🇪🇸 What's on in Madrid: October 10
Spain's National Day, a cool military parade, Bomba Estéreo and more!
Madrid | Issue #117
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Here Are 5 Things to Do in Madrid This Weekend
Happy National Day, y’all!
Madrid is gearing up for a packed long weekend — and this one has everything from military parades and national pride to avant-garde art and existential theatre.
With the Fiesta Nacional taking over Paseo del Prado and Recoletos this Sunday, the city will be at its most patriotic — planes painting the sky red and yellow, streets filled with uniforms, and crowds waving flags under the autumn sun.
But beyond the pomp and ceremony, Madrid’s cultural pulse will be just as strong: from the Hispanidad celebrations spreading music and dance across the city, to Estampa, the contemporary art fair turning IFEMA into a gallery maze of bold ideas and big names.
Grab a friend, a few snacks, and get ready for non-stop partying!
Happy weekend. 😎
1.🇪🇸 Celebrate National Day and hang out with the King and Queen
Those fighter jets that have been flying over your head these last few days? No, it’s not Russia finally deciding to invade. It’s actually the Spanish Air Force rehearsing this Sunday’s massive military parade taking place in downtown Madrid to commemorate Oct. 12, a day symbolizing Spain’s historical and cultural reach.
The event showcases all branches of Spain’s security apparatus — the Armed Forces, Guardia Civil, National Police, and Maritime Rescue — with both ground units and aerial displays.
There is tons happening! The itinerary includes: arrival of the King and Queen; honors to military authorities; a parachute jump (someone sometimes gets tangled in a tree, which is hillarz); the solemn raising of the national flag accompanied by a tribute to the fallen; and the combined air and land parade featuring military formations, vehicles, and aircraft.
This year, the schedule begins at 11:00 a.m., and the ground parade is expected to last about 40 minutes. The Tribuna Real (Royal Tribune) will be situated in Plaza Neptuno, where the monarchs, government, and regional officials will preside over proceedings.
Arrive early if you want to secure a good vantage point (the best spots vanish quickly) and bring layers just in case. There won’t be easy access during the parade. If you can’t make it, it will be broadcast live on RTVE beginning at 10:50 a.m
🖥️ What: National Day Parade
📍 Where: The procession follows the route from Glorieta del Emperador Carlos V → Paseo del Prado → Plaza de Cibeles → Paseo de Recoletos → Plaza de Colón
📅 When: Oct. 12, 11 a.m.
🎟 Tickets: Free admission
2. 🌍 Día de la Hispanidad
Will you attend the parade? Great! But we have great news: that’s just the cherry on top! This weekend, Madrid celebrates the end of the Hispanidad week with tons of festivities celebrating Spanish and Ibero-American culture.
The city will pulse with music, movement, and shared identity. From Friday through Sunday, the capital turns into a party as it explores the ties — historic, linguistic, artistic — that bind Spain to Latin America, while also giving space to voices reshaping those connections.
On Saturday, expect plazas like Plaza Mayor and Plaza de la Villa to come alive with folkloric dancers, percussion ensembles, and poetry readings from Spanish-speaking countries.
You might catch a flamenco-Latin crossover band at a plaza corner or hear the rhythms of cumbia and son wafting down narrow city alleys. Sunday evening brings a more formal crescendo: a “Noche de Hispanidad” outdoor concert featuring artists from both sides of the Atlantic, weaving Iberian and Latin American styles into one sonic tapestry.
What’s best, on Sunday, you can catch Bomba Estéreo or Kevin Johansen live.
Madrid will be speaking Spanish, Portuguese, Quechua, Guaraní, and a dozen other dialects — don’t miss them!
🖥️ What: Dia de la Hispanidad Weekend
📍 Where: Multiple venues across Madrid
📅 When: Oct. 10-12. Check program for schedule
🎟 Tickets: Free admission
3.🎨 Madrid’s biggest contemporary art fair returns: Estampa 2025
Not into crowds and celebrating hispanidad? You’re in luck; there are other options.
If you’re an art lover, Madrid’s IFEMA is the only place to be this weekend, as the Estampa Contemporary Art Fair celebrates its 33rd edition, transforming Pavilion 6 into a hub for collectors, curators, and anyone curious about the pulse of Spain’s art scene.
This year’s fair brings together more than 80 national and international galleries, from long-established heavyweights like Max Estrella, Mayoral, and Espacio Mínimo to younger, risk-taking names that are reshaping the market.
The result is a vibrant mix that captures both the institutional and the experimental sides of contemporary art. Alongside the general exhibition, Estampa features curated sections, roundtables, and forums that explore new collecting trends and the future of the art market.
New this year is “Ensayo Futuro,” a section curated by Jesús Alcaide dedicated to emerging galleries and project spaces — a breath of fresh air for those looking to discover the next big names in Madrid’s art ecosystem.
