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Here Are 5 Things to Do in Madrid This Weekend

It’s Friday again!

And Madrid is back to doing what it does best — hot weather! Which means your weekend plans just got way (literally) cooler.

• We’re leaning all the way into it this week, either cooling off at the city’s public pools, eating your way through Madrid Food Fest (Michelin chefs!) or going full techno at Maudes Festival.

• If you’re feeling more refined, there’s a surprisingly fun Hamlet remix, a low-key marimba recital, and enough cultural options to pretend you’re balanced. If all else fails, there’s always Netflix and (again, literally) chill.

Happy weekend!

1. 🍔 Madrid Food Fest: Where street food goes Michelin

You know what? We really should promote more the long-lost art of eating and sobremesa. We’re so glued to our phones all the time, when instead we should be talking to our (possibly inebriated) loved ones. Maybe it’s time to change that, and we have the perfect activity for you and your friends.

• The Madrid Food Fest offers the unique opportunity of eating like a Michelin inspector but paying like a poor normal human. This event is what happens when some of the country’s top chefs decide to ditch their fancy tablecloths and go full street food. It’s their version of sluming.

• The Museo del Ferrocarril turns into a playground for food people (aka all of us) for one week only. There will be chefs with Michelin stars and Repsol suns, such as Miguel Carretero, Dani Ochoa, Lucía Grávalos, and Juan D’Onofrio, serving scaled-down, street-style versions of their signature dishes.

• So instead of having to make a reservation, plan logistics, and commit a sizable amount of money to an overpriced meal, the MFF offers the chance to taste the same meal while standing up, probably with something dripping down your hand. Glamorous? Nah. Cheap? Def. Delicious? Fuck yes.

• But wait, there’s more. The whole thing is designed as an experience: a market packed with artisan producers (cheeses, Madrid wines, kombucha startups, even zero-waste products), live showcookings, podcasts being recorded in real time, music, DJs, and workshops (let’s be honest, you don’t care about those unless there’s, like, samples.

There you have it. High-end cuisine, stripped of its pomp and dropped into a setting where you can try a bit of everything without committing to a full tasting menu. Madrid’s top culinary scene in one go.

🖥️ What: Madrid Food Fest

📍 Where: Museo del Ferrocarril, Paseo de las Delicias 61, Madrid

📅 When: May 23–24, 11 a.m.

🎟 Tickets start at €12.50

2. 💀 Stand-up tragedy: Hamlet, now with punchlines

Now that your belly is full and you’ve recovered from your post-San Isidro drunken stupor, maybe we could do something highbrow for a change? If you’re into it, here’s an interesting option: Hamlet, but without the existential dread and a slightly… funnier.

• The Teatro Español is staging a modern adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic that does something borderline sacrilegious: it turns the Prince of Denmark into a stand-up comedian.

• Written and directed by Sergi Belbel, the play takes just the first act of Hamlet and rebuilds it as a one-man show starring Catalan actor Enric Cambray. And when we say one-man show, we mean it: Cambray is alone on stage, breaking down the text, commenting on it, questioning it, and, at times, straight-up roasting it.

• The innovative part is that it lowers the barrier to Shakespeare without dumbing it down. You’re still getting all of the play’s dilemmas, but filtered through humor, irony, and a very 2026 sensibility.

Instead of treating Shakespeare like a sacred, untouchable relic, this show treats it like something you can poke, question, and laugh at with. That balance is hard to pull off, and yet Belbel does.

🖥️ What: Hamlet.01

📍 Where: Teatro Español, Sala Margarita Xirgu, Calle del Principe 25, Madrid

📅 When: May 22 – June 21

🎟 Tickets start at €12

3. 🪩 Maudes Festival: Madrid’s biggest techno weekend of the year

Attention, music fans! Do you prefer basslines, lasers, and a crowd that looks like it hasn’t slept since yesterday super hot to pretentious Shakespeare stuff? Then we have great news: Maudes Festival is back! And it’s going all in.

• Taking over Parque Enrique Tierno Galván across three dates, this open-air electronic festival is becoming one of Madrid’s most immersive music experiences.

• This year’s theme (The Green Nation) leans into a kind of retro-futuristic, industrial aesthetic where techno meets environmental consciousness. Yes, it’s a rave and many people there probably don’t recycle, but it’s the thought that counts.

• The lineup is stacked with big names in the electronic scene: Fisher, Âme, The Blessed Madonna and Argy, alongside local favorites like Les Castizos. It’s a mix of heavy-hitting international sets and crowd-pleasing energy that will carry you well into the early hours.

BTW, Maudes isn’t just about techno music. There’s also art installations, branded spaces, interactive activities, and a social/environmental angle that tries to give the festival a bit more depth than your average “stand in a field and dance” situation. Have fun!

🖥️ What: Maudes Electronic Music Festival

📍 Where: Parque Enrique Tierno Galván, Calle Meneses 4, Madrid

📅 When: May 23 (Additional dates: May 30 & 31)

🎟 Tickets start at €39,95 (€32,95 if you get in before 5:30 p.m.)

4. 🪇 Conrado Moya gives classical music a marimba makeover

If techno/EDM is not for you because you think you’re better than that, fair enough. Lucky for you we have a musical option that is probably a bit more refined (read: no bass drops, no crowds, no hangover). Get ready, this is your chance to watch someone absolutely shred a marimba.

• A what now? If you thought marimba was just an annoying iPhone ringtone, you’d be wrong. And if you thought it was just a fancy xylophone, you’d also be wrong! (Although they are part of the same mallet percussion family, so points for trying.) If you’re still wondering what a marimba sounds like, think of the first few seconds of The Little Mermaid’s Under the Sea. That’s it.

• But we digress. Conrado Moya, one of the instrument’s top international performers, is taking over the Salón del Ateneo with a recital that turns the marimba into the center of a full classical experience. And not just any program; this one jumps from Bach to Gershwin to contemporary compositions, all filtered through an instrument most people still think belongs to a singing crab with a Trinidadian accent.

• What makes this interesting is that this is a kind of personal map of Moya’s artistic journey. The pieces he’s chosen are the ones that shaped him, the ones he’s grown with, and in some cases, the ones written for him. It all builds toward a Madrid premiere, Las ninfas de Nisa, which closes the night.

Want niche? This is niche. Solid cultural flex.

PS: Is Under the Sea stuck in your head now? It is in ours and can you blame us? It’s a bop.

🖥️ What: Conrado Moya’s Reminiscencias

📍 Where: Ateneo de Madrid, Calle Prado 21, Madrid

📅 When: May 23, 7:30 p.m.

🎟 Tickets start at €14,28

5. 💦 It’s officially pool season in Madrid!

Pool season is here! And it means two things: the city is about to get unbearably hot, and everyone suddenly becomes very strategic about where to cool off. The lucky ones will flee to Mallorca or Marbella, while the plebs (i.e. us) will stay in the city. The good news? The municipal pools are back, and there are lots of them.

• 22 of Madrid’s 25 public outdoor pools are already open, with the remaining three joining in early June. Prices are staying the same, with full-day tickets at €4.50 for adults—or €2.25 for a tactical half-day escape from the heat. (You’ll need to plan ahead: most tickets are sold online in advance, and the good spots go fast.)

• The system is the usual controlled chaos. You pick your slot—morning, afternoon, or full day—scan your QR code, and try to claim a decent patch of grass before someone else does. But once you’re in, it’s peak Madrid summer energy: people swimming, friends pretending they’ll “just stay an hour” and leaving at sunset.

• This year there’s also a bit more going on beyond just floating in water. The city is rolling out free “express classes” like aquafitness and stretching sessions, plus even CPR workshops if you’re feeling unexpectedly productive mid-heatwave.

If the municipal pools are packed, you’ve also got the regional ones—slightly pricier, same idea, equally necessary.

🖥️ What: Madrid Municipal Pools 2026 Season

📍 Where: Multiple locations across Madrid

📅 When: Through Sept. 6

🎟 Tickets start at €4.50 (even cheaper for kids!)

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

🖥️ What: Many People Need to Die (Se tiene que morir mucha gente) | TV Series | 2026

📍Where to watch: Movistar+

❓What’s it about: Don’t be misled by the title. This is actually a comedy about three women in their forties who deal with midlife chaos: addiction, career struggles, and marriage to a wealthy older man. As one friend's life unravels, their longtime bond faces its biggest challenge.

🤩 Why you should watch: Because, if you’re tired of polished, feel-good comedies where everyone learns a lesson and hugs it out, this show is your antidote. Comedian and screenwriter Victoria Martín goes full savage here, delivering a brutally honest (and often uncomfortable) look at friendships, mental health, and the quiet chaos of everyday life, where people are messy, selfish, and occasionally unbearable. It’s not here to make you feel good, it’s here to make you laugh at how bad things can get.

💬 English Subtitles: No.

💃🏻 Places to try this weekend…

👨🏻‍🍳 ABYA: Fine dining turned all the way up

What’s it about: ABYA is simply a full-blown spectacle set inside the Palacio de Saldaña in Madrid’s Golden Mile. Add caviar and luxury ingredients sitting comfortably next to a very well-executed burger, and it feels more like an art gallery than a restaurant.

Why you should go: Because it’s theatrical, over-the-top, and unapologetically extravagant, without losing sight of the food. Even if you need to splurge (seriously), and the project screams luxury, there’s a clear attempt to make it feel like more than just a place for the ultra-rich.

Bottom line: ABYA is big, bold and expensive, but it’s absolutely worth checking out at least once, if only to see what happens when ambition runs wild in a kitchen.

Address: Calle de José Ortega y Gasset 32, Madrid

☕️ WOLFØX: The Chueca coffee spot worth stopping for

What’s it about: WOLFØX is one of those places you don’t plan to find but once you do, you kind of want to keep it to yourself. Tucked away on Calle Pérez Galdós, it’s a tiny specialty coffee spot with barely any indoor space and a small terrace.

Why you should go: Because the coffee is seriously good. It’s one of those rare espressos that actually makes you stop mid-sip and go, “damn!”. Credit goes to the baristas behind the machine, who treat coffee like a craft, not a routine.

Bottom line: It’s small, it’s simple, and that’s exactly the point. Go, order an espresso or a latter, enjoy it, and leave feeling like you just discovered one of Madrid’s better-kept coffee secrets

Address: Calle de Perez Galdos 2, Madrid

👨🏻‍💻 Viral Memes of the Week

😎 Flex, Ahhhhhnold

💃🏻 God bless Ava Gardner

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Los escándalos no paran

👨🏻‍⚖️ De expresidente a imputado: una investigación por corrupción a Zapatero sacude la política española

Terremoto político. Uno de los aliados más cercanos de Pedro Sánchez acaba de lograr un hito histórico, y no precisamente para bien.

• El expresidente José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero (PSOE, 2004-2011) ha sido imputado formalmente en un caso de corrupción ligado al polémico rescate de €53m, en plena pandemia, a la aerolínea Plus Ultra (centrada en rutas a Venezuela), que, según el juez, podría haber implicado dinero del régimen de Maduro, sociedades pantalla emiratíes y la agencia de marketing de las hijas de Zapatero. Sí, en serio.

• Es la primera vez en la democracia española moderna que un expresidente del Gobierno está formalmente imputado en una causa penal por corrupción.

El caso en pocas palabras. En esencia, se trata de si Zapatero usó su influencia política para ayudar a Plus Ultra a conseguir el rescate de €53m, y de si él y su entorno se beneficiaron económicamente del asunto.

• Organización encubierta. El juez cree que Zapatero podría haber formado parte de una elaborada red (imagínate sociedades pantalla emiratíes, pagos turbios y lobby entre bastidores) diseñada para colar decisiones favorables a través de los canales del gobierno liderado por el PSOE.

• La conexión Caracas. La investigación incluso parece involucrar dinero del régimen dictatorial del expresidente venezolano Nicolás Maduro (con el que Zapatero tenía muy buena relación), lo que añade una capa geopolítica extra a una historia ya de por sí sórdida.

No solo él. El caso también arrastra al socio cercano y compañero de fatigas de Zapatero, Julio Martínez, que presuntamente ayudó a gestionar la parte empresarial del tinglado, así como a empresas vinculadas a las hijas góticas de Zapatero. (Si nunca has visto la foto con los Obama, tienes que echarle un vistazo.)

• ¡Dinero gratis! Su agencia de marketing, Whathefav, está bajo la lupa por recibir grandes pagos de empresas vinculadas a la trama por no hacer básicamente nada. En total, los investigadores rastrean unos €1,95m en supuestas comisiones, de los cuales aproximadamente una cuarta parte fue a parar a Whathefav.

• Zapatero dice que todo esto son gilipolleces paparruchas. Publicó un vídeo afirmando que «jamás» ha intervenido en ninguna decisión pública relacionada con el rescate e insiste en que todo lo que ha hecho ha sido completamente legal. También enmarca esto como parte de una campaña más amplia en su contra. (Ser víctima de una conspiración está de moda estos días; solo hay que preguntarle a la Amenaza Naranja.)

El PSOE cierra filas. Sánchez, que tiene a Zapatero como asesor clave, y su PSOE han dado a Zapatero un respaldo a viva voz, recalcando la presunción de inocencia y la vieja conspiración de la derecha de toda la vida.

• Pero esto no podría llegar en peor momento. Sánchez ya lidia con acusaciones de corrupción que implican a personas muy cercanas a él, incluyendo a su mujer, su hermano y dos de sus hombres de confianza. Esto no hace más que echar gasolina a un fuego que ya ardía.

La derecha está en modo ataque. El PP, de centroderecha, exige explicaciones (y por supuesto elecciones) y vincula directamente a Zapatero con Sánchez, argumentando que esto refleja una mancha más amplia de corrupción sobre su gobierno.

• Volarlo todo por los aires. La ultraderechista Vox ha ido más allá, impulsando (de nuevo) una moción de censura. El PP dijo que no y calificó la idea de infantil.

Vaya sorpresa. Zapatero había sido visto como un exlíder relativamente «limpio» comparado con la larga lista de escándalos de corrupción de España. El hecho de que incluso los medios de izquierdas se estén tomando esto en serio (y refiriéndose al movimiento político de Sánchez como «sanchismo», un viejo argumentario del PP) te dice todo lo que necesitas saber sobre lo feo que se puede poner esto.

• Esta nos la saltamos. Incluso los aliados de izquierdas del gobierno en el Parlamento, como Sumar o ERC, están siendo cautelosos y han pasado de gritar «lawfare» a ser «prudentes» a medida que avanza el caso.

Próxima parada. Zapatero está citado a declarar el 2 de junio ante la Audiencia Nacional. A partir de ahí, el caso podría expandirse, atascarse o estallar, dependiendo de lo que descubran los investigadores. ¿Lo único que no hará? Desaparecer.

Más noticias a continuación. 👇👇

🔔 Pero antes, síguenos en 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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💬 Cinco temas para debatir con amigos

1. 🗳️ El PP gana —¿de verdad?— en Andalucía

Resultados nada del otro mundo para prácticamente todos. Andalucía votó el domingo y, aunque el resultado parece una victoria clara del PP y una derrota clara del PSOE —y ambas cosas son ciertas—, la realidad es bastante más enrevesada.

• ¿Contentos? El PP, liderado en Andalucía por el actual presidente autonómico (aka gobernador) Juan Manuel Moreno, ganó las elecciones regionales con comodidad, terminando muy por delante del PSOE.

• No tan contentos. Pero el titular no es la victoria, sino lo que no consiguieron: la mayoría. El PP logró 53 escaños, bajando desde 58, quedándose por debajo de los 55 necesarios para gobernar en solitario.

¿Y los demás? El PSOE, liderado por María Jesús Montero, cayó a 28 escaños (desde 30), marcando su peor resultado de la historia en la región. En su día la fuerza dominante en Andalucía, donde solía coquetear con el 50 % de los votos, ahora se queda con menos del 23 %. Es su quinta derrota consecutiva en la región. Mal, muy mal, malísimo.

• Aguantando el tipo. La ultraderechista Vox subió ligeramente a 15 escaños (+1), mientras que la coalición de izquierdas Por Andalucía (básicamente Sumar+Podemos) se mantuvo en 5.

• Sorpresa por la izquierda. La verdadera sorpresa vino de los localistas de izquierdas de Adelante Andalucía, que pasaron de 2 a 8 escaños. El nuevo actor restó votos a otros partidos e impidió que el PP y el PSOE tradujesen su apoyo en escaños.

• Los nuevos al alza. El auge de Adelante Andalucía y la fortaleza continuada de Vox demuestran (otra vez) que los votantes están hartos de los grandes partidos tradicionales (sobre todo del PSOE). En su lugar, están migrando hacia movimientos más locales y de corte identitario.

¿Sin mayoría? No Sí hay problema. Moreno, que ha construido su marca personal sobre la moderación y la distancia con la ultraderecha, ahora necesita a Vox para gobernar. Ya sea mediante abstención o un acuerdo formal, Vox tiene la llave. Lo cual apesta, si eres Moreno.

• Vox ya ha dejado claro que quiere concesiones políticas, incluyendo su polémica «prioridad nacional» en el acceso a las ayudas públicas, y el fin de las «políticas socialistas» en agricultura, inmigración y energía.

Hacia arriba y hacia la derecha. Estas elecciones fueron el último gran examen regional antes de que España se encamine hacia las elecciones generales el año que viene (o antes), y refuerzan una tendencia más amplia. En las recientes citas electorales de Aragón, Extremadura, Castilla y León, y ahora Andalucía, la derecha ha superado de forma consistente a la izquierda.

• Incluso aquí, donde el PP tropezó ligeramente, el bloque de derechas sigue teniendo una amplia mayoría. España no está cambiando de la noche a la mañana, pero el rumbo es difícil de ignorar.

2. 👮 Detienen al hijo del fundador de Mango por la muerte de su padre porque su versión tiene más agujeros que un queso de gruyer

Lo de la muerte «accidental» de Isak Andic cada vez parece menos accidental. Jonathan Andic, heredero de la fortuna multimillonaria de Mango, fue detenido por los Mossos d’Esquadra el martes —sospechoso de, bueno, empujar a su padre por un acantilado—, interrogado y puesto en libertad bajo fianza de €1m. Y con ese movimiento, las Agatha Christies de salón de todo el mundo se sienten ahora reivindicadas.

Read more

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The scandals don't stop

👨🏻‍⚖️ From ex-PM to suspect: Zapatero corruption investigation shakes Spanish politics

Political earthquake. One of Pedro Sánchez's closest allies just achieved a first, and not in a good way.

• Former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero (PSOE, 2004–2011) has been formally placed under investigation in a corruption case tied to the controversial €53m pandemic-era bailout of Venezuela-focused airline Plus Ultra that, per the judge, may have involved Maduro-regime money, Emirati shell companies, and Zapatero's daughters' marketing agency. Yes, really.

• This is the first time in modern Spanish democracy that an ex-PM is formally under criminal investigation for corruption.

The case in a nutshell. At its core, it’s about whether Zapatero used his political influence to help Plus Ultra secure the €53m bailout, and whether he and people around him financially benefited from it.

• Undercover organization. The judge believes Zapatero may have been part of an elaborate network (think Emirati shell companies, dodgy payments, and behind-the-scenes lobbying) designed to push favorable decisions through the PSOE-led government's channels.

• The Caracas connection. The investigation even appears to involve money from the dictatorial regime of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro (with which Zapatero was very cozy), which adds an extra geopolitical layer to an already sordid story.

Not just him. The case pulls in Zapatero's close associate and running buddy, Julio Martínez, who allegedly helped manage the business side of things, as well as companies linked to Zapatero’s goth-kid daughters. (If you've never seen the photo with the Obamas, you've got to take a look.)

• Free money! Their marketing agency, Whathefav, is under scrutiny for receiving big payments from firms connected to the scheme for doing basically nothing. In total, investigators are looking at around €1.95m in suspected commissions, with about a quarter going to Whathefav.

• Zapatero says this is all bullshit nonsense. He released a video saying he has “never” intervened in any public decision related to the bailout and insists everything he’s done has been on the up and up. He’s also framing this as part of a broader campaign against him. (Being the subject of a conspiracy is all the rage these days; just ask the Orange Menace.)

PSOE closes ranks. Sánchez, who relies on Zapatero as a key adviser, and his PSOE have given Zapatero full-throated backing, stressing the presumption of innocence and ye olde right-wing conspiracy.

• But this couldn't come at a worse time. Sánchez is already dealing with corruption allegations involving people very close to him, including his wife, his brother, and two of his right-hand men. This just tosses gasoline on a fire that was already burning.

The right is in attack mode. The center-right PP is demanding explanations (and of course elections) and tying Zapatero directly to Sánchez, arguing this reflects a broader stain of corruption on his government.

• Blow it all up. Far-right Vox has gone further, pushing (again) for a motion of no confidence. The PP said no and called the idea childish.

Well, that's a surprise. Zapatero has been seen as a relatively “clean” former leader compared to Spain’s long list of corruption scandals. The fact that even left-leaning media are treating this as serious (and referring to Sánchez's political movement as "sanchismo", an old PP talking point) tells you everything you need to know about how bad this could get.

• We'll sit the one out. Even the government’s leftist allies in Parliament, like Sumar or ERC, are being cautious and have switched from crying “lawfare” to being “prudent” as the case moves forward.

Next stop. Zapatero is due to testify on June 2 before the National High Court. From there, the case could expand, stall, or explode, depending on what investigators find. One thing it won't do? Go away.

More news below. 👇👇

💬 Five things to discuss at dinner parties

1. 🗳️ The PP wins — but does it really? — in Andalucía

Not great results for pretty much everyone. Andalucía voted Sunday, and while the result looks like a clear win for the PP and a clear loss for the PSOE — and both are true — the reality is a lot messier.

• Happy? The PP, led in Andalucía by current regional president (aka governor) Juan Manuel Moreno, won the regional elections comfortably, finishing far ahead of the PSOE.

• Not happy. But the headline isn’t the victory—it’s what they didn’t get: a majority. The PP secured 53 seats, down from 58, falling short of the 55 needed to govern alone.

And the others. The PSOE, led by María Jesús Montero, dropped to 28 seats (from 30), marking its worst result ever in the region. Once the dominant force in Andalucía, where it regularly flirted with 50% of the vote, it now gets less than 23%. This is its fifth straight defeat in the region. Bad, bad, bad.

• Holding steady. Far-right Vox edged up slightly to 15 seats (+1), while leftish coalition Por Andalucía (basically Sumar+Podemos) held steady at 5.

• Lefty surprise. The real surprise came from leftist localists of Adelante Andalucía, which surged from 2 to 8 seats. The new player siphoned off votes and blocked the PP and PSOE from translating their support into seats.

• Newbies on the rise. Adelante Andalucía's rise and Vox's continued strength shows (again) that voters are tired of big mainstream parties (the PSOE especially). Instead, they're moving to more local and identity-driven movements.

No majority? No Yes, problem. Moreno, who has built his brand on moderation and distance from the far right, now needs Vox to govern. Whether that’s through abstention or a formal deal, Vox holds the key. Which stinks if you're Moreno.

• Vox has already made clear it wants policy concessions, including its controversial “national priority” in access to public benefits, and the end of “socialist policies” in agriculture, immigration, and energy.

Up and to the right. This election was the last major regional test before Spain heads toward general elections next year (or earlier), and it reinforces a broader trend. Across recent votes in Aragón, Extremadura, Castilla y León, and now Andalucía, the right has consistently outperformed the left.

• Even here, where the PP stumbled slightly, the right-wing bloc still holds a big majority. Spain ain't shifting overnight, but the direction is hard to ignore.

2. 👮 The son of Mango’s founder is arrested in his father’s death because his story's got holes like Swiss cheese

The whole “accidental” death of Isak Andic is looking less accidental. Jonathan Andic, the heir to the multi-billion-euro Mango fortune, was taken into custody by Catalan police Tuesday — on suspicion of, well, pushing his father off a cliff — questioned, and released on €1 million bail. And with that move, armchair Agatha Christies the world over now feel vindicated.

The case. We’ve covered this before: Isak — Istanbul-born billionaire, worth €4.5bn at his death — fell over 100m from a cliffside Montserrat hiking trail in December 2024, with Jonathan the only witness.

• For the uninitiated: Mango is Spain’s second-largest fashion empire (behind Inditex, aka Zara et al.), with more than 2,000 stores and €3.8bn in annual sales, all built from a single Barcelona shop Isak opened in 1984.

• Second generation less genius. Jonathan ran the business in the mid-2010s before his father had to step back in to steady the ship. Things between them were never the same.

The case was closed within six days of Isak’s death. But then it was reopened in January — and on Tuesday the judge lifted judicial secrecy and issued a 17-page ruling finding “sufficient evidence” of “active and premeditated” involvement.

