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Here Are 7 Things to Do in Madrid This Weekend

It’s Friday again!

And we have quite an explosive weekend ahead of us. It’s Madrid Pride, of course (and honestly, that should be more than enough), but if you need more, you have more! Katy Perry, the Offspring, and Garbage are in town.

• Plus, it’s the 4th of July! An important date for everyone as it’s another anniversary of the Battle of Mantinea, part of the Theban-Spartan war that took place like a million years ago.

• It’s also 30 years since the release of Independence Day, a movie about misunderstood aliens who come to visit our planet and the whole thing becomes an inconvenience. What a time to be alive!

• Last but not least, Episode 2 of The Bubble Podcast is out! We talk about true crime (maybe), how to enjoy this summer’s verbenas, and mistakes foreigners make when moving to Spain.

Happy Pride weekend!

1. 🌈 Madrid Pride returns with Europe’s biggest LGBTQ+ celebration

Ready for the biggest party of the year? You better be! More than a million people are expected to descend on Madrid this weekend as Madrid Pride (MADO) reaches its climax with three days of free concerts, drag shows, street parties, political activism and the iconic Pride March that has made it Europe’s largest LGBTQ+ celebration.

• While Chueca has been buzzing with events since late June (Pride Week started on the 25th), this is the weekend when the city truly comes alive. Four outdoor stages (Plaza de las Reinas, Pedro Zerolo, Sol and Plaza de España) host dozens of artists, thousands pack the streets around Gran Vía and Plaza de España, and rainbow flags transform the centre of Madrid into one giant open-air festival. It’s basically a Vox voter’s worst nightmare.

• This year’s edition carries an especially political message. Under the slogan “Orgullo Ciudadano” (“Citizen Pride”), organizers say the festival is not only a celebration of diversity but also a defense of democracy and civil rights, arguing that rising hate speech and attacks against LGBTQ+ people make this year’s march more important than ever.

Friday: Politics by day, partying by night.

• This morning begins with the Madrid Summit 2026, an international conference on LGBTQ+ human rights held at the offices of the European Parliament and European Commission in Madrid.

• The program features discussions on trans rights, migration, historical memory and the role of sport in inclusion, bringing together activists, policymakers and civil society organisations from across Europe. It runs from 9:30 a,m. until 6 p.m.

• By evening, the streets shift into celebration mode. The main stage at Plaza de España hosts the 19th Mr Gay España Gala, one of Pride’s flagship events, combining live performances with messages promoting equality and visibility. (And yes, the guys are hot, but don’t be frivolous!)

• Puerta del Sol becomes the city’s urban music hub with Proud Bling!, featuring artists including Bea Pelea, Naiara, Albany, Ouineta, Bella Kanela and DeArco, before the party continues well into the early hours with DJs and the ChaCha Sound System queer rave.

• If you’re in Chueca, Plaza de las Reinas (aka Plaza del Rey) showcases artists including Blanca Paloma, Pamela Rodríguez and Melani Santiler, while Plaza Pedro Zerolo hosts drag performances, comedy and variety shows that keep the neighborhood buzzing late into the night.

Saturday: The big day (March + Parade)

Saturday is the day Madrid Pride becomes one of the largest public gatherings on the continent. At 7 p.m., the Pride March + Parade sets off from Glorieta de Carlos V (by the Atocha station) before making its way north to Plaza de Colón in Salamanca, where organizers will read this year’s manifesto.

• This is the event to experience, even if you’ve never attended Pride before. Hundreds of organizations, associations, activists, international visitors, and elaborately decorated floats fill Paseo del Prado, Cibeles, and Paseo de Recoletos in a colourful procession that stretches for hours. Once the march reaches Colón, the celebrations continue across central Madrid.

• At Plaza de España, Orgullo Latino takes over the main stage with a star-studded line-up that includes Lali, Mon Laferte, Kany García, Monsieur Periné, Lucía Pérez, Yadam, Vicco, Natalia and many more.

• Over in Puerta del Sol, the night leans towards electronic music, with sets from Tokischa, Lesbianette, ØTTA, Hexboyfriend, and several international DJs.

• Chueca’s stages remain equally lively, with drag shows in Pedro Zerolo Square and concerts in Plaza de las Reinas, where performers include Nuria Fergó and Mariana Ochoa.

• 🚨 Important: Bring water and don’t expect the buses (aka floats) to appear before 9:30 p.m. So if you head over to Cibeles around 7 p.m., it will be hot, and you'd better be patient.

Sunday: One final celebration

If Saturday is the biggest party, Sunday is the time to hug, cry and say goodbye to the people you hooked up with, followed on Instagram and will never talk to again new friends you’ve made.

• The Closing Gala at Plaza de España brings together artists, organizers and special guests to officially close MADO 2026 after 10 days of celebrations. It’s a more relaxed atmosphere than on Saturday but still attracts thousands of people for one last evening of live music and performances.

• Concerts continue elsewhere too. Plaza de las Reinas hosts performances from Alba Morena, Lucía de la Puerta, Melani, Lara Taylor, Siria Malo and closes with Ptazeta, while Chueca’s bars and terraces remain packed throughout the afternoon before the city gradually winds down.

• If you’re not quite ready for Pride to end, the wider Muestra T cultural festival continues until 20 July, offering LGBTQ+ cinema, theatre, exhibitions and family activities across Madrid.

Download the official program here!

🖥️ What: Madrid Pride Weekend (MADO)

📍 Where: All around downtown Madrid

📅 When: July 3–5

🎟 Tickets: Official concerts, stages and the Pride March are free to attend.

2. 🎸 Katy Perry, The Offspring, and Bomba Estéreo arrive for Festival Rio Babel

Skipping Madrid Pride this year? Afraid of big crowds? Hate standing in the sun for hours? Well, we have another option for you. You will sweat, but at least you’ll have a beer in hand and a lineup that jumps from EMD to Latin beats to full-blown pop superstardom. In other words, it is literally just like Pride, but you have to pay for this one.

• Welcome to Festival Río Babel, the city’s most eclectic summer festival, which is back this weekend with one of its strongest lineups yet! Río Babel mixes things that don’t usually share a stage: Spanish indie, Latin American heavyweights, and global acts all thrown into one big music event.

• You’ll go from vibing to cumbia or reggae to suddenly screaming along to Last Friday Night.

• Friday leans more local and alternative, with Amaia (in her only Madrid show), La M.O.D.A., Chambao celebrating 25 years, and La Pegatina bringing the party energy.

• Saturday turns things up a notch with The Offspring and Molotov leading a louder lineup.

• On Sunday, things go full madness: Katy Perry (yes, her only concert in Spain this year), Bomba Estéreo, and La Casa Azul closing things out with what will almost certainly feel like a giant collective dance floor.

It’s a proper festival setup with food trucks, drinks and people wandering between stages. It’s less polished than some of the bigger European festivals, but honestly, who cares? If you’re looking for a perfectly curated experience, this isn’t it.

But if you want a weekend with the stars, this is definitely it.

🖥️ What: Festival Río Babel 2026

📍 Where: Auditorio Miguel Ríos, P.º Alicia Alonso, s/n, Rivas-Vaciamadrid

📅 When: July 3–5

🎟 Tickets: Check website

3. 🎭 A Royal Mess on Stage

Yes, yes. We know. Theater about 19th-century Spanish politics doesn’t exactly scream “I fully understand what’s happening.” But if you don’t learn about this country’s history, how do you expect to integrate? Unless you’re here for Pride and are hoping to find true love. In that case, skip this one entirely.

• Farsa y licencia de la reina castiza is a savage satire of Spain under Queen Isabel II by dramatist Ramón del Valle-Inclán, where politics, monarchy, and society collapse into one big grotesque carnival.

• This play has everything: corrupt elites, ridiculous power dynamics, and a whole lot of hypocrisy, just like our current horrendous timeline! And it’s all filtered through Valle-Inclán’s signature esperpento, where everything is exaggerated just enough to feel… a bit too real.

• If you’re into dark humor and biting political commentary, this is very much your thing. Director Ana Zamora’s adaptation leans into mixing historical events with theatrical absurdity to create something that feels both old-school and weirdly current.

• The result is fast-paced and visually playful, making you laugh and then immediately wonder if you should be laughing because it reminds you of your Twitter feed.

Yes, it’s set in the 1800s, but it feels like 2026.

🖥️ What: Farsa y licencia de la reina castiza

📍 Where: Teatro Español, Calle del Príncipe 25, Madrid

📅 When: Through July 26 (Tuesday to Sunday)

🎟 Tickets start at €18

4. 🌴 Yann Gross’ Drift: an exhibition that will change how you see nature

Oooohhhh… an exhibit about plants! We know. It doesn’t exactly sound like your go-to weekend plan. But Drift isn’t really about plants. It’s about deeper stuff… like power, history, and how something as innocent-looking as a palm tree can tell a much darker story.

• Swiss artist Yann Gross takes the humble palm — that universal symbol of vacations, wealth, and “good vibes” — and flips it on its head. Through photography, installations, and a multi-screen video setup, the exhibition explores how plants have been moved across the world for centuries, often tied to colonial expansion, economic exploitation, and the reshaping of entire landscapes.

• At the center of it all is the Wardian case — a 19th-century glass box that made it possible to transport plants across continents. Sounds harmless, but trust us, it wasn’t. It helped fuel global trade networks and colonial economies, turning nature into something that could be packaged, shipped, and monetized.

• Gross uses this as a starting point to ask a bigger question: what do our landscapes actually say about how the world works?

The result is immersive and very much in line with La Casa Encendida’s vibe. An exhibit where you walk in expecting something chill and leave questioning palm trees, globalization, and your last beach holiday.

🖥️ What: Drift by Yann Gross

📍 Where: La Casa Encendida, Ronda de Valencia, 2, Madrid

📅 When: Through July 26

🎟 Free admission

5.🗑️ Garbage is here to lighten up your post-Pride Sunday

Nostalgia concerts can go either way. But when it’s Garbage, it’s less about nostalgia and more about how many absolute bangers you forgot they had. Fronted by Shirley Manson (who will never not be cool), Garbage helped define the sound of the late ’90s by blending alternative rock, electronic beats, and just enough pop to make everything stick.

• Songs like Only Happy When It Rains, Stupid Girl, and I Think I’m Paranoid still hit — and yes, you will know more lyrics than you expect. And don’t even get us started on the amazing Bond theme The World Is Not Enough from 1999.

• This isn’t just a greatest hits set, though. The band is still putting out new music (their latest album dropped in 2025), and they’ve built a reputation for evolving without losing what made them stand out in the first place. So expect a mix of old songs and newer material that proves they’re not just coasting on legacy.

• And btw, the Noches del Botánico is easily one of Madrid’s best summer concert series (an open-air stage surrounded by trees, warm night air, and a crowd that’s there to actually listen (and drink, obvi).

If you need a break after partying all weekend with the LGBTs, this may be your best choice.

🖥️ What: Garbage at Noches del Botánico

📍 Where: Real Jardín Botánico Alfonso XIII (Complutense), Madrid

📅 When: July 5, 10 p.m.

🎟 Tickets: Check website (and hurry, there aren’t many left)

6. 🇺🇸 4th of July in Madrid: Stars, Stripes & Rooftop Drinks

The 4th of July is around the corner, and even though the 🍊 Menace is destroying the reputation of what was once the beacon of freedom, it’s only natural that some Americans living in Madrid may be feeling a little nostalgic this weekend (and non-Americans just want another excuse to party). Well… good news.

• The American Club of Madrid is throwing a full-blown Independence Day celebration today, and yes, it’s exactly what you would expect: flags, drinks, music and (hopefully?) tons of burgers.

• The event takes place at Talent Garden, a rooftop space that mixes indoor areas with AC and outdoor areas with, well, the sun (it’s Madrid in July — what did you expect?)

• There will be music and games mixing all sorts of people, locals, and a national holiday that’s basically an excuse to party. Oh, and it’s also a pretty family-friendly setup.

Prices are on the higher side if you’re not a member, but you’re paying for the setting and the atmosphere as much as anything else. And if you’ve ever wondered what an American-style 4th of July looks like in Madrid, this is probably as close as it gets. Happy fourth (on the third)!

🖥️ What: Independence Day Rooftop Party (American Club of Madrid)

📍 Where: Talent Garden, Calle Juan de Mariana 15, Madrid

📅 When: July 3

🎟 Tickets: €65 (non-members), €55 (members), €35 (kids 6–14), free for kids under 5

7. 🛍️ The Salesas Festival & Street Market is back, and it’s a great place before brunch

Remember when the gals in Sex and the City would go shopping and then brunch at some cool NYC restaurant (before the show was problematic)? Those were the days, amirite? So why not replicate that by going to a cute street market à la Notting Hill with your friends and, for a fleeting moment, forget about the impending doom heading our way thanks to the combination of rogue AI and sociopathic tech bros?

• The Festival Street Market in the Salesas neighborhood (north of the Chueca) is back! The festival usually takes place on the first Saturday of every month, and, just between us squirrels, it will probably be full of curious gays browsing and shopping for some cool design product they can take back to their West Hollywood apartment to claim they, too, partook in Madrid Pride. (Trust us, Grindr is about to experience a user spike not seen since the last Republican convention).

• But we digress! This self-described “crazy, cosmopolitan and unique” street market is a place where you can buy modern art, listen to cool music, try on some hipster hand-made clothes and sample chocolate from Papua New Guinea.

• Artisans, fashion designers, bartenders, and poets are all mixed together here. And the best part is, once you’ve made your purchase (trust us, you will), the area is filled with cool cafés and restaurants in the area where you can sit down and cruise hang out.

Check their official website for more information on what to expect.

🖥️ What: The Festival Street Market

📍 Where: Near the Alonso Martínez metro station

📅 When: July 4, 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

🎟 Tickets: Free admission.

📺 What to watch if you hate football and big crowds are staying in this weekend…

🖥️ What: Kraken: The Black Book of Hours (Kraken: El Libro Negro de las Horas) | TV Series | 2026

📍Where to watch: Prime Video

❓What’s it about: A crime thriller series based on the bestselling novel The Black Book of Hours by Eva García Sáenz de Urturi. A former inspector of the Basque police receives a terrifying call: he has seven days to find an ancient and valuable book or his mother dies. The problem? His mother has been dead for forty years.

🤩 Why you should watch: Because the story hooks you immediately with strong performances, a moody visual style, and a mystery that blends family secrets, rare books, historical intrigue, and a race against the clock. It’s the kind of binge-worthy crime drama that gives its twists and characters enough room to breathe.

💬 English Subtitles: Yes.

💃🏻 Places to try this weekend…

🍕 Pizzeria Baldoria: What world-class pizza looks like

What’s it about: A top-tier Neapolitan pizzeria that’s quietly become one of the best in Europe — literally. Baldoria, led by Ciro Cristiano, just ranked as the #2 pizzeria in Europe (again) according to the 50 Top Pizza guide, and it’s holding the crown as the best in Spain.

Why you should go: Because this isn’t hype. In a city flooded with decent pizzas, Baldoria plays in a different league with its perfectly blistered crusts, high-quality Italian ingredients, and that ideal balance between chew and crunch that most places never quite get right.

Bottom line: If you’re even remotely into pizza, this is a must. One of Europe’s best, sitting right here in Madrid — and yes, it lives up to it.

Address: Calle de José Ortega y Gasset, 100, Madrid

🍽️ Urruti: Escape Madrid without leaving it

What’s it about: A hidden terrace just 10 minutes from Chamartín that feels nothing like Madrid. Urruti Madrid is an intimate outdoor space surrounded by its own vegetable gardens, where the menu is literally built from what’s growing a few meters away.

Why you should go: Because this is as close as you’ll get to a countryside dining experience without leaving the city. The experience actually starts in the garden, with an aperitif among the crops, before moving into a 15-dish menu driven by whatever’s in season (sardines, piparras, zucchini flowers, and properly sourced seafood).

Bottom line: Quiet, seasonal, and genuinely different — but you’ll need to book ahead.

Address: Gran Vía de Hortaleza 46S, Madrid,

👨🏻‍💻 Viral Memes of the Week

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⚽️ Can you spot the differences?

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That's a LOT of people

🛂 Give us your tired, your poor…ah, hell, give us everybody.

Remember Spain’s controversial massive migrant regularization program? Well, it just blew past expectations (way past!), and it’s now turning into one of the biggest social and political bets of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s government.

• 1.3 million! The deadline to apply passed on Tuesday, and while the government predicted around 500,000 undocumented migrants would apply, early estimates now suggest the number could be as high as 1.3m. 😵‍💫

• The government hasn’t confirmed the final figure yet, but even its own mid-June data (900,000) already showed the scale of the surge. This would be the largest regularization in Europe in decades.

• UPDATE: After this newsletter was sent, the government confirmed a total of 1.174.978 petitions made (67% of them from Latin American citizens).

A big f*cking deal. In simple terms, the process allows undocumented migrants already in Spain to obtain legal residency and work permits (citizenship could come after years of residency).

• The government’s argument is both moral and economic. That is, these are people already working — often off the books — and bringing them into the system means taxes, contributions, and legal protections.

• Sánchez has made big claims. He has framed mass immigration as essential to sustaining the economy and says thousands of businesses, farms, and schools would disappear without migrant labor. Without immigration, he claims that Spain would lose 19% of its GDP by 2050. Now, this Big Scary Number is a guesstimate, but considering Spaniards are not having kids, he may be pointing in the right direction.

• Training. Alongside the regularization, the government has launched a €500m integration plan, focused on employment, training, housing, healthcare, and social cohesion (language programs, etc).

• Immigrants have been powering the economy recently. Since 2018, Spain has added 2.9m jobs, and some 44% of them have gone to foreign workers who help offset Spain’s aging population and labor shortages.

Party poopers. The center-right PP and far-right Vox (shocker) have come out strongly against the regularization, warning of an “efecto llamada” (a pull effect) that could encourage more irregular migration.

• The police are fueling that argument. They originally warned that the number of applicants would be much higher than the government's 500,000 estimate. Their internal estimates also suggested that up to 400,000 applicants may not have been living in Spain before the official cutoff date, raising concerns about fraud, forged documents, and a potential black market for fake proof of residency.

EU gotta be kidding me. Spain’s Supreme Court is now considering whether the policy could conflict with EU law (i.e., Schengen rules). It has asked both the government and several PP-led regions whether it should refer the case to the European Court of Justice (CJEU).

• Basically, EU citizenship. Judges are concerned that it would grant over a million people free movement across the EU and may conflict with EU migration law, especially since it was done without coordination with Brussels or other member states. Sánchez’s government, however, has said the permits are only for Spain (hmmm). And the European Commission has already signaled that migration regularization is a national power, not an EU one.

It’s not just the massive regularization that has the opposition up in arms. They’re also on fire about a massive naturalization — that of Spanish emigrants and their children abroad through a law known as the Ley de Nietos (The Grandchildren’s Law). Funny thing? Some of them used to support it.

• The Ley de Nietos is a provision of the 2022 Ley de Memoria Democrática granting Spanish citizenship to grandchildren of Civil War exiles and Franco-era emigrants. Applications closed in October 2025 with 2.45m submitted — mostly from Argentina (1.5m) and Cuba (800,000). Some 544,722 have been approved; 306,000 are now on the electoral roll.

• The awkward part. PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo campaigned in Buenos Aires in 2023, promising a “specific law” to grant nationality to descendants of Spanish emigrants. In 2018, PP voted in favor of a similar Senate measure — and as Galicia’s president, Feijóo spent years defending the Galician diaspora’s right to a Spanish passport.

• Now, though. This week Feijóo called the law “electoral engineering” and accused Sánchez of “manufacturing voters.” Vox’s Abascal went further, alleging a full pucherazo (vote-rigging). Madrid presi Isabel Díaz Ayuso warned consular officials they could face legal consequences for granting citizenship to those “who don’t deserve it” — which pissed off Spain’s diplomatic corps, traditionally conservative and deeply unused to being accused of electoral fraud by the right. The government called all of it “trumpismo” — and Reuters drew the same parallel, explicitly comparing the rhetoric to Donald Trump's and former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro’s election-denial playbooks.

