đ„¶ What's on in Madrid: February 6
A design festival, an unmissable flamenco show, a tapa ruta and more!
Madrid | Issue #131
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Here Are 5 Things to Do in Madrid This Weekend
Itâs Friday again!
Yes, itâs still raining. The cold, drizzly weather makes the city feel a little slower, a little moodier, and honestly, a little more cinematic (which is nice). But the good news is that Madrid is basically built for rainy weekends.
You step off the street, shake off your umbrella, and suddenly youâre inside a theater, a museum, a gallery, or a bar that feels like itâs been waiting for you all week.
This edition is all about escaping the grey skies with the best possible plans. From the city turning into a design capital to flamenco-jazz piano nights that feel like pure warmth, thereâs no shortage of reasons to stay curious even when the forecast says otherwise.
And if youâd rather lean into the cozy side of things, weâve also got neighborhood food adventures: a tapa route in Prosperidad, the kind of bar where mezcal meets old-school Madrid vibes, and plenty of excuses to end the night somewhere delicious while the rain keeps tapping on the windows.
So yes, itâs going to be wet outside. But inside, Madrid is very much alive.
Happy weekend!
1. đ§âđš Madridâs month of creativity: the design festival that redraws the city
Woo! Madrid just got seriously stylish. The city is hosting the 9th edition of Madrid Design Festival, turning it into a full-blown playground for creativity, architecture, interiors, and the future of how we live.
This yearâs theme is âRedesigning the World,â and the festival leans into big questions: how design can be more responsible, more meaningful, more impactful, and how ideas get passed between generations.
There are nearly 200 activities, 20 exhibitions, and dozens of OFF spaces, studios, and showrooms across the city. One of the highlights is Guatemala as the guest country, with a beautiful exhibit dedicated entirely to contemporary Guatemalan textile design (this is a rare chance to see traditional techniques like brocade and backstrap weaving reimagined as modern art).
The main hub is the FernĂĄn GĂłmez Cultural Center, but the festival spreads all over town: CaixaForum, Matadero, Reina SofĂa, the CĂrculo de Bellas Artes, and more.
If youâre into furniture, graphic design, fashion, urbanism, and other stuff you probably couldnât afford if it were for sale, or just love beautiful things, this is one of the best ways to spend a winter afternoon.
đ„ïž What: Madrid Design Festival 2026
đ Where: FernĂĄn GĂłmez Centro Cultural de la Villa and other venues across Madrid
đ When: Through March 8
đ Tickets: Check website (many events are free)
2.đđ» Manuel Liñån turns flamenco into a living archive of love
Love flamenco? Then this is one of the most exciting dance events of the season. Granada-born bailaor (aka flamenco dancer) and choreographer Manuel Liñån (winner of the 2017 National Dance Prize and multiple Max Awards) arrives at Teatro de la Zarzuela for four performances
Liñånâs new show is described as an âarchive of lovesâ: a deeply personal work built around the relationships, desires, fantasies, and emotional shocks that have altered his body and pushed his flamenco into unexpected directions.
Rather than a traditional narrative, the performance unfolds as a choreographic passage through intimacy, provocation, and longing, a kind of flamenco diary written in movement.
With 12 artists on stage, the piece carries the spirit of copla, shifting between atmospheres of tenderness and intensity, while exploring the needs that come from within, the ones that sustain our vital energy. Itâs flamenco as something raw, contemporary, and constantly evolving, without ever losing its roots.
Liñån is considered one of the most innovative performers of his generation. Besides collaborating with major flamenco figures, his career has been defined by reinvention and artistic risk. So again, if youâre a flamenco fan, this is unmissable.
đ„ïž What: Manuel Liñånâs âMuerta de Amorâ
đ Where: Teatro de la Zarzuela, Calle de Jovellanos, 4, Madrid
đ When: Through Feb. 8
đ Tickets: âŹ25-âŹ40
3.đ€€ Prosperidadâs ultimate tapas crawl is back
Face it. Not every weekend has to be about appreciating art or music. Sometimes you just want to pass out drunk on a cold Saturday evening, hoping that you can momentarily forget about the inevitable demise of democracy. Well, weâve got news for you!
You have the perfect excuse to eat your way through one of Madridâs most underrated neighborhoods this weekend, because the VI Ruta de la Tapa Prospe is calling.
La Prosperidad (âLa Prospeâ) neighborhood (right next to Salamanca) turns into a full-on tapas playground, this weekend with 11 local bars and restaurants serving special ĐșĐŸĐœĐșŃŃŃ tapas paired with the neighborhoodâs own signature craft beer: La Rubia del Barrio de Prospe.
For âŹ5.95, you get a drink (beer, wine, or soft drink) plus a competition tapa, and the lineup is genuinely tempting: Argentine brioche with homemade chorizo and chimichurri, pasta with truffle and cacio e pepe, cochinita tacos, tequeños with caramelized onion dip, beer-and-mustard chicken skewers, and plenty more.
The fun part? Guests can vote for the best tapa of the route, and participants are entered into a prize draw for beer lovers.
This route has become a beloved annual tradition, turning food into an excuse for community. Oh, and it once again coincides with the Madrid Design Festival, giving the whole weekend an extra buzz of cultural energy.
Bring friends, come hungry.
đ„ïž What: VI Ruta de la Tapa Prospe 2026
đ Where: Prosperidad neighborhood (ChamartĂn). Check website for participating venues.