The evidence. The judge found nine indications of a crime. These are the ones that sting:

• Jonathan told police he’d visited the trail once, about two weeks before the fatal hike. But traffic cameras and Barcelona’s low-emissions plate system placed his car at the site on Dec. 7, 8, and 10 — three times in the week before his father died.

• A mark at the scene looked like a slip—or push. Police ran 10 simulations and concluded it required deliberately rubbing a shoe sole back and forth at least four times. Not a trip.

• The autopsy found no injuries to Isak’s palms. He didn’t try to break his fall. He went “like a toboggan”, feet first.

• Jonathan called his father’s phone first after the fall — then his partner, then 112 — and gave different versions to the dispatcher and to police. When investigators asked for his phone, he handed over two — but neither was the one he’d used that day.

• In March 2025, Jonathan swapped phones, wiped the old one, and told his secretary it had been stolen during a trip to Quito, Ecuador — the same week news broke that the case had been reopened. The Mossos found no evidence of theft.

• WhatsApp messages showed what the judge describes as an “obsession with money” — and writings in which Jonathan allegedly expressed “hatred, resentment, ideas of death” toward his father.

The motive. In mid-2024, Isak informed Jonathan he was planning to change his will to create a charitable foundation (i.e., less for Jonathan and his two siblings). Jonathan’s attitude shifted “notably.” He proposed the hike as a reconciliation. The foundation was never established.

• The family. A spokesperson declared there are “no legitimate pieces of evidence against him.” Jonathan’s lawyer called the allegation “inconsistent — it stigmatizes an innocent man.”

What’s next? Jonathan has to make weekly court appearances, but he hasn’t been formally charged (yet). If he is, he faces a jury trial and 10 to 15 years. Mango continues under CEO Toni Ruiz, who paid shareholders (the fam owns 95%) a record €217.6m dividend last year.

• More secrecy: Jonathan secretly married fashion influencerPaula Nata three months before his father’s death.

3. 💑 Awwww, Spain and Mexico are BFFs again

Claudia and Felipe sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G (figuratively, of course). After years of kinda, sorta not getting along because of some stuff that happened, like, 500 years ago, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum invited Spain’s King Felipe VI over to her house, and he accepted — and not even the Wicked Witch of the West Real Casa de Correos (you know who we mean) could keep them apart, try as she might.

• What really happened. Felipe VI will attend Spain’s third World Cup group game — against Uruguay, June 26, in Guadalajara — after Sheinbaum personally invited him by letter back in February. He’s already told FIFA President Gianni Infantino too, presumably to lock in good seats.

The breakup. A quick recap: in 2019, Mexico’s then-president AMLO formally asked Felipe (aka F6) to apologize for, you know, Hernán Cortés’s conquest of the Aztecs in 1521 — and, not surprisingly, got radio silence in return. And so, on taking office, AMLO’s protege Sheinbaum didn’t invite F6 to her inauguration. The Casa Real was not royally amused.

The thaw. In March, Felipe acknowledged — at a low-key museum visit that was very clearly planned and not low-key — that there “was a lot of abuse” and “ethical controversies” during the conquest.

• It wasn’t an apology. It was the diplomatic equivalent of leaving flowers on the doorstep and running away. Sheinbaum called it a “gesture of rapprochement” and invited F6 to the World Cup the same week.

Enter the villain. Last month, Madrid regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso flew to Mexico, praised Hernán Cortés, called Spain’s colonial legacy something to be proud of, and (inevitably) spelled the country’s name “Méjico” — a provocateur to the last.

• Spelling 🐝. Ayuso was confronted at the airport by a local woman who reminded her that it’s México, with an X. The video went viral.

• Angry, not so angry. Sheinbaum pushed back on Ayuso’s provocation— then walked it back, insisting the bilateral relationship was bigger than Ayuso’s agenda.

And now guess who’s coming to Guadalajara? These kids…

4. 💰 Shakira wins €60M battle with the Spanish Tax Man

Judge rules those hips don’t lie. Shakira just scored a major win against Hacienda (aka the Spanish taxman), and if you’ve lived in Spain long enough, you already know this is about more than just one celebrity case.

• Spain’s National Court has ruled after a years-long legal battle that Shakira was not a tax resident in Spain in 2011, and ordered Hacienda to return more than €60m in improperly imposed taxes and fines (plus interest!).

• The whole case hinged on a deceptively simple rule: spend more than 183 days in Spain, and you’re on the hook for taxes on your global income. Hacienda argued she was already effectively living in Spain back then, largely because of her relationship with (former beau and current nemesis) Gerard Piqué and her growing presence in Barcelona after Waka Waka and her global tour.

Objection! The court didn’t buy it. It found that the tax agency could only prove she spent 163 days in the country, and that neither her personal life nor her touring schedule justified treating Spain as her fiscal base that year.

• Some context. After she met FC Barcelona star Piqué during the World Cup, she started spending more time in Barcelona. Hacienda later argued that by 2011, she had already shifted her life (and therefore her tax obligations) to Spain.

• That interpretation triggered a massive bill: roughly €55m in taxes and penalties, plus interest. While 2011 was never part of her criminal case (it was already out of the statute of limitations), it became the biggest financial front in her broader fight with Spanish authorities.

¿Dónde están los ladrones? This is where things get messy. Shakira did plead guilty to tax fraud for 2012–2014, accepting a suspended prison sentence and paying a €7.3m fine to avoid trial. So while this ruling doesn’t erase everything, it does hand her a symbolic and financial victory in the year with the highest amount at stake.

• Can’t remember to forget you. In a statement after the ruling, Shakira said there was “never any fraud” and accused Hacienda of treating her as guilty from the start, using her public profile to “send a threatening message” to other taxpayers.

• She framed the entire ordeal as eight years of reputational damage, stress, and institutional overreach—and expressed hope that the ruling sets a precedent for ordinary citizens dealing with what she sees as an aggressive system.

• Not over yet? Hacienda is expected to appeal to the Supreme Court, so the final word may still be pending, although experts suggest it’s unlikely to go anywhere.

No love lost. If you’ve spent five minutes talking to Spaniards about Hacienda, you’ll know that people don’t like it very much. The tax agency has a reputation (fair or not) for being relentless, bureaucratic, and very willing to push cases to the limit.

• What makes this case resonate beyond Shakira is that she’s not alone. Over the years, several local celebs—from El Rubius to Xabi Alonso and even Piqué—have also taken Hacienda to court and, in some cases, won.

5. 🥷 You know Spain has a tourism problem when Britain unveils its Most Wanted list here

They look just like the guys getting plastered at 10 a.m. at the bars off Benidorm’s Levante beach. And it turns out they are the guys. Late last week, Spain’s Interior Ministry, the U.K.’s National Crime Agency, and Crimestoppers announced the 20th annual edition of Operación Captura — the search for Britain’s 12 most wanted criminals — in Alicante, natch. Because British criminals need sun too.

• Operación Captura launched in 2006 on a simple premise that British fugitives, like British tourists, gravitate to Spain. In 20 editions, 111 criminals have been publicized and 98 caught — a 90% success rate. 47 of those arrests happened in Spain itself, seven more across Gibraltar and Portugal. Just since 2019, 254 British fugitives have been arrested in Spain on international warrants. Málaga leads with 86, Alicante with 54.

• It’s not hard to see why they come. 400,000 Brits live in Spain, and 19 million more visit every year. As Sexy Beast showed, the British criminal abroad is almost indistinguishable from the British tourist: both go red in the sun, consider a 10 a.m. pint reasonable, and are deeply attached to chips. The gambas blend right in.

Without further ado, here’s who they’re looking for. Two alleged murderers, one sexual offender, six linked to drug trafficking, and three to fraud and money laundering — including, wonderfully, a former TV actor. Eleven of the men are British and one is Russian. Most have documented ties to Málaga, the Costa Blanca, and the Canary Islands.

The ones hiding in Spain (allegedly):

• 🔴 Kevin Thomas Parle — Alleged double murderer (Liverpool, 2004 and 2005). Red-haired, nearly two meters tall, and fat big. Links to southern Spain. Has appeared in previous campaigns. Hard to miss, and yet…still out there.

• 🎬 Philip Barry Foster — Convicted of fraud and money laundering (8.5 years). Former TV actor. His hustle: convincing victims he could make them famous, charging large sums for terrible photos. Linked to Marbella, natch.

• 🐟 Charlie Salisbury — Cocaine supply and laundering. Koi carp and dragon tattoos on his right arm. Possible links to Málaga.

• 🍺 John Rocks — Accused of sexual offenses spanning 2012–2022. Shaved head, ginger goatee. Possible links to Benidorm. Of course.

• 💊 Matthew Purves — Cocaine conspiracy across the U.K. Links to southern Spain and possibly Tenerife.

• 💷 Dean Eighteen — VAT fraud totalling £7.8 million, filed in the name of two companies he ran alone. Left the U.K. in January 2019 and has been pursued across Spain ever since.

• 🚤 Simon Dutton — Organized large-scale cocaine imports; one operation netted 10.5kg. Detected across multiple Spanish locations. Has “Rachel” tattooed on his left arm, which seems like a clue.

• 🌴 Liam Michael Murray — Drug trafficking and money laundering. 34. Links to Alicante.

If you’ve seen any of these people, Crimestoppers will take your call anonymously. Or the Policía Nacional (091). Or the Guardia Civil (062).

🔔 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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According to the National Court, investigators are looking into possible influence peddling, document falsification, and alleged participation in a criminal organization connected to the suspected laundering of Venezuelan funds in Europe. It is the first time in Spain’s democratic history that a former prime minister has been investigated in a corruption case.

Read all about it in this week’s newsletter, in your inbox this Thursday morning.

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Here Are 5 Things to Do in Madrid This Weekend

It’s Friday again! And guess what… It’s a long weekend. Again!

• Before you complain about our lack of productivity and other stereotypes, let us just say that we need to save energy for San Isidro this weekend, which is taking over the streets.

• There’s so much stuff to do, so little time. As in, outdoor concerts, vintage book hunting, photography festivals, lamb bocadillos that have somehow become a cultural movement, and enough cocktails, jamón, and late-night plans to keep you busy until Monday.

Trust us, you may need another long weekend next week to recover from this one.

Happy weekend!

1. 🌺 Madrid throws its biggest street party of the year: San Isidro

Madrid in mid-May is basically one big, city-wide party, and this weekend is your chance to get to know this place like never before.

San Isidro is when the city leans fully into its castizo identity. Think: chulapos, chulapas, rosquillas, limonada (the Madrid version of “lemonade”, with wine, obvi), and a mix of tradition and chaos that keeps getting better.

• 🧙🏻‍♂️ At the heart of it all is San Isidro (Isidore the Laborer) himself, Madrid’s patron saint and, apparently, a bit of a water wizard who sounds like a character from Dungeons and Dragons. Legend has it he could find water anywhere, which is why one of the key rituals this weekend is drinking from the Fuente del Santo (the Saint’s water fountain, which already existed before the 12th century) near the Ermita. Consider it a holy pilgrimage, except you may or may not be drunk.

• 🍷 Where it all began. The Pradera de San Isidro is ground zero. This is where Madrid shows up: families, groups of friends, people dressed as if they’ve stepped out of a Goya painting. You grab your rosquillas—tontas, listas, Santa Clara, take your pick—pour yourself some “lemonade” (wink, wink), and settle into the grass while concerts play in the background. Oh, and fireworks!

• 🎵 Live music everywhere. San Isidro has become one of the most interesting music lineups in Madrid’s calendar. You’ve got Fangoria, David Otero, and Demarco Flamenco playing in the Pradera, indie acts like Triángulo de Amor Bizarro taking over Las Vistillas, and a whole city-wide program (Sonido Madrid en Vivo) spreading concerts across venues. We’re pretty sure you have no idea who any of those people/bands are, but it’s time you start learning.

• 🙏 Feeling religious? There are several Catholic ceremonies for you too! (Please don’t show up drunk)

• 💃🏻 Experience castizo identity. If you don’t know what chulapo/a are, then a) shame on you, and b) it’s time you learn how to dance the chotis. There are countless locations throughout the city where people will be dancing the traditional madrileño dance, so go at least see one.

• 👹 You’ve never seen a street party like this. Gigantes and Cabezudos (see above) roam around like slightly terrifying mascots from another century, Plaza Mayor hosts big open-air concerts and so do the Jardines de las Vistillas, Matadero turns into a verbena playground, and if you need a break from the crowds, you can wander into the Feria de la Cacharrería or duck into the Museo de San Isidro to remind yourself this all has actual historical roots.

Trust us, if you want to feel like a local, then this is all you need to do this weekend.

🖥️ What: Fiestas de San Isidro 2026

📍 Where: All across Madrid (check the links above!)

📅 When: Through May 17 (main celebrations today and tomorrow)

🎟 Tickets: Free admission (most events)

2. 🏰 Not into a Castizo weekend? Candlelit movie music night in a hidden castle in Barajas

If San Isidro is too chaotic for you, fret not, we have a slightly more magical escape plan involving a castle. Did you know there’s one just a few minutes from downtown Madrid? Well, now you do. The Parque del Castillo de la Alameda de Osuna is becoming an open-air cultural stage with Las noches del castillo, a new series that blends music, cinema, and live performance at one of Madrid’s most underrated spots.

• Tomorrow, May 16, the cycle leans fully into cinematic nostalgia with “La lírica en el cine”, a candlelit concert by Matritum Cantat that takes some of the most iconic opera and classical pieces ever used in film soundtracks and brings them back to life—live, outdoors, and surrounded by a historic setting.

• It’s that sweeping, emotional music you recognize instantly but can’t quite place… until it hits you. The whole thing is designed to feel intimate and atmospheric. No massive crowds, no chaos, no chotis. Just music, candles, and that surreal feeling of watching a performance in the middle of a park next to a historic castle.

The broader program runs through mid-June with flamenco, jazz, cinema nights, and even circus shows, but if you’re picking one moment to go, this Saturday is the one that hits that sweet spot between culture and experience.

🖥️ What: Las noches del castillo: “La lírica en el cine”

📍 Where: Parque del Castillo de la Alameda de Osuna, Barajas, Madrid

📅 When: May 16, 10 p.m.

🎟 Tickets: Free admission

3. 📸 PHotoESpaña kicks off the summer season with two must-see shows that just landed in the city

It’s baaaaaack! Every summer, Madrid quietly turns into one of Europe’s photography capitals, and PHotoESPAÑA is the reason why.

• For the next four months, the city becomes a giant, walkable exhibition: museums, galleries, cultural centers, and unexpected spaces all syncing up to showcase some of the most important names in photography.

This year’s edition comes with a theme that feels particularly timely: Volver a imaginar. Translation: question everything. Reality, images, authority, the way we see the world. And nowhere is that more obvious than in two of the standout exhibitions that opened yesterday, both very different, both worth your time.

• Opening this week. At Fundación MAPFRE, Richard Avedon’s In the American West lands as one of the big headline shows of the festival. Originally published in 1985, it’s considered one of the most important portrait series ever made. But don’t expect romantic cowboy imagery. Avedon strips everything back—white background, harsh light, no context—and lets his subjects do the talking. Workers, drifters, oil field laborers. Faces that feel raw, uncomfortable, and completely unfiltered. It’s America, but not the version you usually see.

• Also opening this week. You get something much closer to home—and arguably just as powerful. Azkarate vs Azkarate, at the Serrería Belga, dives into the work of Isabel Azkarate, a pioneer of Spanish street photography and photojournalism. The exhibition plays with the idea of duality—public vs private, observer vs participant. It’s Madrid, it’s Spain, it’s everyday life—but seen through a lens that constantly questions what’s being captured.

Together, they set the tone for the entire festival: two different worlds, two different ways of seeing, both asking one question—how much of what we’re looking at is actually real?

🖥️ What: PHotoESPAÑA 2026

📍 Where: Multiple locations across Madrid

📅 When: Through Sept. 13

🎟 Tickets: Varies by exhibition (many free, others from €5–€10)

4.🥪 Ruta del Paquito: everyone’s favorite lamb sandwich takes over San Isidro

Madrid’s most unapologetically local food trend takes over the Tirso de Molina Market in Latina (which, fyi, is not La Latina) with the Ruta del Paquito (Paquito Food Route), a celebration of the city’s favorite underdog sandwich: the lamb bocadillo (aka sandwich) that’s quietly become a cult classic. You like burgers? Well, this is juicier, messier, and with actual castizo roots.

• The market turns into a full-on San Isidro scene starting on Saturday: free tastings of Paquitos, eight different stalls serving their own versions, and, because this is Madrid, a tuna roaming around playing live music while you eat. (Fyi, a tuna is a traditional musical group of university students dressed in 13th-century costumes who sing and play instruments.)

• The Paquito itself is simple in theory (lamb in a sandwich, duh), but wildly creative in practice. This year, it’s everywhere—more than 300 bars across Spain are participating, and dozens in Madrid alone are putting their own spin on it. If you’ve never tried it, this event is the perfect entry point: one place, multiple takes, zero commitment.

There’s also a bigger story here. The whole idea behind the route is to bring lamb back into everyday eating—especially for younger crowds—while quietly pushing the sustainability angle. But honestly, none of that matters once you’re holding one. Trust us, you’ll get it.

🖥️ What: Ruta del Paquito

📍 Where: Mercado de Tirso de Molina, Doña Urraca 15, Latina, Madrid

📅 When: May 16 (from 12:30 p.m.)

🎟 Tickets: Free (tastings while supplies last)

5. 📚 Antique Book Fair: Recoletos’ best book treasure hunt is back

Attention, fans of books and horror movies involving Lovecraftian stuff like The Necronomicon! If your idea of a perfect weekend includes finding a cursed book getting lost in stacks of forgotten books, this is your moment.

• The Paseo de Recoletos by Cibeles has quietly turned into one of the most charming corners of Madrid with the 48th edition of the Feria del Libro Antiguo y de Ocasión—a long-standing tradition that feels like a treasure hunt and a time machine.

• Rows of stands, run by specialist booksellers from across Spain, are packed with everything from €1 paperbacks to rare first editions from the 14th century that cost much more than you can probably pay for.

• You can go in with zero expectations and walk out with something completely unexpected: an out-of-print novel, a vintage magazine, or an old map. Something is exciting about flipping through pages that have clearly lived a life before you got to them.

🖥️ What: 48ª Feria del Libro Antiguo y de Ocasión

📍 Where: Paseo de Recoletos (by Cibeles fountain), Madrid

📅 When: Through May 17

🎟 Tickets: Free admission

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

🖥️ What: Band Together (Rondallas) | Movie | 2026

📍Where to watch: Movistar+

❓What’s it about: A small town on the coast of Galicia is shaken by the shipwreck in which seven of its nine crew members died. After two years of mourning, the town’s inhabitants form a rondalla and rehearse to compete against other neighbouring villages and heal themselves.

🤩 Why you should watch: If you’re in the mood for something genuinely uplifting, Rondallas is exactly that rare kind of film: a “crowd-pleaser” that actually earns the title. Daniel Sánchez Arévalo returns with a warm, beautifully written story set in a Galician town where music, grief, and community collide, weaving together small human stories about guilt, forgiveness, and healing without ever forcing the emotion.

💬 English Subtitles: No.

💃🏻 Places to try this weekend…

🥓 Restaurante Cinco Jotas: Where jamón stops being food and starts being a religion

What’s it about: Cinco Jotas Madrid is a temple to one thing: jamón. Not just any jamón, but that jamón—100% ibérico de bellota, sliced, showcased, and treated like the celebrity it is.

Why you should go: Because the recently revamped space leans into the experience, building a menu around the product with dishes that range from classic (croquetas, cured cuts) to slightly more playful (panipuri Cinco Jotas, steak tartar with camembert and anchovies). Bonus points: it’s near the Bernabéu Stadium, so yes, it’s dangerously easy to justify.

Bottom line: If you like jamón, you’ll love it. If you don’t, it may be time to reconsider your life choices (sorry, vegans!).

Address: Calle del Padre Damián 42, Madrid

🐍 Snake Bar is where your afterlunch turns into a full-blown night out

What’s it about: Snake Bar is tucked into Justicia, and you may not initially notice it, but this new cocktail spot is a full-on tribute to the 70s, 80s, and 90s, involving nostalgia, music, and pretty cool drinks.

Why you should go: Because thanks to its copper-toned, retro-glam space and a bar that feels like the center of gravity, it presents an atmosphere that makes it very easy to lose track of time.

Bottom line: If you’re looking for a place that turns “just one drink” into a full evening, Snake Bar is it. Come for the cocktails, stay for the soundtrack.

Address: Calle del Marqués de la Ensenada 16, Madrid

👨🏻‍💻 Viral Memes of the Week

😎 Ahhhhh, Ibiza…

🌈 We admit it — we'd go to Zaragoza for that

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Tambaleándose hacia la meta

👮‍♀️ La muerte de dos agentes de la Guardia Civil impacta de lleno en las elecciones andaluzas

Las elecciones autonómicas de este domingo en Andalucía —probablemente el último ensayo antes de las generales— ya pintaban feas para el PSOE de Pedro Sánchez. Los números, digámoslo así, no acompañan. Después, dos agentes de la Guardia Civil murieron persiguiendo narcotraficantes frente a las costas de Huelva, y su partido se las arregló para meterse tres goles en contra en tres días. Ahora, su candidata —la poco carismática exministra de Hacienda María Jesús Montero— llega al domingo con pinta de alguien que tiene muchísimas, muchísimas ganas de perder.

• La chispa que prendió la mecha. Dos guardias civiles —Jerónimo Jiménez y Germán Pérez— murieron el viernes tras chocar su patrullera con otra mientras perseguían una narcolancha (es decir, una embarcación diseñada y utilizada específicamente por narcotraficantes para transportar drogas ilegales) frente a Huelva.

• La rabia que venía hirviendo. El narcotráfico ha colonizado este litoral conforme la presión policial empujó a los cárteles hacia el oeste desde el Campo de Gibraltar. Pero la Guardia Civil de Huelva operaba con 300 agentes menos de los necesarios, en semirrígidas sin visión nocturna, contra lanchas narco con cuatro motores y, a veces, tripulaciones armadas. Sus compañeros habían advertido a sus superiores exactamente de esto —en un informe detallado, meses antes. Las advertencias se archivaron y se olvidaron.

Gol en propia puerta #1: El funeral del sábado de los agentes. Con la campaña suspendida, Montero acudió —y la abuchearon. El Ministro del Interior Marlaska no apareció, alegando el operativo del hantavirus en el crucero de Tenerife.

• El gobierno envió a dos cargos menores, que nadie consideró adecuados, mucho menos en plena campaña electoral en la región afectada. (Contexto: en un funeral parecido en 2024 tras el ataque de la narcolancha de Barbate, la viuda de uno de los agentes muertos se negó a que Marlaska colocara una medalla sobre el ataúd. Tiene su historial aquí.)

Gol en propia puerta #2: El debate del lunes por la noche. Al describir las muertes, Montero usó la expresión “accidente laboral” para referirse al fallecimiento de los agentes.

• ¿Cómo dice? El candidato de la ultraderecha Vox, Manuel Gavira, contraatacó al instante: “No son accidentes, son asesinatos”. Incluso la candidata de la izquierda radical Adelante Andalucía usó un lenguaje similar para ir a por ella. Montero se quedó sola con su frase, que suena a lo que pasa cuando te cortas haciendo una hamburguesa en un Burger King.

Gol en propia puerta #3: Rueda de prensa del Consejo de Ministros del martes. La portavoz del gobierno se negó a corregir a Montero. Así que ella se corrigió sola: Montero publicó en redes sociales describiendo las muertes como un “acto de servicio” —técnicamente una marcha atrás, una rectificación, o algo por el estilo. Pero no pidió perdón.

• La guinda del pastel. El miércoles, Marlaska habló en una ceremonia de graduación de la Guardia Civil en Jaén y lo abuchearon dos veces cuando mencionó las muertes. Salió diciendo que estaba “dolido y furioso”. También aclaró, sí, que las muertes habían sido obviamente “acto de servicio”. El líder del PP Alberto Núñez Feijóo exigió su dimisión.

¿Y qué pasa con las elecciones? El presidente del PP en el cargo Juanma Moreno —firme, competente, en gran parte aburrido— se encaminaba a entre 54 y 55 escaños, posiblemente una mayoría absoluta, antes de que pasara nada de esto (lo que significa que podría gobernar sin tener que pactar con Vox).

• La propia Montero estaba en encuestas por debajo de 30 escaños, el peor resultado histórico del PSOE. En el debate, no consiguió colocar un golpe limpio ni siquiera en temas en los que Moreno era vulnerable (el escándalo de los cribados de cáncer de mama, por ejemplo), y se fue habiéndole regalado a la oposición clips para una semana.

