☀️ What's on in Madrid: July 18
Spain's National Ballet, a reggaeton festival and live music among olive trees.
Madrid | Issue #107
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Here Are 5 Things to Do in Madrid This Weekend
Happy Friday!
Madrid may be on fire—literally and culturally. As temperatures soar, and ash from a nearby fire covers our streets, the city doesn’t slow down: this weekend, it’s all about dancing, art, and late-night plans that smell like sunscreen and taste like frozen yogurt.
If you’re feeling bold, a reggaeton festival lands in Villaverde with inflatable pools, food trucks, and a lineup that reads like a Spotify chart.
Prefer something a little more elevated? The Spanish National Ballet closes its stunning flamenco show while chamber music lovers can cool off under a few olive trees.
If all else fails, lean into the heat and survive like a local. You’ve got this.
Happy weekend. 😎
1.💃🏻 Last chance to see the Spanish National Ballet’s bold new flamenco show
Madrid’s cultural calendar has been full of surprises this summer, but few are as striking and unforgettable as the current production by the Ballet Nacional de España, which wraps up its limited run this Sunday.
What makes this flamenco show stand out is how it completely reimagines the art form. Directed by celebrated choreographer Marcos Morau, a National Dance Award winner and the creative force behind the contemporary dance company La Veronal, the performance blends traditional flamenco with modern visual storytelling, resulting in pretty avant-garde stuff.
The show takes direct inspiration from the dramatic, high-contrast photography of Colombian artist Ruvén Afanador, best known for his emotionally charged black-and-white portraits and iconic series like Mil Besos and Ángel Gitano.
The result is a multi-sensory experience that fuses dance, photography, fashion, and identity into a single, unified narrative.
This production is also a statement about the future of flamenco—about how it can be deconstructed, reimagined, and still remain rooted in its emotional power. (tl;dr: this is not your grandma’s flamenco.)
Don’t miss the chance to see one of Spain’s most prestigious institutions push creative boundaries and deliver a flamenco show that will blow your mind.
🖥️ What: Afanador by Spain’s National Ballet
📍 Where: Teatro de la Zarzuela. Calle de Jovellanos 4, Madrid.
📅 When: Through July 20. Check website for schedule.
🎟 Tickets start at €16
2.🌴 Europe’s biggest reggaeton beach festival returns
Look, we get it. Not everyone likes reggaeton. But we try to offer a wide range of options for all of our readers. So if you like to perrear to El Alfa (whoever that is), who are we to judge?
Get your bikinis and bucket hats ready, because the biggest reggaeton festival in Europe is back in Madrid, and it’s going all-in this year.
The Iberdrola Music venue in Villaverde will transform into a giant urban paradise packed with music, water attractions, tropical vibes, and some of the hottest names in Latin music. 😬
The 2025 lineup doesn’t disappoint. Headliners include El Alfa, Chencho Corleone, Bryant Myers, Justin Quiles, Almighty, Blessd, Dei V, Luar La L, Hades 66, and Noriel, just to name a few.
It’s the kind of event that screams summer in the city. And let’s be honest—there’s something undeniably fun about raving to one of those people we mentioned above while dripping wet from a giant inflatable slide.
🖥️ What: Reggaeton Beach Festival Madrid 2025
📍 Where: Iberdrola Music, Calle Laguna Dalga s/n, Madrid.
📅 When: July 19 & 20. Check website for opening hours.
🎟 Tickets start at €70
3.🌿 Classical music under the stars and among olive trees
If you’re craving a magical summer plan in Madrid that doesn’t involve sweating through a reggaeton mosh pit or dodging tourists on Gran Vía, let us steer you toward one of the city’s best-kept seasonal secrets (for real!): El Olivar de Castillejo.
Tucked away in Chamartín and a few blocks away from the Cuzco metro station, this hidden olive grove turned cultural oasis has once again partnered with Estrella Damm to host its fantastic summer concert series, and it’s the perfect way to spend a balmy Madrid evening.
The series features open-air chamber music beneath century-old olive trees, with candlelit vibes and some surprisingly great food and wine.
While listening to good music, you can snack on hummus with crudités, Iberian ham, or go full gourmet with the burrata with salmorejo. They’ve even got sweet options like cheesecake and molten chocolate cake to end the night right.
This weekend’s lineup:
🎹 Friday: Pianist Enrique Lapaz brings elegance and emotion to the grove.
🎸 Saturday: The Alter Ego Trio (two laúds and a guitar) fills the air with vibrant strings and unexpected harmony.
Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis, so get there early and claim your olive-tree throne.
🖥️ What: Las Noches Clásicas del Olivar
📍 Where: Calle Menéndez Pidal, 3 bis, Madrid
📅 When: Through Aug. 31, check website for days and opening hours.
🎟 Tickets: €20 donation at the door (cash only)
4.🎨 Anna Weyant makes Spanish debut at the Thyssen-Bornemisza
The Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum is opening its doors to the first-ever solo exhibition of Anna Weyant in Madrid, bringing over 20 of her evocative paintings to Spain for the first time.
Weyant, born in Calgary in 1995 (feel old yet?), is one of the most talked-about young painters on the international art scene and is known for her emotionally charged, hyper-controlled compositions of melancholic young women in quiet turmoil.
Her canvases feel like stills from a surreal indie film or lost frames from a David Lynch dream sequence.
With a style rooted in figurative realism, Weyant blends contemporary pop Americana with artistic echoes of Surrealism, Baroque, and early 20th-century modernism, all while placing her subjects—often women caught between fragility and defiance—at the center of her visual universe.
As part of the Thyssen’s Blanca and Borja Collection program, the exhibit places Weyant’s work in direct dialogue with masterworks from the museum’s permanent collection.
🖥️ What: Anna Weyant Exhibit
📍 Where: Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum, Paseo del Prado 8, Madrid
📅 When: Through Oct. 12. Check website for opening hours.
🎟 Tickets start at €14
5.📷 Graciela Iturbide: A master of the everyday, now in Madrid
If you enjoy photography, then this is a must-see. The Fundación Casa de México en España is hosting a fantastic retrospective of Graciela Iturbide, one of Mexico’s most iconic living photographers, as part of the PHotoESPAÑA 2025 festival.
Fresh off receiving the prestigious Princess of Asturias Award for the Arts, Iturbide brings to Madrid a selection of 115 works taken between 1972 and 2017.
Her images—which can feature indigenous rituals in Oaxaca, border towns in the Sonoran Desert, or everyday objects transfigured by light and shadow—are a combination of documentary realism and visual poetry.
What she captures is never just what it seems. A goat’s head on a platter becomes a meditation on mortality. A Zapotec woman holding a boombox turns into an emblem of cultural resistance.
Iturbide has spent more than four decades walking the line between the sacred and the profane, tradition and rebellion, documenting people and landscapes with a lens full of empathy (and a touch of magic).
🖥️ What: Graciela Iturbide’s ‘When Light Speaks’
📍 Where: Fundación Casa de México en España. Calle de Alberto Aguilera 20, Madrid.
📅 When: Through Sept. 14. Check website for opening hours.
🎟 Tickets: Check website.
📺 What to watch if you’re staying in this weekend…
🖥️ What: Matices (TV series, 2025)
📍Where to watch: SkyShowtime (streaming platform)
❓What’s it about: Six strangers attend an exclusive group therapy retreat led by a famous psychiatrist in an isolated winery in Castilla y León, only for a murder to derail their healing process. As the investigation unfolds, dark secrets, traumas, and moral ambiguities blur the line between victim and culprit.
🤩 Why you should watch: Matices is a gripping blend of psychological thriller and Agatha Christie-style mystery, where every character hides a haunting secret. With a top-tier cast and twists that challenge your moral compass, it’s impossible to look away.
💬 English subtitles: Yes
🤤 Something to try this weekend…
🍷 A century of flavor: Why Casa González is Madrid’s ultimate stop for cheese, ham & wine
Step into Casa González and you’ll feel like you’ve wandered into a century-old deli that doubles as a tapas haven. Since 1931, this iconic spot in Las Letras has been serving top-tier Spanish cheeses, jamón ibérico, conservas, and wines in a charming, vintage setting.
The options:
🧀 Cheese & charcuterie: Expect expertly curated boards featuring Manchego, provolone, and premium jamón ibérico de Bellota.
🍷 Wine by the glass: A solid list of 40+ affordable Spanish wines—Merseguera, Bobal, Petit Verdot rosé—each under €4 a pour.
🥪 Tapas & conservas: Think chorizo, olive-oil toasts, canned seafood—simple, flavorful bites served with care and knowledge from a friendly, bilingual staff .
One recommendation:
Don’t leave without trying the sobrasada balear con piñones—a spreadable Balearic sausage served warm with pine nuts on toasted bread. It’s rich, spicy, and just sweet enough, with the crunchy piñones adding texture and depth. Pair it with a glass of robust Rioja or a crisp albariño and thank us later.