The mail-in twist. Vox is now demanding that the Junta Electoral Central suspend postal voting for all Spaniards abroad — the better to protect democracy, we assume. But the irony: in the 2023 election, PP beat PSOE in overseas votes 32.7% to 24.9%. The overseas vote, as it stands, is a PP stronghold.

More news below. 👇👇

🔔 Don’t miss the latest episode of The Bubble Podcast!

Episode 2 of The Bubble Podcast is out! We talk about true crime (maybe), how to enjoy this summer’s verbenas, and mistakes foreigners make when moving to Spain.

Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube!

💬 Five things to discuss at dinner parties

1. 🤑 Spain’s Tax Man releases the 13th annual list of biggest tax dodgers!

Just like some Spaniards get all fired up about Semana Santa, Pride, or MadCool, we anxiously await the annual release of the biggest tax debtors. Because…we’re weird, and because we just loved following Shakira’s multi-year fight with Hacienda, which she won, in part, because her hips don’t lie, usually.

• The 2025 list doesn’t disappoint. The list includes 5,853 debtors, down 2.4% from last year, and at first glance, total debt looks lower — €15.4bn, off 4.4%. But strip out duplicate entries, and it’s actually 12.2% more than last year. Well done, cheats!

• The threshold to make the list: owe more than €600,000, debt firm and uncontested as of Dec. 31, 2025.

But we’re not here for the stats; we’re here for the celebrities.

• Back after two years off, TV presenter Patricia Conde returns with €714,615 pending. ¡Bienvenida!

• Back after three years: Gossip TV regular Kiko Matamoros squeaks back in at exactly €600,740. Well done, but we’ll expect more next year!

• Going up 📈: Isabel Pantoja’s debt has grown from €1m to €1.3m. Singing more, paying less. Paz Vega (real name María Paz Campos Trigo) is up to €1.8m. And El Chatarrero — a scrap metal mogul and right-wing gossip-press regular named Luis Miguel Rodríguez — has gone from €3.7m to €4.35m. 🎇 Lol, and to think your simple autónomo debt keeps you up at night.

• Going down (slowly) 📉: Bertín Osborne, the singer, right-wing(ish) TV star and…9th Count of Donadío de Casasola, still owes €835,000, though at least it’s trending the right way — notable given he just launched a new telecom company with the slogan “things done right, things done correctly”. Mario Conde, the former banker-turned-politician, has brought his tab from €6.4m in 2023 down to €1.9m. Points for effort.

• Leaving: Diego Torres, of the Nóos corruption case (remember the one involving the King’s brother-in-law?), has made it off. ¡Chao! 👋

• The corporate heavyweights: Real people are fun, but the serious money is corporate. Reyal Urbis, a real estate firm, has led the list every year since 2015 and owes €264.9m. Behind them: a parade of oil companies under investigation for VAT fraud — Bio-Zenite Energy (€232.9m), Metaway Combustibles (€195.6m), Vertix Petroleum (€194.7m).

The list was created in 2015 as a financial shaming mechanism. Does it work? Somewhat: €79.5m was paid right before the Dec. 31 deadline, presumably to avoid appearing. The problem is that 20% of the total debt (€4.3bn) belongs to companies in bankruptcy proceedings — meaning it may never actually be collected.

• Dream on. Someday, we hope to have enough 🫰to be that far in tax debt.

2. 🏳️‍🌈 Parliament criminalizes “conversion therapy”, at last

Just in time for Pride Week. Parliament has approved a reform of the Penal Code to criminalize the so-called “conversion therapies,” practices aimed at changing or suppressing a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity.

• UN says torture. These "therapies,” which the UN calls a form of torture, range from psychological pressure to coercive religious “treatments,” often targeting vulnerable people, including minors.

• Banned already. Until now, these practices — which have persisted — were technically banned in Spain, though only punishable with administrative fines.

• Little punishment. There was little punishment under the previous regime: out of 23 complaints filed with the Ministry of Equality in recent years, 20 were shelved. And No Es Terapia (It’s Not Therapy), an NGO that fights against the practices, blames regions led by the PP and Vox for ignoring complaints brought to them.

The new law changes that. It introduces prison sentences of six months to two years, even if the person undergoing the “therapy” claims to consent. MPs supporting the reform argue that consent in these cases often comes from pressure, fear, or family coercion.

• For this reason, the law goes a step further. Parents, guardians, or anyone facilitating these practices on minors or vulnerable individuals can also face criminal penalties, including the loss of custody rights.

• The measure passed with broad support from the left and government allies (PSOE, Sumar, Podemos, ERC, Bildu, PNV and others), who framed it as a long-overdue protection of dignity and human rights. Socialist MP Víctor Gutiérrez, who is gay, said that “these are not therapies; they are torture,” arguing that fines were clearly not enough to stop them.

The right was… the right. Meaning it was split. The center-right PP abstained despite saying it supports banning conversion therapies, arguing the law is “legally flawed” and too vague, particularly around the issue of consent.

• Big market for that? Some within the party pushed to allow adults to voluntarily seek such treatments (hmm), a position that triggered a heated clash in parliament.

• Far-right Vox went further, clutching its pearls and voting against the law entirely, calling it an attack on “individual freedom” and denying the scale of the problem. They also said this law “bans homosexuals from seeing a psychologist” (which is a lie).

The left was also being the left. Despite backing the law, several left-wing parties said it doesn’t go far enough. Their main complaint? It focuses on punishing perpetrators but does little to help victims rebuild their lives.

• Proposals for financial aid, housing support, and psychological assistance were left out — leaving what some called a “half-finished” reform.

More fun things. Now Spain can turn from fighting over conversion therapy, just in time for Pride.

3. 💬 RTVE apologizes for decision to subtitle a woman from… Sevilla (?!)

Andalusians speak fast and have something against the letter 'S', but come on, now. Spain’s public broadcaster, RTVE, found itself at the center of a shit storm an unlikely culture war after it subtitled the Andalusian accent of the mother of Spanish footballer Fabián Ruiz in a World Cup documentary.

• That changed quickly. What was meant to be an emotional interview quickly sparked accusations of “andalufobia” (anti-Andalusian prejudice) and restarted a long-running debate in this country over regional accents and class stereotypes.

Selective subtitling. The controversy began in Denominación de origen, a documentary series about the families and hometowns of Spain’s World Cup squad.

• Not like mother like son. When Ruiz's mother, Chari Peña, spoke about her son’s childhood from their home in Los Palacios, in Sevilla, RTVE displayed Spanish subtitles because of her strong Andalusian accent. (Curiously, they did not subtitle Ruiz himself, even though they both speak with the same accent.)

Cue Andalusian scorn. This triggered an immediate backlash on TV and social media, with thousands accusing RTVE of treating Andalusian Spanish as if it were a foreign language and reinforcing an old stereotype portraying Andalusians as less educated.

• Fine, whatevs. Ruiz himself responded with sarcasm during an interview with DAZN: “If someone doesn’t understand me, you can put subtitles on my Andalusian accent too.”

The backlash was so intense that RTVE President José Pablo López publicly apologized, calling the decision “a huge mistake.”

• And I prostrate myself before you. Speaking to a parliamentary committee, López offered an “unreserved apology” to all Andalusians—and especially to Chari Peña—saying that “the Andalusian accent is a treasure and part of our cultural heritage, and should never be treated as a language barrier requiring translation.”

• Changes to come. He also said RTVE is reviewing its internal procedures to ensure the incident is not repeated, etc. etc.

Spain is home to a wide variety of languages, dialects, and accents, from Catalan to Basque and everything in between. That's what makes Spain so culturally rich (well, that and the different kinds of tapas).

• Hint: If you’re not a native Spanish speaker and need help understanding people from Andalucía, spend more time with them. It helps. 😉

4. 🌞 Did Spain install too much solar energy?

This is not a screed against green energy! We just felt the need to say that after that headline because, you know, people might think we’d gone all Orange Menace about the energy transition. But this story is about something not totally positive that is happening amidst the (necessary) transition: an economic washout that could slow it down.

• Please, take my power! The issue is that Spain has already broken its annual record for negative-price electricity hours — meaning times when producers must pay users to take their power — with half the year still to go, Bloomberg Businessweek reports in a piece out this week. The culprit is a renewables boom so successful it’s undermining itself.

More than $80 billion has poured into Spanish renewables over the last 15 years — a transition we’ve cheered before. Last year, solar overtook wind as Spain’s largest electricity source. But the grid’s ability to actually absorb, store, and distribute all that power hasn’t kept pace with the capacity to generate it. During peak hours, there’s simply too much electricity and nowhere for it to go. (Hmmm, installing batteries might be a good idea. No?)

• Investors are trying to exit the markets by selling at steep discounts, says Daniel Pérez of L’Energètica, a Catalan utility. At least four Spanish solar companies or projects have been put on the market, including Arena Green Power and Matrix Renewables.

• More examples. Iberdrola, Europe’s biggest green power producer, has delayed asset sales after getting lowball offers. BlackRock and four other major firms have opened short positions in solar company Solaria — whose output jumped 50% in Q1 but whose average sale price fell 20%.

Remember that April 2025 apagón? The blackout, which plunged most of Spain and Portugal into darkness, made things worse. Since then, the state grid operator Red Eléctrica has been more aggressive about ordering solar farms offline — partly because solar panels, unlike old-school spinning turbines, don’t naturally stabilize the grid’s frequency and voltage, and that can contribute to…blackouts.

• Of course, we’re not complaining. Spain’s power prices are among Europe’s lowest — like, roughly half what Germans pay. The government calls the situation “transitional” and is planning €30bn in grid upgrades through 2030, while also thinking about giving direct financial support to struggling producers — as well as incentives for batteries.

Like always in bad times, the vultures are circling. “Distressed asset investors” may spend €6-10 billion to snap up struggling assets, Luis del Barrio of Arthur D. Little told Bloomberg. And another €10bn could go into installing batteries (good idea!).

• Tomorrow, promise. Rafael Alcón at solar contractor Lantania, says clients are paying late as their projects underperform. But he claims to be cool about it: “It’s better to get paid late than never.”

5. ⚓ Archaeologists in Mallorca brought an entire sunken Roman ship to land

The ship has risen! Long live the ship! Fine, that’s ridiculous. But we’re excited. For the first time ever in Spain, archaeologists have recovered a complete Roman shipwreck. On Monday, as sunburned tourists were eating piles of ice cream along the seafront at Can Pastilla (one of the busiest tourist traps beaches in Mallorca), meters offshore, the archaeologists were finishing the recovery of the Ses Fontanelles, one of the most important underwater finds in the Mediterranean.

• It took four months, 15 researchers, and a team of Spanish Navy divers. Working in water barely two meters deep, the Arqueomallornauta team dismantled the vessel plank by plank, casting each piece in custom fiberglass molds that hardened underwater to preserve the wood’s exact shape.

• The final act — floating the last two hull sections along the seabed to the port and hoisting them out by crane — completed a campaign that the lead archaeologist Darío Bernal described as “technically complicated” but, he added, “we are very happy.”

The backstory. Dating to the 4th century AD, the Ses Fontanelles wreck is of a 12-meter merchant vessel loaded with more than 300 amphorae of fish sauce, olive oil, and wine from around Cartagena, almost certainly heading for Rome for some serious noshing.

• The end. A storm caught it in the Bay of Palma and sent it to the bottom, where it lay sealed under sand for 1,700 years until another storm exposed it in 2019 and a diver spotted amphora necks poking through the seabed — 65 meters from a beach where over a million tourists swim every summer.

What they found. The finds are extraordinary even by Mediterranean standards. Most of the amphorae survived with sealed stoppers and contents intact (taste test soon?). Painted inscriptions on the jars — tituli picti — name two merchants (Alumnio and Ausonio), identify seven scribes, and include a tax reference, making Ses Fontanelles the Roman wreck with the most painted inscriptions in the entire Med.

• The headline find may be a large section of the actual sail — one of only two such pieces anywhere, the other being Egypt’s ancient port of Berenice. Also recovered were four anchors, two intact baskets, and the first steering oar tiller ever found in Spain. A coin minted in Siscia (modern Sisak, Croatia) in 320 AD and placed in the mast socket during the ship’s original launching ritual confirmed the date.

What’s next. The wreck will spend at least a year undergoing preservation work at Palma’s Castle of San Carlos before moving to the National Museum of Underwater Archaeology in Cartagena (Murcia). The long-term plan is a permanent home near the Roman site of Pollentia in Alcudia, Mallorca.

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🚨 Welcome to Props — The Bubble's real estate newsletter. You're here because Spanish real estate is fascinating, insane, occasionally enraging, and — if you have a little money and play it right — profitable. Every week we bring you the data, the deals, the people making it happen, and the ones making it worse.

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We have the diagnosis, but you may not like the cure.

Spain's central bank is getting worried about the housing market. Like, seriously worried. After warning in its most recent annual report that the country has a housing deficit of about 750,000 units and that about 3.3% of the country's total housing stock (some 900,000 homes), are either owned by foreign non-residents or used as tourist rentals (i.e. not available for locals), bank governor José Luis Escrivá appeared in parliament and asked legislators to address the housing issue as something really, really important — specifically, as a “national emergency.”

That sounds…serious. But what does that actually mean? And more importantly, what would the bank, or the government, do to try to fix the situation?

That's where things get tricky. “We are talking about intrusive measures,” Escrivá warned the MPs — ones that could generate unintended consequences, like worsening access to housing for many. “We see it as a dilemma, a trade-off between efficiency and effectiveness,” the bank boss added. “We are studying it, and we will make decisions based on all the evidence.”

That sounds like a good idea, considering what has happened since the government of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez passed the housing law of 2023, which was meant to increase the supply of affordable housing but has done pretty much everything but.

Let's dive in:

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Here Are 6 Things to Do in Madrid This Weekend

It’s Friday again!

And nothing says “World Cup excitement” like setting an alarm for 1:55 a.m. and questioning every life decision that led you there. Spain plays Uruguay tonight, and yes, we will all watch it. Sleep? Optional. Regret? Guaranteed. Celebrating a potential win by Spain at 4:30 a.m.? We guess.

• Of course, you could always go out with your friends for a fun night of drinks and then get home inebriated just in time to see Lamine Jamal score, but that’s up to you.

• So yeah, this weekend is basically a test of endurance: late-night football, early-morning regret, and somehow still finding the energy to go out and enjoy everything else Madrid is throwing at you.

• Open-air cinemas, piano concerts, zarzuela, exhibitions, and whatever early glittery activities Pride week brings, staying in is simply not an option. Sleep is temporary. This weekend isn’t. (Although remember to save your energy for Pride Weekend next week. Now that’s intense).

• Last but not least, Episode 2 of The Bubble Podcast is out! We talk true crime (maybe), how to enjoy this summer’s verbenas, and mistakes foreigners make when moving to Spain.

Thank you and happy weekend!

Happy weekend!

1. 🎹 This weekend, just follow the sound of a piano

If you thought Madrid couldn’t get any more extra in summer (Pride Week has officially just started, after all), here’s the city turning itself into one giant piano concert.

Piano City Madrid is back for its fifth edition, and for three days straight, you’ll find pianos (and very talented people playing them) scattered across some of the city’s most iconic and unexpected locations.

• There will be 50 free concerts across venues like CentroCentro, Condeduque, Matadero, Serrería Belga, and even places like Hospital La Paz or boutique spaces around La Latina.

• The program is… pretty eclectic: one second it’s Chopin and Bach, the next it’s jazz, flamenco, electronic sets, or ambient piano sessions. Classy stuff!

• The festival was created by German pianist Andreas Kern and has already taken over cities like Milan and Naples, but Madrid has fully embraced the concept.

Best part? It’s completely free. So you can build your own musical itinerary: start with a classical set in CentroCentro, catch some jazz in Condeduque, and end the night with something experimental in Matadero. Or just wander around and let a piano find you. Whatever you decide, make sure you check the official program!

🖥️ What: Piano City Madrid 2026

📍 Where: Multiple locations across Madrid

📅 When: June 26–28

🎟 Tickets: Free (although some venues require registration)

2. 🍷 Cénate Las Ventas: the only time you’ll go to a bullring for the food first

We know. Bullfighting isn’t exactly everyone’s thing (definitely not our thing), but if you’re curious (or just here for the food), this might be your moment. Las Ventas is once again hosting Cénate Las Ventas, a summer series that mixes nighttime bullfights with a full-blown food market showcasing some of Madrid’s best local products.

• The concept is pretty simple. On Thursday evenings, you show up early, grab a drink, and wander through stalls featuring wines from Madrid, cured meats, cheeses, and other “M Producto Certificado” specialties — basically a curated snapshot of the region’s food scene. It all takes place in the upper terraces of the bullring, which, at sunset, feels more like a summer rooftop and less like a bloody historic arena.

• Then, at 9 p.m., the novilladas kick off — a series of nighttime bullfights featuring young matadors, building up to a final on July 23. You can stay for the full spectacle or just soak up the pre-show atmosphere and then get the hell out; that’s up to you.

• A lot of people, frankly, are there for the social part: drinks, food, and that magical hour when the sun sets in the Madrid summer. (You missed the first one last night, but if you’re interested, you can try next week).

Doors open at 8 p.m., giving you plenty of time to eat (and drink) before anything starts. And the market stays open until 1:30 a.m., which tells you everything you need to know about what the real main event is for most attendees.

🖥️ What: Cénate Las Ventas (food market + night bullfighting series)

📍 Where: Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas, Calle de Alcalá 237, Madrid

📅 When: Thursdays through July 23 (8 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.)

🎟 Tickets start at €6 (check website)

3. 📸 The exhibition uncovering America’s forgotten Latino history

When you think of the Great Depression in the U.S., this iconic photo probably comes to mind. What you probably don’t know is that many more were taken by a diverse group of talented photographers featuring Latinos that didn’t get the same kind of attention. Fortunately, you can now see some of them (and their protagonists) right here in Madrid.

• Casa de América is hosting American Latinos 1935–1945, a powerful and moving exhibition that tells the story of Hispanic communities in the U.S. — long before the term “Latino” was a thing.

• The show brings together nearly 300 photographs from the U.S. Library of Congress, capturing everyday life across the 1930s and 1940s — from Spanish families in New Mexico to Mexican farmworkers in California and Basque shepherds in Idaho.

• It’s a beautiful history lesson and a reminder that despite the current racial tensions, the Hispanic footprint in the U.S. runs way deeper than most people think.

• The exhibit is curated by filmmaker Alberto Ferreras (who directed HBO’s Habla), and mixes photography with music and narrative to create a genuinely immersive experience.

With legendary names like Dorothea Lange and Walker Evans, documentary legends behind the lens, this is one of those exhibits that actually sticks with you. Don’t miss it.

🖥️ What: American Latinos: 1935–1945 Photography Exhibition

📍 Where: Galería Casa de América, Calle de Marqués del Duero 2, Madrid

📅 When: Through September 30

🎟 Tickets: Free admission

4. 🎭 Madrid brings back zarzuela (and a 19th-century drama) for summer nights

Rejoice! Madrid is getting a healthy dose of drama and live music this summer, as the Fernán Gómez Cultural Center launches Estivales, a new cycle dedicated to zarzuela (aka Spanish comedic opera-ish) and musical theatre.

• The opening act, Zarzuela en la Villa (through July 5), is a slightly cheeky celebration of the genre’s greatest hits in which zarzuela and copla are reimagined with humor, live musicians, and a hilarious cast that manages to bring the genre back to life.

• From July 9 to 19, things take a darker, more dramatic turn when El trovador lands in the main hall (a full-blown romantic tragedy about love, jealousy, and revenge, performed with live music and blending prose and verse.

• The twist? This is the original Spanish work that inspired Verdi’s Il trovatore, now revived nearly 190 years later with its original musical elements restored. Consider it cultural justice.

If you’re looking for comedy or drama, this cycle gives you both, in one of Madrid’s most iconic cultural venues.