¿Y ahora qué? Andalucía es la comunidad más poblada de España y la última prueba significativa antes de las generales. Moreno, disfrutándolo, fue muy claro sobre lo que está en juego: si su mayoría es “letal” para el PSOE, “Sánchez no llegará a Navidad sin convocar”.

• Después de esta semana, eso suena considerablemente menos a fanfarronada.

Sigue leyendo que abajo hay más noticias. 👇👇

🔔 Pero antes, síguenos en TikTok

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💬 Cinco temas para debatir con amigos

1. 🦠 España contiene el hantavirus (¡bien!), pero los políticos se pelean igualmente

¡Lo conseguimos! Tras días de atención mundial, ansiedad creciente, y un crucero que parecía sacado de un cruce extraño entre Contagion y Speed 2: Cruise Control, España ha controlado oficialmente la crisis del hantavirus (o eso parece).

• Hola, y adiós. El MV Hondius, que había quedado varado con varios casos y tres muertes a bordo, atracó finalmente en Tenerife. Los pasajeros fueron evacuados y la operación salió bastante mejor de lo esperado.

• ¡Mírenme! El presidente Sánchez calificó la misión de “éxito” e incluso dijo que era “motivo de orgullo ser español”. El líder de la OMS, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, lo respaldó y dijo que no hay nada que sugiera que se avecine un gran brote.

Crisis no esquivada. Pero mientras el gobierno del PSOE celebraba el final de la operación, el gobierno de Canarias echaba humo. En el centro de todo está Fernando Clavijo, presidente autonómico y líder de Coalición Canaria, un partido regionalista de centroderecha que ha construido su identidad en torno a la defensa de la autonomía de las islas.

• ¡Cómo se atreven! En los últimos días, Clavijo ha acusado al gobierno central de actuar con “arrogancia”, “prepotencia” e incluso “mentiras”, asegurando que a su administración la dejaron al margen en momentos clave y que la información crucial sobre la operación llegó tarde o nunca se compartió como debía.

• Sin noticias. Insistió en que se enteró de novedades clave por los medios y no por los canales oficiales, e incluso sugirió que Madrid ocultó la existencia de un caso positivo a bordo. El gobierno lo niega, argumentando que lo que se describió como un “positivo” fue en realidad una prueba no concluyente que después dio negativo.

• ¡Ratones nadadores! Clavijo incluso dijo que roedores infectados podrían bajar del barco y llegar a tierra (el gobierno central dijo que su investigación venía de ChatGPT).

¿Y ahora qué? Los 14 pasajeros españoles han sido trasladados al hospital militar Gómez Ulla de Madrid, donde están en una cuarentena de 42 días. Uno de ellos ha dado positivo y ha comenzado a presentar síntomas, aunque permanece estable, mientras el resto sigue dando negativo bajo estrecha vigilancia.

• En toda Europa y más allá, otros pasajeros están siendo localizados, como parte de un esfuerzo por garantizar que no surjan nuevas transmisiones. La OMS dice que el riesgo sigue siendo bajo, pero también advirtió que, dado el largo periodo de incubación del virus, esto aún no ha terminado.

2. ⚽ El jefazo del Real Madrid Florentino Pérez pierde los papeles tras la temporada infernal del equipo

Florentino Pérez celebró el martes su primera rueda de prensa en más de una década, y vaya si tuvo un momento de “¿el abuelo se ha saltado las pastillas?”. Elige tu metáfora —un descarrilamiento de tren a cámara lenta, un castillo de arena con la marea subiendo, Kash Patel hablando en público, lo que sea— fue espeluznante de una manera que jamás esperaríamos de un tipo con más poder (al menos en el fútbol) que diosito.

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Stumbling to the finish line

👮‍♀️ The death of two policemen turns Andalucía’s big election upside down

This Sunday’s Andalucía regional elections — likely the last dry run before national polls — were already looking grim for Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s PSOE. The numbers, let’s just say, are not there. Then two Guardia Civil officers died chasing drug smugglers off Huelva, and his party contrived to score three own goals in three days. Now, his candidate — the charmless ex-treasury minister María Jesús Montero — is heading into Sunday looking like someone who really, really wants to lose.

• The spark that lit the fire. Two Guardia Civil officers — Jerónimo Jiménez and Germán Pérez — died on Friday after their patrol boat crashed into another while chasing a narcolancha (i.e., a boat specifically designed and used by drug traffickers to transport illegal narcotics) off Huelva.

• Simmering anger. Drug trafficking has colonized this coastline as enforcement pressure pushed cartels west from the Campo de Gibraltar. But Huelva’s Guardia Civil was operating with 300 fewer officers than it needed, in semi-rigid boats without night vision, against narco speedboats with four engines and sometimes armed crews. Their colleagues had warned their superiors about exactly this — in a detailed report, months earlier. The warnings were filed and forgotten.

Own goal #1. The Saturday funeral of the officers. With the campaign suspended, Montero attended — and got booed. Interior Minister Marlaska did not come, citing the hantavirus cruise operation in Tenerife.

• The government did send two lesser officials, who no one considered adequate, least of all in an election campaign in the affected region. (Context: at a similar funeral in 2024 after the Barbate narcolancha attack, one dead officer’s widow refused to let Marlaska place a medal on the coffin. He has history here.)

Own goal #2. Monday night’s debate. Describing the deaths, Montero used the phrase “accidente laboral” — workplace accident — to describe the officers’ deaths.

• Exqueeze me? Far-right Vox’s Manuel Gavira fired back immediately: “These aren’t accidents, they’re murders.” Even the far-left Adelante Andalucía candidate used similar language to go after her. Montero stood alone with her phrase, which sounds like what happens when you cut yourself while making a hamburger at a Burger King.

Own goal #3. Tuesday’s cabinet meeting press conference: The government spokesperson refused to correct Montero. So she corrected herself: Montero posted on social media describing their deaths as an “acto de servicio” — technically a walk back or rectification or something. But she did not say sorry.

• Cherry on top. On Wednesday, Marlaska spoke at a Guardia Civil graduation ceremony in Jaén and was booed twice when he mentioned the deaths. He emerged saying he was “hurt and furious.” He also clarified, yes, that the deaths were obviously “acto de servicio.” PP leader Alberto Nuñez Feijóo demanded his resignation.

So what about the election? PP incumbent Juanma Moreno — steady, competent, largely boring — was heading for 54-55 seats, possibly an absolute majority, before any of this happened (which means he may be able to govern without having to make a deal with Vox).

• Montero herself was polling below 30 seats, the PSOE’s historic worst. At the debate, she couldn’t land a clean punch even on topics where Moreno was vulnerable (a breast cancer screening scandal, for instance), and walked away having gifted the opposition a week’s worth of clips.

What next? Andalucía is Spain’s most populous region and the last significant test before national elections. Moreno, enjoying himself, was blunt about the stakes: if his majority is “lethal” for PSOE, “Sánchez won’t make it to Christmas without calling elections.”

• After this week, that looks considerably less like bravado.

More news below. 👇👇

💬 Five things to discuss at dinner parties

1. 🦠 Spain contains the hantavirus (yay!), but politicians fight anyway

We did it! After days of global attention, rising anxiety, and a cruise ship that felt straight out of a bizarre mashup of Contagion and Speed 2: Cruise Control, Spain has officially brought the hantavirus crisis under control (or so it seems).

• Hello, and goodbye. The MV Hondius, which had been stranded with multiple cases and three deaths on board, finally docked in Tenerife. Passengers were evacuated, and the operation went a lot better than expected.

• Look at me! PM Sánchez called the mission a “success” and even said it was “a source of pride to be Spanish.” The WHO leader, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, backed him up and said there is nothing that suggests a major outbreak is coming.

Crisis not averted. But while the PSOE-led government was celebrating the end of the operation, the Canary Islands government was fuming. At the center of it all is Fernando Clavijo, the regional president and leader of Coalición Canaria, a regionalist, center-right party that has built its identity around defending the islands’ autonomy.

• How dare you! Over the past few days, Clavijo has accused the central government of acting with “arrogance,” “prepotence,” and even “lies,” claiming that his administration was sidelined at key moments and that crucial information about the operation was either delayed or never properly shared.

• No news. He insisted that he learned about key developments through the media rather than through official channels, and even suggested that Madrid concealed the existence of a positive case on board. The government denies this, arguing that what was described as a “positive” was in fact a non-conclusive test that later came back negative.

• Swimming rats! Clavijo even said infected rodents could leave the ship and reach land (the central government said his research came from ChatGPT).

What happens now? The 14 Spanish passengers have been transferred to Madrid’s Gómez Ulla military hospital, where they are undergoing a 42-day quarantine. One of them has tested positive and begun showing symptoms, though he remains stable, while the rest continue to test negative under close monitoring.

• Across Europe and beyond, other passengers are being tracked, part of an effort to ensure that no further transmissions emerge. The WHO says the risk remains low, but also warned that, given the virus’s long incubation period, this isn’t over yet.

2. ⚽ Real Madrid bossman Florentino Pérez loses his marbles after the team’s season from hell

Florentino Pérez held his first press conference in over a decade on Tuesday, and wow did he have a “Is grandpa off his meds?” moment. Pick your metaphor — a slow-motion train wreck, a sandcastle at high tide, Kash Patel speaking in public, whatevs — it was gruesome in a way we’d never expect from a dude with more power (at least in football) than gawd.

• The proximate reason for the conference? Pérez announced he was calling early elections for team president, which he has been since 2000, with a three-year break from 2006 to 2009. Since then, he’s been re-elected unopposed every four years.

Democracy, Bernabéu-style. To run, candidates for Real Madrid’s presidency must be Spanish, a club member for 20 years, and able to personally guarantee €187 million — 15% of the club’s annual budget. 🤑

• Are you a Mexi-can? Pérez referred to his rumored rival as someone with “a Mexican accent” who “talks with electricity companies” — a jab at 37-year-old Enrique Riquelme, an alicantino whose Cox Energy‘s biggest market happens to be Mexico. He called potential rivals “children,” dared them to show their faces, and delivered the day’s signature line: “They’ll have to shoot me to get me out.”

But there was so much more on the plate…

Florentino’s grievances were many: the press (he named the ABC newspaper 27 times and called out journalists by name), Barcelona (whose payments to the referee chief he called “the greatest scandal in football history”), and referees, who, according to him, stole seven league points from him, plus 18 league points this season alone.

• Strong as a bull. Pérez denied cancer rumors — “If I had cancer, wouldn’t I be in an oncology ward?” — called a female journalist “that girl”, and questioned whether another “girl” knew anything about football.

The response was swift. Spain’s Equality Minister called the remarks “anachronistic and machista.” The journalist he doubted wrote back: “Yes, Mr President, that’s who I am. A woman. What does it matter what I know about football? I do know the damage outside the Bernabéu.” Barcelona F.C. announced their lawyers were looking into it.

Of course, Florentino has plenty of reasons to be grumpy. This is Madrid’s second straight season without a title — the first time in 20 years. He fired his star coach, Xabi Alonso, after seven months, and current helmsman Álvaro Arbeloa looks to be next. Two players — Tchouameni and Valverde — brawled for two days running, leaving Valverde in a wheelchair and both with club-record €500,000 fines. Barcelona are champions, 14 points clear.

• Silver lining…ish? At least Arbeloa — the coach he’s expected to replace — has Florentino’s back: “I know what this club was like before Florentino. And I’ll take these 26 years.” Sweet. The likely replacement is rumored to be former Real Madrid coach José Mourinho. Two aging glories, well past their peaks, holding each other up like drunks leaving a bar.

P.D. On a TV interview Wednesday, Pérez claimed he'd only received "messages of congratulations” about his press conference. Maybe he's surrounded by yes-men? Just a thought.

3. 😨 Ex-FC Barça star Gerard Piqué also had a tough week

The former football star and Shakira diss track-target Gerard Piqué learned this week that the reason it’s so easy to make bank with insider trading is because it’s illegal. And that you can’t yell at referees in football. And Shakira has her own life. It was a lot.

The big one. Spain’s market regulator CNMV fined Piqué €200,000 for insider trading after he bought shares in a workplace health and safety company two days before its takeover was announced — based on a tip from a businessman friend.

• Piqué held the stock for a week, sold it, and pocketed roughly €47,000. So, he made €47k, owes €200k, and receives a “very serious offence” on his permanent record. The friend who tipped him off was fined €100,000. Being friends with Piqué can be expensive.

Meanwhile, in football. Piqué owns FC Andorra, a second-division club whose 1-0 loss to Albacete last weekend prompted him to allegedly tell the referee to “leave under escort so that you aren’t attacked,” and to note that “in another country they’d beat you up, but here in Andorra we’re a civilized country.”

• The Spanish football federation was not charmed. Piqueé got a six-match ban and a two-month suspension for “acts that undermine the dignity and decorum of sport.” The dignity and decorum of sport, it should be said, were also not charmed.

• Addendum. We were charmed to learn while reporting this story that Piqué’s second last name is Bernabéu, which is the name of the stadium of his former archrival, Real Madrid. Which is, let’s be honest, kinda funny.

And then there was Shakira. At her concert for two million people on Copacabana beach, she called herself a “single mother” — implying Piqué isn’t around much for their two kids. He’s reportedly furious, and his team is considering legal action. His lawyer, asked for comment, said: “I don’t know anything, truly.” As in, “Speak to the hand.”

• Suing Shakira — the woman who turned their breakup into a global hit — would be a bold choice. We’re rooting for it because god knows it would give us something to write about.

4. 🏳️‍🌈 Spain is the best European country for LGBTQ+ rights (homophobia still exists, though)

Suck it, Malta. Spain has just topped ILGA-Europe’s 2026 Rainbow Map, the most authoritative annual ranking of LGBTQ+ rights across the continent, knocking Malta off its long-standing perch and becoming — officially! — the best place in Europe to be queer.

• ILGA who? ILGA-Europe is the largest LGBTQ+ organization in the world. Every year since 2009, it has published its Rainbow Map, ranking 49 European countries on a scale from 0 to 100% based on their laws and policies affecting LGBTI people.

• Spain scored 89%. (Great!) The EU average? A humbling 52%. (Not so great).

Spain is killin’ it. Over the past few years, Spain has quietly (and then not so quietly) built one of the most progressive legal frameworks for LGBTQ+ rights in the world.

• The 2023 LGBTI and Trans Laws were landmark. Equality action plans, an independent anti-discrimination authority, and the removal of the requirement that trans people get a medical diagnosis or treatment before their identity is legally recognized — no doctor’s note, no surgery, no hormones required. You know. Big stuff.

A beacon (with some shadows). Over the last several years, Spain has become something of a refuge and a reference point for the LGBTQ+ community in Europe. At a time when other countries are legally dismantling protections, Spain has been moving in the opposite direction.

• This stands out in a continent where the Rainbow Map’s bottom tier reads like a tour of authoritarian regression: Russia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Belarus, Armenia.

Still lots of work to do. The Rainbow Map measures laws and policies, but it does not measure what it’s like to walk down the street. And on that front, Spain has a problem.

• More than half. According to the Estado del Odio LGTBI+ 2026 report, 54% of LGBTQ+ people in Spain said they experienced harassment, discrimination, or a physical attack in the past year.

• That’s up 12 points from the previous report. And one in two trans people has been a victim of physical violence.

Our take. Yeah, the laws are there, and the protections are real. But the gap between legal progress and real life is wide, and growing.

• ILGA itself flags this — legal rankings don’t capture daily reality. And 74% of those who reported incidents to authorities had a negative experience doing so, which goes some way to explaining why most victims still don’t report at all.

Tsk tsk.

5. 🎤 More Eurovision drama: Israel, Spain… and a few hundred voters

Only getting started. So, this week’s Eurovision drama didn’t come from the stage in Austria. Nope, it came from The New York Times, and it involved Spain.

• Gaming the system. The paper dropped an investigation suggesting that last year’s Eurovision vote may have been far easier to influence than organizers have admitted, and that Israel knew exactly how to play the system. Their example? *drumroll*… Spain!

• Israel’s representative absolutely crushed the Spanish public vote in 2025, according to the report, taking roughly a third of all votes (around 47,000) despite polls showing the Spanish public opinion was largely critical of the Israeli government, which is… odd.

Euro-voting is tricky. Eurovision is not one person, one vote. Viewers can vote multiple times; up to 20 times last year, now capped at 10. That means a relatively small group of highly motivated voters can massively amplify their impact. The NYT estimates that in Spain, just a few hundred people voting repeatedly could have secured Israel’s win in the televote. No bots, no fraud. Just good coordination.

• In Spain, Israel’s entry secured around 33.3% of the televote, the NYT reports, which translated into roughly 47,570 votes. The second-place country, Ukraine, was way behind with about 9,620 votes (6.7%).

• On paper, that looks like a landslide. But when you factor in the ability for each person to vote up to 20 times, the picture changes. To reach those 47,000 votes, you wouldn’t need tens of thousands of people—you could get there with just around 2,400.

• Not illegal, but kinda messy. Even the contest’s own director admitted Israel’s promotion last year was “excessive.” And yet, crucially, there was no external audit, no full release of voting data, and no real transparency about what actually happened.

Loving the attention. Spanish media jumped on the story. RTVE had already raised concerns last year, asking for an audit after Israel kept winning public votes in countries where public opinion didn’t match the results. That request went nowhere. Instead, Eurovision tweaked the rules: fewer votes per person, and a ban on “disproportionate” promotional campaigns.

• Yet here we are again. Just days before this year’s contest, Israel’s delegation was warned after circulating videos explicitly telling people to vote 10 times (the new maximum).

Spain isn’t even playing. RTVE is one of five broadcasters (along with Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Iceland) that decided to boycott this year’s contest over Israel’s participation, citing both the war in Gaza and what they describe as repeated rule violations. It’s one of the biggest fractures Eurovision has faced in decades.

• Espanovision. Instead, as we mentioned last week, RTVE is doing something… very Spanish. Rather than airing Eurovision this Saturday, it’s broadcasting its own musical show to compete with it.

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In our latest Substack Live, we spoke with , creator of History of Spain, about the destinations, historical periods and local traditions that offer a deeper understanding of the country.

Miguel explained why the Spanish Civil War, while important, is only one small chapter in a much longer story — and why travelers should look much further back to understand what they’re seeing in cities like Toledo, Salamanca, León, Burgos and Oviedo.

Highlights from the conversation

• 09:54 — Why Toledo may be the most underrated city in Spain for history lovers.

• 13:35 — The growing popularity of the Camino de Santiago and the spiritual meaning many travelers miss.

• 15:33 — Was Atlantis actually near Cádiz? A surprisingly entertaining detour.

• 17:57 — How to design a summer itinerary through Spain based on history, culture and regional diversity.

• 24:40 — Why the Spanish Civil War can be overused as a shortcut for explaining Spain.

• 27:05 — Salamanca, Oviedo, León and their surprising historical significance.

• 38:00 — Spain’s most fascinating festivals, from San Fermín to Mallorca’s demon-filled summer celebrations.

• 43:00 — Ancient Iberian traditions that may still echo in today’s local customs.

Thank you to everyone who tuned into our live video!

For more fascinating stories about Spain’s history, culture and identity in English, subscribe to History of Spain on Substack. And if you’d like to stay on top of what’s happening in Spain today — without the noise — subscribe to The Bubble.

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

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Become a paid or free subscriber

Here Are 5 Things to Do in Madrid This Weekend

It’s Friday again!

Guess what? Madrid is in full celebration mode (again!) and honestly, there’s no better time to lean into it.

• From the Feria de San Isidro to festivals, exhibitions, and enough plans to completely wreck your sleep schedule, this city is doing what it does best: giving you zero excuses to stay home.

• This week, we’re taking you from chulapos and rosquillas to Star Wars fan madness, underground dance, poetry, and restaurants with long waiting lists but definitely worth the wait. Basically: if you’re bored, it’s on you.

Happy weekend!

1. 🌺 Put on your chulapo outfit and pretend you understand rosquillas: San Isidro is back

Wait, is Madrid throwing yet another celebration? Yes, we just had one with the whole Madrid Day thing last week, but what can we say? We love a good excuse to party.

• Going until next weekend, Madrid hits a very specific vibe that involves religious devotion, picnic chaos, and a city-wide excuse to drink wine disguised as lemonade. That’s San Isidro in a nutshell. It's also known as the Feast of Saint Isidore the Laborer (aka the moment when locals collectively decide that the best way to honor the city’s patron saint is by dressing up, heading to a field, and day drinking).

• The heart of it all is the Pradera de San Isidro, a public park in southwestern Madrid you’ve never been to, even though things there get wonderfully unhinged. The madness began yesterday (whoops!) but things keep going until May 17, so check out the official program for the countless things to do in the city.

• You’ve got chulapos and chulapas (aka this) lining up to drink the “holy water” from the saint’s fountain (yes, that’s a thing), while others are parked on the grass with rosquillas and limonada — which, just to be clear, is not lemonade. It’s wine, lemon, sugar, and fruit. So basically it’s sangría, but who cares.

• And then there are the rosquillas. You’ll be forced to pick a side. The tontas (plain, egg-based), the listas (with sugar glaze), the Santa Clara (covered in meringue), the francesas (almond-coated)… and now even chocolate-covered ones for the modern crowd. Wrong year to start dieting.

• Beyond the picnic-core aesthetic and the live music, the city leans fully into tradition. There are religious ceremonies tied to San Isidro’s supposed miracles (he was known for finding water, which explains the whole fountain obsession), and, of course, the Feria de San Isidro — one of the biggest bullfighting events in the world — taking over Las Ventas, which we disapprove of because we’re woke (at least according to some of you on Instagram).

🖥️ What: Fiestas de San Isidro 2026

📍 Where: Multiple locations around Madrid

📅 When: Through May 17 (main event is May 15)

🎟 Tickets: Mostly free (some events like bullfighting require tickets)

2. 👽 Madrid just got its biggest Star Wars fan exhibition

Attention trekkies (kidding)! If you’ve ever argued about whether The Empire Strikes Back is objectively the best one (it is), this is your moment. Madrid has just been taken over by one of the biggest fan-made Star Wars exhibitions in the world.

• El Imperio Fan Contraataca lands in the city after touring places like New York, London, and Paris, bringing with it over 600 collectible items and 50+ sculptures dedicated to the saga.

• There are life-size figures, original-style costumes, posters, photos… basically the kind of stuff that makes you giggle like a little kid even though your doctor is already recommending regular prostate checkups.

• But the real hook here isn’t just the scale — it’s the fact that this is built by fans, for fans. Every corner feels like someone went way too deep into Star Wars lore and never returned.

Even if you’re not a die-hard, there’s something oddly satisfying about seeing that level of detail and devotion up close. And if you are a fan? Clear your schedule.

🖥️ What: El Imperio Fan Contraataca (Star Wars Fan Exhibition)

📍 Where: Espacio Delicias, Paseo de las Delicias 61, Madrid

📅 When: Through July 5

🎟 Tickets start at €13,60

3. 🇮🇹 Put your Duolingo learning to good use: Madrid’s getting very poetic (and Italian) this weekend

Not your usual Friday plan, but hear us out. For five days, a palace in Madrid is turning into a full-on poetry vortex for the first Festival of Italian Poetry. Intrigued? Read on!

• The event brings together poets, thinkers, and performers to explore how Italian and Spanish literary traditions have been quietly influencing each other for centuries. If you’re trying to look pretentious smart in front of your date, this is for you.

• The program mixes readings, debates, and performances that lean into big, slightly intimidating questions — like what nature actually means when poets get involved — alongside more grounded conversations around women, poetry, and freedom.

• And then it gets a bit more experimental, blending poetry with live music, rhythm, and performance pieces that feel closer to a live set than a lecture.

• There’s also a strong historical angle, with events marking 800 years since San Francisco of Assisi and nods to Lorca (because no Spanish cultural moment is complete without him).

🖥️ What: Festival de la Poesía Italiana en Madrid

📍 Where: Instituto Italiano de Cultura, Palacio de Abrantes, Calle Mayor 86, Madrid

📅 When: May 8–12

🎟 Tickets: Free entry (subject to capacity and you need to book it via their website)

4. 🩰 Forget the plot, just feel: this dance show is like a dream you don’t fully understand (and that’s OK)

Is an Italian poetry festival too mainstream for you? Here’s a really cool (and abstract) option.

• If you need a story with a beginning, middle, and end… this is not your show. But if you’re up for something different, then Goyo Montero’s latest piece might be exactly what you needed.

• The choreographer presents a modern dance performance inspired by Bach’s Goldberg Variations, but don’t expect anything classical in the traditional sense. This is a fully emotional, almost hypnotic experience, where 28 dancers move through a series of solos, duos, and trios that explore connection, vulnerability, tension — all the good human stuff.

• There are no characters, no heroes, no clear storyline. Just bodies in motion, shifting between tenderness and aggression, calm and chaos. A place where dreams and nightmares blend together, and movement becomes the only language that matters.

