The Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM) is hosting an exhibition titled 'the celebration of democracy', which offers a visual journey through the key milestones of the Festival of the Iberian Peoples. This festival, held in May 1976 on the Cantoblanco campus, was one of the first major cultural events during Spain's democratic transition.
The exhibition aims to disseminate the festival's history, cultural significance, social impact, and its legacy for the UAM. It is part of a series of activities commemorating the 50th anniversary of the festival, a cultural, institutional, and civic project that honours the 1976 event and serves as an open space for citizen engagement, diversity, and democratic coexistence.
To recreate this historical journey, the exhibition features documents, images, testimonies, and other materials related to the festival. The organisers stated, “We want to bring the public closer to the history and key milestones of the Festival of the Iberian Peoples of 1976, contextualising them within the complex political, social, and cultural landscape of the democratic transition. We aim to highlight the significance of that gathering as a space for cultural expression, a call for freedoms, and citizen participation, as well as its contribution to building a democratic society.”
Special emphasis has been placed on the role of the university community and students in this transformative process. UAM Rector Amaya Mendikoetxea highlighted this during the exhibition's inauguration, noting that the collected documents, photographs, and testimonies are not merely archival materials but rather traces of individuals who participated in that pivotal moment—students, faculty, and citizens who were part of a generation witnessing a country in transformation.
Javier Salido, the exhibition's curator and UAM's delegate for Heritage and Cultural Action, explained that the exhibition's narrative is organised into three sections: 'UAM in the 1970s: a cutting-edge campus in times of change', 'Horizon of coexistence: social dimension and commitment to democratic values', and 'The Festival of the Iberian Peoples: a stage for democracy'.
The exhibition will be open to the public until 15 December at Sala D in Plaza Mayor (C/ Einstein, 7, Madrid). Opening hours are Monday and Wednesday from 9am to 2pm and 3pm to 5pm, Tuesday and Friday from 9am to 2pm, and closed on Thursdays.