🖥️ What: Estivales en el Fernán Gómez (Zarzuela & live music)

📍 Where: Fernán Gómez Centro Cultural de la Villa, Plaza de Colón 4, Madrid

📅 When: Through July 19

🎟 Tickets start at €22

5.🍿 ‘Here’s some money, go see a Star War’: Your summer movie plan starts here

Look, we’ll be honest — it probably doesn’t get any more authentic Spanish experience than this. If your idea of a perfect summer night involves a dubbed movie, a cold tinto de verano, and zero air conditioning, Madrid’s most iconic open-air cinema is back.

• Cine de Verano de La Bombilla returns for its 42nd edition, turning Parque de la Bombilla into a go-to outdoor movie spot all summer long, where you’ll probably be joined by grandmothers wearing flowery dresses and tweens running around.

• This weekend’s lineup is stacked. Tonight, you get Michael — the big-screen biopic of one of the most influential pop icons ever — paired with Reminders of Him for a more emotional, slower-burn vibe.

• Saturday leans more blockbuster: The Mandalorian & Grogu brings the Star Wars universe outdoors, followed by Bugonia, Yorgos Lanthimos’ latest weird (and brilliant) sci-fi comedy with Emma Stone.

And that’s just the start. The full program runs through September with everything from Oscar contenders to cult classics (The Goonies, Volver), plus animation and Spanish cinema. So in the immortal words of Lucille Bluth: “Here’s some money, go see a Star War”.

Opening night (tonight) even comes with a full-on folkloric show before the screening (because of course it does).

🖥️ What: Fescinal: Cine de Verano de La Bombilla 2026

📍 Where: Parque de la Bombilla, P.º de la Senda del Rey, 82, Madrid

📅 When: June 26 – September 5

🎟 Tickets start at €6

6. ⚽️ Spain vs. Uruguay: no sleeping or late partying tonight, thanks to the World Cup

Spain’s group stage is about to get real, people! After a horrendous 0-0 draw against Cape Verde and a confidence-boosting 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia, La Roja now faces Uruguay in their final group match, and this one actually matters.

• Spain currently sits at the top of Group H with four points and only needs a draw to secure first place and cruise into the knockout rounds. Not bad, but not exactly job done either.

• Uruguay, meanwhile, is coming in desperate. A chaotic 2-2 draw against Cape Verde left them in a tricky spot, meaning they pretty much have to win to stay alive.

Not sure where to watch it? You’ve got options:

• At home with your friends is probably the best option. RTVE is broadcasting the match for free on La 1 and RTVE Play, so you can watch from your couch, your bed (weird if you bring your friends, but we don’t judge), or wherever you plan to suffer through a 2 a.m. kickoff.

• Sports bars. Madrid will be full of them showing the game, even at that ungodly hour. If Spain scores, you’ll hear it across the city.

• Sadly, no giant screens in Plaza Colón this time because the Salamanca residents would probably not be happy.

🖥️ What: FIFA World Cup 2026: Spain vs. Uruguay

📍 Where: Guadalajara, México.

📅 When: June 27, 2 a.m. (Madrid time, so basically you have to wait until 2 a.m. tonight)

🎟 Tickets: You’re not flying to Guadalajara. Stay in bed.

📺 What to watch if you hate football are staying in this weekend…

🖥️ What: 33 Days (33 Días) | TV Series | 2026

📍Where to watch: Atresplayer

❓What’s it about: The escape of two dangerous criminals from the Lleida Penitentiary Center in 2001 triggers a 33-day manhunt, marked by violence, sacrifice, and loyalty. Based on a true story.

🤩 Why you should watch: Because it’s a tense, character-driven story based on a real prison escape that gripped Spain for over a month. It’s created by investigative journalist Carles Porta, and it blends sharp reporting with gripping drama, following both the fugitives and the Mossos d’Esquadra officers chasing them, at a time when the police force itself was under scrutiny. It’s a story full of tension, moral ambiguity, and real stakes, making it a compelling watch from start to finish.

💬 English Subtitles: No.

💃🏻 Places to try this weekend…

🌯 Madrid’s hottest new shawarma spot is doing the opposite of what everyone else is doing

What’s it about: A no-nonsense shawarma spot bringing authentic Iraqi and Armenian street food to Lavapiés — and doing it properly. Ungentrified but none of that “elevated kebab” bullshit. Just traditional Mesopotamian recipes and spice blends imported from across the Middle East.

Why you should go: Because Madrid is clearly starving for it. Open for just a few weeks and already going viral (ugh, we know, but what can you do), Shawarma Capital has lines out the door thanks to its mix of juicy local meat, tangy amchur, rich tahini, and a punchy pomegranate sauce.

Bottom line: If you think you’ve had good shawarma in Madrid, go here and reset your expectations, all for around €8.

Address: Calle del Mesón de Paredes, 5, Madrid

☕️ Coffea: This Madrid café is selling specialty coffee for €0.70 (yes, for real)

What’s it about: A specialty coffee shop that’s basically calling bullshit on Madrid’s €4 flat whites. Coffea’s whole pitch is simple: great coffee shouldn’t be expensive. So they’re serving properly sourced, well-roasted specialty coffee — starting at just €0.70.

Why you should go: Madrid is overflowing with specialty coffee shops, but Casa Kavi is aiming for something deeper than a good flat white. The café serves as the social heart of the project, offering a carefully curated menu of wellness-focused drinks such as the Mushi Matcha, Detox Latte, Spicy KaiCao, anti-inflammatory Ayurvedic toast, and calming chia bowls.

Bottom line: Specialty coffee for less than €1 sounds fake, but wait until you try it.

Address: Calle de O’Donnell, 36, Madrid

👨🏻‍💻 Viral Memes of the Week

💎 Diamonds Are a Girl's Ex-President's Best Friend

🔥 It's getting hot in here!

🔔 Don’t forget to follow us on TikTok!

If you’re not following us on TikTok yet, you’re missing out. We’re posting exclusive content with our collaborators across Spain, breaking news updates, and pop culture coverage. Click on the post above and come hang with us!

@thebubblecomOk, but did he do it? 👀
 The death of Mango founder Isak Andic is back under scrutiny after his son Jonathan Andic was arrested in the case. Listen to the full story on The Bubble podcast.

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If you enjoy the show, leave us a rating, review or comment. It helps more people discover The Bubble and allows us to keep making episodes that explain life in Spain.

Also, in this week’s episode:

Ready for the Summer? We swap ideas for enjoying summer in Spain without spending a fortune, from affordable plans to the charm of verbenas, fiestas de pueblo, and traditional summer festivals across the country.

And in the second half, we sit down with an immigration and relocation expert to talk about the most common bureaucracy mistakes people make when moving to Spain — and how to avoid them.

This episode is brought to you by Bureaucracy.es, a trusted immigration and relocation agency helping people move to Spain with clarity and confidence.

Hosted by Adrián Bono, Ian Mount and Ignacio de los Reyes.

Created in collaboration with A13 Content.

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It’s getting hot in here

💥 “Everything Everywhere All at Once”, Sánchez edition

No, it’s not because of the heat wave. Right now, everything is hitting Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez at once. This week has delivered a brutal one-two-three punch: his former right-hand man, José Luis Ábalos, was sentenced to over 24 years in prison, his ex-adviser Koldo García to nearly 20, and his wife, Begoña Gómez, is now officially heading to trial in a separate case.

Legal Earthquake #1. On Monday, the Supreme Court issued a ruling in the so-called Caso Koldo (which we’ve covered many times here). Ábalos, who was once one of the most powerful figures in Sánchez’s PSOE and a key architect of his rise to power, was found guilty of running a corruption scheme tied to pandemic-era mask contracts (and got the longest prison sentence ever for a former minister — congrats!).

• Bad men #1 + #2. The court found he participated in an organized operation involving kickbacks, influence-peddling, and steering public contracts allegedly steered toward friendly companies. His close aide, Koldo García, was also convicted as part of the same network.

• Snitching Cooperating pays. Then there’s Víctor de Aldama, the businessman at the center of the scheme, who was convicted too, but won’t go to prison because he cooperated with the authorities. The court explicitly rewarded his testimony and evidence, arguing that collaboration helps dismantle corruption networks.

• The audacity! Inside the government, that decision has triggered real unease. Not because of Aldama himself (who made threats against Sánchez, suggesting he was involved), but because of what it signaled (at least to them): tell the truth, and you will receive leniency testify against the socialist party, and you walk.

Legal Earthquake #2. Just when things couldn’t get more complicated politically, another crisis hit Sánchez’s personal orbit. That is, Judge Juan Carlos Peinado has formally opened trial proceedings against his wife, Begoña Gómez, accusing her of leveraging her position as the prime minister’s wife to boost her professional projects and influence business relationships.

• The charges range from influence peddling to corruption in business dealings — serious accusations that Gómez has denied. The Madrid public prosecutor has questioned the solidity of the case, but Peinado is like a dog with a bone and is pressing ahead nonetheless.

Red flags. What has really set off alarm bells, though, is how the judge is handling it. In a WTF moment highly controversial move, he ordered Gómez to surrender her passport and banned her from leaving Spain, citing a potential flight risk.

• Questioning the Thin Blue Line. Peinado suggested that the very police officers assigned to protect her could help her escape (which pissed off pretty much everyone). The National Police and police unions, which are not exactly known for siding with this government, called it outrageous. And the judicial watchdog, the CGPJ, voted in favor of opening a disciplinary investigation into the judge over those statements. (Still, Gómez turned in her passport yesterday).

Out to get her? This case itself has been controversial from day one. It originated from what many saw as a flimsy complaint filed by Manos Limpias, a pseudo-union linked to the far right, and has been marked by a series of once again, WTF eyebrow-raising moments.

No comment. Sánchez’s response has been a combination of trolling and exhaustion. Just hours after the Supreme Court’s bombshell ruling on Koldo, he posted a TikTok advising people to drink water and wear sunscreen during the heatwave.

• The best defense is a good offense. Yesterday in Parliament, he switched to full mixed metaphor combat mode, condemning corruption, defending his record, and aggressively going after the opposition, especially the PP. Corruption exists, he says, but not in his government as a system (a distinction that may be too cute by half), and certainly not on the scale seen in previous administrations (which sounds like he admits it exists, but anyway…).

• The opposition laughed at his response, with PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo asking him to call an election. Even former Socialist PM Felipe González said he should either resign or call early elections out of “political responsibility.”

What happens now? We’re headed for a summer break (yay!). Begoña Gómez is on track to stand trial unless a higher court intervenes, and the broader corruption investigations linked to the Caso Koldo are still unfolding, meaning more revelations could be coming.

• Sánchez insists he will stay the course until 2027 (though his comments suggest he’s rebating that from July to March). But after a week like this, that timeline suddenly looks far less certain.

More news below. 👇👇

🔔 But first… Don’t miss the latest episode of The Bubble Podcast!

We discuss PM Zapatero’s corruption accusations, the very complicated relationship between the US and Spanish governments, and the World Cup. Find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube!

IE University proudly presents the 20th edition of LGBT+@Work, one of the leading LGBTIQ+ conferences in Europe and the longest-running of its kind since its launch in 2006. Two decades later, this flagship event continues to foster meaningful conversations on diversity, equity, and inclusion in the business world.

Register here to attend today!

💬 Five things to discuss at dinner parties

1. 🇺🇸💔🇪🇸 Are American businesses souring on Spain as Sánchez and Trump duke it out?

Economic reverb. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s stand against President Trump’s war in Iran, tech bro assholishness, and Israeli military attacks are either a principled stand against the 🍊 Menace’s policies or the political grandstanding of a leader unloved at home (or both; it can be both). But it could be hitting Spain where it really hurts — you know, el bolsillo 🤑.

• What’s the deal? American companies are pulling money out of Spain at a historic pace. Between January and March 2026 — the first quarter to fully capture the diplomatic faceoff between Madrid and Washington — U.S. disinvestment sextupled (not often you get to use that word!), rising 534% year-over-year to €3.3 billion.

• Long time high. That’s the largest quarterly disinvestment spike going back to when records began in 1993. Net U.S. investment cratered 719%, flipping from slightly positive a year ago to negative €1.97 billion. In one quarter, ‘merica went from Spain’s #1 foreign investor to #254.

The timing is a bit obvs. Sánchez came out hard in March against the U.S. and Israel’s quest to send Iran back to the Stone Age, including by blocking America from using the joint bases in Spain for the war. Trump responded by calling Spain “a terrible partner.” That’s the last month the new data covers, which matters because American investment had been booming until then: 2025 closed with record U.S. investment, up 53% to €10.2bn.

• The U.S. numbers are the worst, but they’re not alone. Overall, foreign net investment in Spain fell 16.8% in Q1 2026, with total foreign disinvestment up 84.8%.

• But why? The fracas with the Orange Menace compounds pre-existing conditions, like Spain’s complex regulations and energy grid problems (remember the apagón?). It’s also worth noting that Spain’s so-called escudo antiopas — a screening system meant to stop foreigners from getting their grubby paws on buying strategic Spanish companies — again directed about 40% of its 2025 reviews at U.S. investors (it’s been consistent since the escudo launched in 2020).

• Two sectors seem to be taking the worst of it. Data centers, where Spain was competing with France for Mediterranean leadership (France: 320 active centers; Spain: 145), and defense, where industry sources say flatly that “most bridges are broken.”

What’s next? Economists are watching closely whether Q1 was a one-off — a handful of major exits skewing the data — or the start of a real shift. In part to avoid drama, some regional governments — chiefly Aragón (33% of Spain’s data center projects) and Madrid — are going to court U.S. investors directly and leave the 🍊 fella and Mr. Handsome to fight things out on their own time.

2. 🏺 Archaeologists prove Extremadura was super de lujo back in the day

You may think Extremadura is just the hot place that Spain’s conquistadores would do anything to get away from, including going to the New World to die (or kill). But no — back in ancient times, that could barely afford the written word, it was like Las Vegas and Dubai all wrapped into one.

• How do we know this? Archaeologists at Casas del Turuñuelo, a Tartessian site (long story) in Guareña (Badajoz), have just wrapped their eighth dig season with another mind-blowing find: half of a bronze ritual cart from around 500 BC, decorated with griffins, a river god with his tongue out, and two bearded Atlas figures holding the whole thing up.

• Really, this is crazy unique. Esther Rodríguez and Sebastián Celestino, the CSIC co-directors behind the dig, say they’ve “searched by land, sea and air” and found nothing like it. The only partial parallels are Etruscan.

Turuñuelo has been delivering for years. Previous campaigns at the mound turned up the first Tartessian stone sculptures ever found (five near-life-size busts); a slate tablet with one of the oldest known paleohispanic alphabets carved around a scene of battling warriors; and the bones of 42 horses and assorted livestock, arranged with eerie ceremonial precision — the first documented animal sacrifice on the scale described in the Iliad and the Old Testament.

• What else is hiding under the mound? A two-story monumental building from 2,500 years ago, unique in the protohistoric southwest Iberian Peninsula.

What it all means. Rodríguez is calling this “the year of imports.” Why? The cart is probably Etruscan. Found alongside it were attic ceramics from Greece, an Egyptian alabaster perfume flask, ivory fragments carved with warriors, lions, and lotus flowers, and a Greek ritual foot-washing basin that the team believes “traveled in a package” with a marble altar column found last year.

• Someone at Turuñuelo knew what the objects were for. The striking thing, Celestino says, is that these Mediterranean luxury goods keep turning up in landlocked Badajoz but not at coastal sites like Cádiz or Málaga. That’s just another reason Extremadura intrigues us — that and how much good seafood you can eat in the desert zone.

What’s next? The other half of the bronze cart is presumably still somewhere under the mound, with half the site still unexcavated. Spain’s largest protective dome is being built over the site. Isotope analysis will try to pinpoint where the bronze came from.

• And then there’s the central mystery. Why did Tartessian Extremadura’s inhabitants destroy everything, bury it in a mound, and walk away 2,500 years ago?

3. 🛩️ And then the princess flew a plane…

You know we’re always up for heartwarming royal news about Princess Leonor. Just three weeks ago, we breathlessly recounted how Felipe VI’s eldest daughter had jumped out of a plane more than once as part of her military parachuting training. At the time, we speculated that Spain was all there for Leonor because watching her grow from teen to adult was a welcome break from political scandals and weird stories about corpses that dominate our news.

• Now she’s done even more! Not only can she jump out of planes — she can fly one alongside her dad!

What happened: On June 19, the 12th anniversary of Felipe VI’s proclamation as king, the Royal House released 18 photographs of father and daughter doing some serious father-daughter bonding — by flying together.

• Kinda like when your dad did bumper cars with you. Leonor, in her third and final year of military training at the Air and Space Academy in San Javier (Murcia), flew a Pilatus PC-21 trainer aircraft as her father flew one alongside her, and together they soared over La Manga del Mar Menor on the Murcian coast. Like cute chickadee nestlings taking their first flight.

• The king was told what's what by the princess. Before takeoff, Leonor presented the mission briefing to Felipe, explaining the technical details and safety procedures. To her father. Who is the king. This is either excellent parenting or a slightly overachieving daughter. We’re guessing both.

• A note on the landing. “I felt better than I expected,” Felipe said, stepping off the plane (suggesting…?). Leonor hugged him and said: “Thank you, Papa.” The Academy director, watching them land, said it “went quite well.” High, if understated, praise all around.

The 12-year milestone. The timing wasn’t accidental. When Felipe VI was proclaimed king in June 2014, he promised a “renewed monarchy for a new era.” Twelve years later, watching his daughter brief him on flight safety before climbing into a combat trainer and flying formation over the Mediterranean — well, that image is doing a lot of monarchy renewal work.

• What’s next? Leonor’s military training wraps in July, when she receives her commissions as Lieutenant in the Army, Lieutenant in the Air Force, and Ensign in the Navy, in three separate ceremonies alongside her classmates. After three years of sailing tall ships, jumping from planes, and flying combat trainers, she returns to royal duties full-time. With a CV that puts most 21-year-olds (like, um, the younger versions of us?) to shame.

4. 🏳️‍🌈 Gay-jà vu: People are mad (again) at Madrid’s Pride banners

Oh, boy. It’s that time of year again. Madrid Pride is back to take over the city, and so is the annual controversy surrounding the City Council’s campaign. Earlier this week, PP Mayor José Luis Martínez-Almeida’s government unveiled the official posters for MADO Madrid Orgullo 2026 — and people are, once again, pissed off not happy.

• Rings a bell? Remember back in 2024 when people hated the banners because they appeared to reduce Madrid Pride to sex and alcohol? Well, this year’s campaign is swapping people for… random objects. But hey, at least they are rainbow-colored castizo objects!

• No, seriously. Instead of faces, bodies, or community imagery, the posters feature AI-generated scenes of ultra-Madrid staples: a flower-filled balcony, stacked terrace chairs, jars of candy.

• All wrapped in rainbow colors and stamped with slogans like “Proudly from Madrid” and, later, the updated line: “Diversity is lived in Madrid”. (You can see them here.)

Over the rainbow. The idea, according to the City Council, is to show how diversity is “integrated into everyday life” across neighborhoods, homes, and businesses. The problem? For a lot of people, that’s exactly the issue.

• Opposition leaders on the left said the campaign erased the people Pride is meant to celebrate. PSOE’s spokesperson in the city, Reyes Maroto, accused Mayor Almeida of turning Pride into a “marketing campaign” that reduces the community to decoration, while Más Madrid’s Rita Maestre slammed the initiative as disconnected from the movement’s history.

• LGBTQ+ organizations went further. Arcópoli, a major Madrid LGBTQ+ rights group, accused the city of a “systematic erasure” of LGBTQ+ people.

• The city responds. José Fernández, Madrid’s Social Policies chief, said LGBT diversity “isn’t a slogan here and that diversity isn’t just visible during Pride, but present year-round in the small, everyday details of the city.”

A gay old time. Madrid Pride Week kicks off today and runs until July 5. Last year’s edition attracted between 1.5 and 2 million visitors and generated close to €900m, making it the biggest Pride celebration in all of Europe. Even though there’s still work to do, Spain is killing it.

