🎨 The Bubble Weekend: March 7
Tons of contemporary art fairs, some Proust and a Eurovision winner live.
Madrid | Issue #89
🎉 Welcome to a new issue of The Bubble: Weekend Edition! An English-language newsletter about what to do this weekend in Madrid (plus memes!)
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Here Are 5 Things to Do in Madrid This Weekend
It’s Friday again!
If you’re sick and tired of this stupid rain, you’re not the only one. Unfortunately, it looks like we have at least 10 more days of it. Or so says Apple’s Weather app. Spring is only two weeks away and if you were hoping to celebrate with some sun and fun, spoiler alert, you won’t.
At least we have a few interesting options for you this weekend, which is all we can do to try to cheer you (and us) up. Hang in there, dear reader!
Together we can weather this literal storm.
Enjoy!
1. 🖼️ ARCO Madrid 2025: International Fair of Contemporary Art
Madrid is celebrating the Week of Contemporary Art until Sunday and there are tons of things to see and do around town this weekend. And while we’re including some of the most popular options below, there’s no denying that the ARCOmadrid Fair is getting all of the attention (just like it does every year).
Celebrating its 44th edition this year, Madrid’s International Fair of Contemporary Art is one of the world’s most popular and prestigious art fairs, attracting nearly 100,000 people each year and connecting galleries with artists and collectors. (The King and Queen of Spain are the ones who officially open it each year, as seen in the video above.)
With its rich lineup of top international galleries, curated projects, and thematic focus on the Amazon, ARCOmadrid 2025 is set to be a major highlight in the global contemporary art scene.
A special curated project titled Wametisé: Ideas for an Amazofuturism, led by Denilson Baniwa and María Wills, in collaboration with the Institute for Postnatural Studies, explores new types of creation, reflecting hybrid existences between human, plant, physical, and metaphysical bodies.
There’s also ArtsLibris, a space dedicated to art publications, which promotes the entry into art collecting. The ARCO Foundation will also introduce new initiatives to further support collectors.
Finally, there will also be a strong presence of Latin American artists and emerging galleries.
Remember, the city is also celebrating the Week of Contemporary Art so there are many other artsy options for those of you who like to stay in Downtown Madrid:
🖥️ What: Feria ARCOmadrid 2025
📍 Where: IFEMA, Avenida del Partenón 5, Madrid
📅 When: Through March 9. Check website for opening hours.
🎟 Tickets: €20
2.🎤 Loreen, winner of Eurovision 2023, at Sala Riviera
Eurovision fans (and people pretending not to care about it), get ready! Loreen, the powerhouse vocalist and two-time Eurovision champion (she made history in 2023 by winning the contest again with her hit song Tattoo), is bringing her electrifying energy to Madrid this Sunday night for a one-night-only performance.
After captivating audiences across Europe with her signature mix of soaring vocals, hypnotic beats, and unmatched stage presence, the Swedish superstar is set to deliver a show you won’t want to miss.
Expect jaw-dropping visuals, that signature ethereal sound, and, of course, a live rendition of her legendary hits—from Euphoria to Tattoo and beyond.
If you’re a lifelong fan (or just love a good Eurovision moment) this is your chance to witness one of the most iconic voices in modern pop music live (and start preparing for Eurovision 2025 in two months).
🖥️ What: Loreen at Sala Riviera
📍 Where: Sala Riviera. Paseo Bajo de la Virgen del Puerto, S/N, Madrid.
📅 When: Sunday, March 9, 7 p.m.
🎟 Tickets: €33
3.📜 Proust and the Arts: A new exhibit at the Thyssen-Bornemisza
Is contemporary art not your thing? The Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum is here to offer a cool alternative.
In its latest temporary exhibit, the museum explores the deep connection between Marcel Proust and the arts, highlighting how painting, sculpture, architecture, and fashion influenced the renowned writer and art historian, shaping both his literary world and personal life.
Sounds cool? You haven’t seen anything yet: the exhibit features works by Rembrandt, Vermeer, Manet, Monet, Renoir, and Whistler, alongside sculptures, designs by Mariano Fortuny, and Proust’s manuscripts from before he was considered one of the most influential writers of the 20th century.