• The music plays a big role too, mixing Bach’s mathematical precision with contemporary soundscapes by Owen Belton. The result is something cyclical, almost meditative — like everything is constantly dissolving and coming back again.

It’s not the easiest plan for the weekend. But it might be the most interesting one.

🖥️ What: Goyo Montero’s Goldberg

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

📅 When: Through May 9

🎟 Tickets start at €27

5. 💿 The city’s biggest vinyl treasure hunt is back

If your idea of a perfect weekend includes flipping through crates for hours, chasing that one record you didn’t know you needed — this is your moment.

• The International Record Fair returns to Madrid for its 28th edition, taking over Casa de Campo during the San Isidro festivities. The fair is a full-blown music playground with around 130 stands from across the world bringing everything from rare vinyl and cassettes to CDs and deep cuts across every genre imaginable.

• But it goes beyond collecting. Expect live performances, DJ sets, book presentations, and panels with people who actually shape the music scene. It’s about nostalgia and cultural dive, and an excuse to spend way too long debating whether you really need another record (you probably do, but maybe buy a turntable first?).

Whether you’re a serious collector or just someone who misses the ritual of physical music (damn you, Spotify!), this is one of those events where you walk in “just to browse” and walk out with a bag full of bad decisions.

🖥️ What: Madrid International Record Fair (28th Edition)

📍 Where: Pabellón de Convenciones, Casa de Campo, Av. de Portugal s/n, Madrid

📅 When: May 9–10,

🎟 Tickets start at €5,10

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

🖥️ What: My Dearest Señorita (Mi querida señorita) | Movie | 2026

📍Where to watch: Netflix

❓What’s it about: A young woman's medical discovery challenges everything she knows about herself, leading her on an unexpected path toward self-acceptance and a love that defies convention.

🤩 Why you should watch: Because it’s a sensitive, modern reimagining of a classic from 1972 that explores identity, empathy, and self-discovery without judgment, updating its themes for today’s audience. While it doesn’t try to outdo the original, it deepens it, offering a more intimate, emotionally nuanced look at a story that still feels surprisingly relevant today. Oh, and it’s produced by Los Javis.

💬 English Subtitles: Yes.

💃🏻 Places to try this weekend…

🍝 Circolo Popolare: The most Instagrammable Italian that actually delivers on the plate

What’s it about: Circolo Popolare is a two-floor Italian restaurant inside Torre Picasso that leans hard into maximalism. (Red walls, leopard-print carpets, vintage bottles everywhere, and plates that look like they belong in a design museum). It’s theatrical, and very intentionally over the top — basically built for both dinner and your camera roll.

Why you should go: Because beneath all that visual noise, the food actually delivers. The arancini are the standout and worth the visit alone: crispy, rich, and dangerously easy to demolish. And there’s something fun about a restaurant that fully commits to the experience without completely phoning in the kitchen.

Bottom line: Yes, it’s loud and engineered to go viral — but it works. Circolo Popolare is one of those rare “Instagrammable” spots that doesn’t collapse under its own hype.

Address: Paseo de la Castellana 89, Torre Picasso, Madrid

🐙 Casa Nokiate: A Chueca taberna where Spain meets Latin America and Asia

What’s it about: Casa Nokiate is what happens when a Madrid taberna decides to travel — and comes back with Guatemala, Japan, and a bit of Peru in its suitcase. Located in Chueca, it blends classic Spanish tapas culture with Latin American energy and Asian technique.

Why you should go: Because it’s not fusion for the sake of it — it actually makes sense. The menu is built for sharing, with playful, well-executed dishes like torrezno with salsa acevichada, nikkei-style tiradito, and standout appetizers like their reinvented gildas.

Bottom line: Casa Nokiate doesn’t try to be overly fancy — it just wants to feed you well and surprise you a bit along the way. It’s a solid pick for a relaxed but memorable meal in Chueca, especially if you’re into sharing plates with a twist.

Address: Calle de San Bartolomé 14, Madrid

👨🏻‍💻 Viral Memes of the Week

😎 Kiefer Sutherland wants to be Walton Goggins

🤑 Immigration to Spain is getting out of hand

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⛴️ Un crucero, un virus letal… y España justo en medio

El mundo lleva tres días pegado a las pantallas siguiendo en tiempo real la historia de un crucero de expedición de lujo a la deriva por el Atlántico con un virus letal a bordo — y ahora rumbo directo a España.

• El MV Hondius transporta a unas 150 personas entre pasajeros y tripulación. Lo que empezó como una enfermedad misteriosa escaló rápidamente a algo mucho más serio. Tres personas han muerto y al menos ocho casos de hantavirus (un virus transmitido por roedores que puede causar enfermedades graves) han sido confirmados o están bajo investigación.

• La situación se ha convertido en un problema sanitario multinacional y España está ahora en el centro de todo, porque el barco tiene previsto atracar en Tenerife el sábado.

Resumen rápido. El crucero comenzó en el sur de Argentina e hizo escala en zonas extremadamente remotas. Al principio, un pasajero enfermó y más tarde murió, aunque la causa no se identificó inmediatamente.

• Y el barco siguió adelante. Los pasajeros siguieron viajando. Y, crucialmente, decenas de personas desembarcaron a mitad del trayecto y volaron de vuelta a sus países antes de que nadie entendiera realmente a qué podían haber estado expuestos. Al menos una persona que abandonó el barco ya ha dado positivo. Las autoridades intentan ahora rastrear contactos en múltiples países.

Esto no es The Last of Us. El hantavirus no es nuevo (en Argentina hay brotes desde hace siglos, básicamente). No se transmite fácilmente (así que, por favor, no empecemos con lo de “esto es como el COVID”).

• Normalmente se contagia por contacto con roedores infectados, no por interacción casual entre personas. (Bien). Pero la variante de los Andes —la detectada aquí— puede provocar enfermedades respiratorias graves con tasas de mortalidad de hasta el 40% y sí puede transmitirse entre humanos si hay contacto muy cercano y prolongado. (Mal).

• No hay vacuna, no existe tratamiento específico y, cuando los síntomas empeoran, la situación puede deteriorarse muy rápido.

• Mantengan la calma y sigan adelante. En el barco, los pasajeros están aislándose, usando mascarillas y limitando contactos — pero también leyendo, viendo películas y tomando té. “Nuestros días han sido casi normales”, dijo una pasajera. Algo es algo.

Y ahora entra España en escena. Tras negarse Cabo Verde a permitir el desembarco, el barco se dirige a Tenerife a petición de la OMS, algo que ha provocado cierta tensión.

• ¿Y por qué nosotros? El Gobierno canario cuestiona abiertamente por qué no se evacuó a los pasajeros directamente desde África en vez de trasladar el problema a España.

• La coordinación no está siendo precisamente brillante. El presidente canario, Fernando Clavijo, también ha criticado la falta de transparencia y coordinación por parte de Madrid. Sobre el terreno, la reacción es más simple: la gente está nerviosa. (¿Recordáis el COVID?).

A toda máquina. El Gobierno central, sin embargo, mantiene el plan. España ha activado protocolos europeos de emergencia y gestionará toda la operación cuando el barco llegue.

• Bienvenidos a España. Los pasajeros pasarán controles médicos, los extranjeros serán repatriados y los 14 españoles serán trasladados a Madrid para hacer cuarentena en un hospital militar. Todo coordinado con socios europeos.

• Por favor, no entren en pánico. La ministra de Sanidad, Mónica García, insiste en que el riesgo para la población general es muy bajo, mientras que Fernando Simón ha subrayado repetidamente que esto es “muy, muy distinto al COVID”.

¿Y ahora qué? Todas las miradas están puestas en el sábado, cuando el barco llegue a Tenerife. Los pasajeros permanecerán a bordo hasta que estén listos los vuelos de evacuación y las autoridades comenzarán una operación para dispersarlos de forma segura. (O quizá provoquen el fin de la civilización.)

Sigue leyendo que abajo hay más noticias. 👇👇

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💬 Cinco temas para debatir con amigos

1. 🇲🇽 Ayuso viaja a México y —sorpresa— enfada a todo el mundo

¿A que no adivinas quién está en la ciudad? La presidenta madrileña, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, aterrizó en México el domingo para lo que se suponía que iba a ser una visita oficial de 10 días. En cambio, se ha convertido en una polémica transatlántica prácticamente desde el minuto uno —centrada (sorpresa) en la historia.

• Si vas a ser polémica, hazlo a lo grande. Todo empezó a torcerse cuando Ayuso respaldó un homenaje a Hernán Cortés en Ciudad de México —sí, ese Cortés. El que derrotó al imperio azteca (con ayuda de otros pueblos indígenas) y, de paso, masacró entre 3.000 y 6.000 personas desarmadas en Cholula, ya fuera para evitar una emboscada o simplemente porque le apetecía.

• Un crack. Ayuso definió a Cortés como “una figura clave en la creación del México moderno”, defendió que el legado español fue de mestizaje y no algo por lo que pedir perdón, y alertó sobre la “muerte de la democracia bajo el socialismo”, poniendo como ejemplo tanto a España como a México. Vamos, una agenda ligerita.

Mal timing. Las relaciones España-México llevan años delicadas desde que el expresidente Andrés Manuel López Obrador exigiera disculpas por los abusos coloniales, algo que España rechazó. Pero últimamente las aguas parecían calmarse: el rey Felipe VI había lanzado algunos mensajes conciliadores y la presidenta mexicana, Claudia Sheinbaum, rebajó el tono durante una visita a Barcelona.

• Entonces apareció Ayuso… y 💥.

Primero enfadada. Luego menos. Sheinbaum respondió con dureza, afirmando que quien intente presentar la conquista como algo positivo está “destinado al fracaso”. Pero al día siguiente rebajó el tono, insistiendo en que Ayuso “tiene derecho a expresarse” y que esto no afectará a las relaciones bilaterales.

• Mientras tanto, en España… El ministro de Transformación Digital, Óscar López, calificó el viaje de “irresponsable” —algo poco sorprendente, teniendo en cuenta que Sánchez lo está preparando como candidato del PSOE para enfrentarse a Ayuso en las próximas elecciones madrileñas.

¿Presidenta non grata? En un aeropuerto mexicano, una mujer encaró directamente a Ayuso, criticando sus comentarios sobre la conquista y recordándole, con bastante intención, que México se escribe con “x” y no con “j” —algo que Ayuso hace precisamente porque sabe que irrita. El vídeo se hizo viral casi al instante.

• Los mexicanos adinerados que llevan años mudándose masivamente a Madrid —atraídos por la estabilidad, el estilo de vida y los impuestos— parecen bastante menos preocupados por los héroes de Ayuso. O por su ortografía.

¿Próximas paradas? Monterrey y Riviera Maya. Seguro que todo transcurre con absoluta calma 🤣

2. 🇺🇸 Ceuta y Melilla aparecen como “marroquíes” en Washington

¡Más sorpresas! Escondido en un documento presupuestario del Congreso de EE.UU., un comité de la Cámara de Representantes se ha hecho eco (por primera vez) de la reivindicación de larga data de Marruecos sobre Ceuta y Melilla.

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Dear God, not again

⛴️ A cruise ship, a deadly virus… and Spain is right in the middle of it

The world has been glued to its screens for the past two days following the news unfolding in real time of a luxury expedition cruise ship drifting across the Atlantic with a deadly virus onboard — and now heading straight for Spain.

• The MV Hondius is carrying around 150 passengers and crew. What started as a mysterious illness quickly escalated into something much more serious. Three people have died, and at least eight cases of hantavirus (a rodent-borne virus that can cause severe disease) have been confirmed or are under investigation.

• The situation has snowballed into a multi-country health concern, and Spain is now at the center of it, because the ship is expected to dock in Tenerife on Saturday.

Quick recap. The cruise began in southern Argentina and made stops in extremely remote locations. Early on, a passenger fell ill and later died — but the cause wasn’t immediately identified.

• The ship kept going. Passengers kept traveling. And crucially, dozens of people disembarked mid-journey and flew home before anyone realized what they might have been exposed to. At least one person who left the ship has already tested positive. Authorities are now trying to trace contacts across multiple countries

This isn’t The Last of Us. Hantavirus is not new (outbreaks in Argentina have been happening since, like, forever). It’s not easily transmissible (so please don’t say this is “just like COVID”).

• It’s typically spread through contact with infected rodents, not casual human interaction. (Good). The Andes strain — the one detected here — can, however, lead to severe respiratory illness with mortality rates of up to 40% and can be transmitted from person to person if there’s very close, prolonged contact. (Bad).

• There’s no vaccine, no specific treatment, and when symptoms worsen, things can deteriorate quickly.

• Keep calm and carry on. On the ship, passengers are isolating, wearing masks, and limiting contact — but also reading, watching movies, and drinking tea. “Our days have been close to normal,” one passenger said. At least there’s that.

Now enter Spain. After being denied disembarkation in Cape Verde, the ship is heading to Tenerife following a request from the WHO, which has sparked… tension.

• Why involve us? The Canary Islands government is openly questioning why passengers couldn’t be evacuated directly from Africa instead of bringing the situation to Spain.

• You're not good at this. Regional president Fernando Clavijo has also complained about a lack of transparency and coordination from Madrid. On the ground, the reaction is simpler: people are nervous. (Remember COVID?.)

Full steam ahead. The central government, however, is sticking to the plan. Spain has activated EU emergency protocols and will handle the operation once the ship arrives.

• Welcome to Spain. Passengers will be medically screened, foreigners repatriated, and the 14 Spanish nationals flown to Madrid for quarantine in a military hospital. Everything is being coordinated with European partners.

• Please don’t panic. Health Minister Mónica García insists the risk to the general population is very low, while Fernando Simón, the Ministry’s Director of the Health Alerts and Emergencies Coordination Center, has gone out of his way to stress that this is “very, very different from COVID.”

What happens now? All eyes are now on Saturday, when the ship is expected in Tenerife. Passengers will remain onboard until evacuation flights are ready, and authorities will begin an operation to disperse them safely. Or maybe cause the end of civilization!

More news below. 👇👇

💬 Five things to discuss at dinner parties

1. 🇲🇽 Ayuso travels to Mexico and — surprise! — pisses off her hosts

Guess who’s in town. Madrid regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso (PP) landed in Mexico on Sunday for what was supposed to be a 10-day official visit. Instead, it’s turned into a transatlantic controversy almost from day one — centered (surprise!) on history.

• If you’re going to go controversial, go big. Things started to unravel when Ayuso backed a tribute to Hernán Cortés in Mexico City — you know, that Cortés. The one who overthrew the Aztec empire (with the help of other indigenous groups) and, in the process, massacred 3,000–6,000 unarmed people at Cholula, either to avoid an ambush or just because he wanted to.

• Heck of a guy. Ayuso praised Cortés as “a key figure in the creation of modern Mexico,” argued Spain’s legacy is one of mestizaje (cultural/racial mixture) rather than something to apologize for, and warned against the “death of democracy under socialism,” naming both Spain and Mexico as examples. So: a light agenda.

Bad timing. Spain–Mexico relations have been shaky for years after former president López Obrador demanded an apology for colonial abuses, which Spain rejected. Recently, though, things were starting to thaw: King Felipe VI offered some conciliatory words, and Mexico’s president Claudia Sheinbaum lowered the temperature in a visit to Barcelona.

• Then Ayuso shows up… and 💥.

Not amused — then amused. Sheinbaum fired back hard, saying anyone trying to reframe the conquest as something positive is “destined to fail.” But the next day, she walked it back, insisting Ayuso has “the right to speak” and this won’t derail bilateral relations.

• Back in Spain. Digital Transformation Minister Óscar López called the trip “irresponsible” — no surprise, given that Sánchez is setting him up as the PSOE candidate to run against Ayuso in the next election.

Presidenta non grata? At a Mexican airport, a local woman confronted Ayuso directly, criticizing her conquest comments and pointedly reminding her that México is spelled with an “x,” not a “j” — something Ayuso loves to do because it provokes people. The video went viral almost instantly.

• Wealthy Mexicans, who have been moving to Madrid in significant numbers, drawn for stability, lifestyle, and tax reasons, seem less stressed by Ayuso’s heroes, or her spelling.

Next stops? Monterrey and the Riviera Maya. We’re sure it’ll be calm. 🤣

2. 🇺🇸 Ceuta and Melilla are framed as ‘Moroccan’ in Washington

More surprises! Buried in a U.S. congressional budget document, a House committee has (for the first time) echoed Morocco’s long-standing claim over Spain’s Ceuta and Melilla.

• The wording is doing a lot of heavy lifting. The two cities are described as being “in Moroccan territory” but “under Spanish administration”.

• Um, like what “future”? The document encourages Secretary of State Marco Rubio (aka Mark Blondy) to help mediate their “future status.” (Translation: they are not quite Spanish, and are potentially negotiable). For the local government in these areas, this is a 🚩 (or a 🇲🇦, if you know what we mean).

Reality check. Ceuta and Melilla are not some ambiguous leftovers of the empire. They are Spanish cities, full stop, and have been for centuries.

• Heap long time. Melilla has been Spanish since 1497. Ceuta since 1668. Their residents are Spanish citizens, they vote, they’re part of the EU, and Madrid treats them the same way it treats Barcelona or Seville. For Spain, they’re not colonies, not disputed territories, and definitely not up for negotiation.

Why this now? Because of who pushed it. The language was introduced by Republican congressman Mario Díaz-Balart, a close Rubio ally and member of the pro-Morocco caucus.

• Freelance geography lessons. He’s been openly saying for weeks that Ceuta and Melilla are “in Morocco,” and that their status should be discussed “between allies.” That framing is exactly what Rabat has been arguing for years.

• Not law (yet). This is all part of an explanatory report attached to a budget bill. It still needs to pass the full House, then the Senate. But politically, it matters.

Great timing, too. Spain and the U.S. are not in their best moment. There’s been friction over Spain not doing its NATO spending, telling the U.S. it can’t use Spanish bases to attack Iran, and fighting with U.S. BFF Israel.

• Two great tastes that taste great together. At the same time, the U.S. has been doubling down on its alliance with Morocco (which signed a normalization agreement with Israel during Trump I).

Do not escalate. Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares brushed it off with a line that says everything: the Spanishness of Ceuta and Melilla is “as unquestionable as that of Santiago de Compostela.”

• Don’t forget us! PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo is heading to Ceuta this Saturday to mark Europe Day there and use the visit to “reaffirm the Spanishness” of both cities (and push for stronger EU backing).

Temperature rising. A few years ago, a comment like this would have been dismissed as noise. Now, during the “We’d like Greenland” presidency, it sounds sounds considerably less implausible.

3. 🎇 The trial of the century month is all over (except for the crying)

We hardly knew you, ‘Caso Koldo’. After 14 sessions, 70+ witnesses, and more salacious accusations than any single courtroom deserves, Caso Koldo — a case that was ostensibly about corruption in COVID mask contracts, but was really about whether the PSOE is a corrupt multi-headed hydra or just extremely unlucky in its staffing choices — has gone to the judges.

• The verdict may be months away. But memories last forever. Let’s get into what happened — and what’s next

The cast. This was a simple show, with three men sharing one stage (and trying to bring down the rest of the world with them). (A note: all the claims below are alleged, not proven.)

• The Lusty Boss Man 🤵. Ex-Transport Minister José Luis Ábalos allegedly ran a parallel economy from his ministry. In this telling, his bag man delivered cash in a Montblanc backpack — up to €250,000 per run — to his home and office; mask contracts were steered to his associates; one of his mistresses had her Madrid flat paid by his bag man’s partner; his advisor arranged prostitutes for him on a Mexico trip; and he got use of a beach house in Cádiz via a businessman seeking a hydrocarbon license. Prosecution asks: 24 years.

• The Furry Advisor (with a money habit) 🐻. Koldo García, Ábalos’s right-hand man and alleged operational hub. Known in the bag man’s notes as “grandu,” he allegedly told the bag man that Sánchez “knew everything.” His €400,000+ of spending in two years caught the police’s major crimes unit’s eye. Also maintained that his infamous “million in chistorras” text had nothing to do with money. Sure. Prosecution asks: 19.5 years.

• The Big-Mouthed Bag Man 💰. Víctor de Aldama — fixer, cooperating witness, and the man who made this trial considerably more entertaining than it had any right to be. Having admitted to everything, he used his testimony to go further — he named Sánchez “#1” of the criminal organization, roped in Sánchez’s wife Begoña Gómez and former Finance Minister María Jesús Montero, and tossed in Venezuela for flavor. The prosecution said his Sánchez claims lacked proof. Prosecution asks: 7 years (the cooperation discount).

The greatest hits? The prostitutes in Mexico, a paid-for mistress flat, cash in a Montblanc backpack, and Aldama’s blockbuster claim that €1.8 million in illegal donations flowed to PSOE through construction kickbacks — with the president allegedly aware of every peseta.

Their swan songs. In their final statements, Ábalos called the trial a “daily torture” (he comes in handcuffs) and an “inquisitorial process.” Koldo said he was “destroyed,” had lost his friends, and wasn’t “that bad.” Aldama said nothing. Probably wisely.

What’s next. A sentence will come eventually. Aldama and Koldo are also due at the Audiencia Nacional on May 14 in a parallel investigation. For now, Ábalos and Koldo will stay locked up pending the verdict because, not surprisingly, the prosecution says they are flight risks.

We’ll miss you, Caso Koldo. Don’t call us.

4. 🤐 You’ll love this apartment — the owners are about to die

Want more proof that the Spanish real estate market has gone mad? A real estate agency on the outskirts of Madrid caused major drama this week when it promoted a property on Idealista as a great buy because — wait for it — the current owners were on death’s door. ☠️

• Excuse me? Troya Servicios Inmobiliarios, an agency in Leganés on the outskirts of Madrid, listed a flat for €90,000 (😱), calling it a “unique opportunity” because both owners — aged 56 and 59 — “have delicate health conditions such as scoliosis, dialysis, and diabetes that could accelerate the future availability of the property, and they have no offspring.” That’s agency-speak for “one foot in the grave, no one to inherit”.

Some context: Spain has a real estate model called nuda propiedad, in which owners — typically elderly, often sick — sell their home while retaining the right to live in it until they die. The buyer gets a below-market price and… waits.

• Not exactly uplifting. The sellers are usually retirees desperate to avoid poverty, not people optimizing their real estate portfolio. Which makes the incentive structure, let’s say, awkward: as in, the buyer is quietly (or not) rooting for the seller to die. Preferably soon. Troya just forgot to keep that part quiet.

• It gets worse. Buyers circulate jokes about nudging sellers toward extreme sports or crowded places (hi, COVID). We couldn’t document actual foul play — but a movie exists, and French notaries recently faced charges for buying a property from a woman with Alzheimer's symptoms who died 28 days after signing. Just saying.

Anthropologist Jaime Palomera put it well, talking to El País: “The more the life expectancy of those living in the property is shortened, the greater the expected return for the investor. It’s a profoundly predatory logic.” Idealista took the listing down and blamed the agency for, like, maybe revealing confidential health info. The agency said its salespeople were “busy.”

• Troya’s real crime wasn’t doing anything especially wrong. It got caught saying the quiet part out loud.

5. 🎤 Screw Eurovision… We have our own musical show!

We’re not backing down. For the first time in 65 years, Spain’s public broadcaster RTVE will not show Eurovision (aka the Gay Super Bowl), following the country’s withdrawal from the contest over Israel’s participation.

• But don't cry! Instead, that same night, RTVE is rolling out a full-scale alternative: a prime-time musical special designed to fill the Eurovision-shaped void.

Friendly reminder. Spain joined Ireland, Slovenia, Iceland, and the Netherlands in declining to participate, turning what started as controversy into a coordinated boycott. But Spain’s absence hits differently.

• Eurovision here is more than popular. It’s one of the biggest TV events of the year, regularly pulling massive audiences and dominating the cultural conversation (last year’s final pulled over 50% share).

A worthy replacement? Enter La Casa de la Música, a 2.5-hour special hosted by zaddy Jesús Vázquez and packed with big musical names that you probably don’t know (including many with only one name): Raphael, Chanel, Manuel Carrasco, Chenoa, Mónica Naranjo, Ana Belén, Guitarricadelafuente (OK, you may know him), and more.

• Look over here! Officially, RTVE is framing the night around music and “coexistence for peace,” carefully avoiding direct references to Eurovision. Unofficially, it’s a one-to-one replacement, a concert that showcases sSpanish talent and makes a political statement.

Keeping it diplomatic. Eurovision's director said he “misses” the countries that pulled out and wants them back. And the RTVE feels him: TVE director Sergio Calderón said he “understands” the concern and left the door open to a return.

• Awww…But not yet. RTVE marked May 17 (the day after the final) as when they’ll reassess, depending on how the contest unfolds and, crucially, what happens with Israel’s participation. So, not this year.

