🐍 The Tapa Weekend: January 31
Celebrate the Chinese New Year, see the Prado at night or visit El Rastro on Saturday.
By @IanMount and @AdrianBono | January 31, 2024 | Madrid | Issue #84
🎉 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
It’s Friday again!
And it’s also the last day of this cold, horrible month. Are we out of the woods yet? No, the spring is still, like, fifty days away. But at least the cold weather is a great excuse to stay home, save money and avoid people in general.
Of course, we’re not suggesting you prefer the fuzzy comfort of your couch, a delicious cup of hot cocoa and this playing on your TV. Especially considering the many fun opportunities that Madrid has to offer (basically the raison d’être of this newsletter).
This weekend we have a few cool options to beat the winter blues. There’s the Chinese New Year celebrations, a photo exhibit about fertility, the Prado Museum opening its doors at night and more. Yes, we love to spoil you.
Enjoy and let us know how it goes.
1.🐍 Celebrate the arrival of the Chinese New Year in Madrid
It’s the Year of the Wood Snake and we’re all just living in it.
The Chinese New Year celebration (over 4,000 years of history!) marks the start of the agricultural cycle and (hopefully) the end of the winter. Considering Madrid’s big Chinese community, you can expect the celebrations in Usera (aka Madrid’s Chinatown) to be pretty incredible.
There will be tons of gastronomic options, music, art, parades and other cultural events. The program is organized by Madrid’s Office of Culture, Tourism, and Sports and the Usera District Board, in collaboration with the Chinese embassy, local Chinese associations, artistic collectives, neighborhood organizations, Casa Asia, and…the Confucius Institute of Madrid.
There are two events you really want to attend: The first is the fireworks Show at Pradolongo Park and DJ Yang’s concert at the Usera District Esplanade (both taking place Saturday evening). The other is the Chinese New Year Parade on Sunday morning. Expect the streets of Usera to be filled with magic, traditional Chinese costumes, giant dragons and lions, handmade lanterns and live music.
Also, congrats are in order for this year’s official poster, designed by digital illustrator Juan Carlos Paz, also known as Bakea. It’s pretty rad.
Chinese New Year in Madrid. Multiple locations around Madrid (mostly in Usera district). Check official website for additional details.
2.🏛️ Visit the Prado Museum at Night
Ah, this is one of our favorites.
There’s something magical about being in a museum at night. From A Night at the Museum to The Da Vinci Code, we’re all drawn to the possibility of unexpected hi-jinx (and also murder, if you ask Dan Brown?) taking place under the judgemental gazes of Saturn or one of the meninas (you know which one).
But we digress. The Prado Museum is resuming its free monthly night openings this year and this is an opportunity you can’t miss. It takes place on the first Saturday of every month, in which visitors can explore select exhibits.
This once-a-month event offers an immersive blend of art, music, and technology, making it a must-see experience for both locals and tourists.
For the first edition of 2025, guests will have access to exhibits such as “Darse la mano: Sculpture and Color in the Golden Age”, “Sigmar Polke: Unveiled Affinities”, the first solo exhibition of the German painter in Madrid, and “The Resurrected Christ”, the first work by Giulio Clovio to join the Prado’s collection, recently donated by American Friends of the Prado Museum.
Oh, and if that’s not cool enough for you, the Musas Room will also host a live DJ session featuring María Taosa, José Manuel Sebastián, and Nacho Patillas DJ from Radio 3.
The Prado at Night. The Prado Museum. Paseo del Prado s/n, Madrid. First Saturday of every month. Free admission (but it’s first come, first serve). Check website for additional details.
3.🎭 A Play: La Otra Bestia (The Other Beast)
This play explores the dark side of the self and, considering the crazy times we live in, this may be a good opportunity to exorcise your demons.
Ana Rujas, winner of the Feroz Award for Best Creator and Best Lead Actress in Television for Cardo, debuts this bold new production delving into human nature and personal reconciliation, offering a deeply personal exploration of identity.
Rujas “brings to life her alter ego, an untamed and uncontrollable force within her—described as a ‘beast’ that cannot be ignored or tamed”. Blending theater, poetry, fiction, and autobiography, the piece serves as an “intimate laboratory where she exposes her most raw emotions and vulnerabilities”.
The performance features “powerful, direct texts that push the boundaries of dramatic language, delivering an emotional impact on the audience” and examines how art can tame our most primitive and monstrous instincts, creating a multidisciplinary experience that challenges theatrical conventions.
The play draws from French poet Arthur Rimbaud’s concept of “I is another”, and explores issues such as the failure of identity, the limitations of self-expression through writing, and the pursuit of redemption through art.
This is your high-brow option of the week (because we know you always want one).
La Otra Bestia. Nave 10, Matadero. Paseo de la Chopera 14, Madrid. Last show is Feb. 2, 7:30 p.m. Tickets: €21.
4.📷 A Photo Exhibit: Elo Vázquez’s Habitat
Elo Vázquez explores infertility through photography in Habitat, a solo exhibit that is not just a personal testimony but a collective reflection on infertility, making visible an experience often lived in silence.
It’s a deeply personal retrospective that captures the photographer’s emotional journey, depicting the search, waiting, treatments, uncertainty, and rituals of her experience. While this may not sound like the best way to spend a cold Saturday afternoon, know that rather than focusing on pain, this series is “framed through hope and light”.
While infertility remains underexplored due to its association with the female body and societal taboos, Habitat seeks to break this silence and offer a visual narrative that raises awareness while embracing resilience.
Elo Vázquez, originally a language teacher, transitioned to photography after the birth of her first child. Her work has been exhibited in Hong Kong, New York, and Reykjavík.
Elo Vázquez’s Habitat. Real Sociedad Fotográfica, Calle de los Tres Peces 2, Madrid. Through Feb. 8. Check website for opening hours. Free admission.
5.🏺Los Sábados del Rastro (The Rastro on Saturdays)
The Rastro Street Market comes alive on the first Saturday of every month (just like the Prado Museum!).
At the Plaza del General Vara del Rey, you can not only find vintage items, collectibles and antiques but also street food options, amazing cocktails, arts, craft, music and much more!
Back in the 70s there was something called the Feria de Desembalajes (“the unpacking fair,” we guess) and the Saturday edition of this classic Madrid destination tries to recreate its original allure. So if you think it’s just like every other Sunday, you should know you’re wrong. Head there tomorrow and you will find:
Feria de Desembalajes: antiques, collectibles, and vintage clothing on display.
Gastro Circuit: a route to savor traditional and innovative Madrid gastronomy.
Shopping Circuit: a route to discover the best neighborhood shops.
Family Circuit: a variety of family activities at La Glorieta de Puerta de Toledo.
Seriously—what more do you need?
Los Sábados del Rastro. Plaza del General Vara del Rey, La Latina, Madrid. Feb 1. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.. Free admission.
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🔔 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
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