Many of these items are on loan from the Musée du Louvre, the Musée d’Orsay, and the Carnavalet-Histoire de Paris, the Mauritshuis in The Hague, the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, the Städel Museum in Frankfurt, and the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C.
The exhibit also delves into Proust’s love for the performing arts, highlighting figures like Sarah Bernhardt, and explores themes central to his work, including Venice, Gothic architecture, and fashion.
🖥️ What: Proust and the Arts
📍 Where: Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum, Paseo del Prado 8, Madrid.
📅 When: Through June 8. Check website for opening hours.
🎟 Tickets: €14
4. 🎭 A theater masterpiece: Los cuernos de Don Friolera
If you’ve ever been cheated on, you can relate to this story.
Renowned playwright and director Ainhoa Amestoy presents an interesting new adaptation of this iconic esperpento by Spanish novelist and dramatist Ramón María del Valle-Inclán (“esperpento” is a literary style in Spanish literature that he created a century ago).
Don Friolera’s Horns takes audiences to early 20th-century rural Spain, following Lieutenant Astete (aka Don Friolera), who is obsessed with honor and appearances.
One day he receives an anonymous letter accusing his wife, Doña Loreta, of infidelity, and his world spirals into jealousy, paranoia, and violence, fueled by rumors and societal pressure. Think Gossip Girl but in 1925.
Through grotesque distortions of reality (that’s the esperpento part!), the play exposes the hypocrisy, cruelty, and brutality of the time, portraying a society trapped in honor-based violence and toxic masculinity.
🖥️ What: Los Cuernos de Don Friolera
📍 Where: Teatros del Canal, Calle de Cea Bermúdez, 1, Madrid.
📅 When: Through March 23. Check website for schedule.
🎟 Tickets: €9
5. 👨🏻🍳 Second chance: 15th Route of the Cocido Madrileño
Yup, the Ruta del Cocido Madrileño is still here so we’re putting it up here for the second time, mostly because it’s perfect for this horrible weather.
Back for its 15th edition (!), this ruta celebrates one of Spain’s most popular and traditional dishes.
The cocido, typically served in three courses, is made with various ingredients, including chickpeas, meats, vegetables, and spices. The dish is known for its rich broth and tender, slow-cooked meats, including pork, beef, chorizo, and sometimes chicken or other meats depending on the recipe.
42 restaurants located in the Madrid central area are offering their best versions of the cocido at a special price this year, so head over to their website and make a reservation because they usually get busy quickly.
From quaint family-owned taverns to chic urban eateries, the Ruta del Cocido Madrileño offers a diverse array of dining experiences, each serving up a unique interpretation of this iconic dish.
Prepare your taste buds for an explosion of flavors (how you do this preparation is up to you) as you indulge in the delicious broth, tender meats, and hearty legumes that make this such a special dish.
🖥️ What: Ruta del Cocido Madrileño
📍 Where: Multiple locations around Madrid and Spain. Check website for menu options.
📅 When: Through March 31.
👨🏻💻 Viral Stories of the Week
💦 We are all rooting for this woman
We’ve all seen the SOS Malasaña signs to complain about noise and men peeing in the street, but this woman in Cádiz is doing something about it—with style and great aim.
📣 Montoya!!!!!
Montoya of Temptation Island is back in the real world and it appears that he’s got fans.
🔔 A Message From Our Sponsor
Secret Kingdoms is your English bookstore in Madrid. It specializes in Spanish history and literature, contemporary and classic novels, books for children and young adults of all ages, history and historical fiction, thrillers, science fiction, fantasy, poetry, biographies and much more.
Located on Calle de Moratín 7 — a few blocks away from the Prado Museum — and with over 20,000 new and used books, Secret Kingdoms has something for everyone.
Find out more at www.thesecretkingdoms.com
🙏 Once again, please remember to share this newsletter with your friends on social media. The more we grow, the more information we’ll be able to offer each week.
We’ll be back next week with more.
After watching all 15 episodes of La Isla de las Tentaciones to date, I can confirm that Montoya is fantastic, and we can't be having words against him.