• Sneaky! The Eurovision organization also tried to lure back some Spanish presence by inviting Jorge González (a Benidorm Fest finalist) to perform at an official event in Vienna. He declined, saying that if his country ain’t going, neither is he.

You can still watch Eurovision. The contest will be available via the official YouTube broadcast, and you can even vote from Spain. But the shared national experience? Gone. No Spanish entry, no coverage, no collective meltdown over televote points.

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@thebubblecomFrom tapas to Krispy Kreme 🇺🇸 #spain #lifeinspain #madrid #expatlife

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Here Are 5 Things to Do in Madrid This Weekend

It’s Friday again (and a holiday)!

• This weekend is basically a collision of everything: history spilling into the streets with 2 de Mayo reenactments, rooftops opening up all over the city, and a lineup of cultural plans that range from thoughtful to chaotic (in a good way).

• Are you in the mood to time-travel to 1808? Or maybe sip something overpriced on a rooftop? Or just wander into whatever’s happening and call it a plan? We have great news, because this XL weekend is offering lots of possibilities (even the Madrid Open tennis tournament!).

Happy weekend 🧐

1. 🪭 Community of Madrid Day: the city goes full 1800s with history, chaos, and a massive party

Madrid’s big moment is here! If you’ve ever wanted to learn more about this city’s history but opening a book feels soooo 20th century, you’re in luck: the 2 de Mayo celebrations are here to show you what happens when a national uprising that left hundreds of people dead gets rebranded as a long weekend of concerts, sun, and fun!

• History lesson. May 2, 1808, was the day that the population of Madrid rose against Napoleon’s troops occupying the city. It didn’t go so great (Goya created one of his most iconic paintings to make sure we never forget), but fast forward several centuries, and it’s now one of the most symbolic (and fun!) dates in the city’s calendar. It is, now, officially considered the Day of the Community of Madrid.

• Across Madrid, things get very busy. The Explanada de Puente del Rey turns into the unofficial HQ of the celebrations, with live concerts, crowds, and people who say they are there to learn history, but really, they just care about the beer.

• Elsewhere, you’ve got traditional folklore performances, brass bands popping up in different towns, and even a full-on drone show lighting up the sky in La Latina.

• If you’re into animal cruelty “tradition”, there’s a bullfight in Las Ventas (honestly, very on-brand for the day).

• There are smaller, less brutal more local traditions like the Mayas festivals (not related to Mexico’s Maya culture) happening across the region, where things get a bit more folkloric as they involve a young girl adorned with flowers (often wearing a crown) who sits on an altar or in a decorated spot during May festivals.

So yeah, it’s one of those weekends where the past and present collide, and where history gets just enough of a glow-up to make you actually care. (The rest of the year, you can go back to watching Ancient Aliens on the History network).

🖥️ What: Madrid’s 2 de Mayo Festivities

📍 Where: Multiple locations around Madrid. See links above.

📅 When: May 1-3

🎟 Tickets: Mostly free entry (some events ticketed, access subject to capacity)

2. 🥁 Muskets in Madrid: the uprising returns, with a reenactment playing live in the streets

If you’ve ever wondered what Madrid looked like when things got deadly, this is your chance to see it live (except for the actual killing, obvi). The city is once again recreating the 2 de Mayo uprising, when locals decided they’d had enough of Napoleon’s troops, and things escalated quickly.

• For two days, Madrid turns into a historical film set, with committed performers, real uniforms, and gunfire. The whole thing is led by the Asociación Histórico-Cultural Voluntarios de Madrid 1808–1814, a group that’s been doing this for over 20 years, which means they’re either passionate or just really into uniforms. Or both.

• Things kick off today with reenactments in Torrejón de Ardoz and Vicálvaro, where you’ll see full-on street battles between locals and French troops. Then, tomorrow (May 2), things move into central Madrid, and that's when it gets good.

• At 12 p.m., right next to the Banco de España metro station, you’ll get a pasacalles down Alcalá (yes, actual soldiers marching through modern Madrid), followed by a dramatic reenactment at the Puerta del Sol at 1 p.m. of the iconic “¡Que nos lo llevan!” (“They are taking him away!”) moment — basically the spark that lit the whole uprising after the French troops attempted to remove Infante Francisco de Paula—the last remaining member of the Royal Family in the city.

• And then, the main event: the defense of the Monteleón artillery barracks at Puente del Rey, which is as intense as it sounds.

So if you’re into history, or just want to watch people in period costumes scream at each other in the middle of the street, this one’s for you.

🖥️ What: 2 de Mayo Historical Reenactments

📍 Where: Puente del Rey, Puerta del Sol, Torrejón de Ardoz and Vicálvaro

📅 When: May 1–2

🎟 Tickets: Free entry (access subject to capacity)

3. 🌞 Madrid a Cielo Abierto: rooftops, drinks, repeat

Indoors is for the winter. Rooftop lovers, rejoice! Madrid A Cielo Abierto is back, and for 11 days the city’s hotels basically unlock their best-kept secrets — rooftops, terraces, gardens, pools — and invite you in like you belong there.

• Now, this isn’t your average “grab a drink and leave” situation. We’re talking sunset sessions with views that make you reconsider your current apartment, rooftop workouts (yes, that’s a thing), jazz nights, open-air cinema, brunches that start civilized and end in fights similar to the ones you see on Real Housewives, and enough tardeos to justify calling it a lifestyle.

• More than 50 different plans are spread across some of Madrid’s best hotels. From the polished elegance of the Four Seasons to the effortlessly cool Only You or the classic rooftop vibes of H10 Puerta de Alcalá.

If you’ve been meaning to explore the city’s rooftops but never quite made it past the Azotea del Círculo, this is your best time to do it.

🖥️ What: Madrid A Cielo Abierto (Open-Air Hotel Rooftop Festival)

📍 Where: Multiple hotels across Madrid

📅 When: May 1–10

🎟 Tickets: Free entry/pay per drink

4. 🎭 Trauma, inheritance, and secrets nobody asked for: ‘I just want to go to France’ is a play that digs deep

If you’re in the mood for something a bit heavier than rooftop cocktails and muskets being fired, this one hits differently. Elisabeth Larena’s debut play is a story that starts like a mystery and slowly turns into something much more uncomfortable: the kind of past that refuses to stay buried.

• It all begins with a funeral and a very weird inheritance. Inés shows up at the wake of a woman she’s never met, only to discover she’s been left her house… instead of the dead woman’s own granddaughter. What follows is a slow excavation of everything that went wrong.

• As the main characters start digging into the woman’s past, they uncover a story shaped by the final years of the Spanish Civil War and the suffocating influence of Francoist institutions and the kind of ideological machinery that didn’t just control lives back then, but quietly echoes into the present.

• This play is about the emotional leftovers of a bygone era that get passed down without anyone consciously choosing them.

It leans into a female, multi-generational perspective that feels intimate, reflective, and at times a bit too real.

🖥️ What: I just want to go to France

📍 Where: Gran Teatro Pavón, C. de Embajadores 9, Madrid

📅 When: Through May 23 (Wednesday to Sunday)

🎟 Tickets start at €24

5. 🗿 Giant sculptures, hidden gardens, and a rare excuse to snoop inside Banca March

This city doesn’t usually let you wander into private gardens in the middle of the city. But for its 100th anniversary, Banca March is doing exactly that, reopening its secret garden and filling it with the kind of art that makes you stop doomscrolling.

• The star of the show is British sculptor Thomas Houseago, getting his first major exhibition in Spain. And this isn’t subtle, minimalist stuff. We mean massive, raw, slightly unsettling human figures — some pushing five meters tall — made from a mix of traditional materials like bronze and plaster. It’s like a classical sculpture that’s also part construction site.

• Houseago’s whole thing is blending influences that shouldn’t really coexist: ancient sculpture, Rodin, Picasso… and then suddenly Ziggy Stardust or Darth Vader. It’s all timeless and very now.

• And honestly, half the appeal here is the setting. The Banca March garden in Salamanca is one of those places most people walk past without even realizing it exists — a quiet, green pocket in the city centre with over 1,600 square meters of vegetation, ponds, and curated calm. It rarely opens, which makes this feel a bit like being let in on a secret.

🖥️ What: Thomas Houseago Exhibition at Banca March Garden

📍 Where: Banca March Gardens, C. de Castelló 75, Madrid

📅 When: May 1 – Oct. 30

🎟 Tickets: Free entry (access subject to capacity)

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

🖥️ What: Naughty Business (Cochinas) | TV Series | 2026

📍Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video

❓What’s it about: In 1998, a conservative housewife has to confront her beliefs when her husband falls into a coma, leaving her in charge of their video store on the brink of bankruptcy. She specializes in selling adult films, causing uproar in the neighborhood.

🤩 Why you should watch: Because it’s the kind of show that sounds like it shouldn’t work (conservative, small-town women in the late 90s accidentally reinventing themselves through the porn section of a video store) and yet somehow it does. It’s sharp, funny, and a nostalgic love letter to VHS-era cinema, packed with references that hit if you grew up around video stores. It’s also a slow, awkward (and often hilarious) sexual awakening told from a female perspective.

💬 English Subtitles: Yes. Oh, and also it’s not for kids.

💃🏻 Places to try this weekend…

🍔 Ponzano gets its groove back: Nolita is already the place to beat

What’s it about: Nolita is what happens when two Basque Culinary Center grads ditch New York’s Little Spain and land in Ponzano with something to prove. The concept: informal, loud, slightly chaotic, and built around “tapas viajeras” — small, bold bites with global influences but a Mediterranean backbone.

Why you should go: Because the food hits that sweet spot between playful and precise: gildas with red tuna, boquerón on brioche with blueberries, and a now-hyped ensaladilla wrapped in nori with eel. Add a tight, rotating menu, a strong wine list in progress, and a bar where everything happens in front of you, and you’ve got energy and an incredible place.

Bottom line: Nolita is exactly what Ponzano needed. Go for the food, just accept that getting a table might require some strategy.

Address: Calle de Ponzano, 11, Madrid

🎷 The show goes on: Madrid’s jazz temple refuses to die

What’s it about: Madrid’s most iconic jazz club, Café Central, closed its historic location at Plaza del Ángel… and reopened 24 hours later inside the Ateneo. After more than 40 years and 14,000+ concerts, the move marks the end of one chapter — and the immediate start of another.

Why you should go: Because it nails that very specific fantasy for people who live here: an aperitivo that turns into dinner that turns into “one last drink.” Upstairs, the rooftop leans Mediterranean and a bit more refined. Downstairs, La Galería is all about sharing plates and good energy.

Bottom line: Nothing really dies here — it just gets a new address. If you care about Madrid’s cultural institutions, this is one to show up for.

Address: Calle de Santa Catalina, 10 (Ateneo de Madrid), Madrid

👨🏻‍💻 Viral Memes of the Week

🍷 Water, meet wine

🤑 5 best moments of the blackout (btw #1 is fake news — it’s actually from the COVID lockdowns)

@javierpv_26Top 5 momentazos del apagón en España. Hace ya 1 año de este día de ciencia ficción JAJAJA #españa #apagon #humor

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@thebubblecomThe Spanish right has a Trump problem. #vox #politica #spain #pedrosanchez #abascal

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Cortarollos

😥 La fiesta económica podría estar llegando a su fin

La economía española en general —y la madrileña en particular— ha estado “on fire” (término técnico) en los últimos años, como hemos venido contando una y otra vez. Ha liderado entre las grandes economías de la UE y, en serio, todo el mundo se está mudando aquí (sí, incluso Walton Goggins 🥳).

• Pero ojo, que vienen curvas. O nubes en el horizonte. O moscas en la sopa. O kétchup en la tortilla. Y empezamos a temer que —nosotros y el Gobierno del PSOE que nos gobierna— estemos ante un cambio de paradigma. Veamos.

Tres letras: PIB. La economía española ha crecido con fuerza tras la pandemia, impulsada por el turismo y los fondos europeos… pero el globo empieza a desinflarse. Tras crecer un 2,8% el año pasado, ya se esperaba una desaceleración al 2,2% este año y al 2,0% en 2027. Y entonces el Orange Menace empezó a bombardear Irán, disparando el precio del petróleo ⏫ y complicando aún más las previsiones.

• ¿El problema de que suba el combustible? El ministro de Economía, Carlos Cuerpo (aka Carl Body), dice que la inflación podría subir hasta el 3,1% (antes: 2,1%). Y cuando todo es más caro… la gente consume menos. Aun así, Cuerpo insiste en que el 2,2% sigue en pie, pese a que el FMI ya ha recortado su previsión al 2,0% (y 1,7% en 2027). Eso sí: admite que si la guerra sigue, el crecimiento podría caer hasta 0,8 puntos (es decir, 1,4%, para los que odian las mates).

Encontrar curro ya no es lo que era. El empleo siempre flojea tras las fiestas, pero lo de este año ha sido especialmente feo. La tasa de paro —que llegó a bajar brevemente del (incómodo) umbral del 10% a finales de 2025— subió al 10,8% en el primer trimestre, con 231.500 nuevos parados: el mayor aumento para ese periodo desde 2013 (COVID aparte).

• Timing perfecto (not). El repunte llega justo cuando el Gobierno regulariza a unos 500.000 inmigrantes sin papeles, un colectivo especialmente expuesto a empleos en comercio, hostelería y servicio doméstico — justo los sectores que más se han resentido. De la explotación al paro.

¿Encontrar piso? Peor todavía. Si pensabas que ya era difícil, puede que pronto mires atrás con nostalgia. El precio medio por m² subió un 14,3% en el primer trimestre de 2026 respecto al año anterior (en Madrid y Valencia, peor: +19%). Una locura.

• Y alquilar tampoco pinta mejor. La Ley de Vivienda de 2023 —que permite limitar precios en zonas “tensionadas”— parece estar teniendo el efecto contrario.

• Menos, no más. En Barcelona, declarada zona tensionada en marzo de 2024, la oferta de alquiler de larga duración cayó de 132.259 a 79.456 viviendas (un ~40%) entre 2023 y 2026, según el Observatorio del Alquiler, a medida que los propietarios retiraban pisos del mercado o los pasaban al alquiler de corta duración. (Fotocasa dice que más de un tercio planea salir del mercado tradicional cuando venza su contrato actual).

¿El verdadero problema? Kiko Llaneras (de El País y amigo de The Bubble) lo resume en un análisis esta semana. Tl;dr: el salario medio en España, ajustado por inflación, solo ha subido un 5% en 30 años —y, con las subidas de impuestos, en realidad ha caído desde 2015.

• Súmale la vivienda y 💥. Salarios estancados, impuestos al alza y precios de la vivienda que han subido un 47,7% desde 2015 (y un 95,6% en Madrid y Barcelona), según Caixabank Research. ¿De verdad sorprende que los jóvenes sin un duro, viviendo con sus padres eternamente, estén cada vez más cabreados… y girando a la derecha?

Sigue leyendo que abajo hay más noticias. 👇👇

🔔 Pero antes, síguenos en TikTok

@thebubblecomFrom tapas to Krispy Kreme 🇺🇸 #spain #lifeinspain #madrid #expatlife

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💬 Cinco temas para debatir con amigos

1. 🇪🇸 La “prioridad nacional” de Vox cobra vida

Se nacionaliza. ¿Te acuerdas de aquello de la “prioridad nacional” que sonaba a nuevo lema de la ultraderecha la semana pasada? Pues ya está por todas partes.

• A lo grande. Lo que empezó como una cláusula en acuerdos regionales entre el PP y Vox en sitios como Extremadura o Aragón ha pasado a dominar la política española. Vox lo está impulsando a fondo en parlamentos autonómicos (y hasta en ayuntamientos), dejando claro que no es una sugerencia: es la línea.

• Más que un eslogan. “Prioridad nacional” significa dar acceso preferente a ayudas públicas, vivienda y servicios a quienes tengan vínculos más fuertes con España, lo que en la práctica —según sus críticos— abre la puerta a la discriminación contra inmigrantes y crea un sistema de dos velocidades.

Aqui mando yo. Vox, por su parte, no piensa aflojar. El partido ha advertido al PP de que no aceptará ningún intento de “suavizar” el concepto con términos más blandos como “arraigo” o matices legales.

• La jugada. Internamente, Vox ve la “prioridad nacional” como una idea simple, emocional y con gancho entre votantes de clase trabajadora. Su estrategia ahora es forzar al PP a abrazarla del todo o a rechazarla públicamente.

Bajo presión. En Aragón, el presidente autonómico, Jorge Azcón, defendió la medida en su investidura, insistiendo en que es “legal” (por si acaso) y basada en premiar a quienes tienen vínculos de larga duración con la región.

• ¡En todas partes! Vox impulsa propuestas similares en Valencia y ya avisa de que las exigirá también en Andalucía si el PP necesita sus votos para gobernar.

Reacción rápida. El presidente del Gobierno, Pedro Sánchez, ha advertido de que esto supone crear “ciudadanos de primera y segunda clase” y ha avisado de que el Ejecutivo intervendrá si alguna medida cruza líneas legales.

• También la Iglesia. El secretario general de la Conferencia Episcopal Española también ha rechazado la idea.

Ni freno ni marcha atrás. Vox, como era de esperar, se crece. Su líder, Santiago Abascal, arremetió contra Sánchez en un mitin, llamándole, entre otras cosas, “el mierda del presidente”.

• Y contra la Iglesia. También cargó contra los obispos críticos, acusándolos de hipocresía y de alinearse con un sistema que, según él, “traiciona a los españoles”.

Equilibrismo. El PP intenta no espantar al votante moderado mientras lidia con la presión constante de Vox para ir más lejos.

• Y ese equilibrio puede estar funcionando. Según una encuesta interna del PP, una parte sorprendentemente alta de votantes socialistas (alrededor del 40%) ve con buenos ojos la versión más suave de la idea.

Si esas encuestas no están simplemente diciéndoles lo que quieren oír, quizá explique por qué el PP no está precisamente pisando el freno.

2. 🐿️ La fiesta podría acabarse de verdad para Alvise Pérez

Hablando de fiestas que se acaban… ¿te acuerdas de Alvise Pérez? El agitador de Telegram que, en 2024, sorprendió a España al conseguir tres escaños en el Parlamento Europeo con su partido de nombre nada sutil Se acabó la fiesta (SALF) —montado sobre 800.000 votos cosechados a base de mensaje ultra, antiestablishment, teorías conspirativas y “exclusivas” online cuidadosamente seleccionadas.

Read more

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Party pooper

😥 The economy fiesta might be coming to an end

The economy of Spain in general and Madrid in particular has been “killing it” (technical term) in recent years, as we’ve noted again and again. It’s been leading the big EU countries and, seriously, everyone is moving here (like, even Walton Goggins 🥳).

• But now it looks like there may be clouds on the horizon. Or flies in the ointment. Or ketchup on the tortilla. And we’re beginning to worry that we — and the PSOE-led government that rules us — may be facing a paradigm shift. Let us count the ways.

Three letters: GDP. Spain’s economy has boomed since the COVID pandemic, buoyed by tourism and EU funds, but the air is bleeding out of that balloon. After outpacing the EU’s biggest economies with 2.8% growth last year, it was already expected to slow to 2.2% this year and 2.0% in 2027. Then the Orange Menace started to bomb Iran, f’ing up those growth projections by sending oil prices up ⏫.

• The problem with rising fuel prices? Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo (a.k.a. Carl Body) says inflation will shoot up to 3.1% (previous expectation: 2.1%), and when things are expensive, people buy less. Even so, Cuerpo is still claiming that 2.2% growth is on for this year despite the fact that the IMF cut its own projection to 2.0% (and 1.7% for 2027). But he admitted that if this war continues, they could cut the number by up to 0.8 percentage points (that would be to 1.4%, for those who don’t like math).

Getting a J-O-B isn’t as easy as it used to be. Employment numbers always sag after the holiday rush, but this year’s drop was crazy bad. The unemployment rate — which briefly dropped below Spain’s (embarrassing) 10% “good news” line at the end of 2025 — shot up to 10.8% in the first quarter with 231,500 new unemployed people, the biggest jump in that time period since 2013 (not including COVID, natch).

• Not great timing. The jump slump arrived just as the government is regularizing a guestimated 500,000 undocumented immigrants — a group that is especially exposed to the shop, restaurant, and domestic jobs that were lost. From exploitation to unemployment…

Finding a place to live? Also (even) harder. If you thought it was hard to find an affordable place to live, well, you might soon be nostalgic for the current situation. The average price per m² of a home in Spain was 14.3% higher in early 2026 compared to a year earlier (in Madrid and Valencia, it was worse: up 19%). Nuts.

• You may not be able to find a place to rent either. The Housing Law of 2023, which allows regional governments to cap rent in “stressed” areas in order to make housing more affordable and accessible, appears to be having the exact opposite effect.

• Less, not more. In Barcelona, which the Catalan government declared “stressed” in March 2024, the number of long-term rentals on offer fell from 132,259 to 79,456 — about 40% — between 2023 and 2026 as landlords took properties off the long-term market and converted them into short-term rentals, according to Observatorio del Alquiler, a think tank. (Fotocasa says more than a third of landlords plan to get out of the long-term market when their current rental contract is done.)

The real problem? Friend-of-The-Bubble (FOTB) Kiko Llaneras of El País has a fascinating deep dive into Spain’s economic state this week. Tl;dr? The average Spanish salary, taking inflation into account, has only risen 5% in the last 30 years — and because of constant tax increases, has actually fallen since 2015.

• Add in housing, and 💥. Take stagnant wages, rising taxes, and housing prices that have risen on average 47.7% since 2015 (and 95.6% in Madrid and Barcelona), according to Caixabank Research, and are you at all surprised that broke youth living with their parents seemingly forever are unhappy — and getting angrier (and moving to the right)?

More news below. 👇👇

💬 Five things to discuss at dinner parties

1. 🇪🇸 Vox’s ‘national priority’ comes to life

Going national. Remember that whole “national priority” thing that sounded like a new discriminatory far-right talking point last week? Yeah, it’s now everywhere.

• Going big. What started as a chapter in regional deals between the center-right PP and far-right Vox in places like Extremadura and Aragón has officially taken over Spanish politics. Vox is pushing it hard across regional parliaments (and even town halls), and making it very clear that this is not a suggestion, it’s the line.

• More than a slogan. “Prioridad nacional” means giving preferential access to public aid, housing, and services to people with stronger ties to Spain, which, in practice, critics say opens the door to discrimination against immigrants and creates a two-tier system.

Come at us, bro. Vox, for its part, isn’t backing down. The party has warned the PP it won’t accept any attempt to “water down” the concept with softer language about “arraigo” (attachment) or legal nuance.

• The real deal. Internally, Vox sees “national priority” as a simple, emotionally charged idea that resonates broadly among working-class voters. Their strategy now is to force the PP to fully embrace it or publicly reject it.

Under pressure. In Aragón, regional president Jorge Azcón defended the measure during his investiture, insisting it’s “legal” (just in case) and based on rewarding those with long-term ties to the region.

• Everywhere! Vox is pushing similar proposals in Valencia and also warns they’ll ask for it in Andalucía if the PP needs their votes to govern there.

Quick backlash. PM Sánchez says this is about creating “first and second-class citizens” and has warned the government will step in if any measure crosses legal lines.

• Church, too. The secretary general of the Spanish Catholic bishops’ group has also rejected the idea.

Can’t stop, won’t stop. Vox, unsurprisingly, is emboldened by all of this. Party leader Santiago Abascal lashed out at Sánchez — calling him, among other things, “a piece of shit” during a rally.

• Hitting the church. He also lashed out at bishops who criticized his policies, accusing them of hypocrisy and siding with what he calls a system that “betrays Spaniards.”

Playin’ it cool. The center-right PP is trying not to alienate moderate voters while they face constant pressure from Vox to go further.

• That balancing act might actually be working. According to a poll conducted by the PP, a surprisingly large chunk of socialist voters (around 40%) are receptive to the PP’s softer version of the idea.

Assuming the PP's polling isn't just telling them what they want to hear, this may explain why they aren't slamming the brakes.

2.🐿️ The party might really be over for Alvise Pérez

Speaking about fiestas that are coming to an end, remember Alvise Pérez? The Telegram firebrand who, in 2024, shocked Spain by winning 3 European Parliament seats for his catchily-named party Se acabó la fiesta (”The Party’s Over,” or SALF) — riding 800,000 votes harvested from a brew of far-right messaging, anti-establishment grievance, conspiracy theories, and selectively-deployed online “exposés.”

• Well, his party may indeed be over.

Stripped. The European Parliament has officially stripped him of immunity, clearing the way for Spain’s Supreme Court to put him on trial over the alleged harassment of a Valencia prosecutor. The MEP shield doesn’t apply here because what he’s accused of has nothing to do with his job as a legislator.

