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The evangelical boom in Madrid: Packed stadiums, public transit advertising, and political connections

Religious battles are no longer fought only in churches. They’re also being waged on buses. For days now, advertisements for the Festival of Hope featuring American preacher Franklin Graham have been appearing on Madrid’s Municipal Transportation Company (EMT) buses. The posters, which cover the sides of the vehicles, include a direct invitation: “Share the love of Jesus Christ with people from all over Madrid.” The event, expected to draw a large crowd, will be held on May 30 and 31 at the Vistalegre Palace concert venue and, according to the website, will bring together evangelical churches from all over Spain around the son of the legendary televangelist Billy Graham.

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Dani Alves during an appearance at the Metropolitano stadium. The Change Madrid.
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Prayers, twerking and hundreds of millions of dollars: Pope Leo XIV and Bad Bunny become the latest explosive combination for Madrid

They say that sinners who pray are even. Everything points to this being the plan for many in Madrid on the weekend of June 6 and 7. On the one hand, they’ll unleash their party side at one of the 10 concerts Bad Bunny will be performing in the capital; on the other, they’ll find time for prayer and contrition, taking advantage of Pope Leo XIV’s visit, scheduled for the same dates. The coincidences are striking: the pontiff’s first major public event, near Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu stadium, will happen on the same day and in the same city as one of the Puerto Rican artist’s concerts, which will be held at the Metropolitano stadium, home to Atlético Madrid. And hotels are already starting to rake in the cash, even though there are still two and a half months to go before the events.

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Pope Leo XIV and Bad Bunny.
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