đŠ The Tapa Weekend: June 28
Madame Butterfly, another "f*cking" street market and the 00s are back in a music festival.
By @IanMount and @AdrianBono | June 28, 2024 | Madrid | Issue #60
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Here Are 5 Things to Do in Madrid This Weekend
Happy Friday, everyone!
The weather is expected to remain as bipolar as ever, hot and cold, sunny then cloudy. If. you were caught in the sudden thunderstorm that took us all by surprise on Tuesday afternoon you know what weâre talking about.
While it looks like it will be cloudy in Madrid this weekend, this could be a good opportunity to give in to our one true religion: shopping! In case you havenât noticed, the summer rebajas are here (as in summer sale) so all the major brands you love to hate and hate to love are offering great discounts.
Oh and this isnât an ad for said major brands, although weâd totally take money from them at this point (call us, Primark!).
After youâre done shopping, here are some five great things to do to, because YOLO. (Do the kids still say âYOLOâ? It sounds like such a 2013 thing to say).
Enjoy.
1. Madame Butterfly at the Royal Theater
Letâs start with the fancy stuff. Because you can never go wrong with the opera. Especially if youâre talking about Madame freaking Butterfly.
Italian director Damiano Michieletto leads a new version of Giacomo Puccini's classic drama at the Teatro Real with this classic story set in early 20th-century Nagasaki, where U.S. Navy officer Pinkerton marries Cio-Cio-San, a teenage geisha known as Madame Butterfly.
However, for Pinkerton, this is merely a romantic escapade during his stay in Japan. Upon his return to America, the young girl awaits her husband's return while caring for their child. When Pinkerton finally returns to Nagasaki, he does so with his American wife, leading to (spoiler alert!) tragedy for Butterfly.
Madama Butterfly (thatâs the name in Spanish) explores themes like love, betrayal, cultural differences, and sacrifice. Also, Puccini's music is well known for its sensitivity and beauty, which adds to the story's emotional depth.
The role of Cio-Cio San in this production is performed by Saioa HernĂĄndez, under the musical direction of Nicola Luisotti and Luis Miguel MĂ©ndez.
So yeah, if you want to cry this Sunday, get your tickets for the opera ASAP.
Madama Butterfly. Teatro Real. Plaza Isabel II, s/n, Madrid. June 30 to July 22. Check website for schedules. Tickets start at âŹ18.
2. Love the Twenties Festival 2024
OK we have to admit weâre slightly confused by the name of this music festival. The line upâs great but the name is⊠strange.
Following the success of the Love the 90's music festival, this new event focuses on the music of the 2000s, therefore itâs called⊠Love the Twenties? Shouldnât it be Love the 2000s? Or Love the 00s? I mean⊠weâre in the 20s right now. THIS MAKES NO SENSE. But we digress.
This festival is dedicated to that infamous pop and techno of the decade, featuring local and international iconic bands and singers such as Ălex Ubago, Beth, Basshunter, Safri Duo, David Civera, AlizĂ©e, Cascada, Melocos, MarĂa Isabel, King Ăfrica, and many others. (If you donât know who any of those people are then this is a great time to find out.)
There will also be a âWe Love Technoâ stage, featuring performances by American DJ and record producer Derrick May, DJ Rush, Cristian Varela, DJ Pepo, the group Pet Duo, Canadian DJ and producer Misstress Barbara, and DJ RaĂșl Parra.
There will be five different music stages dedicated to dance, pop, techno, and summer hits, and in total will feature 70 live artists.
Oh, and there will be food! So if youâre looking to go back to the twenties aughts, this may be the best option for you.
Love the Twenties Music Festival. IFEMA Madrid, Avenida del PartenĂłn 5, Madrid. June 29. Check schedule for opening hours. Tickets start at âŹ65.
3. Otro Puto Mercadillo (Literally âAnother F*cking Street Marketâ)
Pardon our French! But âAnother F*cking Street Marketâ (âOtro Puto Mercadilloâ) is the actual name of this sort of exclusive street market that takes over the Rastro area this Saturday.