• A mess from day one. Since arriving in Brussels, Alvise’s tenure has been an unbroken parade of public feuds with his own party members and constant controversy — culminating now in legal trouble back home.

The case. Prosecutors call it a targeted harassment campaign. In early 2024, Alvise posted messages and photos of a Valencia prosecutor on his Telegram channel, accusing her of persecuting Spaniards.

• The result: around 1,500 abusive messages from his followers, including threats and calls to harass her IRL. The Supreme Court believes there may have been a deliberate attempt to mobilize his audience against her.

Not the only one! This is one of five open legal investigations.

• The greatest hits. Illegal campaign financing — a €100,000 payment from a crypto bro “businessman” Alvise has openly acknowledged receiving; spreading a fake COVID test about a high-profile politician, admitted in court; allegedly harassing his own former SALF colleagues; and a separate Supreme Court probe into alleged threats against the mayor of Algeciras.

What now? With immunity gone, the Supreme Court can finally proceed with the first trial — and potentially others, depending on whether further immunity requests are lifted. None of this means he’s guilty. But the heat shield is off.

• Witch hunt! Alvise has already framed it all as part of a “corrupt system” targeting him — a narrative that plays well with his base. (Sounds familiar?)

Make Spain great again. Fret not, anti-establishment readers: he’s already announced he’s running in the 2027 general election.

3. 🌑 A year ago, all the lights went out — and we still don’t know who to blame

On April 28, 2025, a historic blackout plunged Spain into darkness, unleashing societal collapse of a profundity never seen outside of The Last of Us 🧟. Widespread looting, radioactive panthers, zombie hordes, paella made with chorizo…it was madness.

• Actually, none of that happened. Some 35,000 people were stranded in trains, and a team of window cleaners got stuck on one of Madrid’s Cuatro Cinco Torres skyscrapers. But at least judging from The Bubble’s “on the ground reporting” at the time, a big chunk of Spain’s population took it upon themselves to rescue warming beer and dance the Macarena (literally).

But it was a big f-up that cost us all a 💩-ton of 💰 — and a year on, no one’s saying whose fault it was.

• The reports. Four official investigations and one parliamentary inquiry have produced an impressive paper trail and exactly zero resignations. Beatriz Corredor, the former PSOE Housing Minister who Sánchez’s government appointed chair of partially state-owned grid operator Red Eléctrica — a €546k-a-year job — is still there. Energy Secretary Sara Aagesen still has her job. Sánchez himself has very pointedly not apologized.

What happened (allegedly). The technical consensus — to the extent there is one — points to a voltage surge cascading through a grid running on 55.5% renewables, causing every energy producer to go offline lest they suffer damage.

• Green fail? Not quite. The cause, experts say, wasn’t “excessive” renewables but a grid increasingly reliant on them and not yet fully adapted — meaning, in plain terms, more batteries and more gas/nuclear backup to absorb sudden clouds or a drop in the breeze. Spain has been early out of the gate on this; it’s uncharted ground.

The blame game. Red Eléctrica blames the utilities. The utilities blame Red Eléctrica. Iberdrola is suing. The Senate’s PP-majority report demanded dismissals — Corredor’s, Aagesen’s, the lot — which the government received with the seriousness it reserves for things it intends to ignore. Feijóo, predictably, called for resignations. Sánchez, equally predictably, has not delivered.

• Fines? Maybe. The CNMC (Spain’s competition authority and über-regulator), meanwhile, has opened 55 sanction investigations. Resolutions will arrive after an 18-month investigation — putting the actual reckoning in late 2027 or early 2028, by which point we will all surely have moved on to a fresh catastrophe (and past the next elections).

The money. Direct losses topped €1 billion. The extra cost of preventing a repeat (by topping up with conventional power)? €666m — a number whose biblical vibe is, we assume, conveniente. Consumers have absorbed it via a 10% rise in their electricity bills, because of course they did.

• Nobody else pays? Unlikely. Repsol is suing for €175m. The OCU may push households to sue. But CNMC’s maximum fine tops out at €60m — roughly a tenth of what consumers are paying to fix the problem.

The takeaway. 86.7% of Spaniards think it could happen again. They are, statistically speaking, probably right. As for who’s to blame — well, that’s what the next 18 months are for. For now, the lights are on. 🕯️

4. ✈️ Ryanair tells Spain it prefers Morocco and Italy

The war between Ryanair and Spain has gotten so bad that the cheap bastards discount airline is using a cake to mock the government. (See above.)

• Just wanted to say “hi.” Ryanair CEO Eddie Wilson flew into Madrid on Monday — exactly the day state-controlled airport operator AENA was distributing its annual dividends (€834m of which went straight to the state) — to announce that AENA’s fees are too damn high, so Ryanair will cut 1.2m seats in Spain this summer. (He says this year will be the first Ryanair hasn’t grown in Spain since it entered the market.)

The argument. Ryanair is annoying colorful (more on the cake below), but its grievances always reduce to money. AENA wants to raise fees 21% (plus inflation) over 2027-2031. Wilson’s take: AENA runs “excessive” 60% margins, has paid €5bn in dividends to the government over the past four years, and plowed €800m into airports in Brazil and the U.K. in the last 12 months alone — even as regional Spanish airports run 70% empty.

• Wilson’s verdict: “It is extraordinary that the Spanish government prioritizes dividends and sending money generated at Spanish airports overseas, at the expense of areas losing routes, tourists, and jobs.” Ouch. 🔥

Promises made, promises kept. None of this is new — Ryanair told us back in October it would do exactly this. The 1.2m cut is the third wave in a year, following last summer’s 800k-seat reduction and last winter’s 1m cut. Total damage since summer 2024: 3m seats

• So few seats. Asturias, Valladolid, Jerez, Tenerife Norte, and Vigo lose 100% of Ryanair service. Santiago drops 79%, Zaragoza 45%, Santander 41%. Girona and the Canaries take smaller hits.

• Ryan’s new friends. Meanwhile, Ryanair will grow 11% in Morocco and 9% in Italy — “significantly more competitive countries than Spain,” per Wilson. In other words, Ryanair to España Profunda: Screw you.

So much love. Ryanair’s other Spain grievances are still simmering: the €107m fine for charging for hand luggage (under appeal), the European Commission’s case against Spain over the hand-luggage sanctions, and the never-ending Bustinduy feud — group CEO Michael O’Leary’s nickname for the consumer minister, you’ll recall, was “crazy communist.”

And the cake? Pure Ryanair. The PR shop knows newspaper business desks need a single arresting image, so Wilson rolled out a frosted prop for AENA’s dividend day, showing most of its money reserved for dividends and investments abroad, with a tiny sliver for Spain’s regions.

• Petty? Yes. Effective? Also yes — exhibit A: this newsletter.

5. 🐾 Spain’s wildest ‘influencer’ lynx is hunting street cats

Uh-oh! A wild Iberian lynx nicknamed Veneno has basically moved into the small town of Cabañas de Yepes (in Toledo) and is regularly terrorizing hunting the local street cat colony.

• Viral cat. What would normally be a quiet ecological situation has exploded because neighbors started filming it, and now the media (get this) is calling it an “influencer lynx” thanks to how viral it’s become.

Here, kitty. According to very serious reporting, Veneno shows up almost daily, walking through streets, jumping walls, even sleeping in roundabouts like it owns the place. Veneno, who was born in 2024 in the Montes de Toledo, lives in a nearby valley (an ideal lynx habitat full of rabbits) and has learned a route straight into town.

• Once there, it targets the local cats — not out of cruelty, but instinct. For a lynx, other small mammals are either prey or competition.

• To locals, though, those are their cats. Some of them are even cared for by a community association. According to residents, 20 may already be gone.

Don’t pspspsps it. That’s where the tension kicks in. On one hand, many locals are fascinated (it’s not every day you see a critically endangered species strolling past your house!). On the other hand, there’s real concern for the cats, for the lynx itself (it could get hit by a car!), and for public safety if people start, like, crowding or chasing it.

• That’s already happening (shocker). People from nearby towns are literally showing up to take selfies with the murderous wild predator (don’t worry, according to experts, they won’t attack you). At one point, a town meeting about the lynx basically emptied because Veneno walked past outside.

Time to move on. Now, authorities are trying to gently push Veneno back out of town by removing food sources for cats, limiting human interaction, and discouraging people from feeding or approaching it.

• More followers than you. As for the “influencer” label, it’s because Veneno has become a viral star. Videos of it hunting or roaming are all over social media, turning it into an accidental celebrity (and even a potential tourist attraction).

Back with a vengeance. This is happening because the Iberian lynx is making a comeback. Just a couple of decades ago, it was on the brink of extinction, with fewer than 100 individuals left.

• Thanks to conservation efforts, the species has recovered. So Veneno wandering into town is actually a side effect of success. Can Madrid get one too?

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Here Are 5 Things to Do in Madrid This Weekend

It’s Friday again!

And it’s time to put your phone away. We’re having a very cultural weekend that involves silent films, book clubs, and street art. So gather your monocles and mount your penny-farthings, and make haste to the picture house for an evening of most agreeable diversion!

Happy weekend 🧐

1. 🎬 The Passion of Joan of Arc: Silent film, a live orchestra, and emotional damage

If your idea of cinema is The Fast and the Furious saga, caramel popcorn, and looking at your phone every five minutes, this might not be your scene. But if you’re ready for something a bit more intellectual intense, then you don’t want to miss this.

• The Passion of Joan of Arc — yes, that French silent film from 1928 you never heard of before — lands in Madrid tomorrow for a one-time-only screening that goes all in.

• Pay attention. We’re talking live orchestra, live choir, and a full immersive setup inside Cine Capitol that turns the film into something closer to a mesmerizing ritual.

• And the film itself? Not exactly light viewing. Widely considered one of the greatest movies ever made, this masterpiece by Danish director Carl Theodor Dreyer strips everything down to raw emotion.

• It follows Joan of Arc’s trial and execution through a series of brutal close-ups. No distractions, no spectacle, just the face of Maria Falconetti carrying the entire weight of the story. It’s uncomfortable and weirdly modern for something that’s almost 100 years old.

We’re not done. Now add a live score.

• The Caspervek Ensemble performs an original composition (Missa Ioanna Arcensis), backed by orchestra and choir, which basically means the emotional impact goes from “intense” to “why am I crying on a Saturday afternoon.”

This is so much more than watching a film. Definitely memorable.

🖥️ What: La pasión de Juana de Arco (with live orchestra & choir)

📍 Where: Cine Capitol, Gran Vía 41, Madrid

📅 When: April 25, 12:30 p.m.

🎟 Tickets start at €24

2. 🎨 Malasaña becomes a live canvas again, and yes, you get to judge it

A long, long time ago (like, in 2010), Malasaña was all graffiti, which meant it was gross. Sixteen years later, the neighborhood has changed: it’s now all graffiti, which means it’s great! It’s gone from “place for gang members to hang out” to “open air art project”. And this Sunday, we’re all celebrating the rebranding.

• Pinta Malasaña is back, and the neighborhood is once again turning into Madrid’s street gallery, with artists literally taking over shop shutters, walls, and whatever space locals are brave enough to offer.

• Dozens of urban artists will be painting live across the streets for one day only, all at the same time. Forget those snobbish art galleries and Instagram filters. This is all about spray cans, ladders, and a crowd watching the whole thing unfold in real time.

• The concept is simple but great: local businesses, neighbors, and associations lend their spaces, and artists compete to transform them. You walk around, watch the process, and by the end of the day… you actually get a say. Because yes, there’s a public vote for the best piece, so your uneducated opinion about art finally matters! No more staring at a banana duct-taped to a white canvas. This is real art!

Beyond the painting, the vibe is very Malasaña: workshops, side activities, people wandering around with beers pretending they understand street art. It’s one of those plans where you show up, walk around, and end up spending all day there.

🖥️ What: Pinta Malasaña

📍 Where: All over Malasaña, Madrid

📅 When: April 26

🎟 Tickets: No tickets necessary

3. 📚 Books are taking over Madrid, and it’s getting out of hand (in a good way)

If you thought “La Noche de los Libros” was already a lot, welcome to the upgraded version. This year, Madrid has decided one night isn’t enough and turned it into a full-blown four-day literary takeover called LIBROMAD.

• The entire region basically becomes one giant book club this week — except instead of pretending you read Truman Capote, you get 400+ activities, 300 authors, and events happening across 100 municipalities.

• The theme this year is “Los confines de los libros,” which sounds boring but really means that books aren’t just books anymore. They’re conversations, performances, concerts, workshops, and whatever else happens, especially now that no one reads anymore.

• Libraries and bookstores become the main stage. This is reading as a social experience — something that crosses generations, mixes formats, and turns into a collective event.

Sunday’s closing event at Plaza de España is doing the most, if you need a starting point. There’s a collective reading (with hot chocolate, because Madrid knows what matters), live music, performances, and even a mini book fair.

🖥️ What: LIBROMAD - Madrid Book Week

📍 Where: All over Madrid (main event at Plaza de España)

📅 When: Through April 26

🎟 Tickets: Free entry to most activities

4. 🌏 Feeling lost? Imperio is a theatre piece that turns identity into a journey

Feeling a bit lost in life, but you’re poor, so you can’t go to Bali to find yourself and eat, pray, and love? Great. We’re offering a play that is basically a similar existential crisis… but with better lighting and choreography (sorry, but it’s true).

• Carles Fernández Giua’s latest piece lands in Madrid with a mix of theatre and dance that tries to answer one of those annoying questions we all avoid: what actually gives your life meaning, and why is it so hard to adult figure out?

• The show follows two journeys at the same time. One is physical: an artistic company traveling through China and Tibet. The other is way more personal: Yan Huang, a performer who left China and now, from Europe, is trying to reconnect with a culture she somehow understands better from afar than when she was actually living there. Pretty on brand for us, isn’t it?

• The whole piece plays with that idea — distance giving clarity, identity being something you rebuild rather than inherit, and the strange feeling of not fully belonging anywhere.

• It mixes documentary footage, movement, and poetic storytelling to create something that’s less about plot and more about… vibes (intellectual vibes, don’t worry).

If you’re in the mood to feel something slightly deeper than usual (or just want to say you went to something cultured this weekend), this might be your move.

🖥️ What: Imperio

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

📅 When: April 24–25

🎟 Tickets start at €20

5. 🖼️ Colores y Formas: Abstract art that you can actually take home

Alright, let’s be serious for a sec. If you’ve ever walked into a contemporary art show and thought, “This is too sophisticated for me,” this one might be your entry point.

• Eduardo Chillida Belzunce — son of famous Basque sculptor Eduardo Chillida — is bringing together a group of artists to explore the basics of art: form, color, and space.

• The whole thing is a deep dive into abstraction (textures, structures, and pieces that are less about “what is it?” and more about “what does it do to you?”). There will be works that play with materials, shapes, and visual tension in a way that feels very intentional and very contemporary.

• You’ll find works by Pedro Txillida, María Chillida, Ignacio López, Christian Iglesias, and several guest artists — so it’s more like a collective conversation than a single vision. Different styles, same obsession: how far can you push the language of art before it stops being obvious?

The exhibition also launches Chillida Belzunce Art & Design, a project that takes those abstract ideas and drops them into everyday objects — clothing, lamps, furniture, even skateboards. (Yes, skateboards!)

🖥️ What: Colores y Formas

📍 Where: Calle de Belén, 2, Madrid

📅 When: Through May 18

🎟 Tickets: Free entry

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

🖥️ What: I Always Sometimes (Yo Siempre a Veces) | TV Miniseries | 2026

📍Where to watch: Movistar+

❓What’s it about: A pregnant woman navigates life as a single mom in Barcelona, facing ups and downs and trying to survive adulthood in a system that is clearly not designed to help her.

🤩 Why you should watch: Because it just… feels real and painfully relatable. Produced by Los Javis, it leans into that raw and chaotic style, but this time with a quieter, more grounded approach. It’s not about big plot twists, but about dialogue and awkward silences. If you’ve ever felt like adulthood showed up too fast and underdelivered, this one will hit close to home.

💬 English Subtitles: No.

💃🏻 Places to try this weekend…

🍸 Los Gabrieles: Madrid’s most iconic taberna is finally back, and it’s still the ‘Sistine Chapel of tiles‘

What’s it about: A historic taberna that’s been closed for over 20 years has finally reopened — fully restored and still covered in its iconic hand-painted tiles. Once a hotspot for everyone (from Ava Gardner and, allegedly, King Alfonso XIII to Lorca and Hemingway), Los Gabrieles is basically a mix of cultural landmark, flamenco haunt, and old-school eating house, now updated for 2026.

Why you should go: Because you’ll be stepping into a piece of Madrid history that almost disappeared. The space alone is worth it (it’s literally called “the Sistine Chapel of tiles”), but there’s also a proper bar scene.

Bottom line: Madrid loves a comeback story, and this might be one of its best. Come for the tiles, stay for the food.

Address: Calle de Echegaray, 17, Madrid

🍹 Drinks, tapas, and sunsets: Florida Park is doing the most (and we’re here for it)

What’s it about: Florida Park is basically what happens when El Retiro decides to get a warm-weather glow-up. It’s an urban escape surrounded by trees and sky where Madrid goes to snack, drink, and stay longer than planned.

Why you should go: Because it nails that very specific fantasy for people who live here: an aperitivo that turns into dinner that turns into “one last drink.” Upstairs, the rooftop leans Mediterranean and a bit more refined. Downstairs, La Galería is all about sharing plates and good energy, mixing classic Spanish tapas (croquetas, tortilla) with sushi, poke, and gyozas.

Bottom line: Solid music, well-made cocktails, and a crowd that’s clearly enjoying themselves in El Retiro. What else can you ask for?

Address: P.º de Panamá, 1, El Retiro Park, Madrid

👨🏻‍💻 Viral Memes of the Week

🧑‍🦲 Easier to apply sunscreen

🤑 Spanish millionaires pay (to leave)

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Líneas cruzadas

🇻🇪 La líder opositora de Venezuela le hace ghosting al Gobierno de Sánchez

¿A qué no sabes quién vino de visita? María Corina Machado, líder de la oposición venezolana y reciente ganadora del Premio Nobel de la Paz, pasó el fin de semana en Madrid y fue recibida como una jefa de Estado… solo que no por el Gobierno español.

• ¡Presidenta! Machado, a quien muchos ven como la verdadera ganadora de las últimas elecciones del país (aunque la inhabilitaron para presentarse), aterrizó en España con una acogida más propia de una gira de victoria que de una visita diplomática.

• Derecha, derechita. Se reunió con el líder del PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, en la sede del partido —donde la recibieron entre aplausos y gritos de “libertad”— y, ya puestos, también con el líder de Vox, Santiago Abascal.

Pero espera, que hay más. Machado también mantuvo encuentros de alto nivel con la presidenta de la Comunidad de Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, y con el alcalde, José Luis Martínez-Almeida.

• ¿Algo brillante? Ayuso le entregó la Medalla de Oro de la Comunidad de Madrid, y Almeida le dio las llaves de la ciudad, un gesto normalmente reservado a jefes de Estado o grandes figuras históricas.

La foto importa. Madrid alberga una de las mayores comunidades de la diáspora venezolana en Europa. Unos 200.000 venezolanos que huyeron de la crisis en su país han recalado aquí.

• Y muchos la ven como su representante. Así que su aparición en la Puerta del Sol, donde se dirigió a una multitud con banderas venezolanas y coreando su nombre, se pareció bastante a un mitín de campaña (aunque en el exilio).

¿Y Pedro? A pesar de estar invitada, Machado no se reunió con el presidente del Gobierno, Pedro Sánchez, ni con nadie del Ejecutivo. Eeeeeso es interesante… 🤔

El agua hierve a fuego lento. La incomodidad empezó con sonrisas tensas y frases medidas. Sánchez dijo estar “encantado de reunirme con María Corina Machado cuando tenga oportunidad” —las puertas de Moncloa, añadió, están siempre abiertas. Machado, por su parte, dejó caer que reunirse con él “no es conveniente” ahora mismo. Nada personal, ya sabes.

• Pero, en serio, ¿qué pasa aquí? Machado apuntó a un motivo: la cumbre progresista que Sánchez organizaba en Barcelona, con líderes de izquierdas de países como Colombia, Brasil o México, algunos de ellos bastante cercanos a su némesis, el ahora encarcelado Nicolás Maduro.

• Ahora se entiende. Y añadió un poco más de picante en una entrevista con El Mundo: “Verme con Pedro Sánchez habría enviado un mensaje inadecuado; nuestra causa tiene que ver con la verdad y con la gente”. Uf.

El agua empieza a hervir. Entonces el ministro de Exteriores, José Manuel Albares, salió al contraataque en RNE. Machado —señaló— sí había encontrado tiempo para reunirse con Feijóo, Ayuso, Almeida y Abascal: “Ha actuado como líder ideológica que se reúne con su espectro político, que es la extrema derecha española”.

• Un poco de agradecimiento, ¿no? Albares recordó que este Gobierno evacuó en un avión militar al candidato opositor Edmundo González y acaba de acelerar la concesión de la nacionalidad española a otro líder opositor, Leopoldo López (que en su día se refugió en la embajada española en Caracas). “¿Es necesario ocultar lo que hace España por Venezuela para agradar?” (¿A quién? Ahora vamos…)

La olla explota. Albares soltó una bomba: según él, la propia Machado había pedido refugio en la embajada española en Caracas, y él se lo había concedido.

• Llamando al bullshit. El equipo de Machado lo calificó de “falso”. Fuentes diplomáticas dijeron a El Mundo que la oferta fue en sentido contrario. Y Machado respondió… de forma indirecta: hay “episodios opacos” en la relación de España con Venezuela, dijo a El Español, y “yo tengo información que otros no tienen” —que saldrá a la luz cuando esté verificada, suponemos. 🤔

Entonces, ¿qué está pasando? Probablemente dos cosas.

• Primero, de todos los gobiernos europeos, el de Sánchez ha sido de los más amistosos con Maduro — lo que no genera precisamente confianza en la oposición venezolana.

• Pero sobre todo, Sánchez y Trump están a la gresca, y Trump es quien podría realmente colocar a Machado en Caracas —después de ordenar en enero la redada en Fuerte Tiuna que acabó con Maduro en una celda de Nueva York. “El único jefe de Estado que ha arriesgado la vida de alguno de sus ciudadanos por la libertad de nuestro país”, llegó a decir en El Español. Un poco intenso, pero sabe perfectamente de qué lado se unta la arepa.

P.D. Ver a Leopoldo López intentando no mojarse en el rifirrafe entre Machado y Sánchez en esta entrevista es divertidíiiiiisimo. Dirá lo que sea con tal de no decir nada. Cara de ciervo deslumbrado total.

Sigue leyendo que abajo hay más noticias. 👇👇

🔔 Pero antes, síguenos en TikTok

@thebubblecomFrom tapas to Krispy Kreme 🇺🇸 #spain #lifeinspain #madrid #expatlife

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💬 Cinco temas para debatir con amigos

1. 🧑🏻‍💼 Pedro Sánchez tiene un club de fans internacional, pero…

Los movimientos del presidente del Gobierno, Pedro Sánchez, para plantarle cara a Donald Trump y a Benjamin Netanyahu, así como su reciente aquelarre de la izquierda internacional en Barcelona, le han granjeado un nutrido club de fans fuera. Y ese fandom subió al máximo el lunes, cuando el barómetro de abril del Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas (CIS) dio al PSOE una ventaja de 12,8 puntos sobre el PP: 36,4% frente a 23,6%.

• Aplausos (desde fuera). Las redes se llenaron de elogios, como el mensaje de DemsMight, un grupo pro-demócrata estadounidense: “Parece que ser anti-guerra y tener cojones es popular. España se está dando cuenta.”

Pero hay un problemilla con los datos. El CIS tiene cierto caché —financiación pública, prestigio histórico—, pero en los últimos años… ejem. Tras llegar al poder en 2018, Sánchez nombró presidente al sociólogo José Félix Tezanos, entonces miembro de la ejecutiva del PSOE. Desde entonces, las cifras optimistas que el CIS regala al PSOE fallan tanto que ya rozan el deseo más que el análisis.

En serio, tanto así. Como ha documentado Kiko Llaneras, de El País, el CIS de Tezanos ha sobreestimado a la izquierda en 41 de las 42 elecciones analizadas desde 2018. (Otro estudio apunta a que infravalora el apoyo a la derecha —PP + Vox— en unos 11 puntos de media.)

• Hay opciones mejores. Demoscópicas privadas como 40dB. o el agregador de encuestas de El País han sido bastante más fiables, mientras el CIS vive en un universo paralelo (e inexacto) donde la izquierda casi siempre sale un pelín mejor parada que en la vida real.

