đ What's on in Madrid: March 20
It's Madrid Fashion Week! Also, there's a chocolate tasting festival. What a cruel world.
Madrid | Issue #137
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Here Are 5 Things to Do in Madrid This Weekend
Itâs Friday again!
Madrid this weekend isnât just a city⊠Itâs a catwalk! From IFEMAâs runways to the streets of ChamberĂ, Malasaña, and beyond, everything starts to feel a little more curated, a little more performative.
Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week takes over the calendar, but the real show spills outside: sunglasses go on despite the clouds, outfits get riskier, and suddenly everyone looks like they might be on their way to (or from) a casting.
And the best part? You donât need an invitation to be part of it. Just grab coffee at a perfectly aesthetic spot in Salesas, front-row your own life at a terrace like the main character you are, or just people-watch like itâs a competitive sport. Madrid feels like The Devil Wears Prada on steroids
This weekend, style isnât something you watch; itâs something you walk into.
Happy weekend!
1.𧔠Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Madrid is back (and looks cooler than ever)
Move over, losers! Madrid is fully leaning into its fashion capital ambitions this week, as the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Madrid (MBFWM) returns for its spring edition, spreading across the city with a packed schedule of runway shows, presentations, and industry events.
The MBFWM is the biggest fashion event in Spain and one of the few moments where Madrid genuinely competes, at least for a week, with the likes of Paris, Milan, or London. (We may not be as cool as them, but weâre definitely getting there.)
Fashion Week is a mix of established designers and emerging talent presenting their collections for the next season. Big names like Ăgatha Ruiz de la Prada, Custo, Hannibal Laguna, or Ăngel Schlesser share the spotlight with newer designers trying to break into the industry. Itâs where brands build relevance, where trends start to take shape, and where the local industry connects with international buyers,
influencers, press, and insiders.This yearâs edition is also about evolution. The main runway at IFEMA has been redesigned with a more modern, brighter identity, signaling a shift toward a more contemporary and global positioning.
And importantly, this isnât just happening inside IFEMA. The OFF program means fashion spills into the city itself, with shows, events, and collaborations all over Madrid.
Even if youâre not sitting front row (letâs face it, you wonât unless youâre one of the cool kids or a Kardashian), youâll feel it all around. Pop-ups, parties, or just the general increase in people dressed significantly better than you await you.
đ„ïž What: Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Madrid (MBFWM)
đ Where: IFEMA Madrid plus various locations across the city
đ When: Through March 22
đ Tickets: Check website. Runway events are paid, some off events are free.
2.đ« El Escorial is turning into a chocolate wonderland this weekend
If your weekend plans donât involve eating chocolate until you explode, you may want to rethink them. This weekend, El Escorial (yes, itâs far away, shut up) turns into a full-blown cacao paradise with its III Chocolate Festival, a two-day event that mixes food, history, and family-friendly chaos just under an hour from Madrid.
There will be tastings, workshops, routes, and enough sugar to carry you emotionally through the rest of this horrendous year.
The heart of it all is Casa Miñana, where 17 chocolatiers and artisan producers set up shop with everything from bonbons and pastries to high-end cocoa and more experimental creations.
You can taste, buy, and pretend you understand the difference between origins like a pro. But this isnât just about eating: the event also leans into El Escorialâs surprisingly rich chocolate history, paying tribute to MatĂas LĂłpez, the 19th-century industrialist who basically turned the town into Spainâs cacao capital.
Beyond the food, thereâs a full program designed to keep you moving (and justify the calories): historical routes through the town, family gymkhanas, kidsâ workshops, and even a theatrical spin on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (we hope itâs not like the one in Glasgow).
Add in expert-led tastings, live demos, and show cookings, and youâve got a plan that somehow manages to be indulgent and âculturalâ at the same time. Dangerous combo.
đ„ïž What: III Chocolate Festival (Jornadas del Chocolate)
đ Where: Casa Miñana, Av. de Castilla, 4, El Escorial
đ When: March 21â22
đ Tickets start at: Free entry (some activities may require booking)
3.đŁïž Poetry Is Taking Over the Thyssen Museum for World Poetry Day
Despite what you may think, poetry is still a thing. So if you needed a sign to slow down this weekend, this is it.
To mark World Poetry Day, the Thyssen Museum is turning its galleries into something far more intimate: a live poetry circuit where 21 poets will be reading their work across different rooms of the museum.
That means youâll be wandering past masterpieces while suddenly stumbling into someone reciting a verse a few meters away.
The concept is simple but surprisingly powerful: pairing visual art with spoken word, and letting visitors experience both at once (unless youâre wearing those headsets for the museum audio guides, in that case, youâre kinda screwed). Itâs less of a structured event and more of a cultural treasure hunt.
The opening reading will be delivered by singer Massiel (she won the Eurovision song contest in 1968!), setting the tone for an experience that blends disciplines and breaks the usual museum rhythm.
The event also marks the launch of a national poetry initiative aimed at promoting live and experimental formats across Spain, so this isnât just a one-day thing, but part of a broader push to bring poetry back into public spaces.
