đ„ What's on in Madrid: May 1
Some shots will be fired in Madrid this weekend! (Don't worry, it's just a reenactment).
Madrid | Issue #143
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Here Are 5 Things to Do in Madrid This Weekend
Itâs Friday again (and a holiday)!
This weekend is basically a collision of everything: history spilling into the streets with 2 de Mayo reenactments, rooftops opening up all over the city, and a lineup of cultural plans that range from thoughtful to chaotic (in a good way).
Are you in the mood to time-travel to 1808? Or maybe sip something overpriced on a rooftop? Or just wander into whateverâs happening and call it a plan? We have great news, because this XL weekend is offering lots of possibilities (even the Madrid Open tennis tournament!).
Happy weekend đ§
1. đȘ Community of Madrid Day: the city goes full 1800s with history, chaos, and a massive party
Madridâs big moment is here! If youâve ever wanted to learn more about this cityâs history but opening a book feels soooo 20th century, youâre in luck: the 2 de Mayo celebrations are here to show you what happens when a national uprising that left hundreds of people dead gets rebranded as a long weekend of concerts, sun, and fun!
History lesson. May 2, 1808, was the day that the population of Madrid rose against Napoleonâs troops occupying the city. It didnât go so great (Goya created one of his most iconic paintings to make sure we never forget), but fast forward several centuries, and itâs now one of the most symbolic (and fun!) dates in the cityâs calendar. It is, now, officially considered the Day of the Community of Madrid.
Across Madrid, things get very busy. The Explanada de Puente del Rey turns into the unofficial HQ of the celebrations, with live concerts, crowds, and people who say they are there to learn history, but really, they just care about the beer.
Elsewhere, youâve got traditional folklore performances, brass bands popping up in different towns, and even a full-on drone show lighting up the sky in La Latina.
If youâre into
animal crueltyâtraditionâ, thereâs a bullfight in Las Ventas (honestly, very on-brand for the day).There are smaller,
less brutalmore local traditions like the Mayas festivals (not related to Mexicoâs Maya culture) happening across the region, where things get a bit more folkloric as they involve a young girl adorned with flowers (often wearing a crown) who sits on an altar or in a decorated spot during May festivals.
So yeah, itâs one of those weekends where the past and present collide, and where history gets just enough of a glow-up to make you actually care. (The rest of the year, you can go back to watching Ancient Aliens on the History network).
đ„ïž What: Madridâs 2 de Mayo Festivities
đ Where: Multiple locations around Madrid. See links above.
đ When: May 1-3
đ Tickets: Mostly free entry (some events ticketed, access subject to capacity)
2. đ„ Muskets in Madrid: the uprising returns, with a reenactment playing live in the streets
If youâve ever wondered what Madrid looked like when things got deadly, this is your chance to see it live (except for the actual killing, obvi). The city is once again recreating the 2 de Mayo uprising, when locals decided theyâd had enough of Napoleonâs troops, and things escalated quickly.
For two days, Madrid turns into a historical film set, with committed performers, real uniforms, and gunfire. The whole thing is led by the AsociaciĂłn HistĂłrico-Cultural Voluntarios de Madrid 1808â1814, a group thatâs been doing this for over 20 years, which means theyâre either passionate or just really into uniforms. Or both.
Things kick off today with reenactments in TorrejĂłn de Ardoz and VicĂĄlvaro, where youâll see full-on street battles between locals and French troops. Then, tomorrow (May 2), things move into central Madrid, and that's when it gets good.
At 12 p.m., right next to the Banco de España metro station, youâll get a pasacalles down AlcalĂĄ (yes, actual soldiers marching through modern Madrid), followed by a dramatic reenactment at the Puerta del Sol at 1 p.m. of the iconic âÂĄQue nos lo llevan!â (âThey are taking him away!â) moment â basically the spark that lit the whole uprising after the French troops attempted to remove Infante Francisco de Paulaâthe last remaining member of the Royal Family in the city.
And then, the main event: the defense of the MonteleĂłn artillery barracks at Puente del Rey, which is as intense as it sounds.
So if youâre into history, or just want to watch people in period costumes scream at each other in the middle of the street, this oneâs for you.
đ„ïž What: 2 de Mayo Historical Reenactments
đ Where: Puente del Rey, Puerta del Sol, TorrejĂłn de Ardoz and VicĂĄlvaro
đ When: May 1â2
đ Tickets: Free entry (access subject to capacity)
3. đ Madrid a Cielo Abierto: rooftops, drinks, repeat
Indoors is for the winter. Rooftop lovers, rejoice! Madrid A Cielo Abierto is back, and for 11 days the cityâs hotels basically unlock their best-kept secrets â rooftops, terraces, gardens, pools â and invite you in like you belong there.
Now, this isnât your average âgrab a drink and leaveâ situation. Weâre talking sunset sessions with views that make you reconsider your current apartment, rooftop workouts (yes, thatâs a thing), jazz nights, open-air cinema, brunches that start civilized and end in fights similar to the ones you see on Real Housewives, and enough tardeos to justify calling it a lifestyle.
More than 50 different plans are spread across some of Madridâs best hotels. From the polished elegance of the Four Seasons to the effortlessly cool Only You or the classic rooftop vibes of H10 Puerta de AlcalĂĄ.
If youâve been meaning to explore the cityâs rooftops but never quite made it past the Azotea del CĂrculo, this is your best time to do it.
