acrobatics, and an atmosphere inspired by ancient Rome.
The experience is called Roma: Combates Prohibidos and will arrive at the Madrid venue on 26, 28, 29 and 30 June. The proposal, promoted by Fever and Bastion Producciones, turns the space into a kind of open-air coliseum where the public does not merely watch: it also takes part.
The show begins with the entrance of the Caesar and unfolds as a story of struggle, power and survival. In the arena, gladiators and centurions take centre stage in choreographed combats, rituals and scenes designed to transport visitors into the imagined world of the Roman Empire.
One of the keys to the production lies in the involvement of attendees. The public is divided into sides, cheers on its fighters and forms part of the outcome of the combats. The idea is for each performance to function more as an immersive experience than as a conventional staging.
The performances last around an hour, although the experience begins before the show. The organisers will open the doors in advance so that attendees can enjoy the themed atmosphere, food and drink areas and different elements intended to complete the feeling of time travel.
Hipódromo de la Zarzuela is especially well suited to this proposal. Its stands, its scale and its relationship with the arena make it possible to transform the venue into a major Roman stage without losing the identity of one of Madrid’s most distinctive spaces.
The show is suitable for all audiences and is presented as a different alternative within the summer cultural agenda. For those looking for a family plan, visual and somewhat outside the usual, the event promises an afternoon of action, history and participation in one of the city’s most recognisable venues.