• Demand is already surging. Accommodation searches are up 70% over last year. So, whatever you think of the posters, Pride in Madrid is still a massive deal.

5. 😔 A rash of drownings put Spain’s beaches under scrutiny

This is a sad one. A series of tragic drownings over the past few days has shaken Spain just as the summer season begins. The most devastating incident took place in Tarragona, where three children — aged 12 and 13 — lost their lives, while two more adults died in separate incidents along the Alicante coast.

• In Tarragona, six kids were swimming near a rocky area known as Cova del Gos, when strong currents and waves pulled them out to sea. (A yellow (caution) flag was flying at the time because of rip currents and undertow.) Three made it back to shore and alerted lifeguards, but the others became trapped against the rocks, unable to fight the current or find a way out.

Rescue was very difficult. Rough sea conditions forced lifeguards to improvise; at one point, they had to abandon a boat rescue and swim out themselves. One of the children died at the scene despite multiple attempts at resuscitation.

• The other two were stabilized and rushed to the hospital (one by helicopter), but both later died from their injuries. City officials declared several days of mourning.

In Alicante, too. There, two more people died.

• One man was found unconscious in a rocky cove in Torrevieja with no lifeguard service present; despite CPR efforts, he could not be revived.

• Later that same day, a 24-year-old man drowned at Mil Palmeras beach shortly after lifeguards had ended their shift. Conditions had been rough all day, with warnings issued and a yellow flag raised.

These incidents highlight a critical issue as Spain heads into peak beach season — knowing where and when to swim can be a matter of life and death.

• Rocky areas, strong currents, and unsupervised beaches dramatically increase risk — even for young, healthy swimmers.

• Summer seasons. With more people heading to the water as rough seas affect parts of the coast, authorities are again urging caution. Basic rules: check the flags, avoid dangerous zones, and never underestimate the sea.

🔔 Don’t forget to follow us on TikTok!

@thebubblecomWE KNOW NOTHING. #laroja #fifa #mundial #spain #españa

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🚨 Welcome to Props — The Bubble's real estate newsletter. You're here because Spanish real estate is fascinating, insane, occasionally enraging, and — if you have a little money and play it right — profitable. Every week we bring you the data, the deals, the people making it happen, and the ones making it worse.

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This should be good news, but…nope.

Landlords aren't dumb. When they want to dodge rent controls or government attempts to unilaterally extend rental contracts, they shift their rentals to seasonal (less than 12-month) contracts. (After Catalonia put in rent caps, these contracts jumped 56% in a year.) Now, this pisses off renters because under these contracts, they pay more and may have to move every year. So the news that seasonal contracts became a smaller part of the rental pool this year should be cause for celebration, right?

Right?

Well, no. What on the surface certainly looks like good news turns out to be just another sign that Spain's housing law of 2023 is the poster child for the law of unintended consequences — i.e., it was meant to increase the supply of affordable housing but has done everything but.

Let us count the ways:

Read more

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Here Are 6 Things to Do in Madrid This Weekend

It’s Friday summer again!

The warm season arrives this Sunday, and Madrid is determined to celebrate it all at once.

• The city is buzzing, and staying home this weekend feels like a missed opportunity. So join us on our lofty quest for the best tinto de verano and patatas bravas.

• Terrazas, Aperol Spritz, music festivals, Hollywood classics under the stars, and one verbena after the other. Yes, you’ll be broke. But you’ll also be happy.

• And FYI, our podcast is back for season 2, and we’re as chaotic as ever. Politics and pop culture, all in one place. We’d love it if you could recommend us to your friends. 🥹

Thank you and happy weekend!

1.🇪🇺 European Music Day: one of the best free music festivals is back this weekend

Summer is officially two days away, which means that for the next three months you’ll spend part of your weekends standing in a plaza with a cold drink while someone else provides the soundtrack. And to kick things off, here comes Matadero.

• This weekend marks the return of the Día Europeo de la Música, a three-day festival that, even though you probably didn’t know it existed, has quietly become one of Madrid’s most reliable summer traditions.

• Since launching in 2009, this para-Eurovision event has evolved into a showcase for some of the most interesting names in Spain’s indie, electronic, flamenco and alternative music scenes, all without charging a cent for admission (which, let’s face it, is awesome).

• This year’s lineup is stacked. Among the biggest names are pablopablo (yes, that’s Pablo Drexler, son of Jorge Drexler), electronic-pop heavyweight Alizzz, post-punk sensation Depresión Sonora, experimental artist María Arnal, and flamenco singer Ángeles Toledano. All people that you will pretend to know but you don’t, and that’s fine because their music is great anyway.

• Jazz fans can also catch Rita Payés and Lucía Fumero, who will be bringing their blend of jazz, folk and Mediterranean influences to Madrid for the first time. Honestly, nothing sounds more sophisticated than Mediterranean jazz.

The whole thing kicked off today, and tonight leans more heavily into contemporary pop and electronic sounds, with pablopablo, Alizzz and Depresión Sonora leading the charge before DJ Akazie closes the night. The atmosphere is great, the crowd is diverse, and there’s plenty of room to wander around between sets. So go drink and have fun. The summer has just begun.

🖥️ What: Día Europeo de la Música 2026

📍 Where: Matadero Madrid, Plaza de Legazpi 8, Madrid

📅 When: June 19–21

🎟 Tickets: Free admission

2.🤤 We’re celebrating croquetas this weekend (and they cost just €1.50)

If you’ve been reading The Bubble for a while, you probably know we love croquetas. We’re, like, obsessed with them. And it’s not just us. If there’s one thing capable of uniting Spain’s fiercely divided political tribes, football rivalries, and regional identities, it’s probably the iconic, delicious Spanish original croquette. So how about a full weekend to worship it?

• Lavapiés is once again celebrating World Tapas Day by turning this elegant fried béchamel bite into the star of the show. Until Sunday, more than 20 bars and restaurants across the neighborhood are serving their own signature croquetas for just €1.50 each, giving all of you self-proclaimed “foodies” a perfectly legitimate excuse to spend an entire evening wandering from bar to bar in the name of culinary research.

• Some of the participating chefs take inspiration from Spain’s regional cuisines, while others borrow flavors from around the world. You’ll find a Brazilian-style coxinha stuffed with shredded chicken and melting cheese at Tapioquería, a Japanese-inspired sushi croqueta filled with surimi and cream cheese at Kaldi Café, and a Syrian-Lebanese kibbe interpretation at Darbuka Bar. Café Barbieri pays tribute to Italy with a pesto Genovese version. And La Lata de Cascorro offers a spicy combination of goat cheese and jalapeño that sounds dangerously easy to order five times in a row. There are even vegan and vegetarian options!

• Not into experimenting? There are still plenty of boring traditional Spanish options filled with Galician zorza sausage, León-style black pudding, or Iberian ham.

Our recommendation? Skip dinner, wear elastic trousers, and get ready to nom nom.

🖥️ What: World Tapas Day - Croqueta Festival

📍 Where: Participating bars and restaurants across Lavapiés

📅 When: Through June 21

🎟 Price: €1.50 per croqueta

3. 🎭 Want to understand Spain? Start with this satire about corruption, elites, and hunting trips

We get that many of you can’t follow an entire play in Spanish. But we’ll keep insisting, especially when it comes to must-see works that are an essential part of 20th-century Spain. That’s certainly the case with La Escopeta Nacional (The National Shotgun), the legendary satire by Rafael Azcona and Luis García-Berlanga that has returned to Madrid’s Teatro Español under the direction of actor Juan Echanove.

• Originally released as a film in 1978, the story follows a Catalan businessman who travels to Madrid hoping to secure lucrative deals. His big opportunity comes when he’s invited to an exclusive hunting weekend attended by politicians, aristocrats, bankers and businessmen connected to Spain’s ruling elite.

• What follows is a parade of backroom favors, hidden agendas, influence-peddling, and absurd situations that expose how power really works behind closed doors. What’s great is that it never feels preachy. Instead, it lets its cast of opportunists do the work. Aristocrats cling to status, politicians cling to power, businessmen chase profits, and everyone seems to be looking for a shortcut.

The setting may be different 50 years later, but many of the dynamics feel surprisingly familiar. That’s what makes this revival so entertaining: it’s a hilarious comedy and a reminder that some political habits never really go out of style.

🖥️ What: La Escopeta Nacional (The National Rifle)

📍 Where: Teatro Español, Calle del Príncipe 25, Madrid

📅 When: Through July 26

🎟 Tickets start at €6

4. 🪩 David Guetta is back in Madrid, and he’s headlining A Summer Story 2026

See? Summer mode, activated! If you’ve had your share of croquetas and dramas and are looking for lasers, giant stages, and thousands of people collectively losing their minds to a bass drop, then clear your calendar: you’ve got a date with David Guetta.

• A Summer Story, one of Spain’s biggest electronic music festivals, returns to Arganda del Rey this weekend for its 10th anniversary edition. Over the past decade, the festival has become a pilgrimage site for EDM, house, trance, and techno fans, transforming this sleepy town 35 km outside Madrid into the unofficial capital of electronic music for two days.

• The biggest draw this year is undoubtedly David Guetta, who will take the stage on Saturday. The French legend, whose collaborations with Rihanna, Sia, Usher and the Black Eyed Peas helped define an entire era of dance music, is returning to Madrid for his first major show in the city in a decade.

• Want more? We got more. Trance legend Armin van Buuren will headline the opening night tonight, bringing with him the melodic sound that made him one of the most influential DJs in the world. Fans of progressive house can catch British duo Third Party, while Ukrainian DJ Korolova will deliver her signature blend of melodic techno and house.

Since it’s far away, organizers run special shuttle buses from Madrid, making it relatively easy to get there and back (though don’t expect the trip home to be quick).

If you’ve ever dreamed of spending a weekend surrounded by thousands of electronic music fans while some of the biggest DJs on the planet soundtrack the beginning of summer, this is probably your must-attend event.

🖥️ What: A Summer Story Festival ft. David Guetta

📍 Where: Ciudad del Rock, Arganda del Rey (35 km outside of Madrid)

📅 When: June 19–20

🎟 Tickets start at €70

5. 📸 A photo exhibit that wants you to question what you’re actually seeing

Most photography exhibitions ask you to look at something. This one asks you to look twice. As part of PHotoESPAÑA 2026, Fundación Casa de México is hosting a fascinating collective exhibition featuring seven acclaimed Mexican photographers whose work blurs the line between documentation and imagination.

• Instead of simply capturing reality, the artists use technical and optical manipulations to create images that feel mysterious, dreamlike, and sometimes disorienting. The result is an exhibition that challenges viewers to slow down and question what they’re actually seeing (honestly, a refreshing change in an era when we’re just passive consumers of shit “content”).

• Among the featured artists is Humberto Ríos, whose work explores memory, perception, and the passage of time. One of the exhibition’s highlights is Suspending Time (2016), a series that creates the sensation of moments floating somewhere between reality and imagination. The images feel almost impossible to place, as if time itself has briefly stopped working.

• There aren’t any dramatic landscapes, celebrity portraits or Instagram-friendly photo opportunities. This is a more contemplative experience — one that rewards patience and curiosity.

If you’ve ever looked at a photograph and wondered whether it reveals reality or invents it, this exhibition might be for you.

🖥️ What: Espectros, Enigmas de la Mirada - PHotoESPAÑA 2026

📍 Where: Fundación Casa de México en España, Calle de Alberto Aguilera 20, Madrid

📅 When: Through Sept. 13

🎟 Tickets: Free admission

6. ⚽️ Spain vs. Saudi Arabia: Where to watch (and suffer)

Spain will be looking for its first win of the 2026 World Cup this Sunday when Luis de la Fuente’s side takes on Saudi Arabia in Atlanta. After a pretty underwhelming 0-0 draw against Cape Verde in their opening match, La Roja cannot afford another slip-up if they want to avoid making their path to the knockout rounds unnecessarily complicated.

• Saudi Arabia arrives as a dangerous opponent with a history of upsetting football’s giants. The team famously stunned Argentina at the 2022 World Cup and will be led by star forward Salem Al-Dawsari. However, history favors Spain, which has won all four previous meetings between the two nations.

Not sure where to watch the game? We’ve got options:

• Plaza de Colón. The city has installed a massive screen that will turn the square into ground zero for fans watching La Roja this Sunday.

• Movie theater. Cines Yelmo will be screening the match across multiple locations in Madrid, from Ideal and Palafox to Plenilunio and La Vaguada. It’s a surprisingly great option: big screen, decent sound, and snacks. Tickets start around €8.30 with popcorn and a drink.

• Sports bars! Or just regular bars, whatever. Madrid’s bars will basically turn into unofficial fan zones, especially in neighborhoods like Chamberí, Malasaña, and La Latina. Not sure where to go? Try James Joyce Irish Pub, FRATINA Sport Bar, La Fontana de Oro, O’Connell St. Pub, Knockout! Sports Bar (this one’s far away but cool).

• And if you hate people and want to be by yourself, RTVE has you covered. The public broadcaster is going all in this year, with matches on La 1 and multiple digital streams on RTVE Play, plus extra content, highlights, and even influencer-driven commentary. Rolls eyes, but OK.

🖥️ What: FIFA World Cup 2026: Spain vs. Saudi Arabia

📍 Where: Technically in Atlanta, but you’ve got options (see above)

📅 When: June 21, 6 p.m. (Madrid time)

📺 What to watch if you hate football are staying in this weekend…

🖥️ What: Oasis | TV Series | 2026

📍Where to watch: Netflix

❓What’s it about: 'Oasis' is Spain's most luxurious vacation resort. A paradise for wealthy families with private beaches, VIP facilities, and impenetrable security located in Tenerife. It’s the place for the best summer ever. But everything crumbles when someone goes missing, the police arrive, and the resort goes into lockdown mode.

🤩 Why you should watch: Because it’s about damn time we found a new guilty pleasure. Think Elite meets The White Lotus. If you’re expecting moving performances and a solid plot, go watch something else. This is about rich, hot people in ridiculous situations and zero social commentary. Just beautiful locations and an excuse to look at someone’s abs. And that’s exactly what we all need when all that surrounds us is football and extremism.

💬 English Subtitles: Yes.

💃🏻 Places to try this weekend…

🐟 SAU is Madrid’s new love letter to coastal cuisine

What’s it about: Tucked away in Lavapiés, SAU is a new contemporary seafood tavern inspired by the coastal bars and ports where people gather for a quick bite, a glass of wine, and a moment of calm. Founded by friend-of-The-Bubble chef Wagner Rusca, the restaurant celebrates everything that comes from the water (from fresh fish and shellfish to carefully selected conservas).

Why you should go: Because the menu features dishes such as Cádiz-style fried anchovies, Portuguese bacalao à Brás, oysters served with an unexpected beef consommé, and inventive seafood preparations that make use of every part of the ingredient.

Bottom line: Go to SAU if you’re looking for a restaurant that combines excellent seafood, thoughtful sustainability, and genuine character.

Address: Calle Santa Isabel 12, Madrid

🧘‍♀️Casa Kavi: a Madrid café that feels like a mini escape to Bali

What’s it about: Casa Kavi is part yoga studio and part wellness café, the kind of place that feels more Bali than Madrid. Founded by Kathi Rüd, a yoga teacher who drew inspiration from wellness retreats in Indonesia and her training in therapeutic yoga in Greece, the space was designed as an urban sanctuary where people can slow down and reconnect.

Why you should go: Madrid has no shortage of specialty coffee shops, but Casa Kavi is aiming for something deeper than a good flat white. The café serves as the social heart of the project, offering a carefully curated menu of wellness-focused drinks such as the Mushi Matcha, Detox Latte, Spicy KaiCao, anti-inflammatory Ayurvedic toast, and calming chia bowls.

Bottom line: Go if you’re looking for a yoga class, a healthy breakfast, an excellent matcha, or simply a quiet corner to reset.

Address: Calle de Albuquerque, 14, Madrid

👨🏻‍💻 Viral Memes of the Week

👑 Well, it is his house after all

🪳 That's one way to stop Airbnb rentals

🔔 Don’t forget to follow us on TikTok!

If you’re not following us on TikTok yet, you’re missing out. We’re posting exclusive content with our collaborators across Spain, breaking news updates, and pop culture coverage. Click on the post above and come hang with us!

@thebubblecomThis Starts Fights in Spain #food #comida #comidaespañola #spanishfood #tapas

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And if you’re one of the lucky people taking some time off over the next few weeks (unlike us 😒), you may finally have time to tackle that ever-growing reading list.

Earlier this week, we attended the first-ever Substack event in Spain. Huge shoutout to for bringing together such a fascinating community of writers, journalists, creators and newsletter obsessives.

At The Bubble, we spend most of our time helping readers understand Spain through our weekly news analysis and cultural recommendations. But there are plenty of other voices worth following, too.

Here are some Spanish-language newsletters we’d happily recommend adding to your inbox.

Cosas que (me) pasan

Author: Ana Ribera

Why we think you’ll like it:

Ana Ribera has been writing online for years about books, podcasts, and the small moments that make up everyday life. Her newsletter feels less like a publication and more like receiving a thoughtful letter from a very well-read friend. She also runs book clubs and podcast clubs through the newsletter, making it one of the most community-driven publications on this list.

Escupitajo de Chica

Author: Irene Garry

Why we think you’ll like it:

Part cultural criticism, part personal essay, Escupitajo de Chica offers sharp observations on modern life, creativity, identity, and the internet. Irene Garry writes with a distinctive voice that is witty, insightful, and unapologetically personal.

Leer por leer

Author: Amaya Ascunce

Why we think you’ll like it:

Part newsletter, part literary recommendation engine, Leer por leer is written by journalist and author Amaya Ascunce. If you’re looking for your next great book—or simply enjoy smart reflections on reading, writing and life—this is a delightful addition to your inbox.

Fleet Street

Author: Mar Manrique

Why we think you’ll like it:

Want to understand what’s happening inside Spanish media? Fleet Street covers journalism, media trends, and the future of the profession with plenty of personality and the occasional meme. It’s written by Mar Manrique, who was recently named Spain’s Young Journalist of the Year, and it’s one of the smartest reads we’ve found for anyone curious about how the news gets made.

Mapas Milhaud

Author: Miguel García Álvarez

Why we think you’ll like it:

Want to understand the world through maps? Mapas Milhaud uses cartography as an excuse to tell fascinating stories about history, geography, politics, and culture. Proof that sometimes a map can explain a country—or the entire world—better than a thousand words.

Zona Mixta

Author: Carlos Molina

Why we think you’ll like it:

Sports aren’t just about what happens on the pitch. Zona Mixta combines sports news with analysis of the business, economics, and trends shaping the industry. Whether you’re a football fanatic or simply curious about one of Spain’s biggest cultural obsessions, Carlos Molina helps you understand the forces driving the modern sports world.

And if you’re looking for a broader news briefing, Carlos also publishes Kloshletter, one of Spain’s pioneering independent newsletters: a smart, concise roundup of the most important news stories delivered every weekday morning.

Crear para vivir

Author: María Alcaraz (Vagalume Art & Travel)

Why we think you’ll like it:

Part travel journal, part artist’s notebook, María is a beautiful corner of the internet where art, writing and travel come together. María Alcaraz shares illustrated diaries, creative reflections and stories from her travels with the kind of warmth that makes you want to slow down and pay attention. And if you enjoy her newsletter, be sure to check out her Instagram account, @vagalumeartandtravel, where she shares gorgeous illustrations and prints.

GirlPope

Author: Gala Castro

Why we think you’ll like it:

Part cultural commentary, part internet diary, GirlPope explores everything from identity and relationships to media, creativity, and the strange corners of modern life. Gala Castro writes with the kind of sharp, personal voice that makes you feel like you’re eavesdropping on a very smart conversation.