• No es solo cuestión de números. Antiguos miembros del consejo asesor del CIS —viejos conocidos y pesos pesados de la sociología— han presentado quejas formales o se han ido discretamente, criticando la marca “CIS de Tezanos” que ahora se le pega al organismo como colonia barata. Uno lo resumía así: “la institución menos neutral que hay en España en este momento”.

¿Entonces le ha servido a Sánchez plantarse ante Trump? Sí… pero no tanto como sugiere el CIS. Encuestas de SocioMétrica para El Español dan al PSOE 110 escaños (de 350) si hoy hubiera elecciones, 12 más que hace dos meses, justo antes de su giro contra la guerra. Ese crecimiento sale sobre todo de sus socios a la izquierda y de Vox; el PP se mantiene en 140 y aún podría sumar mayoría con Vox.

• ¿Manipular los números ayuda a los tuyos? Dudoso —y puede que el propio Sánchez no se crea del todo al CIS. Como suele decir el comentario político: si de verdad tuviera 13 puntos de ventaja, convocaría elecciones mañana mismo.

Nuestra lectura. El pulso de Sánchez a Trump le está dando réditos (y es bastante defendible). Pero los votantes españoles están cansados de él por muchos otros motivos, y no van a volver en masa solo por verle trolear al Orange Menace. De hecho, Sánchez empieza a parecerse al Mikhail Gorbachev del sur de Europa: popular fuera, discutido en casa. ¿Un puesto en la ONU, quizá?

2. 🤝 PP y Vox por fin cierran un acuerdo en Extremadura (y es… complicado)

Que suene la Marcha Imperial de Star Wars. Más de 100 días después de las elecciones autonómicas, el PP de la presidenta extremeña, María Guardiola, y Vox han llegado a un acuerdo para formar gobierno en Extremadura.

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Crossed wires

🇻🇪 Venezuela's opposition leader ghosts Sánchez government

Guess who was in town? María Corina Machado, leader of the Venezuelan opposition and recent Nobel Peace Prize winner, spent the weekend in Madrid and was welcomed like a head of state… just not by the Spanish government.

• ¡La Presidenta! Machado, who is widely seen as the real winner of the country’s last elections (even though she was disqualified from running), landed in Spain to a reception that felt closer to a victory tour than a diplomatic visit.

• Tighty righties. She met center-right PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo at party headquarters — where she was greeted with applause and chants of “libertad” — and then far-right Vox leader Santiago Abascal for good measure.

But wait, there’s more! Machado also held high-profile meetings with Madrid’s regional president, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, and Madrid mayor José Luis Martínez-Almeida.

• Want something shiny? Ayuso awarded Machado the Gold Medal of the Community of Madrid, and Almeida handed her the symbolic keys to the city, a gesture usually reserved for heads of state or major historical figures.

The optics mattered. Madrid is home to one of the largest Venezuelan diaspora communities in Europe. Some 200,000 people who fled the crisis back home came to the city.

• Many of them see Machado as their political representative, so her appearance at the Puerta del Sol, where she addressed a crowd of supporters waving Venezuelan flags and chanting her name, felt like a campaign rally (albeit in exile).

Where’s Pedro? Despite being invited, Machado did not meet with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez nor anyone else from the Spanish government. Eeeeenteresting… 🤔

The water simmers. The awkwardness of not meeting started politely, through clenched smiles. Sánchez said he was “delighted to meet Señora Machado whenever she has the opportunity” — the doors of Moncloa, he added, are always open. Machado had said that meeting him simply “no es conveniente” (“It is not advisable.") right now. Nothing personal, you understand.

• But really, what's up? Machado nodded at one reason she didn't meet Mr Handsome —the progressive summit he was hosting in Barcelona, which featured left-wing leaders of countries like Colombia, Brazil, and Mexico who'd been kinda friendly with her nemesis, now-jailed Nicolás Maduro.

• Now we get it. She added some spice in an interview with El Mundo: “Meeting with Pedro Sánchez would have sent the wrong message; our cause is about truth and about the people.” Ouch.

The water boils. Then Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares started punching back on RNE. Machado, he noted, had managed to meet Feijóo, Ayuso, Almeida and Abascal: “She has acted as an ideological leader meeting with her political spectrum, which is the Spanish far right.”

• A little gratitude, please. Albares reminded everyone that this government flew Machado’s proxy Edmundo González out on a military plane and just rushed Spanish citizenship to fellow opposition leader Leopoldo López (who previously found asylum in Spain’s Caracas embassy). “Is it necessary to hide what Spain does for Venezuela in order to please others?” (Who are those others? Just wait…)

The pot explodes. Albares dropped a bombshell: Machado herself, he claimed, had once asked for refuge inside Spain’s Caracas embassy, and he’d granted it.

• Calling bull💩. Machado’s team called that “false.” Diplomatic sources told El Mundo the offer went the other way. And Machado fired back… obliquely: “There are opaque episodes” around Spain’s dealings in Venezuela, she told El Español, and “I have information others don’t” — that will be deployed once verified, we presume. 🤔

So what’s going on here? Two things, probably.

• First, of all European governments, Sánchez’s has been friendliest to Maduro — which doesn’t exactly build trust with the Venezuelan opposition.

• But more importantly, Sánchez and Trump are at each other’s throats, and Trump is the one who might actually install Machado in Caracas — having, in January, ordered the Fuerte Tiuna raid that dragged Maduro off to a New York cell. ”The only head of state who put his citizens’ lives on the line for our freedom,” she gushed in El Español. A bit thick, but she knows which side her arepa is buttered on.

P.S. Watching Leopoldo López try to avoid getting involved in the Machado/Sánchez spat in this interview is hilaaaaaarious. Dude will say anything to say nothing. Deer in headlights total.

More news below. 👇👇

💬 Five things to discuss at dinner parties

1. 🧑🏻‍💼 Pedro Sánchez has an international fan club, but…

The Prime Minister’s moves to take on Trump and Netanyahu, as well as his recent confab of the international left in Barcelona, have brought him a sizable fan club abroad. And that fandom went up 11 on Monday, when the CIS public research institute’s April poll showed Sánchez’s PSOE extending its lead over the center-right PP to 12.8 points, 36.4% to 23.6%.

• Overseas praise flooded social media, like the post above from DemsMight, a pro-Democratic party (U.S.) messaging group: “Looks like being anti-war and having cojones is popular. Spain is taking notice.”

But there’s a data problem. The CIS has a certain cachet — publicly funded, historically respected — but in recent years, well, not so much. After taking office in 2018, Sánchez appointed sociologist José Félix Tezanos — then a sitting PSOE executive committee member — as chair. Since then, the rosy poll numbers the CIS hands the PSOE have been wrong so often that they mostly qualify as wish fulfillment.

Seriously, that bad. As friend-of-Bubble Kiko Llaneras of El País has documented, the CIS under Tezanos has overestimated the left in 41 of the 42 elections analyzed since 2018. (Another analysis finds that the CIS underweights support for the right — PP + the far-right Vox — by 11 percentage points on average.)

• Plenty better ones. Private pollsters like 40dB. and the El País poll-of-polls have been consistently more accurate, while the CIS lives in a parallel (inaccurate) universe where the left almost always does a bit better than in real life.

• It’s not just the numbers. Former members of the CIS advisory council — including old friends and heavyweight sociologists — have filed formal complaints and quietly walked away, decrying the “CIS de Tezanos” brand that now clings to the center like bad cologne. One described it bluntly as “the least neutral institution in Spain right now.”

But has Sánchez’s Trump pushback helped? Yes — just not as much as the CIS suggests. Polls by SocioMétrica for El Español have found that the PSOE would win 110 seats (out of 350) if elections were held today, up 12 from two months ago, just before Sánchez took his stand against the war. That growth has come at the expense of the PSOE’s far-left allies and Vox; the PP held steady with 140, and could still form a majority with Vox.

• Does playing with the numbers help your side? Doubtful — and Sánchez may not trust the CIS polls himself. As the commentariat often notes, if he actually believed he had a 13-point lead, he’d call elections tomorrow.

Our take. Sánchez’s pushback on Trump is paying dividends (and is eminently justifiable). But Spanish voters are tired of him for many other reasons, and won’t switch to him en masse for heckling the Orange Menace. Indeed, Sánchez may be turning into Southern Europe’s Mikhail Gorbachev — popular abroad and unloved at home. Maybe the UN has a job for him?

2. 🤝 PP and Vox finally strike a deal in Extremadura (and it’s… complicated)

Cue the Imperial March from Star Wars. More than 100 days after the regional elections, regional president María Guardiola’s PP and Vox have reached an agreement to form a government in Extremadura.

• The deal secures a four-year coalition. Vox will form part of the government with a vice presidency, two ministries, and a regional senate seat.

• This is big news because it wasn’t supposed to be this easy, or even happen. Guardiola openly clashed with Vox leader Santiago Abascal during the campaign, even accusing him of “machismo,” and initially resisted governing with his party.

Agree to disagree. The deal itself is broad (61 points and 74 measures), but it’s the content that’s raising eyebrows. Among (many) other things, the coalition is pushing for lower taxes; a tougher stance on immigration; a ban on burqas and similar garments in public spaces; and a clear rejection of parts of the EU’s Green Deal and the UN’s 2030 Agenda. It also includes measures to “protect” the agricultural sector from Brussels and to extend the life of the Almaraz nuclear plant.

• The most controversial part? The so-called “national priority” principle. On paper, it prioritizes access to public aid, like housing and social benefits, for those with a “real, durable connection” to Extremadura.

• But, but, but… In practice, critics say it’s a backdoor way of discriminating against immigrants. The policy would favor long-term residents regardless of nationality, but it also explicitly seeks to limit access for people in irregular situations and calls for reforming Spain’s immigration law to make this possible.

Slight problem. Under current Spanish and EU law, this kind of discrimination is likely illegal, and the backlash was immediate. The PSOE labeled the pact “racist” and warned that it would challenge any discriminatory measures in the Constitutional Court.

• Surprise! Even within the PP, there’s discomfort: Madrid regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso publicly questioned the legality of “national priority,” arguing that “you can’t exclude people who have rights and contribute.”

• Another surprise! Yesterday afternoon, emboldened by what was happening in Extremadura, Vox went on a series of, ahem, “controversial” statements about non-Spaniards in Parliament and insisted on the need to reform Spain’s immigration law. The PP chose not to confront them on the floor but then low-key sided with PSOE and voted against their motion, effectively killing it. Sad!

Business as usual. Guardiola, for her part, is trying to walk a fine line. On Tuesday, she insisted the government will “never break the law” while doubling down on the message that Extremadura won’t “pay the price of a broken migration model.”

• She said this isn’t exclusion, but fairness for those who “have been contributing for years.” Then, after being officially voted in as the new regional boss yesterday (see video above), she said "she wouldn’t apologize” for governing with Vox.

Other unholy alliances. While Vox and the PP are still trying to reach a deal in Castilla y León, the parties announced yesterday that they had also reached a deal in Aragón. Expect the debate over immigration to get a lot louder.

3. 🛂 The mass regularization of immigrants has begun — and everyone’s fighting about it

No one could have predicted this. Okay, everyone predicted this. Ram through a mass regularization via a questionable decreto real during peak culture war, and you’d expect just a little chaos and fighting. And we got it — in spades. Let us count the ways.

First, shambles. “The queues we see are only for getting the documents,” government workers deadpanned to La Voz de Galicia, after NGOs and municipal offices found scores of applicants asleep on cardboard outside their offices, waiting for Monday’s first in-person slots.

• So many people. Madrid’s daily applications leapt from 1,500 to 5,500 in a week. Outside Aculco, a Madrid NGO that handles 300 a day, hundreds queued from the night before. “We’re overwhelmed — we didn’t expect this,” director Álvaro Zuleta told CNN. The government’s own prep? A Friday-at-5:38pm email begging the Federation of Spanish Municipalities to pitch in.

• The biggest confusion. Municipal offices and NGOs have been slammed by applicants seeking a “certificate of vulnerability” — except no one quite knows how to certify it. Madrid’s social-policy chief (of the PP, so not a government fan) says functionaries are working practically blind. Valencia mayor María José Catalá (also PP) was blunter: “If the Minister of Inclusion, Elma Saiz, says that any undocumented person is vulnerable [which she kinda did], then the question is: why is a certificate required to prove it?“ Catalá is also asking Madrid to pay her city’s €1 million paperwork tab.

Second, prisoners. The Ministry of Interior quietly instructed Spain’s 80 state-run prisons to help inmates in preventive custody — some 3,500 foreigners without convictions — apply. The opposition? Not happy. “A preventive prisoner is someone a judge has sent to jail over the risk of flight or recidivism,” PP’s Alma Ezcurra tweeted.

• The worry? Paperwork moves faster inside prison than for migrants on sidewalks — and once regularized, deportation gets much harder. The move is probably fair — innocent until proven guilty and all — but not a great look.

Third, scams. Appointments for empadronamiento (residence registration) or to file paperwork at Correos are both free. A black market has sprung up anyway.

• Nayeli, a Mexican student, paid €150 for a padrón that never materialized; others report quotes of €400 for padrón and €600 for a single Correos slot. Police say mafias use bots to hoover up appointments and resell them in locutorios. The government delegate in Catalonia has had to beg consuls to tell their citizens: “Nobody has to pay a single euro.”

This probably isn’t making the whole regularization any more popular. SocioMétrica’s poll for El Español finds 66.7% of Spaniards against it — rising to 80.5% among 17-to-25-year-olds. Polls are famously imperfect, but those aren’t great numbers. “Spain is the daughter of immigration and will not be the mother of xenophobia,” Sánchez said. Fine sentiments. But Spaniards, it seems, are unconvinced.

4. 🦠 A Valencia med school gave anatomy students cadavers infected with Hep C and COVID

Whoopsie. According to investigations by El País and Eldiario.es, a private medical school in Valencia’s CEU Cardenal Herrera University has been using cadavers with infectious diseases in anatomy classes, including a body infected with hepatitis C, which is gross considered a high risk.

• Threepeat. According to El País, at least three bodies used between 2022 and 2024 carried infections: hepatitis C, flu (H1N1), and COVID-19.

Here’s why that’s a problem. Across Spain (and internationally), universities routinely exclude bodies with infectious diseases like hepatitis B/C or HIV from teaching use. Not necessarily because contagion is likely (experts say embalming and time reduce viral activity significantly), but because basic safety standards demand it. Even Spain’s own academic bodies stress this is “common sense.” (And this university’s own internal rules banned accepting those bodies.)

Who? Me? The university admitted there had been an “error” with the hepatitis C case, essentially acknowledging that the body should never have been accepted.

• We tried! Then they spoke to Las Provincias and explained that all bodies underwent serological testing and that the results came back negative for COVID and flu.

Another whoopsie. The university was already sanctioned by the regional government after a whistleblower revealed that, for years, cadavers had been embalmed by someone without legally required medical qualifications.

• Authorities confirmed the violation, which could have justified shutting down the facility, but ultimately issued a relatively small fine (€15,100).

Fortunately, no infections were reported among students, but this raises serious questions about how casually protocols may have been treated. Next, zombies! 🧟

5. 🫣 Bullfighting’s biggest star receives a brutal ‘rectal’ goring in Sevilla

Hurts to see it. One of Spain’s most famous matadors, Morante de la Puebla (whose retirement we covered last October), was left “very seriously” injured after being gored during a bullfight at the iconic Plaza de la Maestranza, in Seville.

• The bull caught him from behind, driving its horn into his glute and causing a 10 cm wound that perforated his rectum 😱 (one of the most serious injuries in bullfighting — and gross!).

Wait, who? Knowing our readers, you’re probably not into bullfighting. But Morante isn’t just any torero.

• A living legend. He’s like the Elvis of bullfighters and a cultural icon who has transcended the bullring to become a mass phenomenon in Spain. His post-retirement return this season had fans super excited, making the incident even more shocking.

Behind you! The moment itself was sudden and brutal. The bull ignored the cape, turned unexpectedly, and struck him from behind before he could react. Morante collapsed in the arena, visibly searching for the wound as assistants rushed in.

• The audience went silent while they carried him out “like a Christ figure” to the infirmary (yes, the bullring has its own operating room in case it’s needed). There, he was operated on before being transferred to the hospital.

A real pain in the ass. Doctors later confirmed the severity: damage to the anal sphincter and a perforation of the rectum, requiring complex reconstructive surgery (they promise to make his rectum Hollywood pretty). Surgeon Octavio Mulet said the real danger wasn’t just the injury itself, but the high risk of infection due to the location.

• Morante told El Mundo that it was “the most painful goring of my life” and that he feared the horn had reached “his guts”. Despite that, he’s already left the ICU, and he is stable and even “in good spirits.”

Hurts donut? The incident has reignited the usual debate around bullfighting. Animal rights party PACMA responded sharply, asking: “Does it hurt? For the bull, always.”

• They criticized the attention given to the matador’s injury while the bull's suffering “remains normalized”. (The bull, by the way, is now dead.)

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Here Are 5 Things to Do in Madrid This Weekend

It’s Friday again!

The sun is out, terraces are full again, and Madrid is officially in that sweet spot where the city feels alive without being unbearable.

• This weekend, it’s all happening: from futuristic pizza experiments and Japanese-inspired cocktails to highbrow opera at the Teatro Real, thought-provoking festivals at the Reina Sofía, and immersive exhibitions that actually make you think. In other words, no excuses. It’s time to have fun!

Happy weekend!

1. 🌿 Put down your phone and touch grass: Madrid’s Biophest turns nature into an experience

Alright, plant people and reluctant nature lovers, this one’s for you. If your idea of reconnecting with nature is buying one of those sad basil plants at the Lidl checkout, Biophest is here to raise the bar. Matadero is becoming a full-blown ecosystem for a few days this week, blending art, science, and greenery in a way that’s actually… not weird.

• Biophest is back for its second edition, and it’s leaning hard into the idea that maybe (just maybe) we should put down our phones and reconnect with Gaia, Pacha Mama, or whatever the hell the cool kids are calling Mother Nature these days.

• The festival revolves around biophilia (sounds like a scary illness, but it actually means love of nature), bringing together artists, scientists, musicians, and botanists to explore how we coexist with the plant world. There are concerts, talks, and installations that will make you feel guilty for those plants that you found died after coming back from that trip to Cancún.

• There are also film screenings, including cult classics and documentaries about our relationship with plants, plus guided walks around the Manzanares and urban green spaces that might actually make you look at Madrid differently for once.

• The more experimental side kicks in at Nave Una, where things get weird in the best way: installations that imagine feeding plants through images instead of light, chemical “conversations” with vegetation, and even an exhibition about lettuce (yes, lettuce) that quietly exposes how dependent we’ve become on industrial agriculture.

And remember: if plants could kill you, they would. (So be nice to them).

🖥️ What: Biophest Festival

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

📅 When: Through April 19

🎟 Tickets: Free (but check website to book your spot)

2. 📚 Ready for an intellectual weekend? READ Festival takes over Reina Sofía

Not into plants, but yes into pretending to like books? Great, this one’s for you. READ Madrid is basically what happens when books stop behaving and start picking fights with reality. (A line that makes no sense but sounded nice in our head, so we’re leaving it).

• This two-day festival turns the Reina Sofía Museum into a meeting point for writers, thinkers, and editors who are less interested in neat conclusions and more into tearing things apart (language, politics, memory, identity, you know… what smart people like).

• The whole idea is to rethink how knowledge is produced and who gets to produce it, with a strong transatlantic focus that brings Latin American voices into the mix.

• The themes are not exactly light reading. We’re talking about redefining “the popular” beyond populist clichés, exploring what a “furious peace” might look like in a world shaped by conflict, and using fiction, especially sci-fi and speculative narratives, as a tool to resist collective amnesia.

• But it’s not just panels where people nod seriously. The program mixes conversations, performances, and film: today, you get debates on reclaiming popular culture and the politics of language, followed by a performance that leans into censorship and provocation.

• Tomorrow goes deeper, with discussions on rejecting militarized thinking, collective grief as a literary practice, and a screening of Lucrecia Martel’s Nuestra Tierra, before wrapping with a roundtable on sci-fi as a form of resistance.

So yeah, READ Madrid is not for passive consumption. It’s for people who want to engage, argue, and maybe leave with more questions than answers. If your favorite book is 50 Shades of Grey, maybe skip this one.

🖥️ What: READ Madrid: Festival of Books and Ideas

📍 Where: Museo Reina Sofía, Ronda de Atocha 2, Madrid

📅 When: April 17–18, 2026

🎟 Tickets: Free entry until capacity is reached

3. 🗣️ Opera at its finest: Gerald Finley live at Teatro Real

Dust off your H&M clip-on bowtie, peasants. We’re going to the opera! The Teatro Real is hosting one of those nights where you sit still and feel important.

• Canadian bass-baritone Gerald Finley, one of the most respected voices in opera right now, lands in Madrid for a recital that moves through some of the heavyweights of the repertoire. His résumé is, frankly, ridiculous: Metropolitan Opera, Royal Opera House, Vienna State Opera, Salzburg Festival… plus Grammys and national honors.

• For this event, we’re talking Mozart, Schubert, Mahler, Britten… the kind of lineup that you know is important, even if you’re not a fan of the genre. Finley’s known for his versatility and emotional depth, which is a polite way of saying he can go from controlled precision to quietly devastating in a matter of minutes.

• Oh, and this isn’t just a “greatest hits performance” either. The program pulls from iconic operas like Don Giovanni, Le nozze di Figaro, Otello, and Macbeth, alongside more modern pieces like Doctor Atomic.

Remember, opera is about storytelling, tension, and knowing exactly when to hold back and when to hit you. If lately you’ve been thinking, “I should probably go to more classical concerts,” this is your moment.

🖥️ What: Voces del Real presents: Gerald Finley

📍 Where: Teatro Real, Plaza de Isabel II, s/n, Madrid

📅 When: April 18

🎟 Tickets start at €14

4. 📸 An intimate portrait of Spain across the 20th century

If your idea of Spanish history is limited to paellas and political chaos, then we’re afraid we’ll need you to recalibrate things a bit (don’t worry, this is why we’re here). The Fundación María Cristina Masaveu Peterson is offering a quieter (but sharper) look at Spain through the lens of photography with Gabinete de Obra en Papel (IV).

• Running alongside Colección Masaveu. Arte español del siglo XX, this exhibition brings together a curated selection of photographs spanning nearly a century, from the 1930s to the early 2000s. The lineup mixes generations and styles, from early photography pioneers like Antonio Arissa to contemporary names like Alberto García-Alix, capturing a country constantly in transition.

• What makes it worth your time is the range of perspectives. You’ll see everything from workers in gas stations and artists in their studios to fragmented landscapes and intimate close-ups that feel almost tactile.

• Some images hit harder than others, like Ramón Masats’ Seminario de Madrid, which somehow captures religion, football, and urban change in a single frame.

There’s also something quietly powerful about how these photos document the everyday moments that might seem insignificant but end up telling the bigger story of a country evolving through decades of tension, growth, and identity shifts.

🖥️ What: Gabinete de Obra en Papel (IV)

📍 Where: Fundación María Cristina Masaveu Peterson, Calle de Alcalá Galiano, 6, Madrid

📅 When: Through July 19

🎟 Tickets: Check website

5. 🎭 A view from the bridge: Arthur Miller’s darkest drama, updated for a new era

If the four options we presented before are not appealing enough for you, then how about some light (and by “light” we mean intense) drama from Arthur Miller? The Fernán Gómez Centro Cultural de la Villa is staging a modern take on one of his famous plays, A view from the bridge, which leans into obsession, migration, and the kind of emotional chaos that never really goes out of style.

• Directed by Javier Molina (from the Actor’s Studio in New York), this updated version by Eduardo Galán relocates Miller’s classic tensions into a more contemporary context.

• The story still centers on Eddie Carbone (a dockworker spiraling into jealousy and repression over his feelings for his niece), but now framed against today’s migration realities, drawing a clear line between 1950s New York and present-day Madrid.

• The cast, led by José Luis García-Pérez, María Adánez, and Ana Garcés, carries a story that moves from uncomfortable family dynamics to (spoiler alert!) full-blown tragedy.

• What starts as tension over love and belonging quickly escalates into betrayal, as Eddie’s obsession pushes him to report an undocumented immigrant, triggering a chain reaction that doesn’t end well for anyone involved.

This isn’t just a revival for theatre purists. The production leans into the universality of Miller’s themes (desire, identity, masculinity, and the fragile line between loyalty and destruction) while making them feel very current. Immigration isn’t background noise here; it’s the engine driving everything.

Very current, considering the times we’re living in. Also, it’s in Spanish (we figured you already knew, but just in case…).

🖥️ What: Arthur Miller’s A view from the bridge

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

📅 When: Through May 17

🎟 Tickets start at €22

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

🖥️ What: Reversión (Reversal) | Movie | 2025

📍Where to watch: HBO Max

❓What’s it about: Mario sees his brother David being kidnapped. When David returns 19 days later with no memory, Mario suspects the returnee isn't really his brother. His investigation challenges his grip on reality.