đ When: Through Feb. 8
đ Price: âŹ5.95 (drink + tapa)
4.đš GeneraciĂłn 2026: Madridâs next generation of artists takes over La Casa Encendida
Want a glimpse of where Spanish contemporary art is heading right now? Well, GeneraciĂłn 2026 is one of the smartest stops you can make this season. Running through April 19 at La Casa Encendida, the exhibition brings together six emerging artists selected through the FundaciĂłn Montemadridâs long-running Generaciones program, one of the countryâs most respected platforms for young creative talent.
The show features projects by Ălan dâOrphium, Hodei Herreros RodrĂguez, Claudia PagĂšs Rabal, Maya Pita-Romero, VĂctor Ruiz Colomer, and Victor Santamarina, offering a wide-ranging snapshot of new voices working across todayâs most exciting artistic languages.
The whole point of Generaciones is simple: give young artists the resources, visibility, and production support to take their work seriously, and to bring it directly to the public.
This yearâs edition also reflects a shift toward better working conditions in the art world. Instead of awarding eight projects, the program selected six, increasing the funding to âŹ12,000 per artist (including dedicated fees, not just production budgets). In other words: more support, more sustainability, and more space for these creators to develop ambitious work.
If youâre curious about the future of Spanish art, this is the kind of exhibition that feels like discovering tomorrowâs headline artists before everyone else does (and so you can brag to your friends).
đ„ïž What: GeneraciĂłn 2026
đ Where: La Casa Encendida, Ronda de Valencia 2, Madrid
đ When: Through April 19
đ Tickets: Check Website
5.âïž Want to write your own story? Madridâs public libraries have you covered
If the start of the year has you itching to finally write that short story, poem, or half-finished novel sitting in your Notes app, Madridâs public libraries are offering the perfect excuse to begin.
Through the end of March, libraries across the Comunidad de Madrid will host a series of creative writing workshops designed for anyone who wants to develop their voice and learn the craft of storytelling.
The program covers a range of genres, from short fiction and novels to poetry and even monologues, with sessions focused on the fundamentals that matter most: style, structure, clarity, and finding your own rhythm on the page.
Each workshop is led by a specialist who guides participants through practical exercises, offers techniques to sharpen writing skills, and helps turn inspiration into something concrete.
Itâs also one of those rare cultural plans that feels both creative and genuinely useful: a chance to meet other writers, build a routine, and start producing work instead of just thinking about it.
Spots are limited, and registration opens on a first-come, first-served basis, with each participant allowed to sign up for one workshop unless places remain available.
If youâre looking for a serious push to finally write, this is a simple, free, and a very Madrid way to start.
đ„ïž What: Creative Writing Workshops at Madrid Public Libraries
đ Where: Libraries across Madrid
đ When: First trimester of 2026 (various dates)
đ Price: Free
đș What to watch if youâre staying in this weekendâŠ
đ„ïž What: Esto no es Suecia (This isnât Sweden) | Miniseries | 2023
đWhere to watch: SkyShowtime
âWhatâs it about: Follows Mariana and Samuel, who move to a mountain neighborhood up in the mountains of Barcelona, away from their traumatic childhoods, but their beliefs start to crumble when a tragic event rocks the neighborhood and shatters their dreams.
đ€© Why you should watch: Because it skewers, with brutally funny, pitch-black humor, the kind of progressive and slightly self-deluded parenting culture youâll quickly notice in big Spanish cities. A couple is obsessed with raising their kids âthe Nordic wayâ and is fixated on their seemingly perfect Swedish neighbor, only for everything to unravel into envy, hypocrisy, and painfully relatable social cringe.
đŹ English Subtitles: No
đđ» Something to try this weekendâŠ
đž Marrufo: Malasañaâs mezcal bar where even RosalĂa comes to blend in
Whatâs it about: Marrufo is the kind of mezcal-forward neighborhood bar that somehow feels both completely normal and quietly special â a âbar de viejosâ reinvented with Oaxacan soul, vintage vibes, and cocktails that range from perfectly classic to playfully agave-fueled.
Why you should go: Itâs become a Malasaña favorite precisely because it doesnât try too hard: just good drinks, warm service, and the feeling that youâve stumbled into someoneâs living room.
Bottom line: Marrufo is proof that the coolest places in Madrid arenât always the loudest; theyâre the ones that feel real, rooted, and full of good mezcal and even better vibes.
Address: Calle del Noviciado 16, Madrid
âïž WolfĂžx: Madridâs coffee purist hideout
Whatâs it about: WolfĂžx Madrid is the kind of specialty coffee spot that feels like it was made for people who actually care about coffee â not as a side option, but as the main event. Small, focused, and beautifully done, itâs a quiet little refuge in the middle of the cityâs buzz.
Why you should go: Because everything here is crafted with real attention to detail: smooth, fragrant espresso, perfect flat whites, fresh pastries, and toast that somehow tastes better when paired with a cappuccino. The vibe is cozy-modern, the staff know their beans, and itâs the sort of place youâll want to return to on every trip back to Madrid.
Bottom line: A true coffee puristâs gem â minimal menu, maximum quality, and one of the best ways to start a Madrid morning.
Address: Calle de PĂ©rez GaldĂłs, 2, Madrid
đšđ»âđ» Viral Memes of the Week
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