Flecha (and soon, OLA)

Author: Carmen Pacheco

Why we think you’ll like it:

For years, Flecha has been one of Spain’s most beloved cultural newsletters, blending books, creativity and personal reflections with warmth and wit. Carmen recently announced she’s taking a break from the newsletter, although a summer version called OLA may be on the horizon. Either way, she’s exactly the kind of writer we’d recommend following.

These are just a few of the Spanish-language newsletters currently making our inbox a more interesting place. Have we missed any great ones?

Leave your recommendations in the comments. We’d love to discover more Spanish newsletters, and chances are other readers will too!

🚨 The Bubble is Spain's #1 English-language newsletter. We offer paid and free subscriptions (which you can customize). Or interested in sponsorship opportunities?Click here to find out how to book a spot.

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👨🏻‍⚖️ Former PM Zapatero heads to court and swears he’s like totally innocent

Another week, another political first. For the first time since the return of democracy, a former prime minister testified in court as a suspect this week.

• Yup, it was ZP. Socialist José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, who was in office from 2004 to 2011, spent nearly three hours at the National Court yesterday morning, denying any wrongdoing in a sprawling corruption and money laundering probe linked to the controversial €53m government rescue of airline Plus Ultra during the pandemic.

• It’s the beginning of a major scandal that exploded recently, that has the center-left PSOE party freaking out and spiraling asking for “patience”, and that has put Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in the extremely tricky spot of having to defend his number one supporter.

Hold on. How did we get here? Investigators suspect Zapatero may have used his influence with the Spanish government to push the bailout through and benefit companies linked to businessman Julio Martínez, in exchange for commissions allegedly paid through sham consultancy arrangements.

• The 1%. At the center of the case is an alleged 1% cut of the Plus Ultra bailout that may have been funneled to Zapatero and cohorts (including his daughters) through a network of companies, possibly including an offshore structure in Dubai. Oh, and investigators think some of the bailout money was used to launder funds skimmed from Venezuelan government programs by businessmen tied to Nicolás Maduro’s government. Nice!

• Who among us does not have an emerald necklace? On top of this, police found jewels worth €1.3m in a safe in Zapatero's Madrid office, a discovery that added new charges, including tax fraud and smuggling, and intensified scrutiny.

I am not a crook. In court, Zapatero stuck to a clear line. That is, he had “no involvement whatsoever” in the Plus Ultra bailout and no contact with officials to influence it. He insisted his work was legitimate consulting based on his experience as a former PM

• Just guys paying each other on a handshake deal. Zapatero acknowledged knowing Martínez since 2011 and working with him from 2020 under what he described as a verbal consultancy agreement, paid annually.

• What, me? But he rejected the idea that the company involved was a shell used to channel illicit payments. He also denied ever owning or creating companies abroad and said he knew nothing about any commission agreement tied to the bailout. (The judge, for one, had doubts, saying, “He has failed to refute the rational indications of criminality”).

The jewel of denial. The issue of the jewels remains unresolved — and kinda awkward. Zapatero attempted to delay answering questions about them earlier this week, arguing he needed more time to document their origin. The judge refused, saying they were not new facts.

• So he didn't say anything. Zapatero chose not to answer on that point and will return to court in the coming days to address it specifically. It’s one of the most sensitive parts of the case, and potentially the most damaging from an optics standpoint.

No flight risk. Despite the seriousness of the accusations, the judge rejected the prosecutor’s request to seize Zapatero’s passport and impose travel restrictions.

• The reason? His public profile and “deep roots” in Spain make him an unlikely fugitive, and most key evidence has already been secured. There are suspicions, sure, but not enough, for now, to justify limiting his freedom. Plus, why would he leave? It's summer in Spain!

Really, I meant it! Zapatero released a short statement after leaving court, repeating he is “completely innocent” of all charges and will prove it, “however long it takes.”

• 🐌 Considering the speed of Spanish courts, that could take a while.

More news below. 👇👇

🔔 But first… Don’t miss the first episode of The Bubble Podcast!

We discuss PM Zapatero’s corruption accusations, the very complicated relationship between the US and Spanish governments, and the World Cup. Find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube!

💬 Five things to discuss at dinner parties

1. 🧑‍🔧 ¿Cómo se dice Watergate en español?

Spain is one big anti-corruption report these days. Spain’s elite anti-corruption unit, the UCO, dropped its zillionth special investigative report this week — and it’s gonna leave a mark.

• Documents. Basement. This should ring a bell. Among documents seized from former PSOE bigwig Santos Cerdán’s locked devices in the basement of the party’s headquarters, investigators claim to have found evidence that the PSOE’s former organization secretary had authorized — and been fully briefed on — a coordinated operation to torpedo judicial cases threatening the Sánchez government.

• But Cerdán was not alone. At the center of everything was a woman named Leire Díez, whose nickname, la fontanera de Ferraz (the plumber of the PSOE HQ on Madrid’s Calle Ferraz), turns out to be entirely apt. She was there to fix leaks.

So who the hell is Leire Díez? And why is the government so scared of her?

• Small town to secret agent. Diez started as a politician in the Cantabrian mountain town of Vega de Pas (where the former mayor called her “very manipulative”), before working her way through PSOE communications roles and up to the post of director of philately at the national postal museum. Her LinkedIn page stops there, but somewhere along the way, she allegedly became the operational core of a scheme to kneecap judges, prosecutors, and the UCO itself. The party, it now emerges, paid her €45,000 between 2015 and 2017.

Great travel perks. According to the UCO, her activities were overseen by Cerdán, who ordered PSOE staff to approve any trip she requested, no questions asked. The alleged scheme was to find people who were willing to hand over compromising information on judges and prosecutors unfriendly to PSOE interests, sometimes in exchange for help with their legal cases.

• A document titled “Incumplimientos” (Failures) — found both on her laptop and on Cerdán’s Ferraz devices — allegedly catalogued the whole operation, strongly suggesting that somebody in PSOE leadership knew.

• Travel agent. A WhatsApp group the conspirators named “Vacaciones y Viajes” (Holidays and Travel) — yes, really — allegedly coordinated efforts to derail the case against the PM’s brother in Badajoz.

When we say “strongly suggesting”... Díez reportedly told one contact that when “your wife and your brother are charged, you realize you have to clean things up” — language uncomfortably close to describing Pedro Sánchez’s own situation.

• The initials “P.S.” also appear in her notebooks next to notes about arranging a lawyer for David Sánchez. (We are sure this is a total coincidence. It could mean Paquita Salas.)

• Totally not a threat. “I know much more than what appears in the notebooks,” she has said. “I’m worth more for what I keep quiet.”

This week’s report also deepened suspicions about Mercedes González — the government-appointed head of the Guardia Civil — who met Díez multiple times, then opened three internal investigations into UCO agents in nine months. She appeared before the Senate this Tuesday, where she repeatedly denied influencing the investigations.

• We definitely wouldn’t be worried if we were in government. Not at all. /sarcasm

2. 🛃 That whole “free residency” thing got a few more applicants than expected

500,000. That’s the number of undocumented immigrants in Spain the Sánchez government repeatedly estimated would apply for the massive one-off regularization it approved in April. The think tank Funcas pegged it at 840,000, while others went as high as 1m, but Immigration Minister Elma Saiz stuck with 500,000.

• It appears the government was wrong. With two weeks still to go before the June 30 deadline, over 900,000 people have applied — almost double the government’s public estimate, and a record that blows past the previous high of 691,655 applications set in 2005 (576,506 were accepted then).

• It could hit one million by the time the window closes. Of those, around 359,000 have been formally admitted to the process — meaning those applicants now hold provisional residency and work permits while their cases are reviewed.

Why so many? The requirements were more flexible than previous regularizations — no pre-work contract required — and the ministry actively encouraged people to apply even with incomplete documentation.

• Shhhhh… Also: there were simply far more undocumented people in Spain than the government was willing to say out loud. Spain’s police said they had estimated figures much closer to reality, but their projections were “questioned and minimized” by the government. And most of these applicants, by the way, didn’t arrive on inflatable dinghies — they flew in as tourists, mostly from Latin America, and stayed.

The right is predictably furious. Vox has challenged the decree at the Supreme Court — which refused to suspend it in May but still has to rule on its legality — and the PP, which initially didn’t block the process, has since fully embraced scary tales of an immigrant flood.

• The government, for its part, is “cautious and optimistic,” noting the numbers need filtering for duplicates and pointing out that each valid application generates an estimated €4,000 in net fiscal benefit to the state.

The administration has three months to process each application. Given the volume, this is going to be quite a hot bureaucratic summer.

3. 🗣️ FIFA realizes that lots of people actually speak Spanish (and Spain loses a few times)

FIFA caused a big ol’ escándalo scandal at the World Cup when they outlawed the use of Spanish at press conferences unless one of the teams there was from a Spanish-speaking country. Which seems odd, considering that the World Cup is being hosted by (checks notes) the U.S., Canada, and…Mexico.

• They might as well have just screamed “Nein!” FIFA officials at World Cup press conferences repeatedly told journalists from Spanish-language media that they couldn’t ask questions of Spanish-speaking players in Spanish.

• Seriously? Wanna use Spanish to ask the Dutch player Frenkie de Jong, who’s played for years at FC Barça, what it’s like to be a team leader? How about posing a question to Vinicius Jr., who plays at Real Madrid? Nope, and nope.

• “It’s for the translation.” That was the excuse the FIFA official rolled out when he told a Mexican media reporter he could only use English, Dutch, or Japanese to talk to De Jong.

The incident that lit the fuse. Rodrigo Ornelas, a journalist from Mexico’s TV Azteca, tried to ask Morocco player Achraf Hakimi — who was born and grew up in Madrid — a question in Spanish before the Brazil-Morocco match in New Jersey.

• A FIFA official cut him off. Hakimi offered to just answer in Spanish anyway. The official said no. Video of the exchange went viral across Spain and Latin America (see above).

FIFA quietly reversed course shortly after — with no official statement, because humility — adding Spanish translation to all U.S. matches and instructing officials to allow questions in Spanish going forward.

• Context that perhaps should have been obvious from the start. Again, Mexico is a host nation, and 57 million people speak Spanish in the U.S., making it the world’s second-largest Spanish-speaking country. Behind only Mexico.

But what about the Canadians? No word yet on whether reporters will be allowed to end their questions with “Eh?” in the country that gave us Neil Young and Justin Bieber (moving on…).

• In other sad Spanish sports news. The Georgian-Spanish mixed martial arts superstar Ilia Topuria got his ass kicked lost for the first time, quitting after the fourth round with two broken orbital bones at the 🍊 Menace’s cage match 80th birthday party in the White House construction site.

• And Spain’s national soccer fútbol team got its ass kicked tied its first World Cup game 0-0 against Cabo Verde, a country making its first appearance at the competition and that many of you thought was in Latin America. Whoops!

4. 🫠 Madrid classrooms are turning into saunas, and we’re not sure who’s in charge

Sweat n’ wild. Madrid is once again facing a very apocalypse 2026 problem: classrooms that are just too damn hot for learning (or even screwing around). With temperatures climbing well above 30°C, and in some cases hitting 35-37°C, students and teachers are dying struggling to get through the day.

• En plein air. Lessons are being moved to hallways, gardens, or anywhere with a hint of shade. Others are improvising survival tactics: water sprays, fans, even literal “manguerazos” (using a hose to get wet like it’s 1920) during breaks.

Sorry, kids, not our problem. Here’s the core problem: no one fully agrees on who is responsible. The center-right regional government (led by PP’s Isabel Díaz Ayuso) handles major infrastructure, while the City Council (PP’s José Luis Martínez-Almeida) is responsible for smaller interventions. And the center-left federal government provides funding. The result? A lot of finger-pointing and very little urgency.

• Dude, we're trying. Madrid’s regional government insisted it's invested millions in A/C (€17.8m this year, €80m since 2019) and pointed to the need for more federal money.

• Ha ha. At the Madrid assembly, Ayuso’s culture advisor even mocked argued that heat could be “a source of inspiration”, which we're sure is what sweating students and teachers were feeling: Inspiration to kick someone in the teeth.

• Who's laughing now? The leftist opposition party Más Madrid blamed the politicians they want to replace and suggested holding parliamentary sessions without air conditioning, just to see how politicians like it (we're gonna guess that prolly won’t happen but not a bad initiative, to be honest).

No one’s buying it. Unions and parents' associations have reported the situation to labor inspectors, saying the high temperatures are not only annoying but unsafe.

• There have already been cases of dizziness, headaches, and even fainting. One study found that temperatures above 27°C directly reduce attention, memory, and learning capacity. Note to self: Maybe our schools were designed for a climate that no longer exists?

• Repeat after us: It's almost vacation. Teachers are improvising, and some classes are being held in corridors or outdoors. In extreme cases, schools are starting to feel less like places of learning and more like The Hunger Games.

Into the frying pan. On top of all this, Spain is heading into what could be the first major heatwave of the summer, with temperatures expected to jump 5 to 10 degrees above normal — and potentially exceed 40°C in some areas.

• Brace yourselves, it’s about to get hawt.

5. 🤩 Javier Bardem left his print, and Hollywood just got a little more Spanish

First time for everything. We may suck at sports this week, but when it comes to the soft power of Spanish film talent, we’re feeling damn proud. Legendary actor Javier Bardem has officially joined cinema immortality, leaving his handprints and footprints at the iconic TCL Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard — becoming the first Spanish actor ever to do so.

• Among friends. He joins legends like Marilyn Monroe, Jack Nicholson, and a who’s who of film history. Like Vin Diesel.

Why him? Honestly, why not him? Bardem is one of the few Spanish performers who has managed to crack Hollywood without losing his identity (speaking English helps). Not only that, but damn, have you seen him perform (and his fabulous nose)?

• Hollywood longevity. From Jamón, jamón and Mar adentro to No Country for Old Men (which earned him an Oscar) and global blockbusters like James Bond’s Skyfall, Bardem has spent three decades doing what Denis Villeneuve described perfectly as transforming himself into whoever the story needs.

True to himself. Bardem played it exactly how you’d expect. He cracked jokes, he kissed the cement, he barked, and he thanked his late mother, Pilar Bardem, for grounding him in the idea that success (and failure) are both illusions.

• Aww… He also thanked his “wonderful” wife Penelope Cruz and his children.

Friends in high places. Around him were heavyweights like Villeneuve and Michael Mann, praising his talent and his integrity — something that matters more than ever right now.

• Keeping the Hollywood left alive. While Tinseltown has gotten quieter under the current U.S. administration, Bardem has been loud and clear on issues like Gaza and openly critical of the 🍊 Menace and U.S. immigration policies — even referencing ICE during the ceremony.

Can’t stop, won’t stop. Bardem is not slowing down. He’s currently starring in a new Apple TV+ adaptation of Cape Fear, stepping into a role once played by Robert De Niro (if you haven’t seen it, he’s amazing), and in the upcoming Dune: Part Three.

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We sat down with , creator of History of Spain and Flavors of Spain, to discuss the country’s most iconic summer dishes, underrated restaurants, regional food traditions and the never-ending debate over whether tortilla should contain onions (of course it should, you monster!)

Along the way, we covered everything from salmorejo and migas 🤤 to Basque cooking clubs, Mallorcan taverns, prehistoric diets and why Spain might be one of the best countries in the world for food lovers.

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Highlights from the conversation

• 03:20 — Salmorejo vs. gazpacho: Why many Spaniards consider salmorejo the ultimate summer dish.

• 07:50 — Why Madrid has some of Spain’s best seafood: Despite being hundreds of kilometers from the coast.

• 09:00 — Percebes, barnacles and Mallorca’s seafood culture: Adrián explains the seafood that traumatized him as a child.

• 13:05 — How Spanish food has changed: From frog legs disappearing from menus to the rise of sushi, specialty coffee and international cuisine.

• 16:10 — What did Spaniards eat before potatoes and tomatoes? A fascinating look at Spanish cuisine before the Columbian Exchange.

• 18:30 — Ferran Adrià’s controversial potato-chip tortilla: A surprisingly successful shortcut to Spain’s most beloved dish.

• 28:30 — The secret behind Basque cuisine: How traditional cooking clubs known as txokos helped create one of the world’s most celebrated gastronomic cultures.

• 31:10 — Why Valencians hate dinner paella: A lesson in regional food rules and culinary etiquette.

• 32:30 — The best patatas bravas in Spain? Ian makes a bold claim about a beloved Barcelona institution.

• 34:15 — The old-school Spanish bars that are disappearing: Why locals miss the traditional taverns, waiters and food culture that once defined Spanish cities.

• 48:45 — The ultimate food guide to the Camino de Santiago: A preview of a future conversation exploring Spain through its pilgrimage route.

Thank you to everyone who tuned into our live video!

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🚨 Welcome to Props — The Bubble's real estate newsletter. You're here because Spanish real estate is fascinating, insane, occasionally enraging, and — if you have a little money and play it right — profitable. Every week we bring you the data, the deals, the people making it happen, and the ones making it worse.

Props is a paid newsletter. Your first 60 days, however, are free — grab a trial here and decide if we're worth it.

Also, I’ve spent the last few months building a real estate app that lets you track properties across Spain's various real estate portals in one place, value properties using actual transaction data, and drill into sales and pricing by neighborhood. It's in beta. If you want early access, drop me a line.

So sit back and enjoy! And send your tips, comments, suggestions, and all-cash offers to ian@thebubble.com.

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We don't want to get your hopes up, but…

Here’s a number that may make you feel a little tingle of warmth and fuzziness: in May 2026, Spanish rental prices rose just 3% year-on-year. That’s the slowest rate of growth in nearly three years.

Now, before you break out the cava or the MDMA (we won't judge), let’s be clear about what this does and doesn’t mean. It doesn’t mean rents are cheap — Spain’s average rental price hit a record €14.76 per square meter per month, and Madrid’s is nearly €22. And it doesn’t mean the housing crisis is over, or even close to over. What it does mean is that after years of brutal, relentless double-digit increases, the rental market may be running into…not a cliff, but maybe one of those emergency brake ramps for out-of-control trucks?

And the reason, according to analysts? It’s not that supply has improved (as we've said, households are growing faster than housing). It’s that tenants have simply run out of money.

Let us count the ways:

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🇪🇸 The Bubble is Spain's #1 English-language, bestselling newsletter. We offer paid subscriptions, and we’d be thrilled to have your support!

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Here Are 6 Things to Do in Madrid This Weekend

It’s Friday again!

And if you’re reading this, that means you survived last weekend’s clash of the titans (Pope Leo and Benito, aka Bad Bunny). This weekend is not that different (Bad Bunny is still in town), but at least the Pope is island-crawling in the Canaries.

• If you thought this meant calmer times, you'd be wrong. The World Cup just started, which means that no matter where you look, you’ll see footballs and people wearing red jerseys. At least there are a few things you can do before the big day on Monday. Buckle up; we’re in for an intense few weeks.

Happy weekend!

1.🍷 San Antonio Fest is back! Madrid’s first verbena of the summer features DJs, churros, and a hermitage

Another week, another party involving a saint that is used to get drunk and pass out! And introspection, of course. Don’t forget introspection. Say hello to the Fiestas de San Antonio de la Florida, a hyper-local, deeply traditional (and yet full of alcohol) celebration that feels both old-school and super fun at the same time. It’s also the first verbena of the summer!

• The area around Parque de la Bombilla (near Argüelles) and the Ermita de San Antonio (aka Saint Anthony of Padua’s hermitage) transforms into a full-blown verbena: loud music, people dancing, drinks flowing, and, of course, actual religious rituals happening just a few meters away. Because we’re all there for atonement, obviously.

• 19th-century Tinder. The roots of the festival are very Madrid: devotion, superstition, and a bit of, ahem, “romantic desperation” thanks to the quirky and famous ritual de los alfileres, in which, if you are single, you drop 13 pins into holy water, place your hands in it, and however many stick to your palm is how many suitors you’ll have that year. Hey, it’s scientifically proven. Shut up.

• The blessed bread of San Antonio is also still very much part of the experience. And don’t worry, you don’t need to be religious (or looking for love) to enjoy it! The real magic is in the mix: grandmothers in flowery dresses, groups of friends drinking vermú at noon, annoying delightful kids running around, and DJs taking over by night.