đ„ïž What: World Poetry Day readings at Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza
đ Where: Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, Paseo del Prado 8, Madrid
đ When: March 21, 11:45 am to 1:30 pm
đ Museum Tickets: âŹ14
4.đ€€ Madrid is hosting the World Cup of Cachopo (and itâs absolutely unhinged)
You know what? Fuck it. Itâs impossible to follow a strict diet in this country, so weâre no longer feeling guilty for it. As if things werenât already hard enough, now we have to put up with one of the most gloriously excessive competitions of the year: the Best Cachopo in the World International Contest.
100 restaurants across 10 countries are battling it out over Spainâs most unapologetically indulgent dish, and itâs so much more exciting than the World Cup. Even better, you donât need to go to Asturias (where itâs from) to try it, because 20 restaurants in Madrid are competing, serving their entries all month long.
Chefs are experimenting and flexing with versions that are stuffed with morcilla, wild boar, or trout, and others are topped with gold flakes. Thereâs one even featuring Cabrales cheese valued at âŹ37,000.
The competition is a great excuse for a city-wide food crawl, and you can hop from spot to spot trying different contenders, comparing textures, fillings, and levels of post-meal regret.
Each cachopo comes with a drink (cider or beer), and while the official winner will be crowned in Oviedo, Madrid basically gets to host the tasting phase of these weird Olympics of fried meat.
đ„ïž What: Concurso Internacional al Mejor Cachopo del Mundo 2026
đ Where: Multiple locations around Madrid (and the world!)
đ When: Through March 31
đ Menu: 28,50⏠(cachopo + drink)
5.đ Madridâs most charming time machine Is back (and it comes with strawberries)
Now that the spring has sprung, Madrid is bringing back one of its most charming (and slightly surreal) traditions: the Strawberry Train.
First launched in 1984, this historic train recreates the original railway journey from Madrid to Aranjuez, dating all the way back to 1851, when Queen Isabel II inaugurated the line connecting the capital to the royal palace.
Today, itâs less about transportation and more about stepping into a slower, more nostalgic version of Spain.
The experience is very much part theater, part history lesson. You depart from the Railway Museum in the old Delicias station in Madrid (one of those beautiful iron-structure buildings that feel frozen in time) and travel in vintage carriages from the 1920s, 40s, and 60s.
Along the way, staff dressed in period costumes serve you strawberries (yes, thatâs the whole point), while you head toward Aranjuez, a UNESCO-listed cultural landscape famous for its royal heritage and, of course, its strawberries.
Once you arrive, the plan doesnât stop. The train is basically your entry point into a full day trip: gardens, palace, walks, and a town that feels like a quieter, more elegant extension of Madrid.
Yes, yes. Itâs touristy, but in a way that actually works. Itâs like time travel but with snacks. If youâre looking for something different this spring that doesnât involve another terraza and tinto de verano, this is it.
đ„ïž What: Tren de la Fresa (Strawberry Train)
đ Where: From Museo del Ferrocarril (Madrid) to Aranjuez
đ When: Selected dates from March to June (starting March 22)
đ Tickets start at: Check official site (Depends on the tour. Lowest price is âŹ24).
đș What to watch if youâre staying in this weekendâŠ
đ„ïž What: Zeta (Agent Zeta) | Movie | 2026
đWhere to watch: Prime Video
âWhatâs it about: A Spanish spy must track down a former spy involved in an undercover mission decades ago, while a Colombian agent is also after him. Secrets from the past will be uncovered.
đ€© Why you should watch: Because itâs Spainâs most serious attempt yet at doing a proper, international-level spy thriller, and with a character thatâs less of a James Bond and more of a Jack Reacher. Shot across Spain, Brazil, and Estonia, it actually feels global. Also, actor Luis Zahera absolutely carries the film with a standout performance, making Zeta worth your time because it shows where Spanish action cinema could be heading next.
đŹ English Subtitles: Yes
đđ» Places to try this weekendâŠ
đœïž Brazza is Madridâs hottest new table (and itâs all about fire)
Whatâs it about: Brazza is Madridâs newest must-know spotâa fire-driven restaurant by Argentine chef Franco Malacisa that blends open-flame cooking with a deeply personal, global menu built around sharing.
Why you should go: Because itâs not just about the grill: from empanadas and falafel to perfectly cooked meats, seafood, and nostalgic desserts like chocotorta, everything is bold, precise, and full of characterâbacked by a thoughtful wine list and a warm, family-run vibe.
Bottom line: Brazza doesnât try to please everyoneâit aims to move you. And in a city full of openings, this is one that actually matters.
Address: Orfila 7, Madrid
âïž Escaramuza is Chuecaâs new real-life Central Perk - and itâs amazing
Whatâs it about: A cozy Chueca cafĂ© run by a Uruguayan team that feels straight out of Friends, with a Central Perk-style couch, great coffee, and a brunch menu that hits all the right notes.
Why you should go: Because everything works: seriously good eggs Benedict, standout avocado toast, delicious coffee, and a pastry selection (alfajores, cookies, rogeles) thatâs borderline addictive, all in a chill, welcoming space with lovely staff.
Bottom line: Escaramuza isnât just aesthetic; it delivers. Come for the vibe, stay because the food and coffee are actually that good.
Address: Calle de Barbieri 1, Chuecha, Madrid
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Me encanta leeros cada semana, os comparto siempre con mis amigos "expats" y madrileños/españoles cada vez que pueda.
Muchas thank you's from a 16-year-old long-term resident of Madrid :)