đș The Tapa Weekend: May 24
A beer festival, a new exhibit at the Prado and some Lorca for you noobs.
By @IanMount and @AdrianBono | May 24, 2024 | Madrid | Issue #55
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!)
đ€ The Tapa is now offering paid subscriptions, and weâd be deeply thrilled if you purchased one to help build this enterprise weâve had so much fun creating. And a big THANK YOU to those who already support us!
đȘđž If you havenât subscribed at all yet, hit that button below so you have some fresh ideas in your inbox every Friday about where to go and what to do.
𫶠And if you have, please share this with your friends!
Here Are 5 Things to Do in Madrid This Weekend
Happy Friday, everyone!
And we know it seems frivolous to talk about the weather in this introduction every week. But what else are we gonna talk about? Politics? Thatâs what the Thursday newsletter is for and trust us, for now weâve had enough of that hot mess.
And to be fair, talking about the weather is great because otherwise how would you know that itâs gonna get really warm this weekend?
So warm, in fact, that it may near 30 ÂșC (for those of you still thinking in Fahrenheit, a) thatâs pretty warm and b) donât you think itâs time to understand Celsius by now?)
So if you were looking for a sign to organize some Saturday night debauchery with your friends, this is it (âDebaucheryâ may mean passing out drunk on the curb at 6 a.m. or falling asleep on the couch watching Paquita Salas on Netflix at 11 p.m. Both options sound fun to us).
1. A Beer Festival: BeerMad 2024
BeerMad is, contrary to what you may believe, advertised as a âfamily eventâ (which means parents are getting drunk inside while some kids are outside running around like savages Ă la Lord of the Flies).
But hey that doesnât mean itâs not worth going.
Now on its 10th edition, this enormous artisanal beer market becomes a beer loverâs paradise every year as it offers over 150 types of beer from all over Spain and Europe.
But not only that, there are also tons of food trucks offering options tacos, burgers, pizzas, fries, croquetas and whatever else youâre in the mood for after chugging liters of ale (no one will blame youâas we mentioned above it will be hot). Oh, and before you ask, yes, there will also be vegan options.
There will also be live music (Potato Monster, La Rosa Negra and Laika Stone will be playing, among others), workshops on forgotten beers from around the world or on how to make your own beer, and tastings (beer tastings, in case it wasnât clear).
If you like beer, donât miss this one. Itâs a lot of fun and, on the bright side, itâs day drinking at its finest.
BeerMad 2024. PabellĂłn de Cristal, Casa de Campo, Avenida Principal, 16, Madrid. May 24 to 26. Check website for opening hours. Tickets start at âŹ8.
2. Some Opera: Nina Stemme at the Royal Theater
For the love of all things sacred, please do not go to the opera after the BeerMad. Those two things donât mix and if you get rowdy and get kicked out of the Teatro Real we donât want to be blamed for it. Understood? Great.
Nina Stemme is a legendary Swedish soprano singer and this Sunday sheâs performing some of Richard Wagnerâs most popular work, such as Prelude and Liebestod from Tristan und Isolde, Das Liebesmahl der Apostel and the final scene from GötterdĂ€mmerung. If youâre into opera music, you definitely know what weâre talking about (and if youâre not, you still definitely have heard them at some point).
Itâs a 3-hour performance so be prepared! Next time you say we never recommend ritzy stuff, remember this one. Besides, it looks great on your Instagram stories.
Or maybe youâre not allowed to use your phone at the opera. We donât know. Whatever.
Nina Stemme. Teatro Real. Pl. de Isabel II, s/n, Madrid Sunday, May 26, 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at âŹ15 (but visibility will probably be shit at that price, so pony up at least âŹ100âitâs the opera, for chrissakes).
3. The Prado Presents: Art and Social Transformations in Spain
Look at us, so artsy! No judgement here. You can go get drunk tonight at the BeerMad and head over to the Prado tomorrow to learn about late 19th century Spanish art. Great cure for a hangover!