• You’ve got live concerts (Modestia Aparte, La Mole), DJ sets (DJ Nano, DJ Fonsi), vermú sessions, mini verbenas, and late-night dancing that feels like a throwback to pre-gentrification Madrid.

• Saturday is the big one: mass, procession, and then straight into music and partying, exactly what Jesus would have wanted.

• Sunday wraps it all up with paella, chocolate con churros, and fireworks.

Check the official program (link below) for schedules! Go for an hour, stay all weekend.

🖥️ What: Fiestas de San Antonio de la Florida

📍 Where: Parque de la Bombilla & Ermita de San Antonio, Madrid

📅 When: Through June 14

🎟 Tickets: Free admission

2. 🎭 Chronicle of a Bad Spaniard: Spain’s century of chaos, comedy, and contradictions

If you think verbenas and mingling with the populace is below you (shame on you), then here’s something Your Majesty (that would be you) can enjoy, as it involves relatively more substance and a lot more irony.

• This new play at Teatro Español takes the life of renowned Spanish film director Luis García-Berlanga and turns it into a sharp, funny, and very on-point reflection of Spain itself, told through the eyes of his own son.

• Jorge García-Berlanga leads the cast in a staged tribute that mixes biography with allegory and draws parallels between the patriarch’s life and a country that spent the 20th century navigating wars, political chaos, a dictatorship and a permanent identity crisis.

• If that sounds intense or solemn, don’t worry—this is Berlanga we’re talking about. Expect tons of humor, absurd moments, and that uniquely Spanish ability to laugh at everything.

• The show leans into that Berlanguiano spirit: chaotic, clever, and full of contradictions, creating a living collage of moments and emotions that capture why Berlanga remains one of the most important figures in Spanish cinema.

If you’re a film nerd or just looking for something a bit more high-brow (without being boring), this is a solid excuse to swap the verbena for a theatre seat for a night.

🖥️ What: Crónica de un Mal Español (Chronicle of a Bad Spaniard)

📍 Where: Teatro Español, Calle del Príncipe 25, Madrid

📅 When: Through June 28 (Thursdays to Sundays)

🎟 Tickets start at €10

3.🍔 Dear god, another food festival arrives: Ñam Ñam is taking over Madrid Río (and your figure)

(Before you ask: ñam ñam is the Spanish equivalent of saying nom nom. You’re welcome).

Not into reliving the horrific years of the Spanish dictatorship? Fortunately, we have an alternative that’s good for your palate and bad for your weight: Madrid just dropped the first edition of the Ñam Ñam Festival, turning Paseo Puente del Rey into an open-air playground for food, creativity, and quite possibly more food.

• Beware: This isn’t your typical food market. Ñam Ñam is positioning itself as an “international gastronomic experiences festival”, which basically means: street food, but more expensive “immersive”.

• There will be live cooking demos, talks, workshops, music, and even podcasts and monologues happening in real time. It’s not just about food but also about the culture around food.

• There’s a central bar for drinks and bites, a “mesa infinita” for shared experiences, and different zones where things are constantly happening. Overall, the vibe is pretty chill and dynamic. It’s also really bad if you’re on a diet.

• The festival taps into the city’s network of 45 mercados municipales, showcasing small-scale producers and homegrown culinary talent. So while it feels like a shiny new event, it’s actually rooted in something very traditional: neighborhood food culture.

If you’re sick and tired of eating patatas bravas and croquetas, try this one for a change.

🖥️ What: Ñam Ñam Festival

📍 Where: Explanada Puente del Rey, Madrid Río, Madrid

📅 When: June 13–14

🎟 Tickets start at €32.50

4. 🪩 Soundset returns to Conde Duque and becomes Madrid’s coolest open-air electronic playground

Are you now feeling guilty for eating those chimichurri-soaked empanadas? Do you need to burn those calories off? Maybe getting slightly lost in experimental beats is the answer, and we have the perfect suggestion for it!

• Soundset Festival is back at Conde Duque, and this year it’s gone fully open-air—taking over the Patio Sur for two nights of forward-thinking electronic music that leans more Berlin than Ibiza. (Berlin nightlife = sophistication, Ibiza nightlife = Kim Kardashian. Sorry, not sorry).

• Don’t expect the usual, run-of-the-mill DJ. Soundset a much more interesting space: there’s dubstep, Latin mutations, hyperpop colliding with bass and DJs who actually take risks.

• Friday kicks off strong with DJ Python going back-to-back with Loidis (aka Huerco S), followed by Brazilian rhythms from RHR and a rare Madrid appearance by Mala, a foundational figure in dubstep. If these are all people you’ve never heard of, you may not be cool enough (again, sorry not sorry).

• Saturday shifts gears but keeps the energy high. There’s a mix of local and international names pushing boundaries: Carne_kddo with the Lágrima collective, Tracey’s hyperpop-infused sound, and a live set from Nick León exploring new Latin electronic textures.

• The whole thing closes with CCL, whose sets are basically a journey—jumping between post-punk, techno, house, and everything in between without losing the thread. (Boomers, look away!)

This event is about discovery, experimentation, and actually listening to what’s happening on stage, so for the love of all things sacred, keep your damn phone in your pocket and start living in the moment.

🖥️ What: Soundset Festival 2026

📍 Where: Patio Sur, Centro Cultural Conde Duque, Calle del Conde Duque 11, Madrid

📅 When: June 12–13

🎟 Tickets: €20/day

5.💃🏻 Israel Galván brings (non-tourist trap) flamenco to the edge (and then breaks It)

Israel Galván is one of the most boundary-pushing figures in Spanish dance, and he is back in Madrid with a show that twists tradition and turns it into something deeply personal and unique. If you’re looking for the type of flamenco show that the locals want to see, this is it.

• This new piece dives into his childhood memories of the Feria de Abril in Sevilla, where he used to compete in sevillanas contests… and never win. Why? Because even back then, his style didn’t fit the rules.

• That tension (tradition vs. rebellion, recognition vs frustration) sits at the heart of the show. It’s flamenco, but filtered through Galván’s signature experimental and ironic lens.

• He performs in a short flamenco dress with a retro twist, accompanied by a charanga band, live guitar, and vocals, creating a scene that’s half street party and half avant-garde performance.

If you’re a flamenco purist (like we are) or someone who usually avoids tourist traps (like we are), this is the kind of show you should see.

🖥️ What: Israel Galván’s Sevillanas Solteras

📍 Where: Centro Danza Matadero (CDM), Paseo de la Chopera 14, Madrid

📅 When: June 12–14

🎟 Tickets start at €27

6. ⚽️ World Cup mania: Where to watch Spain’s games

Haters of soccer football, beware: our long national nightmare has officially just begun. You don’t have to like football to feel it. Because like it or not, trust us, you will feel it, with or without your consent.

• Madrid is about to go full World Cup mode. That’s right! Apparently, the guys who think that Donald Trump somehow deserves a peace prize have somehow gotten away with not getting canceled and have organized a championship that’s been making the headlines due to its dystopian dynamic prices and questionable immigration policies. Oh, and then there’s also Canada and Mexico. But we digress.

The 2026 tournament kicked off yesterday, and with Spain among the favorites, the city is turning into one giant viewing party! So let’s conveniently ignore FIFA’s history of moral (and literal) corruption and focus on being number one, shall we? If you want to watch the games (Spain’s first match is on Monday afternoon against Cape Verde, a country that totally exists), you’ve got options.

• Let’s start with the big one: Plaza de Colón. The city is installing a massive screen that will turn the square into ground zero for fans watching La Roja (a communist-sounding name for the Spanish national football team). That will be fun! There will be thousands of people, flags, beers, collective anxiety, and that very specific Madrid energy that only shows up during big tournaments. If Spain scores, you will feel it. If it doesn’t, you will also feel it. One catch: It will only be for matches taking place before 10 p.m. (The residents of Salamanca are rich, and rich people like silence, peasants.)

• If crowds aren’t your thing (or you want air conditioning and a seat), cinemas are stepping in. Cines Yelmo will be screening Spain’s matches across multiple locations in Madrid, from Ideal and Palafox to Plenilunio and La Vaguada. It’s a surprisingly great option: big screen, decent sound, and snacks. Tickets start around €8.30 with popcorn and a drink, scaling up if you want the full “Luxury” experience. Watching football in a movie theater is a thing now.

• Then there’s the classic route: bars! Madrid’s bars will basically turn into unofficial fan zones, especially in neighborhoods like Chamberí, Malasaña, and La Latina. Just find a place with a screen, order a beer, and you’re in. The louder the crowd, the better the experience. Not sure where to go? Try James Joyce Irish Pub, FRATINA Sport Bar, La Fontana de Oro, O’Connell St. Pub, Knockout! Sports Bar (this one’s far away but cool).

• And if you hate people and want to be by yourself, RTVE has you covered. The public broadcaster is going all in this year, with matches on La 1 and multiple digital streams on RTVE Play, plus extra content, highlights, and even influencer-driven commentary. It’s the easiest way to follow everything without leaving your couch.

The World Cup is here; it’s unavoidable, and for the next few weeks, this city will be living match by match. Resistance is futile.

🖥️ What: FIFA World Cup 2026

📍 Where: Plaza de Colón, Cines Yelmo (multiple locations), bars across Madrid, RTVE

📅 When: Through July 19 (Spain debuts June 15)

📺 What to watch if you’re staying in this weekend…

🖥️ What: The Marked Woman (La Desconocida) | Movie | 2026

📍Where to watch: Netflix

❓What’s it about: An unconscious woman is found inside a container at the Barcelona docks. She suffers from amnesia, and someone wants her dead. Two cops embark on a race against time to discover her identity and the secrets she holds.

🤩 Why you should watch: Because it builds a dark, fast-paced mystery led by the fantastic Candela Peña, who brings real emotional weight as a dishevelled detective chasing both the case and her own personal demons. The Marked Woman is not trying to reinvent the genre, and that’s exactly why it works. If you want an easy-to-binge thriller night, go with this one.

💬 English Subtitles: Yes.

💃🏻 Places to try this weekend…

🍽️ La Gloria de Carabanchel is the kind of taberna that makes you rethink the neighborhood

What’s it about: La Gloria de Carabanchel is Sol Pérez-Fragero taking everything that worked in Malasaña and Conde Duque—and bringing it outside the M-30. The result is a small, no-frills taberna with real soul: a handful of tables and a focus on Andalusian classics.

Why you should go: Because this is comfort food done right. The lomo de orza, croquetas de puchero, albóndigas de choco, and solomillo al whisky all hit that perfect balance between traditional and seriously craveable.

Bottom line: Proof that some of Madrid’s best spots are no longer in the center.

Address: Calle del General Martín Cerezo, 3, Madrid

🍫 Balbisiana: The pastry box that took over Madrid (and then opened a store)

What’s it about: Balbisiana is what happens when a viral dessert brand turns into a full-on lifestyle bakery. It started as those iconic blue boxes seen at every chic Madrid event, and now it is a physical café on Calle Velázquez.

Why you should go: Because this place gets the balance right: aesthetic and actually good. The best-seller is still the classic “tarta de la abuela” (chocolate and biscuit), which is basically impossible to mess up. The “balbisianas” (bite-sized fried brioche with different fillings) are also dangerously easy to devour.

Bottom line: It’s polished, it’s Instagrammable, but this time it’s not just hype. Balbisiana delivers.

Address: Calle de Velázquez, 55, Madrid

👨🏻‍💻 Viral Memes of the Week

😎 Well, El Papa and Benito almost played together

❤️ Madrid is cool, yo

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Hallelujah!

🇻🇦The Pope gave a speech and somehow every politician agreed with him

Holy week. Fifteen years after the last papal visit, Pope Leo XIV landed in Spain on Saturday morning with a full-blown, high-octane tour that feels like a religious roadshow that could compete with Bad Bunny.

• Party! From a massive open-air mass in Plaza de Cibeles (1.5m attendees!) to the hair-raising, waterworks-inducing blessing of the iconic Sagrada Familia last night, and now heading to Canary Islands migrant centers, the pope’s been busy with spectacle, symbolism, and politics.

• Thank god for a break. For Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, the pope’s visit couldn’t have come at a better time. With legal troubles and corruption cases swirling around him and pals like former PM José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, the papal tour frenzy shifted the spotlight (if for only a minute).

Guess who. It was on Monday that Madrid witnessed something close to a miracle: the pope delivered a historic speech in Parliament, and every major political party walked away claiming, somehow, that he was basically on their side.

• You guys agree? In a chamber better known for screaming at each other than agreement on anything, MPs from across the spectrum applauded for over seven minutes.

• Even more surreal? Center-left PSOE, center-right PP and far-right Vox all insisted the Pope’s message aligned with their own political platforms. For real?

Listen up, sinners. The pope’s 30-minute speech (see above) itself was anything but neutral. Leo XIV touched on some of the most divisive issues in Spanish politics: immigration, abortion, euthanasia, education, war, and the toxic tone of public debate. If he didn’t opine on onions in tortilla de patata, it was probably due to a lack of time.

• On immigration, he was crystal clear. This is not a numbers game but a moral issue, calling for dignity, legal pathways, and integration.

• But… on the other hand, he doubled down on the Church’s traditional stance that life must be protected “from conception to natural death,” clashing with Spain’s loose laws on abortion and euthanasia.

• He also defended parents’ rights in education (a nod to religious schooling), warned about the dangers of AI, and called out the increasingly aggressive tone of political discourse. Disagreement, he said, should not mean humiliation. (We all can agree with that, right?)

Choose your own adventure. The reaction from politicians was a masterclass in selective listening. As it turns out, everyone agreed on one thing: no one felt criticized! On the contrary, political leaders, right and (mostly) left, seemed to think that His Holiness agreed with them and only them (which is obviously absurd).

Hits for everyone. The right was most directly confronted on immigration, peace, and international law, areas where the pope’s stance clashes clearly with both the PP and Vox. The left didn’t get off easy either, facing a head-on challenge on abortion, euthanasia, and education. Even nationalist parties caught a subtle jab, with Leo XIV emphasizing unity over division.

• The PP. Boss Alberto Núñez Feijóo said he felt like the pope spoke directly to him, insisting the speech fit perfectly with the PP’s humanist roots.

• Vox. Party leader Santiago Abascal also saw no contradiction with his party’s stance on immigration (despite the pope explicitly condemning the kind of “national priority” logic that Vox promotes).

• PSOE and the left, led by PM Sánchez, highlighted the parts about international law, migration, and human dignity they agreed with, brushing past the pope’s clear opposition to some of their flagship social policies.

🙉 Everyone agreed. Because of course. The whole thing was political projection at its finest: take what you like, ignore the rest, and declare yourself the pope's #BFF. So who actually took the biggest hit? The answer is: pretty much everyone.

More news below. 👇👇

🔔 But first… The Bubble Podcast is back for season 2!

In the first episode of this season, we discuss PM Zapatero’s corruption accusations, the very complicated relationship between the US and Spanish governments, and the World Cup. Find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube!

💬 Five things to discuss at dinner parties

1. 👩🏻‍⚖️ Sánchez’s ‘beloved brother’ case is done except for the crying ruling

The best part of any court case? The closing statements, where each side blasts the other’s case and indulges in some theatrical badassery. That’s what we got this week as hearings wrapped in the trial of PM Sánchez’s hermanísimo David and the bullshit patronage job he was — or wasn’t — given in Badajoz (we wrote about this last week).

• The accusers went first. Lawyers for the various right-wing parties and lobbies called the creation of a “made-to-order” post for David a “farce”, said his “complete sham” of an interview for the position “never took place,” and that his “only merit” for holding the job was being “Pedro Sánchez’s brother.”

• The defendants were cutting. Miguel Ángel Gallardo, the former leader of the PSOE in Extremadura who faced trial for the supposedly illicit hiring of David, said his only crime was “not having the same ideas as the accusers” and that he’d already been “condemned socially”. Defense lawyers called the case “a house of cards,” and the plaintiff claims “a fictional script...devoid of the slightest sense.”

Now the screaming is done, and the case goes to the tribunal. Here are 5 issues to watch as you await the ruling:

1. Police report vs. people. The UCO analyzed thousands of emails and concluded the job was “predetermined” for David — pointing to Gallardo as the engine. But many of the 53 witnesses — and the state prosecutor — said otherwise. Who wins: one police report or half a courthouse of witnesses — mostly with ties to the PSOE?

2. David vs. David. His instruction-phase testimony was a slow-motion car crash: he couldn’t locate his own office, left 10-second silences, and rambled about his job title. His lawyers nearly silenced him at trial. The old videos were played in court anyway. Can his past self convict today’s David?

3. That “Hermanísimo” email. An email sent the day the job was posted — subject line: “Hermanísimo” — was the prosecution’s marquee exhibit. In court, its author walked it back to “a rumor I can’t source.” The tribunal’s president all but dismissed it. So, evidence or just a meme?

4. The ghost of Pedro. Five emails allegedly sent to Pedro’s personal account (but actually, it seems, to the account of his father, who has the same name) were unveiled at the last minute — with one plaintiff claiming they were deliberately left uninvestigated by the UCO after it was told to “stand down” by… the government 🤔? There are no charges against Pedro himself, but the accusation that political pressure shaped the investigation hangs over the whole thing.

5. Prosecution vs. prosecution. The state prosecutor asked for the acquittal of all 11 defendants. The right-wing groups want 6 years for David. Defense attorneys formally asked the court to make the accusers pay costs for “procedural bad faith.” Whoever loses won’t be quiet about it.

Tick-tock. The ruling could take until after August — no one is in pretrial detention, so the court has no urgency. Spain will have to wait.

2. 💎 A priest walks into a bar jewelry store

Wasn’t the Pope’s visit stirring? Well, apparently average Spaniards and politicians of all stripes weren’t the only ones to take inspiration from Leo XIV’s tour of Spain. But for some, it didn’t go so well.

• What happened: The Policía Nacional arrested seven people for the holdup of a Madrid gold shop yesterday afternoon. Three of the gang entered the store: two — dressed as a priest and a nun — asked an employee to show them a jewelry display, while the third violently forced her into the back room.

• Police caught them as they fled. During the arrest, the “priest” pulled a gun on two officers and had to be subdued. The costumes, police noted, were “not of very good quality.” The commitment was there. But the craft? Um, less so.

Not a one-off. This was Madrid’s sixth jewelry robbery in a month, all brazen, all in daylight, all apparently unconcerned with cameras or bystanders. A brief tour:

• May 15: A gold shop in Torrejón de Ardoz was robbed by five people who tricked an employee into opening the door. Estimated haul: €500,000.

• May 18: Four masked robbers hit a Puente de Vallecas shopping center with hammers, stuffing loot into raffia bags.

• May 22: A man and woman entered a jewelry store on Calle Toledo with a gun — which they left behind and turned out to be fake — pistol-whipped the owner in the head, and fled with the loot. At least she’s okay.

• June 2: Three hooded figures in military gear hit the José Luis chain at La Vaguada — Madrid’s first shopping center — making off mainly with Casio and Guess watches. Not exactly the crown jewels.

• June 8: Four more hit José Luis again in Torrelodones, this time with what witnesses described as a submachine gun.

The suspects. All seven arrested yesterday are Peruvian nationals. Two were picked up nearby as lookouts; two more were caught in a getaway car on the M-30, which crashed into a police vehicle. All face charges of robbery with violence and intimidation. Police are investigating whether they’re linked to the other recent robberies.

• New duds. As far as we know, this is the first time they dressed as men (and women) of the cloth. The Pope truly has inspired us all.

3.🚰 Madrid’s devastating water crisis: the city’s source of pride suddenly tastes ‘funny’

Madrid, what a town! It has a lot of things going for it, but one of its quiet superpowers has always (always!) been its tap water. Ask any local, and they’ll tell you that it’s the best drinking water in the world, hands down. No comparison.

• Seriously, you should never criticize Madrid tap water unless you want to make madrileños very angry. So when water suddenly started smelling and tasting weird this week, people did more than notice. They worried absolutely freaked out.