Otro Puto Mercadillo is a small, pop-up event that comes straight from Barcelona and features products from independent artists such as clothes, tattoos, nail art and bijou, among many other things. If Vice was a street market, this would be it.
But thatâs not all. Even if you feel like chilling and grabbing a bite and an Aperol Spritz, the market will also feature food trucks and a bar so you can eat and drink while you shop. Oh and DJs! 7TEEN, BiLLY DJ Sets and iStock DJs will be there looking cool and acting like they canât even be bothered.
It is truly a hipster experience so if you are tired of looking at antiques with discolored images of the Virgin Mary, this is the street market for you.
Otro Puto Mercadillo. Espacio Rastro. San Cayetano 5, Madrid. June 29, 4 p.m to 9 p.m. Free admission (but get your tickets through the site).
4. Brilla Faunia â Summer Nights 2024
This one is (mostly) for kids, but if this is your cup of tea as an adult, who are we to judge? Anyway, we covered these guys back in December because they were doing a Christmas version and now they are back with another immersive experience thatâs worth mentioning.
Welcome to the largest (fake) zoo in the world, in which over 200 lit up animal sculptures âcreate a perfect natural space for nighttime walks with your family or as a coupleâ. Or alone, because why not. This zoo is âdivided into 30 scenes representing different moments from the animal worldâ.
There are gorillas, elephants and penguins 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 food in a large dining area outdoors. Donât forget the kids (if you have any)!
Brilla Faunia. Avenida de las Comunidades 28, Madrid. Through Sept. 1. Check website for opening hours. Tickets start at âŹ19,90.
5. MADO 2024 (aka Madrid Pride 2024, Part 1)
If youâre asking âWait, isnât Pride next week?!â, you are both technically correct and incorrect. Because while the kick-off for the Madrid Orgullo non-stop partying, commonly known as the PregĂłn, is on July 3, Pride here is a ten-day event that low key starts, well, today.
Chueca begins celebrating Pride this Friday, with nightclubs, bars and stores preparing for the main event next weekend. You can check Orgullo de Barrio to find out more about whoâs participating and trust me, youâve got options.
Thereâs also the La Sub25 Festival, in which young artists participate in all sorts of disciplines in a space in which diversity and artistic innovation reach their maximum expression. Thereâs DJs, workshops and tons of other things so head over to Madrid RĂo if youâre into it. Thatâs today and tomorrow. Check the website for more info.
Last but not least, thereâs âFeathers and Legsâ, an event for all of you animal lovers out there. This Sunday at 7 p.m. in Plaza Pedro Zerolo, people bring their pets to demonstrate against animal mistreatment. There will be a street market and even a âparadeâ for pets being adopted that day. So bring your dog/cat/ferret and join the fun.
As you can see, it starts slow this weekend. Next weekend, however, thatâs the main event.
This newsletter comes out on Fridays so if you donât want to miss the PregĂłn (kick-off) on Wednesday or the High-Heel Race (Carrera de Tacones) on Thursday, make sure you check the MADO 2024 official website!
When it comes to next weekend, it will all be here in our next issue.
MADO 24 Weekend 1 (Madrid Pride 2024, Weekend 1). Multiple locations around Madrid. Check website for locations and schedules.
đšđ»âđ» Viral Story of the Week
đ©đŒââ€ïžâđâđ©đœ When you canât find actual LGBT+ people to feature in your Pride posters, of course you turn toâŠGay-I?
Hot off its smooth handling of the Pride poster for 2024, Madrid city hall has created an advertising campaign to celebrate âdiverse, inclusiveâ Madrid featuring images of same-sex couples obviously created byâŠAI. Because it would be too hard to find actual LGBT+ people in the city on the eve of Pride. And the city gov is very proud of it, btw.
đ A Message From Our Sponsor
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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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