The exhibition halls A, B, C, and D in the JerĂłnimos Building of the Prado Museum are hosting an exhibition focusing on how the profound social changes that occurred in Spain between 1885 and 1910 are reflected in art.
The clearest example of these social changes is the emergence of âsocial paintingâ, which addresses these new themes with a naturalistic style (Rusiñol, Casas, Sorolla) or with a new expressiveness (Regoyos, Nonell, Picasso, Solana). The same thing happened in other fields such as sculpture and graphic arts, which experienced a significant boom.
Curated by Javier BarĂłn, head of 19th century painting conservation, this exhibition offers a âunique opportunity to explore the interpretations of artists regarding the major social transformation that Spain underwent between 1885 and 1910â. (A few decades before it all went to hell.)
The exhibit includes some 300 works, most of which have never been on display before, so hereâs a great excuse to return to the Prado.
The Pradoâs Art and Social Transformations in Spain Exhibit. Prado Museum, Paseo del Prado s/n, Madrid. Through Sept. 22. Check website for schedules. Tickets: âŹ15.
4. Festival Tomavistas 2024
Live music is never a bad choice, and even though it feels like Madrid has one of these every single weekend you may want to pay attention to this one.
Tomavistas is a leading two-day festival featuring multiple musical styles, and itâs celebrating its eight edition this weekend with performances by top artists such as Phoenix, The Blaze, Belle and Sebastian, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Editors, Villagers, and Joe Goddard, among many others.
Thereâs a new venue this year (Caja MĂĄgica), which offers more stages, more bands, and more hours of music, while âalways maintaining the distinctive character that defines Tomavistasâ.
The French duo The Blaze are headlining the festival (itâs their first time in Madrid), and this acclaimed electronic duo will present tracks from their latest album, Jungle, released last year.
Get your tickets while they last!
Festival Tomavistas. Caja MĂĄgica, Camino de Perales, 23, Madrid. May 24 & 25. Check website for schedule. Tickets start at âŹ95.
5. Federico GarcĂa Lorcaâs A Poet in New York
If you still arenât acquainted with the work of poet/playwright Federico GarcĂa Lorca, whoâs also one of Spainâs most emblematic authors, you may not want to miss this one.
Based on his work âPoet in New York,â this is a performance where the music of flamenco singer Niño de Elche and GarcĂa Lorcaâs poems are âjuxtaposed to create a distance from the scene, akin to Japanese puppet theater, Bunraku, with the joruri (recitation) and the ningyo (human figure or puppet)â. Intrigued? Thought so.
The coexistence of actors, dancers, musicians, and puppets on stage aims to convey the poetics of this great work.
Lorca wrote these verses in 1929 when he stayed in New York for a hot minute. They explore âthe connection between human beings and nature, freedom, spirituality, and the dehumanization of progressâ.
Through his work, Lorca offered a ârealistic view of the society and the world around himâ. However, he never saw this work published as he was murdered in 1936.
The play features Niño de Elche, Elena CĂłrdoba, Manuel Egozkue, Clara Pampyn, JesĂșs Rubio Gamo, and Enrique del Castillo.
Poeta en Nueva York. Naves Teatro Español, P.Âș de la Chopera, 14, Madrid. Through June 2. Check website for schedule. Tickets start at âŹ20.
đšđ»âđ» Viral Stories of the Week
âœïž Best way to end the night? A penalty kick on the owner of the local bazar chino
âïž When Ryanairâs stupid luggage charges push you to the edgeâŠ
đ€Ź Argentine President Javier Milei âleans inâ to his fight with Pedro SĂĄnchez
We try to stay away from politics on Friday, but Mileiâs comments (and those of his fans) at his book signing were just too richâŠ
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
đ Once again, please remember to share this newsletter with your friends on social media. The more we grow, the more information weâll be able to offer each week.
Weâll be back next week with more.