It started Sunday morning. All over the city (and beyond), people took their first sip of the day and immediately knew something was afoot. Social media exploded. Some said it tasted like chlorine, others like plastic, and others compared it to hospital water or even to drinking from a garden hose.

• Considering this is a city where 96% of people proudly drink straight from the tap, this was borderline identity crisis territory.

So what’s going on? According to Canal de Isabel II (the public company that manages Madrid’s water), the culprit was relatively boring mundane: a filtration adjustment gone wrong.

• Calm down, everyone. It was neither deadly nor dangerous (we hope). It was just that a maneuver involving activated carbon filters at the Santillana treatment plant altered the taste and smell of the water.

Don’t drink the Kool-Aid. While this may have sounded like the beginning of one of those weird plans concocted by comic book villains to murder thousands, experts say the reason people noticed so quickly is actually a compliment.

• Madrid’s water is famously “soft” (low mineralization), light, and clean-tasting, thanks in part to the granite terrain of the Sierra. So when something changes, even slightly, it’s immediately obvious.

• Some blame increased chlorine levels, possibly due to higher demand (hello, Pope + Bad Bunny!), which may have amplified the effect.

• Still, authorities insist the water was completely safe to drink. By yesterday, the issue had begun to disappear as the system flushed itself out.

The end of the (non) crisis didn’t stop many madrileños from temporarily switching to bottled water (a move that felt almost sacrilegious). It also didn’t stop political parties such as Más Madrid from demanding an explanation.

• Because water in Madrid is holy, and not because the pope was in town.

4. 🚆 Party! Fiesta! The youths get to travel for almost free

They may never be able to buy a home, or have a career not cut short by AI, or find love in the era of smartphone addiction, but at least the youngs have one thing going for them: They can travel across Spain for damn near free this summer! Hey, at least it’s something 🤷.

• What it is. Now in its fourth year, Verano Joven hands out heavily discounted travel passes to anyone aged 18-30 (Spanish national or legal resident) for trips between July 1 and Sept. 30. The government has set aside €130 million this year — €10 million more than last year.

The discounts. 90% off regular state buses and medium-distance trains. 50% off high-speed trains (Renfe, Iryo, Ouigo), capped at €30 per ticket. 50% off Avant. And 50% off a 10-day Interrail Global Flexible pass — so the party can extend to the rest of Europe too.

• How to get it. Register on the Verano Joven website (not live yet — coming “in the next few days”) with your DNI or NIE. You’ll get a personal code to use on each operator’s own site. Non-transferable, so don’t try to share it with your roommate or, like, mom.

The numbers. The program has racked up 4 million users and 16 million discounted trips across its first three editions, with 2025 setting records: 6.8 million trips, up 30% from 2024.

• Transport minister Óscar Puente called it “one of the public policies that has worked best” (shocking how free money is popular) and noted that young people’s desire to travel is “inversely proportional to the money they usually have in their pockets.” Correct, ministro.

Also, it has the nice effect of distracting them from all the world’s other problems. Come to think of it, maybe you could do the same for those who’ve passed 30? (Just asking for a friend.)

5.💊 We're not just a top holiday destination — we're also Europe’s main drug gateway!

Spain has a new nickname that's far less glamorous than “Europe’s Florida”. We’re now the main entry point for drugs into the European Union, at least according to the European Commission and the EU’s drugs agency's latest annual report.

• The numbers are high (pun intended). Spain led the EU in annual seizures of hashish (206 tons) and cocaine (124 tons) — by a wide margin. To put that into perspective: Spain alone accounts for around 37% of all cocaine seized in the entire EU. ☃️

• It doesn’t stop there. The country is also becoming increasingly relevant in synthetic drugs like MDMA, with a growing number of labs being dismantled. Turns out we’re not just a transit country anymore; parts of the supply chain are starting to settle here.

So why Spain? Not surprisingly, geography is responsible for that: Spain sits at the crossroads that join Europe with Latin America (cocaine routes) and North Africa (cannabis from Morocco).

• Drugs come in by sea, often through major ports or the Canary Islands, and then move across the continent. This country is essentially the front door, and the rest of Europe is, well, the house.

Dazed and confused. What’s changing (and worrying Brussels) is how sophisticated the trafficking has become (smugglers are using drones, high-speed narcolanchas in the Strait of Gibraltar, and smaller, fragmented shipments designed to evade detection).

• Law enforcement is catching a lot, but the report makes it clear: traffickers are adapting fast, and the game is getting harder.

We’re #1! Countries like Belgium and France are also major hubs (especially ports like Antwerp), but Spain combines entry point, transit route, and production zone — particularly when it comes to cannabis cultivation.

• Meanwhile, the Netherlands still dominates synthetic drug production, but Spain is increasingly part of that ecosystem too. So proud…

🔔 Don’t forget to follow us on TikTok!

@thebubblecomA corruption probe has triggered a political earthquake in Spain: Former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero is officially under investigation in a corruption probe linked to the controversial €53 million government bailout granted to the airline Plus Ultra during the pandemic. What happens now? Read all about it in this week’s newsletter, in your inbox this Thursday morning. #zapatero #psoe #venezuela #politica

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In the latest episode of The Bubble Podcast, Amanda Sloat — former Special Assistant to President Joe Biden and Senior Director for Europe at the White House National Security Council — joins The Bubble Podcast to discuss the rapid deterioration of the transatlantic relationship under the Orange Menace and why Spain has emerged as one of the European countries most willing to challenge Washington.

Highlights from the conversation

01:25 — Why Spain has become Trump’s biggest critic in Europe

01:54 — The moment Europe stopped trusting America

02:19 — How Spain challenged Washington

05:03 — Could the US leave its military bases in Spain?

07:21 — Are students and academics abandoning America?

12:51 — Americans are asking if Spain is still safe for them

17:00 — The damage will take a generation to repair

About our guest

Amanda Sloat is Professor of Practice at IE School of Politics, Economics and Global Affairs in Madrid. Before moving to Spain, she served as Special Assistant to President Joe Biden and Senior Director for Europe at the National Security Council, helping shape US policy towards Europe during one of the most consequential periods in recent history.

This interview was originally published as part of the latest episode of The Bubble Podcast, which also explores Spain’s biggest political scandal in years and Spain’s chances at the FIFA World Cup 2026.

Watch the full episode on YouTube or listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and wherever you get your podcasts.

We also examine a scandal linked to José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero and the PSOE, and ask whether Spain’s government is facing its biggest political challenge yet.

And finally, two of our least qualified sports pundits attempt to explain everything you need to know about Spain’s national football team ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026, from Spain’s historic 2010 victory to cultural icons like Naranjito and Manolo el del Bombo.

Hosted by Ian Mount, Adrián Bono and Ignacio de los Reyes.

This episode is brought to you by Bureaucracy.es, a trusted immigration and relocation agency helping people move to Spain with clarity and confidence. Whether you’re relocating as a remote worker, retiring in Spain, taking a career break, or living off savings abroad, their team helps navigate digital nomad visas, non-lucrative visas, residency renewals and the Spanish bureaucracy behind the move.

Learn more:

https://www.bureaucracy.es/thebubble

Created in collaboration with A13 Content.

🚨 Welcome to Props — The Bubble's new real estate newsletter. Every week, we'll bring you the trends, news, scoops, scandals, and personalities in Spanish real estate.

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So sit back, read, and enjoy! And please send your tips, comments, suggestions, and all-cash offers to ian@thebubble.com.

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Demand met supply and kicked its butt

It's, like, the most basic theory of Economics 101: Supply and Demand. That is, as supply goes up, prices go down, and vice versa. Where they cross in the middle is the point of perfect equilibrium, where there is neither excess supply nor demand and everything sells at a correct, market-clearing price.

Well, we can safely say that Spain's real estate market exists in nothing that resembles perfect equilibrium. There's barely anything on the market — to rent or buy — and what's there is either a) crazy expensive or b) ugly as sin. Several studies and pieces of news got us thinking about that this week. TL;DR: Is it going to change? Yes. Anytime soon? No.

Let us count the ways:

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Here Are 6 Things to Do in Madrid This Weekend

It’s Friday again!

There’s no easy way of saying this; this weekend is gonna be a mess. Pope Leo XIV is in town for a series of religious events. And so is Bad Bunny (although not for religious events).

• Millions of people from all over Spain and Europe are expected to descend on downtown Madrid this weekend, so traffic will be a nightmare, there will be massive crowds everywhere, and long lines for literally everything.

• If you live outside the M-30, chances are your life will be a little easier. But if you live in Centro/Justicia/Chamberí/Salamanca, don’t leave the house. If you do because you need the blessing of the Holy Spirit or want to dwerk/twerk sluttily with Benito, bring some lorazepam. You will need it.

• El País has been kind enough to put together a guide with streets to avoid this weekend. Traffic will be shut down. Multiple metro stations in downtown Madrid will be closed, so plan ahead.

• Oh, and if you’re not interested in religions like catholicism or reggaeton, we have a few other options for you heathens.

Happy weekend!

1.🇻🇦 Put on your Sunday clothes, people! Pope Leo XIV is in Madrid this weekend with a busy agenda

Holy mackerel! Pope Leo XIV is landing in Spain for his Lift Your Eyes tour, and he’s ready to paint the town red yellow, and white. Madrid is his first stop, marking the first papal visit to the city in 15 years. As we mentioned above, expect big crowds, food stands, and security everywhere. Consider this Catholic Coachella. Let’s go over his very busy agenda!

• Saturday, June 6: The pope lands at Barajas airport to a full-on state welcome with King Felipe VI, followed by a formal reception at the Royal Palace with politicians, diplomats, and half the Spanish establishment. Before you ask, no, peasant, you cannot attend.

• 6 p.m.: That afternoon, he’ll visit a Cáritas center supporting homeless people (yes, he’s putting social issues front and center from day one) before things take a more unexpected turn with a Niña Pastori performance. You also cannot join.

• 8:30 p.m.: Then comes the first big crowd moment (which maybe you can attend if you push some children out of the way): the pope cruising down Castellana in the Popemobile before a massive youth vigil near the Bernabéu Stadium. Thousands are expected, with live music (Hakuna, Siloé, Besmaya), prayers, and a late-night Eucharistic adoration. If you’re a youth, then you can probably attend, but you need to register here immediately. (If you’re asking if you qualify as a youth, you’re probably not a youth).

• Sunday, June 7, 10 a.m.: The main event! Cibeles transforms into the epicenter of Catholic Spain, hosting a huge open-air Mass for Corpus Christi, followed by a procession through nearby streets. Expect your news and Instagram feed to be bombarded with stories from this event, featuring the same people who the night before were probably slutting around at Bad Bunny’s concert. (Hey, no judgement here, as both things are not mutually exclusive and this is a sex positive safe space.) Warning: you also need to register for this!

• 6 p.m.: Later that day, the Pope heads indoors to the Movistar Arena for Tejer Redes, a more curated event bringing together figures from culture, art, and business to talk about… well, networking, we guess.

• Monday, June 8, 10:30 a.m.: Monday shifts gears again, this time into full political and institutional mode. In the morning, the pope meets Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, delivers a historic address to Parliament (a first in Spain; you can watch it on TV), and sits down with Spanish bishops. Unless you are Pedro Sánchez (or a bishop), you can’t attend.

• 6 p.m.: In the evening, things swing back to spectacle with a prayer at Almudena Cathedral.

• 7 p.m.: It’s gonna be a short prayer, because one hour later he will be at a massive event at the Bernabéu featuring a 1,000-person choir, dancers, and guest artists like David Bustamante. That’s right, the freaking pope. At the Bernabéu. With a choir and choreography. Epic.

• Tuesday, June 9, 10:20 a.m.: Pope Leo bids adieu to Madrid with a final event at IFEMA with volunteers before heading off to Barcelona and the Canary Islands. Not a volunteer? Not invited.

But wait, there’s more! Because Madrid is pulling a cultural all-nighter. On the night of June 6, 15 museums across the city will open late and for free for the “Yellow and White Night”. Because a papal visit is the perfect excuse for a spontaneous 2 a.m. museum crawl.

🖥️ What: Visit of Pope Leo XIV to Madrid

📍 Where: Multiple locations (Cibeles, Bernabéu, Almudena, IFEMA, Movistar Arena)

📅 When: June 6–9

🎟 Tickets: Free (registration recommended for closer access)

2.🐕 I Love Reggaeton Madrid 2026: If you know all the lyrics to Gasolina, this festival is for you

No tickets to Bad Bunny and no interest in receiving the blessings of Baby Jesus? Fret not, we have a consolation prize for you! The I Love Reggaeton festival is back in Madrid this weekend, turning IFEMA into a massive, open-air throwback to the golden years of reggaeton and electrolatino.

• We’re talking about 30+ artists, three outdoor stages, and a lineup we don't know, but if you like reggaeton, you probably do: Tito El Bambino, Henry Méndez, Cali & El Dandee, Lorna, Juan Magán, De La Ghetto… and many more.

• The concept for this is simple and effective: pure nostalgia. The festival is designed as a tribute to the early days of reggaeton (remember Gasolina?), before it became the global monster it is today, with a fully synchronized audiovisual show and back-to-back hits that defined an entire generation.

• There are two main stages running in parallel (so yes, you will have to make tough decisions), plus food trucks, chill areas, and enough perreo energy to power the city for a week and make you forget that you couldn’t afford Bad Bunny tickets.

Reggaeton might dominate the world now, but this is about where it all started; the era that made it mainstream and gave us the songs everyone still knows by heart. Dale con dale ✌️.

🖥️ What: I Love Reggaeton Festival Madrid 2026

📍 Where: IFEMA Madrid, Av. del Partenón 5, Madrid

📅 When: June 6

🎟 Tickets start at: €51,90 (hurry up, tickets are selling fast)

3. 🎭 La Loba: Bette Davis is back (and she’s not here to be ignored, losers)

What happens when one of Hollywood’s most iconic divas walks into a newsroom and places a classified ad… for herself? That’s the pretty absurd (and quietly devastating) premise of this play now running at the Fernán Gómez.

• A magnetic Mélida Molina embodies Bette Davis with bite and vulnerability, delivering a performance that feels both like a tribute to this undying Hollywood legend (at least for the boomers).

• The setup is simple: A veteran actress (three kids, decades in the industry, and a certain reputation) demands work in a system that has already decided she’s past her prime.

• What unfolds is a sharp, often funny, sometimes uncomfortable look at how the film industry treats women once they age out of desirability, even the ones who helped define it in the first place.

• The play leans into its love of classic cinema while pulling back the curtain on its darker dynamics: ego, power, rejection, survival.

• Did you know? In 1989, Bette Davis came to Spain to receive the Donostia Award at the San Sebastián Film Festival. It was her final public appearance, her last performance.

So trust us, it’s worth watching a character like Bette Davis refuse to fade quietly into irrelevance in this stylish homage to classic Hollywood that doubles as a critique of it.

🖥️ What: La Loba

📍 Where: Fernán Gómez Centro Cultural de la Villa, Plaza de Colón 4, Madrid

📅 When: June 4–21

🎟 Tickets start at €20

4. 🩰 No tutus, no rules: SACRESIZE is the dance show redefining what a body can do

What if ballet, one of the most rigid, body-obsessed art forms out there, suddenly stopped caring about “ideal” bodies? Alberto Velasco offers a bold, unapologetic answer to that question that puts non-normative bodies front and center.

• The evening opens with SIZE, a short but striking piece where Velasco turns the “non-normative” body into something poetic, powerful and deeply expressive.

• Instead of treating size as a limitation, the choreography reframes it as a space of sensitivity and expansion, supported by an immersive audiovisual setup.

• Then comes SACRE, a reimagining of The Rite of Spring that leans into its original themes of tension and ritual but flips the narrative entirely, becoming intense and quietly subversive.

Velasco has built a career around challenging aesthetic norms (and literally wrote the book on it with Pobre, gordo y maricón), and continues to use dance as both an artistic and political tool. It forces you to rethink what dance and beauty are supposed to look like.

🖥️ What: SACRESIZE

📍 Where: Teatros del Canal, Calle de Cea Bermúdez 1, Madrid

📅 When: Through June 7

🎟 Tickets start at €20

5.🎬 FILMADRID: The coolest film festival you’ve probably never heard of is back

Tired of the Netflix algorithm feeding you the same crap over and over? Then you need FILMADRID. The city’s most quietly influential film festival is back for its 12th edition, taking over venues like La Casa Encendida, Cine Doré and Cineteca Madrid with a lineup that leans into auteur-driven cinema.

• What makes FILMADRID different is its obsession with discovery; with films that have been making waves in international festivals but haven’t yet landed in Spain. There will be experimental formats, unusual narratives, and directors who are still shaping their voice. In other words: cinema that’s actually good.

• The festival’s competitive sections, including the Official Selection and the return of SMART7, double down on that idea. SMART7, in particular, is worth keeping an eye on: a curated selection of seven European films by emerging directors that push boundaries in form and content.

• One standout this year is As liñas descontinuas (The Dashed Lines), a debut feature that brings together a 50-year-old woman navigating divorce and a 28-year-old trans man in a moment of personal instability.

FILMADRID has quietly built a reputation as one of the city’s most important cultural events by becoming that place you go to if you want to see what cinema might look like in five years.

🖥️ What: FILMADRID International Film Festival

📍 Where: Various venues across Madrid

📅 When: June 5–14

🎟 Tickets: Check website

6. 🎸 Blockparty Arganzuela: an indie, garage, and punk-fueled festival is the most fun you’ll have this weekend

Not into Catholic Coachella and trying to escape the downtown area? We have one final option for you! It involves guitars, beers, and zero religion. We give you… Blockparty Arganzuela! An open-air festival that returns to Madrid Río with a great lineup.

• Set in the Explanada Negra, this is one of those festivals where you’re close to the stage, there aren’t any barriers (literal or emotional), and a crowd that actually cares about the music.

• This year’s lineup brings together a mix of indie, garage and punk energy with acts like Die Spitz, Mujeres and Uni Boys leading the charge, alongside Fast Kinds and Sandré, all of them known for turning live shows into something unpredictable. What’s that? You’ve never heard of them? Even better.

• Oh, and there’s also food, drinks, and that great Madrid summer vibe in which the sun goes down over the river, people sit down on the ground between sets, and that feeling that you’ve stumbled into something a bit cooler than you expected.

Note: capacity is limited, which keeps things manageable, and if you’re under 16, you’re getting in for free - not a bad way to get your first proper festival experience.

🖥️ What: Blockparty Arganzuela

📍 Where: Madrid Río, Puente de Segovia s/n, Madrid

📅 When: June 6, 3:30 p.m.

🎟 Tickets start at €40

📺 What to watch if you’re staying in this weekend…

Idols (2026)

🖥️ What: Idols (Ídolos) | Movie | 2026

📍Where to watch: HBO Max

❓What’s it about: A reckless young motorcycle racer gets a chance to compete in Moto2, but must train with his estranged father, a former racer with a dark past. As he pursues his dreams, an unexpected romance challenges his focus. Think Gran Turismo with motorcycles.

🤩 Why you should watch: Because it’s great if you’re in the mood for an easy, entertaining sports film with just enough emotional weight to keep you invested. Yes, it’s full of cliches (the talented but reckless young rider chasing his dream, the reluctant reunion with an estranged father who might be the only one who can help him get there), but hey, it works. It’s the kind of film you put on, enjoy, and don’t overthink.

💬 English Subtitles: No. You can probably get the gist of it, though.

Abandoned (2026)

🖥️ What: Abandoned (Abandonados) | TV Series (Documentary) | 2026

📍Where to watch: Disney+

❓What’s it about: In 1984, three children were abandoned at a Barcelona train station with no memory of their identity or past. Unclaimed, they were adopted into loving homes. As adults, they now search for their biological parents.

🤩 Why you should watch: Because it’s perfect if you’re tired of true crime that’s all about killers and want something deeper, more human and gripping. The series starts with a mystery and quickly becomes something much more powerful: a story about identity, memory, and the lifelong need to understand where you come from. It’s about people trying to fill a void that has defined their entire lives.