đ„ïž What: Madrid A Cielo Abierto (Open-Air Hotel Rooftop Festival)
đ Where: Multiple hotels across Madrid
đ When: May 1â10
đ Tickets: Free entry/pay per drink
4. đ Trauma, inheritance, and secrets nobody asked for: âI just want to go to Franceâ is a play that digs deep
If youâre in the mood for something a bit heavier than rooftop cocktails and muskets being fired, this one hits differently. Elisabeth Larenaâs debut play is a story that starts like a mystery and slowly turns into something much more uncomfortable: the kind of past that refuses to stay buried.
It all begins with a funeral and a very weird inheritance. InĂ©s shows up at the wake of a woman sheâs never met, only to discover sheâs been left her house⊠instead of the dead womanâs own granddaughter. What follows is a slow excavation of everything that went wrong.
As the main characters start digging into the womanâs past, they uncover a story shaped by the final years of the Spanish Civil War and the suffocating influence of Francoist institutions and the kind of ideological machinery that didnât just control lives back then, but quietly echoes into the present.
This play is about the emotional leftovers of a bygone era that get passed down without anyone consciously choosing them.
It leans into a female, multi-generational perspective that feels intimate, reflective, and at times a bit too real.
đ„ïž What: I just want to go to France
đ Where: Gran Teatro PavĂłn, C. de Embajadores 9, Madrid
đ When: Through May 23 (Wednesday to Sunday)
đ Tickets start at âŹ24
5. đż Giant sculptures, hidden gardens, and a rare excuse to snoop inside Banca March
This city doesnât usually let you wander into private gardens in the middle of the city. But for its 100th anniversary, Banca March is doing exactly that, reopening its secret garden and filling it with the kind of art that makes you stop doomscrolling.
The star of the show is British sculptor Thomas Houseago, getting his first major exhibition in Spain. And this isnât subtle, minimalist stuff. We mean massive, raw, slightly unsettling human figures â some pushing five meters tall â made from a mix of traditional materials like bronze and plaster. Itâs like a classical sculpture thatâs also part construction site.
Houseagoâs whole thing is blending influences that shouldnât really coexist: ancient sculpture, Rodin, Picasso⊠and then suddenly Ziggy Stardust or Darth Vader. Itâs all timeless and very now.
And honestly, half the appeal here is the setting. The Banca March garden in Salamanca is one of those places most people walk past without even realizing it exists â a quiet, green pocket in the city centre with over 1,600 square meters of vegetation, ponds, and curated calm. It rarely opens, which makes this feel a bit like being let in on a secret.
đ„ïž What: Thomas Houseago Exhibition at Banca March Garden
đ Where: Banca March Gardens, C. de CastellĂł 75, Madrid
đ When: May 1 â Oct. 30
đ Tickets: Free entry (access subject to capacity)
đș What to watch if youâre staying in this weekendâŠ
đ„ïž What: Naughty Business (Cochinas) | TV Series | 2026
đWhere to watch: Amazon Prime Video
âWhatâs it about: In 1998, a conservative housewife has to confront her beliefs when her husband falls into a coma, leaving her in charge of their video store on the brink of bankruptcy. She specializes in selling adult films, causing uproar in the neighborhood.
đ€© Why you should watch: Because itâs the kind of show that sounds like it shouldnât work (conservative, small-town women in the late 90s accidentally reinventing themselves through the porn section of a video store) and yet somehow it does. Itâs sharp, funny, and a nostalgic love letter to VHS-era cinema, packed with references that hit if you grew up around video stores. Itâs also a slow, awkward (and often hilarious) sexual awakening told from a female perspective.
đŹ English Subtitles: Yes. Oh, and also itâs not for kids.
đđ» Places to try this weekendâŠ
đ Ponzano gets its groove back: Nolita is already the place to beat
Whatâs it about: Nolita is what happens when two Basque Culinary Center grads ditch New Yorkâs Little Spain and land in Ponzano with something to prove. The concept: informal, loud, slightly chaotic, and built around âtapas viajerasâ â small, bold bites with global influences but a Mediterranean backbone.
Why you should go: Because the food hits that sweet spot between playful and precise: gildas with red tuna, boquerĂłn on brioche with blueberries, and a now-hyped ensaladilla wrapped in nori with eel. Add a tight, rotating menu, a strong wine list in progress, and a bar where everything happens in front of you, and youâve got energy and an incredible place.
Bottom line: Nolita is exactly what Ponzano needed. Go for the food, just accept that getting a table might require some strategy.
Address: Calle de Ponzano, 11, Madrid
đ· The show goes on: Madridâs jazz temple refuses to die
Whatâs it about: Madridâs most iconic jazz club, CafĂ© Central, closed its historic location at Plaza del Ăngel⊠and reopened 24 hours later inside the Ateneo. After more than 40 years and 14,000+ concerts, the move marks the end of one chapter â and the immediate start of another.
Why you should go: Because it nails that very specific fantasy for people who live here: an aperitivo that turns into dinner that turns into âone last drink.â Upstairs, the rooftop leans Mediterranean and a bit more refined. Downstairs, La GalerĂa is all about sharing plates and good energy.
Bottom line: Nothing really dies here â it just gets a new address. If you care about Madridâs cultural institutions, this is one to show up for.
Address: Calle de Santa Catalina, 10 (Ateneo de Madrid), Madrid
đšđ»âđ» Viral Memes of the Week
đ· Water, meet wine
đ€ 5 best moments of the blackout (btw #1 is fake news â itâs actually from the COVID lockdowns)
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