🇬🇷 Kala Greek Frozen Yogurt: Fight Madrid’s heat with tasty fro-yo
If you’re craving something cold, creamy, and actually good for you, it’s time you discovered Kala Greek Frozen Yogurt. This isn’t just any froyo. It’s authentic Greek yogurt made with kefir, packed with probiotics and full of Mediterranean flavor. Think light, refreshing, and guilt-free.
🍦 The concept: Kala Greek Frozen Yogurt brings the taste of the Mediterranean to Madrid with a healthy twist on summer treats. Their signature offering is authentic Greek frozen yogurt made with kefir, a probiotic-rich ingredient that’s both refreshing and gut-friendly. It’s a light, creamy alternative to traditional ice cream, perfect for hot days in the city.
📍 The locations: Calle de las Huertas 20 (Las Letras), Calle de Narváez 37 (Retiro)
☝️ Why you should try: From wildflower honey and roasted nuts to baklava crumbles and pistachio cream, Kala offers an impressive lineup of artisanal toppings inspired by Greek and Mediterranean pastries. They also have 100% natural fruit sorbets—vegan and dairy-free.
👗 How to Survive (and Thrive) in a Madrid Summer: Fashion edition
By Flora Millar
Spain is a top holiday destination for many—but spending the summer in Madrid is not. When temperatures hit 37ºC and the pavements start to shimmer, it feels like the city has been evacuated after an alien invasion. Madrileños flock to the coast, the mountains, or their abuelos’ breezy hometowns, yet not all of us are so lucky. Whether you’re here for work, study, or simply because life didn’t come with an escape plan, you’re left to roast in the capital’s oven.
But here’s the thing: you can survive a Madrid summer—and even enjoy it. You just need the right mindset, a few tricks, and (most importantly) the right wardrobe.
Forget beachy looks—shorts, bikinis, raffia bags—that may work in Ibiza, Cádiz, or Menorca. In landlocked Madrid, things get trickier. There’s no beach to justify a bikini top, no salty breeze to excuse your kaftan. In true Castilian fashion, Madrid tends to look down on overly casual attire and expects you to always look put-together—even when it’s 40ºC and everyone’s hiding like vampires in the shade.
So, how do you keep cool without sacrificing style (or social acceptability)? Let me walk you through some of my recommendations for a summer of style success.
1. The Flow Skirt
My summer salvation? The long, flowy skirt. Airy yet elegant, it keeps things breezy while passing Madrid’s semi-formal vibe check. You’ll find them everywhere—from high street chains to small boutiques and vintage shops—in every material (linen, poplin, silk blends) and style (pleats, prints, pastels). And best of all, it’s surprisingly versatile- pair it with a tank top and sandals for a casual lunch, or dress it up with a blouse and statement earrings for dinner.
Crucially, it allows you to blend into Madrid’s semi-formal aesthetic without giving up comfort. Because let’s face it: no one wants to spend their July commute stuck to a plastic metro seat in tight denim shorts.
2. The Linen Life
Next up isn’t an item—it’s a fabric. Linen may sound obvious, but it’s always in style, and there’s no better place to embrace it than Madrid in July. The material breathes (unlike the city at 3 p.m.). Whether it’s wide-leg trousers, a button-up shirt, or a matching co-ord, linen hits that sweet spot between minimal fabric and maximum elegance.
The trick? Go for flow—nothing clingy. Think breezy linen dresses, mini or maxi, and let the air do the work.
3. Menorquinas > Flip-Flops
Let’s talk shoes. As you may have gathered, Madrid is not a flip-flop city—between cobblestones, sneaky hills, and style pressure, your slides won’t cut it. Enter: the menorquina.
Think leather, a decent sole, any colour you fancy. Flat but supportive. A shoe that serves. The idea is to feel like you’re almost barefoot—your feet constantly aired (emphasis on the leather)—yet still look effortlessly composed as you glide down Fuencarral.
Menorquinas are the ideal hybrid: they carry you from strolls in Retiro to terrace drinks while looking and feeling at ease. Other structured sandals work too—pop into a local zapatería or explore Spanish brands like Alohas, Ria, or Massimo Dutti for options that are both sun- and city-appropriate.
Sure, half the city’s on holiday—but Madrid isn’t. Tune into its rhythm, lean into its style codes, and with the right fabrics and a few key pieces, you can build a summer capsule to take you from Wednesday at the office to Saturday drinks. Who needs the coast when you’ve got great clothes and a city that knows how to dress?
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