💬 English Subtitles: Yes.

💃🏻 Places to try this weekend…

☕️ La Florida Cafe Bistro: where brunch turns into wine and “just one coffee” turns into hours

What’s it about: A laid-back specialty coffee spot with a sunny terrace overlooking a park, this is one of those places that quietly becomes your go-to. Natural light, good music, and a team that actually remembers your order.

Why you should go: Because it nails the basics, and then some. The coffee is properly done (yes, the flat whites are legit), the focaccia is a standout, and the rotating plato del día makes it a solid lunch option too.

Bottom line: Easy, cozy, and reliably good.

Address: Paseo del Pintor Rosales 70, Madrid

🥂 Splurge! Club Metrópolis is actually worth it

What’s it about: Club Metrópolis has landed exactly as promised: big, bold and unapologetically over the top. Part private club, part boutique hotel, one of Madrid’s most iconic buildings is now a full-on experience.

Why you should go: Because, surprisingly, you can. While some areas are reserved for members, the ground floor, basement, and even the suites are open for bookings. Start upstairs with Tasca Fina, a polished take on the classic Spanish taberna, or go straight to the Barra de Oricios, a seafood-forward counter that feels like a hidden gem in plain sight.

Bottom line: It’s flashy and a little excessive, but that’s exactly why it works.

Address: Alcalá 39, Madrid

👨🏻‍💻 Viral Memes of the Week

😎 Timeline crossover

❤️ Double feature!

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Friends in high places

👨🏻‍⚖️ Sánchez’s bro gets his day in court: scam job or “flawless” hiring?

Oh, brother. Spain’s political drama just moved from one courtroom to another, and this time, it’s hitting even closer to home for Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. His brother, David Sánchez, is officially standing trial in a case that’s been building for over a year.

• The case centers on his 2017 hiring for a senior cultural role at the Diputación de Badajoz, a job that prosecutors believe may have been tailor-made for him.

• He faced charges of influence peddling and prevarication. Basically, the prosecution said he got a B.S. patronage job given because of his brother, didn't work, and lived in Portugal to avoid taxes. One lesser charge, of accepting an illegal appointment, has been dropped because too much time has passed to prosecute it.

• Co-conspirators? Several officials from Extremadura, including former regional PSOE leader Miguel Ángel Gallardo, are accused of playing roles in creating and fast-tracking the position.

• It's a family affair. PM Sánchez’s wife is also under legal scrutiny in a separate case, meaning he is now governing while both his wife and his brother are entangled in court proceedings. Add the scandals surrounding the PSOE party, and 😱.

Not on Infojobs. According to investigators, the role David ended up getting didn’t even exist before he came into the picture. Internal emails show it appearing suddenly in late 2016, with unusual urgency 😒.

• We have rules here. In Spain, public sector jobs are legally required to follow strict principles of merit, equality, and transparency. That means positions must be openly advertised, candidates evaluated fairly, and the selection process based on objective criteria. Personal connections? That’s a no-no.

• But maybe not this time? Spain’s Civil Guard (UCO) says there are “strong indications” the position was effectively pre-assigned to David. One telling detail: before interviews even took place, insiders were already reportedly referring to the role as being for “el hermanísimo”; literally, “the beloved brother.” (Note: Pedro Sánchez wasn’t PM at the time but was already the head of Spain’s socialist party.)

Witness for the prosecution. One key witness, Cristina de Frutos, who was a seemingly highly qualified candidate for the job, told the court she was warned days before her interview that the job was already “his.”

• Move on. Nothing to see here. She says her own interview lasted minutes, with no real questions asked. Her conclusion was that there was no real competition. The defense, in turn, pushes back hard, questioning why she didn’t formally report it at the time and framing it as hindsight rather than proof.

• Fourteen other witnesses — mostly officials from the institution — defended the hiring process, insisting both hires were carried out properly and with “no flaws whatsoever.” (But really? What has “no flaws whatsoever”?)

But wait, there’s more. Two Civil Guard officials have testified that they were told to “stand down” and not actively investigate politically sensitive issues — like this one.

• Yikes. One even claims there was pressure to produce a report concluding “there was nothing there.” Which is bad, because it suggests potential interference at the highest levels. Other agents, however, have denied receiving pressure.

When will it end? It won't.

More news below. 👇👇

💬 Five things to discuss at dinner parties

1.🚫 Feijóo is trying to remove Sánchez now, but it's not looking likely

Cue the Jaws theme. Spain’s opposition is quietly circling the current coalition government. In the middle of mounting pressure on Pedro Sánchez, center-right PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo is exploring whether he can pull off a political Hail Mary: a motion of no confidence that would kick Sánchez out and trigger immediate elections.

• The twist. He needs 176 votes, and his party currently has 137. Add the votes from far-right Vox (33), and he has a total of 170. He’s short six! This means he can’t do it alone, so he’s reaching out to nemeses unlikely partners: the Basque nationalist PNV and the Catalan separatists of Junts. Both of them are (begrudgingly) supporters of the Sánchez government.

• Refresher. A motion of no confidence is one of the few ways to remove a PM in Spain. Sánchez himself used it in 2018 to oust Mariano Rajoy.

It’s all about the timing. Sánchez’s own parliamentary allies are starting to wobble. National elections are scheduled for 2027, but frustration is building. Between political fatigue and a string of corruption scandals that have hit Sánchez's inner circle, several junior partners are openly saying this government is done.

• Feijóo is probing whether those parties would go one step further and actually help bring it down.

• If Feijóo gets the numbers, he says he’d launch what he calls an “instrumental” motion of no confidence (basically, a temporary government whose only job would be to call elections).

• He’s even trying to make it more palatable by promising Vox wouldn’t be part of that interim government.

Not feeling it. The PNV has basically said it wants elections, but it’s not touching a no-confidence vote. Junts? Not surprisingly, it’s been more theatrical.

• The party behind the disastrous (and illegal) independence referendum in Catalonia in 2017, whose leader, Carles Puigdemont, is currently living in self-imposed exile in a McMansion near Brussels, told Feijóo that if he wants to talk, he should travel north to negotiate directly with the big boss in his Belgian abode.

• Feijóo’s response was not enthusiastic: “Let’s talk about serious things.”

• Vox, in the meantime, is furious: They don’t like the idea of Feijóo even considering negotiating with Puigdemont (or cutting them out).

The government responds. First reaction: this is desperation. The government’s spokesperson accused Feijóo of “cynicism” for suddenly courting parties he’s spent years attacking.

• Sánchez himself took a more ironic angle, pointing out that Feijóo now seems to recognize Junts as a legitimate political actor after years of refusing to do so.

Our take. Unless there’s a miracle, it’s unlikely that Feijóo’s plan will move forward. The math isn’t there, and both Junts and the PNV would end up paying a high political cost for siding with the PP and Vox.

• However, don’t rule things out entirely. This is Spain, after all.

2.🐰 Bad Bunny’s Casita isn’t for you (unless you’re rich + hot)

Down the rabbit hole. Bad Bunny is in Madrid to supposedly give a masterclass in stadium shows. Instead, he may have accidentally started a culture war over a tiny pastel-colored house.

• Mi casa es su casa? During his concerts, there’s a second stage called La Casita (“the little house”), a full-blown replica of a traditional Puerto Rican home, right in the middle of the crowd.

• The symbolism. La Casita was born in the short film that accompanied his album DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS, as a symbol of Puerto Rican identity, memory, resistance, and anti-gentrification vibes.

• Fans loved it so much that his team turned it into a physical centerpiece of the tour. A house that represents “the people.” Except the people don’t seem to be getting in.

Cue the controversy. During the show, Bad Bunny moves around la casita while being surrounded by a very (very!) select group of people. La Casita, as it turns out, has become the most exclusive VIP zone in Madrid.

• We’re talking Ester Expósito, Ana de Armas, Chiara Ferragni, Marta Ortega, Los Javis, plus footballers and influencers. Add to that a handful of “lucky” fans picked from the crowd, and you have the most coveted square meters in Spain right now.

• And those “lucky” fans? Not exactly random. According to some media outlets and pretty much everyone on TikTok, there’s a whole unofficial casting process before the show. Scouts from Bad Bunny’s team roam the stadium looking for young hot girls dressed in a very specific “Caribbean-core” aesthetic (flowers, minis, boots, the whole thing).

• How-to: Right now, there are literal tutorials online explaining how to dress so you (hopefully) get picked.

Why the hate? Because this is the same Bad Bunny who built his brand on breaking norms, defending diversity, and calling out inequality. So watching La Casita turn into what some fans are calling a “showcase of curated bodies and celebrities” has rubbed people the wrong way.

• No Yes, fat chicks. The criticism ranges from “we want fat women” and “this feels classist” to “this completely contradicts his message.” Others, however, are rolling their eyes at the backlash: he’s a reggaeton superstar, not Sumar MP Yolanda Díaz. What exactly were you expecting?

• The controversy got so massive that by Tuesday evening, El País reported that “changes came” to the little house, and people of all ages, sexes, and looks were seen dancing to Benito’s tunes. (Though some VIPs were still seen in the crowd, such as Noah Schnapp, aka Will from Stranger Things, and Victoria Federica, aka King Felipe’s niece.)

Getting surreal. La Casita also spilled into the housing crisis debate after a fake listing popped up on Idealista “selling” the house for €1m, complete with sarcastic copy about exclusivity.

3. 👮 The shove heard ‘round the world country

A push from behind by a policía nacional that left a retired teacher face-planted on the ground turned a teachers’ strike in Valencia into national news this week, with the police union and the national government’s regional rep slapping each other on social media and everyone else asking, “What the f*ck is going on?”

• What happened: Video on Sunday showed a national policeman taking an unneeded detour to knock down a 68-year-old teacher before continuing on his crowd-controlling way, provoking howls across the political spectrum.

The context. Valencia’s public school teachers have been on indefinite strike since May 11, now entering week four, demanding better pay, lower class ratios, and improved school infrastructure.

• The regional government (PP) offered €200/month more. Two smaller unions (CSIF and ANPE) took the deal. The three bigger ones — STEPV, CCOO, and UGT — refused, demanding that the salary question be fully reopened. The Generalitat says that the point is closed. Both sides have been giving each other the stink eye ever since.

The Twitter war. After the push, government delegate Pilar Bernabé (PSOE) called it “unacceptable” and promised to investigate and “assign responsibilities.”

• No, you! The police union fired back on X that “You won’t investigate anything” and added that teachers who block streets “expose themselves to being removed from them” (because blocking streets isn’t, like, a right).

• Bad boy. The police force has opened a disciplinary hearing against the cop in question.

The tent city. About 150 teachers have set up a small encampment in Valencia’s historic Plaza de la Virgen. The PP-run city government says it’s the PSOE-run national delegation’s job to clear it. The national delegation says it’s the city’s problem.

• The religious event Corpus Christi, which fills that very square, starts this week. Nobody seems eager to move.

What’s next — or isn’t. Strike participation has reportedly collapsed from 50-88% in week one to just 5.29% now (according to the PP gov, so ojo on the numbers), as unpaid days pile up; a teachers rep wrote to us that strikers were being docked €150/day.

• Only 13 school days remain before the summer break. The conflict will almost certainly freeze until September — when, with perfect irony, everyone (strikers included) could return to the status quo, refreshed from two months off and ready to fight.

At least one union has already announced renewed nationwide action in the fall. But hey, for now we’ve got the summer. 🕺

4. 🪂 A princess jumped out of a plane

Spain has been having a bit of a love affair with Princess Leonor, probably because watching her grow from teen to adult is a welcome break from the string of political scandals and weird stories about corpses that have dominated the news. We watched, rapt, as she turned 18! And went shopping in Chile! And hit the beach in a bikini (naughty paparazzi)!

• Now guess what she’s done. She’s jumped out of a plane…more than once!

What’s going on: Last month, Leonor completed the Basic Parachuting Course at the Military Parachuting School Méndez Parada in Alcantarilla, Murcia — jumping multiple times alongside roughly 50 classmates, including at least one nighttime jump, one of the most demanding parts of the training.

• Leonor earned the diploma and badge of Cazador Paracaidista — the “Rokiski,” a metal insignia of wings surrounding a parachute that only goes to soldiers who complete the basic parachuting course. Spain found out when eagle-eyed observers spotted the badge on her uniform at the Armed Forces Day parade in Vigo on May 30.

A royal first. Neither her father, Felipe VI, nor her grandfather, Juan Carlos I, completed parachuting training during their military careers. Leonor is the first member of the royal family to earn the distinction. Felipe, speaking at the parade, said she’d performed “with effort and brilliance.” Peak king dad.

Three years in. The parachuting course capped Leonor’s third and final year of military training — at the Air and Space Academy in San Javier, where she also piloted a Pilatus PC-21 combat trainer.

• Before that: the Army academy in Zaragoza, and six months at sea aboard the Juan Sebastián de Elcano (hence the Chile shopping and bikini spottings).

• This week, she collects her farewell honors from Murcia: a Gold Medal from the region, another from the regional parliament, and the title of Honorary Daughter of San Javier. (Why do royals get “honors” from everywhere they live? We never get any.) She also asked for a photo with Wells, an ex-rapper of whom she's a big fan.

What’s next? Her formal military training wraps up this summer. After three years of jumping out of planes, sailing tall ships, and flying combat trainers, she returns to royal duties full-time — with, it must be said, a considerably more extensive CV than we had at 21.

5. 🇨🇺 ¡We’ll always have Adiós, Cuba!

The U.S. is kicking Spain out of Cuba again. The last time — after the Spanish-American War of 1898 — ended Spain’s last pretensions of empire. This time isn’t so bad, though it does suck if you’re looking for a cheap package vacation.

• What happened: Meliá and Iberostar, two big Spanish hotel chains, announced that they were halting operations on the island after the U.S. administration of a certain Orange Menace threatened to sanction them if they didn’t, um, piss right off.

The island that gave refuge to thousands of vintage American cars and made photographer Alberto Korda famous has long had an uneasy relationship with ‘merica (exploding CIA cigars and all, ya know?).

• But the 🍊 fellah kicked it up a notch on May 1, signing an executive order that vastly expanded sanctions on companies doing business with Cuba’s military dictatorship.

The GAESA problem. The companies in question were linked to GAESA — Cuba’s military conglomerate, which controls roughly 180 hotels through joint ventures with mostly Spanish and Canadian operators (GAESA owns the hotels; the hospitality chains operate them).

• Trump’s executive order targets any company doing business with GAESA, whose director is a military officer named Ana Guillermina Lastres. That made the Spanish chains’ Cuban partnerships legally toxic in a hurry.

The exits. Iberostar went first, dropping 12 of its 18 Cuban hotels on Monday. Meliá followed on Wednesday, pulling out of 15 of its roughly 34 properties — all GAESA-linked — through its Portuguese subsidiary. (The deadline for cutting ties before facing sanctions was June 5.)

• Both are keeping hotels tied to Cuba’s Tourism Ministry rather than the military. Canada’s Blue Diamond had already departed 62 properties, though it blamed flight cancellations rather than Trump.

Not that the hotels cared. Most of Meliá’s abandoned hotels were already closed anyway — Cuba’s ongoing energy crisis had made operating them nearly impossible, with average occupancy of 34% and net profits down 68% in the first quarter. Maybe that’s why Meliá’s stock rose 0.8% right after the news.

• Because tourism has collapsed, Cuba received just 328,000 visitors in the first four months of 2026, down 55.8% year-on-year. 2025 was already the worst year since 2002. At least 11 airlines have cut or suspended routes; Iberia halted Madrid-Havana until October.

The end is nigh. Before long, there may not be much left to sanction.🥺

🔔 Don’t forget to follow us on TikTok!

@thebubblecomA corruption probe has triggered a political earthquake in Spain: Former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero is officially under investigation in a corruption probe linked to the controversial €53 million government bailout granted to the airline Plus Ultra during the pandemic. What happens now? Read all about it in this week’s newsletter, in your inbox this Thursday morning. #zapatero #psoe #venezuela #politica

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Is this the end?

Here's a provocative idea: Spain's real estate boom is over.

No, we're not saying we're in a bubble that is about to pop and send prices plunging. In fact, we published a deep dive titled 5 Reasons We’re Not in a Property Bubble, and we meant it. Instead, we're saying the property market has run out of road. The prices may soon stop rising. The crazy boom could be over. Se acabó.

Let us count the ways:

• The big problem? Demand destruction. Prices have risen so far, so fast, that the great majority of Spaniards just can't afford to buy a place. “Upper-middle-class buyers in Madrid, Barcelona, ​​and Valencia are not willing to pay the high prices property owners are asking,” the economist Gonzalo Bernardos of the University of Barcelona wrote recently. Or in the words of María Matos, the director of studies at Fotocasa, “Prices are pushing the limits of access for a growing segment” of the population.

• Plus, the larger economic and social situation is changing. “All the factors driving demand and supporting prices are about to lose steam: migration flows will slow, leading to a gradual cooling of the labor market, while interest rates are rising again,” wrote Ángel Talavera, chief economist for Europe at Oxford Economics, in the recently published Housing market gets hotter, but could be turning a corner. “Affordability is being compromised, especially in the most expensive areas where most demand is concentrated, which has led to a drop in sales at the beginning of the year. We believe this foreshadows slower price increases going forward.”

• In fact, a slowdown may already be here. According to INE, the national stats service, housing sales have slipped 2.6% during the first trimester of 2026.

  “Rather than a change of cycle, we are entering a phase of moderation or slowdown in the traditional residential segment, where access to financing and the loss of purchasing power are setting a ceiling in some zones,” notes José Antonio Muro, CEO of Grupo Tecnitasa.

• So unsold houses are piling up. Idealista is seeing “a slowdown in purchases that is causing a gradual accumulation of unsold properties,” says Francisco Iñareta, an Idealista spokesman. “Although we are still at historically low levels [of available properties], prices are beginning to react; they are still rising, but not at the rate of last year.”

• As sales slip, an increasing number of sellers are cutting their asking price. Evidence? On Idealista, 14% of listings cut their prices during the first three months of the year, compared to 11% a year. ago. Big cutters? Barcelona (21%), Madrid (20%), Málaga, Sevilla, Valencia, and Zaragoza (18%).

• And prices are actually falling in some places. According to data from the property portal Pisos.com, prices actually fell in April in almost half of Spain's provincial capitals — including Valencia.

• Mortgage rates are about to rise, too. Investors expect the European Central Bank to raise interest rates 0.75 percentage points this year in an attempt to fight rising inflation (thank you, Orange Menace), which will flow through to more expensive mortgage rates and push more buyers out of the market.

• A final warning. We said we don't believe this is a bubble. And we're sticking to that. But the IMF has worries: In its latest report on Spain, the organization warned of the “potential risks arising from the rapid increase in housing prices.” Specifically, it has observed “the first signs of a relaxation of bank lending criteria.” And this could, in the long run, create “vulnerabilities in the financial sector.” Not great.

🏗️ Property News Roundup

1. Spain is the most attractive European destination for hotel investors for the third year running. Maybe that's why Azora is preparing to sell a €500m piece of its hotel portfolio — and Merkel Capital is preparing to invest €400m in hotels and student housing.

2. Rafael Nadal has apparently found his post-tennis career. Palya Assets — a real estate development and investment firm co-owned by Nadal and hotelier Abel Matutes Prats — is backing Armani Residences Marbella, the Italian brand’s first branded residential project in Spain.

3. Everybody's building housing in Tetuán (Madrid). Like 25 new-build projects in the last three years. Darya Homes is just the latest builder to announce plans.

4. This monstrous spaceship of a villa in La Moraleja (Madrid) was sold twice —most recently for €14m — before its construction was even begun.

5. Catalonia will give you a 40-year “emancipation” loan to pay for the 20% of your first home that banks won't cover, if you are 35 or under.

💎 Property of the week

This villa in Las Rozas can be yours for €7.9M. Add to cart before someone else does!