đŠ The Tapa Weekend: December 1
A different kind of zoo, a gospel music festival and more flamenco. ¥Olé!
By @IanMount and @AdrianBono | December 1, 2023 | Madrid | Issue #32
đ Welcome to a new issue of The Tapa: 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
Itâs Friday again!
And if thereâs one thing not to do in Madrid this weekend is heading downtown to see the Christmas lights. Seriously, itâs madness. If youâre not into large crowds, this is your worst nightmare. Last week it was justified, there was this big ceremony with the mayor and everything. And sure, the Puerta del Sol Christmas tree is really pretty and the market at Plaza Mayor is definitely worth a visit. But do it on a Tuesday at 3 p.m. or youâll just be elbowing people left and right with every step you take.
(If you are into that, then by all means head over there on Saturday at 8 p.m. so you can get the real large crowd experience.)
But we digress. Here are five things to do this weekend that can help you avoid the crowds like the plague.
1. Madrid Craft Week Christmas 2023
Madrid Craft Week (the Christmas edition) started a week ago and ends this Sunday so if youâre into it, better hurry up. In case youâre wondering, MCW is a week dedicated to âcelebrating quality, authenticity, and handmade work in a selection of city shops offering a complete program of activities related to the world of craftsmanshipâ. This is your chance to recreate that scene from Ghost, only in Spanish!
You can check the activities available on the official website, but they are Christmas-themed activities for all sorts of audiences. There is a metal workshop with an introduction to jewelry-making processes, an initiation workshop to Sashiko embroidery, an ancient Japanese embroidery technique, and a bicolor lamps workshop.
During Madrid Craft Week, you can discover the best fashion, decoration, art, and gastronomy shops, âshowcasing their artisanal products through workshops, exhibitions, collection presentations, and other activitiesâ. Merry Early Christmas.
And yes, we know, the video above is from 2021 but itâs not our fault that thereâs no updated version.
Madrid Craft Week Christmas. Multiple locations around Madrid. Through Dec. 3. Check website for more information.
2. 3rd Festival de RaĂz Flamenca de San Blas-Canillejas
Just because itâs Christmas it doesnât mean we have to listen to Christmas carols 24/7. In fact, this is your last chance to enjoy some good, old fashioned (and off-the beaten-path) flamenco before it ends.
The third Flamenco Roots Festival, in the San Blas-Canillejas nrighborhood on the outskirts of Madrid, started last week, and it features some of the most prominent voices in contemporary flamenco â including Ăgueda Saavedra, Antonio and Remedios Reyes, and the Fernando de RĂșa TrĂo.
The festival concludes this Sunday with the Fernando de RĂșa TrĂo's performance of âEntre dos aguasâ, featuring Fernando RĂșa's Brazilian guitar, which blends bossa nova and samba in perfect harmony with the flamenco roots, Edimundo Santos on voice and percussion, and Leticia Malvares on voice and flute.
Admission is free but you need to get your tickets in person at the Centro Cultural (they will be available two hours before the show).
III Festival de Raiz Flamenca. Centro Cultural Antonio Machado, San RomĂĄn del Valle 8, Madrid. Dec. 2, 7 p.m. Free admission.
3. Tick, Tick⊠BOOM!
Youâve probably seen it on Broadway. Or maybe on Netflix, starring Andrew Garfield. But Tick Tick⊠BOOM!, a modern classic of musical theater, is back in Madrid for little less than two monthsâand performing only on Fridays.
Actor and singer Daniel Diges stars in this adaptation of the musical drama that narrates the story of Jonathan Larson, an aspiring composer in the 90s who works as a waiter in New York while writing what he hopes will be the next great American musical. However, as he finishes his piece, he must also endure pressure from his girlfriend and his best friend, who try to convince him that perhaps, as he approaches 30, it might be too late to achieve his longed-for dream.
You may not know this, but Larson was a real-life playwright and musician known as the author of RENT, the Pulitzer and Tony Award-winning show that ran on Broadway for twelve consecutive years.
Diges is a celebrated performer who won National Theater Award for Best Musical Actor in 2009 and 2010 and has starred in Les Mis, Mamma Mia! and Beauty and the Beast among others.
Tick Tick⊠BOOM! Gran Teatro CaixaBank Principe PĂo, Cuesta de San Vicente 44, Madrid. Through Dec. 22, Fridays 7 p.m. Tickets start at âŹ18.
4. Madridâs Grandes del Gospel festival
If youâre a fan of gospel (like we are) then you donât want to miss this one. Grandes del Gospel returns for its 29th edition this year, with a program featuring some of the greatest voices of American gospel.
There are many options this weekend, so check out the official website for additional info, but youâve got the Harlem Gospel Choir celebrating 60 years of Whitney Houston; Gospel4Kids by the Joshua Nelson Gospel Singers; and the Chicago Mass Choir presenting B.B. King Spiritual.
In this last production, the Chicago Mass Choir ârevives the purely gospel music recorded by the blues legend in 1959 on the album 'B.B. King Sings Spirituals.' An emotional return to the songs of his childhood churches in Mississippiâ and the âold hymns that return to us the fire and beauty of the pastâ.
Festival Grandes del Gospel. Centro Cultural de la Villa, Plaza de ColĂłn 4, Madrid. Through Dec. 10. Check official website for schedules. Tickets start at âŹ7.
5. Brilla Madrid Zoo:
Itâs all about immersive experiences these daysâand this one is no exception.
Welcome to the largest (fake) zoo in the world, in which over 500 lit up animal sculptures âcreate a perfect natural space for nighttime walks with your family or as a coupleâ. Located in the Juan Carlos I park, the zoo is âdivided into 30 scenes representing different moments from the animal worldâ.
There are zebras, lions and panda bears that will definitely look good on your Instagram. And whatâs even cooler is that there will also be animals that have gone extinct and also mythological creatures (like dragons!).
Before you ask (because we knew youâd ask), yes, there will be food trucks offering delicious warm food in a large dining area outdoorsâwith heating. Donât forget the kids (if you have any)!
Brilla Madrid Zoo. Parque Juan Carlos I, Barajas. Through Jan. 14. 5:40 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tickets: âŹ20 (children), âŹ25 (adults).
đšđ»âđ» Viral Stories of the Week
đ· Those dulcet tonesâŠ
We all knew that the Spanish National Anthem didnât have lyricsâbut we didnât know it didnât have a tune! As King Felipe VI and family (and PM Pedro SĂĄnchez) rolled up to the opening of parliament this week, the official band kicked off a rousing rendition of the national anthem. ButâŠoops!âŠsomeone forgot to tune beforehand. The pained face of KF6 is priceless!
đ Long live the Christmas sweater
Madrid regional president Isabel DĂaz Ayuso gave a speech at the unveiling of traditional Christmas belĂ©n/crĂšche/nativity scene in the Puerta del Sol. Starting with âone of the worldâs most beautiful birthsâ it ranged into Christian theology andâŠchildren who had their throat slit (among other things). Oh and, in case you want it, she was wearing a Christmas sweater that you can buy for âŹ24.95 in Metro de Madrid stores.
đ 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 MoratĂn 7 â a few blocks away from the Prado Museum â and with over 20,000 new and used books, Secret Kingdoms has something for everyone.
Find out more at www.thesecretkingdoms.com
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Weâll be back next week with more.
Can you guys please move to Barcelona so you can tell me what to do with my life?!