Madrid’s Ayuntamiento is preparing to launch the most impressive change in the nearly 60-year history of Parque de Atracciones. In the coming weeks, the city is expected to open a public tender for management of the park, whose current concession dates to 1967 and is closely tied to Parques Reunidos. The new contract aims to bring the venue into a new era, with investment in attractions and accessibility alongside sustainability measures.
The park remains an active part of Madrid’s leisure offer in Casa de Campo, with programming for children and adults. Its 2026 Halloween season runs from September 26 to November 1, pairing activities for younger visitors with scarier experiences for teenagers and adults. Europa Press reported that the Halloween programme at the capital’s two major amusement parks includes more than ten themed passages. The city’s stated annual attendance figure for Parque de Atracciones is around one million visitors, with families and young people making up most of its audience.
The concession will require bidders to commit to large investment. Proposals that prioritize renewing existing facilities and introducing new attractions are expected to be favored as Madrid seeks to strengthen the park’s appeal to residents and tourists. The new management structure will determine the scale and timing of upgrades, while the park continues to operate and host seasonal events.
A prominent requirement is preserving the historic Tiovivo, a hand-crafted carousel built in France in 1927 and acquired by the park in 1968. The art déco and modernist attraction, sheltered beneath a wooden pergola, must be maintained and restored as needed by the future operator. Its continued presence ties the planned modernization to the park’s heritage.
Accessibility is another priority, with improvements intended to make the park more inclusive for visitors. The concessionaire is also expected to improve energy efficiency and cut the venue’s environmental footprint. Under the stated terms, the operator or third parties, not the city, would fund investments and upgrades. Future works must not reduce green spaces or landscaped areas.
Since opening, Parque de Atracciones has undergone five major renovations. These include a 1970s expansion and the creation of themed zones in 1998. The Abismo and Tarántula roller coasters arrived in the mid-2000s, followed by development of the Nickelodeon children’s area between 2014 and 2018. The current concession is scheduled to expire on September 27, 2027, following an extension granted to offset pandemic-related losses.
Madrid’s city council is seeking to renew a historic leisure destination while preserving its defining features. Similar efforts to blend tradition with innovation can be found elsewhere on the Iberian Peninsula, including Portugal’s change of medieval fairs into immersive cultural experiences, as highlighted in this overview of Caminha’s historic festival revival.
As the city prepares to select a new operator, Parque de Atracciones faces the challenge of balancing its history with the expectations of a new generation of visitors. The coming years will shape how the Madrid landmark adapts to changing tastes while keeping the attractions and traditions that have made it a family favorite for decades.