🤩 Why you should watch: Because it’s good for those who are into smart, twist-heavy thrillers that mess with your head. Jaime Lorente carries the film as a man pulled into a spiraling mystery where nothing (and no one) is what it seems. Built like a set of Russian dolls, the story keeps unfolding layer after layer, with sharp visuals and a constant sense of unease driving you toward a surprising reveal.

💬 English Subtitles: Yes

💃🏻 Places to try this weekend…

🍕 Pazzi: Where robots make pizza, and people line up to watch

What’s it about: PAZZI is Madrid’s first “pazziria”, a retro-futuristic takeaway pizza spot where robots make your pizza in full view, blending Italian tradition with high-tech precision.

Why you should go: Because it’s not just pizza, it’s a show. You get fresh dough, proper Italian ingredients, and a robot assembling and baking your pizza in about five minutes right in front of you. It’s fast, weirdly satisfying, and genuinely different from your usual slice.

Bottom line: A novelty that actually delivers. Go for the robot spectacle, stay because the pizza holds up.

Address: Calle de Gaztambide, 14, Madrid

🇯🇵 For a different kind of night out: Masaru in Justicia

What’s it about: Masaru is a small, Japanese-inspired cocktail bar in Madrid’s Justicia neighborhood, focused on refined mixology, especially around Japanese whisky.

Why you should go: Because it nails the details. The cocktails are thoughtful and balanced, the lighting is low, the music comes from vinyl, and the whole place feels like a quiet escape from the city. Perfect for a date or a slow drink where you actually talk.

Bottom line: Not for loud nights—this is where you go when you want something intimate, elegant, and a bit different.

Address: Calle Santo Tomé 7, Madrid

👨🏻‍💻 Viral Memes of the Week

🧑‍🦯 We've all thought about it

😎 Bill Murray does the Prado

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Rumbo al este

🇨🇳 Sánchez visita China. Otra vez. Y otra.

De vuelta en la ciudad. El presidente del Gobierno, Pedro Sánchez, está otra vez en Pekín. Sí, otra vez. Pero esta vez el contexto viene cargadito. Mientras la relación entre España y EE. UU. se enfría por la guerra en Irán y las tensiones geopolíticas en general, el presidente ha redoblado su apuesta por otra vía: estrechar lazos con China y posicionar a España como actor relevante en un orden global en plena mutación.

• Agárrense. Es el cuarto viaje de Sánchez a China en poco más de tres años, un ritmo de cortejo diplomático que en tiempos normales levantaría más de una ceja. En unos días intensos, dio un discurso en el “Harvard del Partido Comunista”, se reunió con el presidente Xi Jinping en el Gran Salón del Pueblo, firmó acuerdos de cooperación con el primer ministro Li Qiang, y visitó al gigante tecnológico Xiaomi (porque, al parecer, ningún viaje a China está completo sin pasearse por un campus tech y fingir que uno entiende la cadena de suministro).

Agenda a tope. Oficialmente, la visita iba de reforzar los lazos económicos, atraer inversión china y aumentar las exportaciones españolas, sobre todo en sectores como la agricultura, las infraestructuras y la tecnología verde.

• España, como buena parte de Europa, depende de China para materiales clave y tecnología renovable. Pero políticamente, este viaje va de algo más grande: posicionar a España como una “potencia media” capaz de moverse más allá del eje tradicional EE. UU.-UE, especialmente en un momento en que Washington resulta cada vez más imprevisible.

No es cosa de un solo día. España se ha convertido discretamente en uno de los países más pro-China dentro de la UE. Mientras otros coquetean con posturas más duras, Sánchez ha apostado por el acercamiento, pese a las advertencias de que la relación está profundamente desequilibrada, con China dominando el comercio. Aun así, en Madrid ven a Pekín como oportunidad económica — y necesidad geopolítica.

• En Pekín, Sánchez no se mordió del todo la lengua. Pidió a China que “haga más” para defender el derecho internacional y ayudar a poner fin a conflictos que van de Gaza a Ucrania.

• También lanzó un mensaje claro en materia comercial: Europa se ha abierto, ahora le toca a China. “Necesitamos que China se abra para que Europa no tenga que cerrarse”, dijo, calificando el actual déficit comercial de “insostenible”.

• Porque, sí, hace falta un upgrade. El déficit comercial de España con China se disparó hasta los 42.000 millones de euros el año pasado —un 74% del total. Uno de los objetivos clave del viaje era firmar un Acuerdo de Inversión de Alta Calidad que, según Bloomberg, busca garantizar que las inversiones chinas incluyan transferencia tecnológica a empresas locales, contratos para proveedores españoles y empleo para trabajadores locales. (🤞 con eso).

BFFs 4 ever. El verdadero titular llegó en su reunión con Xi. Sin mencionar a Trump, ambos líderes cargaron contra lo que ven como un mundo que deriva hacia el unilateralismo o, en palabras de Xi, “la ley de la selva”.

• Sánchez hizo eco de ese lenguaje, defendiendo un sistema multilateral más fuerte en el que la UE y China cooperen para rebajar las tensiones globales.

• Su postura de “No a la guerra”, especialmente su negativa a apoyar operaciones militares de EE. UU. en Irán, lo ha convertido en una especie de héroe inesperado en China.

• Funcionarios y medios chinos han elogiado su posición, presentándolo como un líder dispuesto a plantarse ante Washington y situado en el “lado correcto de la historia”. Más importante aún, Pekín empieza a verlo como un puente entre China y Bruselas (un papel que, por cierto, algunos en la UE parecen empezar a comprar).

Sánchez intenta redefinir el lugar de España en el mundo, entre Bruselas, Washington y Pekín — aunque cada vez un poco más cerca de este último. Si esto es visión estratégica o temeridad dependerá, probablemente, de cómo evolucionen los próximos seis meses de política comercial global (y de los caprichos del Orange Menace).

Sigue leyendo que abajo hay más noticias. 👇👇

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💬 Cinco temas para debatir con amigos

1. 🛂 El Gobierno da el pistoletazo de salida a su gran regularización de inmigrantes — y ya vienen los problemas

El momento “dadme a vuestros cansados, a vuestros pobres” de España ya está aquí. El martes, la coalición liderada por el PSOE aprobó un real decreto que regularizará a unos 500.000 inmigrantes sin papeles.

• Ya explicamos en detalle cómo funciona cuando salió el primer borrador, así que aquí va la versión corta. El think tank Funcas calcula que hay unos 840.000 inmigrantes irregulares en España; para acogerse, hay que haber vivido aquí al menos cinco meses a 31 de diciembre de 2025 y no tener antecedentes; y el plazo para solicitarlo se extiende hasta el 30 de junio. (Si quieres más detalle, ya sabes dónde buscar).

Ahora viene lo divertido. El decreto se ha aprobado como real decreto y no como real decreto-ley —una diferencia clave: el segundo exige convalidación en el Congreso en 30 días; el primero se lo salta. Sin debate, sin aportaciones de la oposición, sin votación. Básicamente, el pago político a Podemos por su apoyo en otros frentes — y el motivo por el que la oposición va directa al Supremo.

Primero, la política. No te sorprenderá saber que Vox lo odia y que el PP siente la obligación de indignarse —no sea que Vox le coma terreno.

• El líder del PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, habló de “inmigración a granel” (frente a procesos caso por caso) “sin precedentes en Europa” y advirtió de que podría convertirse en “puerta de entrada de la ilegalidad”.

• La presidenta madrileña, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, anunció recurso ante el Supremo por el supuesto impacto catastrófico en los servicios públicos. (Nota al margen: gobiernos tanto del PP como del PSOE han hecho regularizaciones masivas antes, y no hubo colapso inmediato que contar).

• El líder de Vox, Santiago Abascal, se puso solemne en X: “El pueblo no lo va a perdonar. Más pronto que tarde tendrás que pagar”. Su partido también recurrirá al Supremo.

Y luego está la letra pequeña. El Consejo de Estado —el órgano consultivo que revisa la constitucionalidad de las leyes— encontró bastante que objetar.

• ¿El punto más llamativo del borrador original? Permitía a los solicitantes autodeclarar que no tenían antecedentes penales. Tal cual: “confía en mí”. (Pequeño detalle). El Gobierno ya lo ha corregido: ahora se exige informe policial y, si el país de origen tarda, España hará las comprobaciones por vía diplomática. Problema técnicamente resuelto.

Y que Dios pille confesados a los burócratas. Se vienen medio millón de solicitudes nuevas sin un aumento parecido de personal para tramitarlas (el gobierno habla de 550 más funcionarios). Funcionarios de extranjería en toda España amenazan con huelga a partir del 21 de abril —justo cuando se abren las citas presenciales— alegando que el sistema no está preparado para el aluvión.

• Nuestro take. Es una ley desordenada, tramitada a toda prisa y con poco debate. Pero sacar a medio millón de personas de la economía sumergida —donde suelen ser explotadas— es, en sí mismo, algo positivo. (La propia defensa del decreto por parte de Sánchez, aquí.)

2. ⚖️ La mujer de Sánchez se enfrenta a 4 cargos y está al borde del juicio

Allá vamos. La investigación sobre la mujer del presidente del Gobierno, Begoña Gómez, ha dado un giro decisivo. Tras dos años de culebrón judicial, el juez Juan Carlos Peinado ha propuesto formalmente enviarla a juicio —el paso previo, en términos legales, a la apertura del juicio oral.

Read more

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Grab the popcorn

🇨🇳 Sánchez visits China again. And again.

Back in town. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is back in Beijing. Again. But this time, the context couldn’t be more, ahem, loaded. As Spain’s relationship with the U.S. continues to sour over the war in Iran and broader geopolitical tensions, the PM has doubled down on a different strategy: strengthening ties with China and positioning Spain as a key player in a rapidly shifting global order.

• Hold on to your butts. This is Sánchez’s fourth trip to China in just over three years, a pace of diplomatic courtship that would be eyebrow-raising in normal times. Over a packed few days, he delivered a major speech at the “Harvard of the Communist Party”, met with President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People, signed cooperation agreements with Prime Minister Li Qiang, and toured tech giant Xiaomi (because apparently no trip to China is complete without touring a tech campus and pretending you understand the supply chain).

A busy agenda. Officially, Sánchez’s visit was about strengthening economic ties, attracting Chinese investment, and boosting Spanish exports, especially in sectors like agriculture, infrastructure, and green technology.

• Spain, like much of Europe, depends on China for key materials and renewable tech. But politically, this trip is about something bigger: positioning Spain as a “middle power” that can operate beyond the traditional U.S.-EU axis, especially at a time when Washington is increasingly unpredictable.

Not a one-off. Spain has quietly become one of the most China-friendly countries in the EU. While others in Europe flirt with a tougher stance, Sánchez has leaned into engagement, even as critics warn the relationship is deeply unbalanced, with China dominating trade. However, Madrid sees Beijing as both an economic opportunity and a geopolitical necessity.

• In Beijing, Sánchez didn’t hold back — well, at least not entirely. He called on Beijing to “do more” to uphold international law and help end conflicts from Gaza to Ukraine.

• He also delivered a message on trade: Europe has opened up, and now it’s China’s turn. “We need China to open up so Europe doesn’t have to close itself,” he said, calling the current trade deficit “unsustainable.”

• Really, Spain needs a trade upgrade. Spain’s trade deficit with China jumped to €42bn last year — accounting for 74% of Spain's total deficit. A central aim of the visit was to sign a High Quality Investment Agreement that, Bloomberg notes, aims to ensure that Chinese investments in Spain involve technology transfers to local companies, contracts for local suppliers, and jobs for locals. (🤞 on that.)

BFFs 4 ever. The real headline came in his meeting with Xi. Without naming Trump, both leaders took aim at what they see as a world drifting toward unilateralism, or, as Xi put it, “the law of the jungle.”

• Sánchez echoed that language, pushing for a stronger multilateral system where the EU and China cooperate to ease global tensions.

• Sánchez’s outspoken “No to war” stance, especially his refusal to support U.S. military operations in Iran, has made him something of an unlikely hero in China.

• Chinese officials and media have praised his position, portraying him as a leader willing to stand up to Washington and as being on the “right side of history”. More importantly, Beijing increasingly sees him as a bridge between China and Brussels (a role that, notably, parts of the EU now seem to support).

Sánchez is trying to redefine Spain’s place in the world, somewhere between Brussels, Washington, and Beijing — and a lot closer to the latter. Whether this is visionary or reckless probably depends on how the next six months of global trade politics (and the Orange Menace's whims) unfold.

More news below. 👇👇

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💬 Five things to discuss at dinner parties

1. 🛂 The government fired the starting gun on its massive immigrant regularization — and it’s already got troubles

Spain’s “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses” moment is finally here. On Tuesday, the PSOE-led coalition approved a royal decree that will regularize an estimated 500,000 undocumented immigrants.

• We covered the mechanics in depth when the first draft dropped, so here’s the short version. Think tank Funcas estimates there are 840,000 undocumented immigrants in Spain; to qualify, you need to have lived here for at least five months as of Dec. 31, 2025, and have a clean record; and the application window runs until June 30. (Read this if you want more.)

Now, the fun part. The decree was pushed through as a real decreto rather than a real decreto-ley — a crucial distinction, because the latter requires congressional ratification within 30 days, while the former bypasses parliament entirely. No debate, no opposition input, no vote. It’s essentially payment to hard-left Podemos for support on other issues — and the reason the opposition is heading straight to the Supreme Court.

Politics first. You will not be shocked to learn that Vox hates it, and that the PP feels obliged to perform outrage lest Vox hoover up its voters.

• PP boss Alberto Núñez Feijóo said “immigration in bulk” (as opposed to case-by-case) “has no precedent in any European country” and could become “the gateway for illegality.”

• Madrid’s Isabel Díaz Ayuso announced she’d appeal to the Supreme Court over the supposedly catastrophic effects on public services. (Worth noting: both PP and PSOE governments have done big regularizations before, with no sudden service collapse to speak of.)

• Vox’s Santiago Abascal went ominous on X, writing, “The people won’t forgive you. Sooner or later you’ll have to pay for it.” His party also said it would appeal to the Supreme Court.

Then there’s the fine print. El Consejo de Estado — the advisory body that checks legislation for constitutional compliance — found plenty to complain about.

• The most eyebrow-raising problem with the original draft? It let applicants self-certify that they had no criminal record. As in, “Trust me.” (A bit of an oversight!) The government has since amended this to require a police report; if an applicant’s home country is slow to provide one, Spain will follow up through diplomatic channels. Problem solved, technically.

And pity the poor bureaucrats. Half a million new applications are incoming, with no meaningful increase in the number of people to process them. Immigration officers across Spain have threatened to strike starting April 21 — the day after in-person appointments open — arguing the system simply isn’t ready for the flood.

• Our take? It’s a messy law, rushed through with minimal debate. But getting half a million people out of the shadows — where they are routinely exploited — is a good thing. (Sánchez’s own defense of the decree is here.)

2. ⚖️ PM Sánchez’s wife faces four charges and is on the brink of trial

Here we go. The investigation into PM Sánchez’s wife, Begoña Gómez, has taken a decisive turn. After two years of legal drama, Judge Juan Carlos Peinado has formally proposed sending her to trial — in Spanish legal terms, the step right before oral proceedings begin.

• 4 crimes. In a 39-page ruling, he argues there are sufficient indications to charge her with four crimes: influence peddling, corruption in business, embezzlement of public funds, and misappropriation of a trademark. (One earlier accusation, professional misconduct, has been dropped).

Wait… how did we get here? The case dates back to April 2024, when a complaint was filed by the pseudo-union Manos Limpias, a far-right organization known for filing politically charged lawsuits that usually end in nothing.

• That initial complaint snowballed, with additional accusations from hard-right groups like Hazte Oír and Vox turning what started as a fringe legal move into a full-blown political and judicial saga.

At the center of it all is Judge Peinado himself, who has become almost as controversial as the case. His investigation has been repeatedly corrected by higher courts, including the Audiencia Provincial, which has overturned several of his decisions and limited the scope of the case.

• He has attempted to expand the investigation in multiple directions — from Air Europa’s bailout to implicating ministers — mostly without success. Add unusually political language in his rulings (including comparisons of the Sánchez government to “absolutist regimes”), and you get a judge who has become part of the story.

The substance of the case. Peinado argues that Gómez used her position as the PM’s wife to advance her professional activities.

• The alleged influence peddling centers on her role as a university chair at the Complutense and her relationships with companies that later secured public contracts.

• The corruption in business charge relates to how she allegedly negotiated sponsorships with major firms.

• The embezzlement angle focuses on a Moncloa-funded adviser who, according to the judge, worked partly on Gómez’s private projects.

• The misappropriation claim revolves around a software project developed with public and private resources that was later registered under her name.

But wait, Gómez is not on trial yet. For that to happen, the accusers must formally request a trial within five days. If they do, Peinado can issue an order to open oral proceedings.

• From there, the case would still face scrutiny from the Audiencia Provincial, which has already shown it is willing to rein in parts of this investigation.

The government, unsurprisingly, is not buying any of this. Government sources speak of “indignation,” accusing the judge of timing his decisions to coincide with Sánchez’s international trips (this one dropped while the PM was in China).

• Justice Minister Félix Bolaños went further, saying the investigation has “embarrassed many judges” and caused “irreparable damage” to the justice system.

• Sánchez himself has stuck to a more measured line: “I ask the justice system to deliver justice,” while insisting his wife is innocent.

So what happens next? After the five-day window closes, expect appeals, procedural fights, and, if the trial moves forward, a media circus.

• Realistically, we won’t know whether Gómez actually faces trial for months, and possibly not before Peinado himself retires in September. We’ll keep you posted.

3. ✝️ We’re fighting about the Pope’s visit because… reasons

Unlike a certain Orange Menace, Spain isn’t fighting with the pope. That wouldn’t be original and, plus, we’re classy. But that doesn’t mean we’re above fighting about the pope. Oh no, we’re getting all hot and bothered before the holy fella’s June 6-12 visit to Spain.

• Shocker, we know. You will be surprised, we’re sure, to learn that the throwdown over Pope Leo XIV’s visit is all sorts of political and reflects the usual left/right fault lines in Spanish society (which are deep but no, not as deep as the onion/no onion in the tortilla thing).

Leo’s coming at a time of religious change. The power in Spain’s church has begun to shift away from the conservative clergy who’ve run it for, like, ever.

• The influence of the Conferencia Episcopal Española (CEE) — the administrative institution in Spain — over the PP has faded; its relationship with the government has soured during negotiations over reparations for the church’s massive child sex abuse scandal; and a new generation of TikTok Catholic influencers — and not, you know, priests — have become the voice of the youth.

• Plus, church leaders have faced fire from far-right Catholics (in Vox and beyond) for being okay with renaming the Valley of the Fallen during the time of Leo's predecessor, Francis. And Leo himself has taken many firm stands on the need to treat illegal immigrants with respect (not exactly a right-wing talking point).

So there have been plenty of dustups before Leo’s arrival. Let us count the ways.

• His arrival. El País reports that the conservative side of the church would like him to arrive down the Calle de Alcalá in an alabaster chariot drawn by a team of angels (the chariot is a joke!), and pass through the Puerta de Alcalá in Barrio Salamanca (aka the rich neighborhood). Left-leaning clergy say it’s clear he should arrive through Carabanchel (aka the not-so-rich neighborhood), where he would presumably wash the feet of the poor and marginalized of the zone (plus the hipsters who’ve recently colonized the area). Okay, the hipster feet thing is our idea.

• Sponsors? Clergy and others not aligned with the CEE are asking why the group is raising sponsorship money to finance the €15 million trip — for a donation of €500,000 to €1m, you get a private audience with Leo — when the Spanish church’s income was €1.4bn in 2024. (We’re just happy to see that Mahou has already signed up as a sponsor, so there will be plenty of beer.)

• Addressing parliament. There are discussions about having Pope Leo speak to parliament, which would be a first for a pope. But there are worries that Vox might stand him up — not only has he spoken out in defense of immigrants, but he has also warned of far-right groups trying to use the church to further their aims.

Whether you’re a believer or not, this visit will be interesting. Just remember to refer to him in Spanish as el Papa, not la Papa, which would be a female pope — unlikely — or a South American potato.

4. 💉 The ‘Caretaker of Olot’ will now be a she — but still in jail

You know how sometimes bad memories return when you least expect or want them? Well, that happened this week when the Catalan newspaper El Punt Avui reported that Joan Vila, a serial killer serving a 127-year sentence at Puig de les Basses prison, is transitioning to a woman and henceforth will be known as Aida.

• Excuse me? Yes, really. Vila — a nursing assistant nicknamed “The Caretaker of Olot” for murdering 11 elderly patients at the Fundació La Caritat nursing home in Olot, making him Spain’s #1 serial killer of the 21st century — is already undergoing hormone treatment, has moved to the women’s block, and is awaiting surgery.

So who is the “Caretaker of Olot”? Between August 2009 and October 2010, Vila killed 11 patients aged 80 to 96, using methods that escalated in cruelty: first a cocktail of barbiturates dissolved in water, then insulin injections for diabetic patients, and finally — in the last five days of his killing spree — forcing victims to drink bleach or injecting corrosive substances directly into their mouths.

• Caught by chance. Vila was arrested almost by accident, after a coroner refused to certify one death as natural because the victim couldn’t have ingested that much cleaning fluid by herself. Vila confessed almost immediately — eventually to all 11 murders — saying the deaths made him feel “as if he were God.” In 2013, he was sentenced to 127 years, with a maximum of 40 to be served. He has been inside since October 2010 and has not had a single day’s leave.

Worth noting: During the investigation, Vila told authorities he had always felt like “a woman trapped in a man’s body” — so this is not exactly a bolt from the blue.

• The transition began over a year ago with psychological support and, according to El País, with input from feminist organizations (though El País insists Joan will become Aura, not Aida, so take that as you will).

And no, this is not a get-out-of-jail scheme. Legal experts and the victims’ families’ lawyers are unanimous that the transition has zero effect on the sentence. The court that convicted Vila and the Supreme Court that confirmed the verdict remain unmoved.

• Not going anywhere. Previous attempts by Vila’s defense to ease his prison regime — seeking “third-degree” status and day passes — were already rejected by the courts, which noted that Vila can appear charming but has a capacity for manipulation. The only procedural step required is to notify the court of the name change. That’s it.

Inspiration. Two books have already been published about Joan/Aida. Maybe this will inspire a third.

5. 🇫🇷 Spain takes Cannes: 3 films, 1 Palme d’Or dream

Spanish cinema has decided to show up at the Cannes Film Festival this year and not just politely wave from the sidelines. For the first time ever, three Spanish films are competing for the Palme d’Or, the festival’s top prize and basically the World Cup of auteur cinema.

• We’re talking about Pedro Almodóvar (obvi), Rodrigo Sorogoyen, and the duo Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi (aka the Javis, who recently broke up their personal relationship but remain business partners), all in the main competition. That’s right, the main event.

Yes, this is a big deal. The Palme d’Or competition usually includes around 20 films, and it’s historically dominated by French and American cinema. Getting one film in is already a win. Getting three? That’s borderline suspicious.

• Spain has never pulled this off before, which makes 2026 feel like a full-blown moment. Even Cannes boss Thierry Frémaux admitted as much: the selection comes from over 2,500 films. So this is quite the statement.

The lineup reads like a generational handover. Almodóvar returns with Amarga Navidad, his most intimate film yet; a story about grief, depression, and the blurred line between fiction and personal truth.

• He himself admitted he’s been losing his usual “pudor,” leaning more into autofiction: “There’s a lot of fiction, but nothing is invented.” Translation: this one is about him.

Then there’s Sorogoyen with El ser querido, making his official competition debut after years of climbing the Cannes ladder. The film follows a troubled reunion between a celebrated film director (played by Javier Bardem) and his estranged daughter, an actress stuck in a dead-end career.

• What starts as a professional opportunity turns into an emotional minefield. Sorogoyen called the moment “historic” and pointed out what everyone is thinking: that Spanish cinema has been building toward this for years.

And finally, the wildcard: the Javis with La Bola Negra. It’s their first time in the Cannes competition, and they’ve gone straight to the top tier, which almost never happens.

• The film, starring Penélope Cruz and Glenn Close, and inspired by an unfinished work by Federico García Lorca, follows three interconnected stories of gay men across different periods in Spanish history. It’s ambitious, emotional, and very them.

Three directors, three styles, three generations. Even Almodóvar framed it as a “day of celebration” for Spanish cinema, especially at a time when auteur filmmaking needs visibility.

• The Javis, meanwhile, summed it up more bluntly. They’re just happy to be there, alongside filmmakers they grew up learning from.

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