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Festivals & Events in Segovia
Festivals & Events

Titirimundi — Festival Internacional de Teatro de Títeres de Segovia

Segovia's Roman aqueduct and Plaza del Azoguejo during the Titirimundi puppet festival, with the festival carousel installed
Photo: DavidDaguerro / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Titirimundi has turned Segovia into the world's puppetry capital every May since 1985, when Julio Michel founded it. In 2026 the 40th edition (May 12-17) brought together 40 companies from nine countries. Street shows are free; indoor performances are ticketed and sold online at tickets.turismodesegovia.com.

What Titirimundi is

Titirimundi is Segovia's International Puppet Theatre Festival, founded by Julio Michel in 1985 and held every May. The 40th edition ran from May 12 to 17, 2026, and the usual pattern is the second half of the month: check titirimundi.es for exact dates and the lineup for the next edition. This isn't a niche kids' festival: the program mixes traditional puppetry with contemporary object theatre, and several pieces are clearly aimed at adults. In 2026, 40 companies from nine countries took part; the capital's program alone listed 30 companies, 226 performances and 25 venues. Key tip: part of the lineup tours villages across the province from May 1st onward, so if you want the real festival — the one that fills squares and courtyards — you need to be in Segovia city during the core dates. And note: the school performances (May 11-14 in 2026) are not open to the general public.

Free in the street, paid indoors

Access is mixed, and it's worth understanding before you plan. Almost everything happening in streets and squares is free, no booking needed: parades, short pieces, roaming formats. Indoor shows — at the Teatro Juan Bravo, on the Plaza Mayor, and other festival venues — are ticketed, with numbered seats. Tickets for paid shows are sold online at tickets.turismodesegovia.com and also at the Visitor Reception Centre; for the children's cycle the festival programs at Sala Julio Michel (La Cárcel_Segovia), the published flat rate was 7 €. We won't quote other prices here, since they change every edition: check the official program. Key tip: don't count on buying at the door the same day. The venues are small, capacity sells out fast, and weekend shows go first. Buy as soon as tickets open and treat street shows as your flexible backup.

The venues and how to get around

There's no single site: the whole city becomes the stage. Regular venues include the Plaza Mayor, Plaza de San Martín, the area around the Aqueduct, the Teatro Juan Bravo, the Episcopal Palace, the Patio de Abraham Senior, the ruins and park of San Agustín, the Zuloaga Garden, and the Royal Mint (Real Casa de la Moneda) — the oldest surviving industrial architecture complex in Spain and one of the oldest in Europe, commissioned by Philip II in 1583 and traditionally attributed to Juan de Herrera, now a museum with reconstructions of its hydraulic machinery, whose courtyards host performances. Everything is walkable, but the old town is cobbled and quite hilly: the Royal Mint sits down by the Eresma river, so heading down is easy — climbing back up to the Plaza Mayor is not. Wear comfortable shoes and leave plenty of time between shows. To get to Segovia, the Avant/Alvia train from Madrid-Chamartín takes about 28 minutes to Segovia-Guiomar, with over thirty daily services; the station is outside the old town, connected by city bus line 11 (Estación AVE-Acueducto) or taxi. By bus, Avanza runs from Moncloa, about 1h20, with a more central stop. Check prices and schedules at renfe.com and avanzabus.com.

Practical tips

The classic mistake is treating the free shows as unlimited. Courtyards and cloisters have tight capacity, and locals tend to show up well ahead of time; arriving right on time usually means watching the backs of other people's heads. In smaller squares, arrive with a comfortable margin. With kids, favor open squares over indoor venues: you can watch standing up, leave without fuss, and skip the ticket cost. For meals between shows, the area around Plaza Mayor and San Martín has plenty of bars for a quick bite, but expect queues at lunchtime during festival dates: eat before 1:30pm or after 3pm. Segovia sits at around 1,000 meters altitude, inland: this isn't a beach or music festival, and May nights genuinely turn chilly. Bring a jacket for outdoor shows. Good combo: pair a show with a visit to the Alcázar and its gardens, in bloom around this time, then head down to the Aqueduct.

Frequently asked questions

Is Titirimundi free, or do you need a ticket?
It's mixed. Nearly all street and square performances are free with no booking needed, but indoor shows (Teatro Juan Bravo and other enclosed venues) are ticketed. The only confirmed price the festival published was 7 € for the children's cycle at Sala Julio Michel. Check titirimundi.es.
Where do you buy tickets?
Paid shows are sold online at tickets.turismodesegovia.com and at Segovia's Visitor Reception Centre; some venues also sell at the door shortly before showtime. Don't leave it for the day of: capacity is limited and weekend sessions sell out. Buy as soon as tickets go on sale.
When is Titirimundi held?
Every May in Segovia. The 40th edition ran from May 12 to 17, 2026, and the usual pattern is the second half of the month, six days of programming. Part of the lineup tours villages across the province starting in early May. Exact dates and the lineup for each edition are published at titirimundi.es.
Is it worth going with kids?
Yes, but choose wisely. Street shows in open squares are the easiest with little ones: you can watch standing, they're short, and you can leave anytime. The festival also programs a children's cycle indoors. Keep in mind some pieces are for adults, and school performances aren't open to the public.

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