In short, this weekend you get to enjoy established galleries, fresh talent, and a growing network of collectors. Estampa 2025 confirms Madrid’s growing reputation as one of Europe’s most dynamic contemporary art capitals. Don’t miss it.
🖥️ What: Estampa Contemporary Art Fair 2025
📍 Where: IFEMA. Avenida del Partenón, 5, Pabellón 6, Madrid.
📅 When: Through Oct. 12. Check website for opening hours.
🎟 Tickets start at €11
4. 🎥 Expresionismo: Expressionism Meets Cinema at Fundación Canaliza
A century after it changed the art world forever, Expressionism is returning to Madrid — this time, on screen.
The Fundación Canal presents “Expressionism and Cinema”, a groundbreaking exhibition at its Sala Mateo Inurria 2 space, exploring how the early 20th-century avant-garde movement transformed the language of film.
For the first time in Spain, visitors can experience a dialogue between painters, filmmakers, and visionaries who blurred the boundaries between canvas and celluloid.
Through 152 works and film fragments, the exhibition takes you from The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari to Metropolis, alongside the haunting urban scenes of Otto Dix and the emotionally raw portraits of Käthe Kollwitz. Together, they reveal how Expressionism’s twisted perspectives and heightened emotions helped create cinema as we know it — a medium capable of mirroring our most unsettling dreams.
While it’s a historical survey, this exhibition feels startlingly contemporary. Its influence runs deep in the works of Tim Burton, Guillermo del Toro, and David Lynch, directors who continue to channel the movement’s fascination with light, shadow, and the human psyche.
🖥️ What: Expresionismo: Un arte de cine
📍 Where: Fundación Canal. Sala Mateo Inurría. Calle de Mateo Inurria, 2, Madrid
📅 When: Through Jan. 4. Check website for opening hours.
🎟 Tickets: Free admission
5.🎭 Mario Gas stars in “Joyful Pessimism (My Suicide)” at Teatro Español
The acclaimed director, playwright, and actor Mario Gas returns to the stage with Joyful Pessimism (My Suicide), an adaptation of Henri Roorda’s 1925 philosophical memoir.
The production, directed by Fernando Bernués, runs until Nov. 2 at Teatro Español, with performances from Tuesday to Sunday.
Mi suicidio is not a morbid meditation on death — it’s a reflection on the freedom to think about life until its final moment.
Adapted from Roorda’s lucid, ironic, and deeply human text, the play dissects love, desire, friendship, education, capitalism, and the meaning of existence with both humor and tenderness. Instead of despair, it offers clarity; instead of tragedy, a strange, luminous serenity.
Gas delivers Roorda’s words with the elegance and warmth that have defined his long career. The result is a performance that manages to be philosophical without pretension and emotional without sentimentality — a rare balance of depth and lightness that makes you leave the theater more alive than when you entered.
🖥️ What: El Pesimismo Alegre
📍 Where: Teatro Español, Calle del Príncipe 25, Madrid
📅 When: Through Nov. 2. Check website for schedules.
🎟 Tickets: From €18
📺 What to watch if you’re staying in this weekend…
🖥️ What: Weiss & Morales | Miniseries | 2025
📍Where to watch: Netflix
❓What’s it about: A German BKA agent and a Spanish Civil Guard sergeant reluctantly team up to investigate a crime in the Canary Islands’ German community, navigating cultural differences.
🤩 Why you should watch: Because beyond the murder mystery, the show thrives on its chemistry. Silvestre and Fellin’s dynamic is electric and layered with flirtation. The production also makes full use of the islands’ rugged beauty, turning every cliff, marina, and volcanic road into cinematic noir under the sun.
💬 English Subtitles: No.
🤤 Something to try this weekend…
🪩 Anonimo Club: The Secret Italian Dinner That Turns Into Madrid’s Chicest Party
What’s it about: Anonimo Club is one of Madrid’s most stylish hidden gems — a restaurant and underground club rolled into one. Tucked beneath the elegant Italian eatery Fellina, it transforms after dinner into an intimate space where fine dining gives way to cocktails, DJs, and deep house beats. Think speakeasy vibes with Italian flair, where the night unfolds seamlessly from table to dance floor.
Why you should go: Because it’s not just another club — it’s an experience. Start upstairs with a negroni and a plate of truffle pasta, then slip downstairs into the low-lit, brick-walled club as the music picks up. The mix of great food, curated sound, and a well-dressed crowd makes Anonimo Club one of Madrid’s most sophisticated nightlife options.
Bottom line: Part dinner, part party, all style — Anonimo Club proves that nightlife can be both elegant and electric. Perfect for those who want a full night out without changing venues.
📍 Calle Caracas, 21, Madrid
💿 La Analógica: Where Vinyl Spins, Cocktails Flow, and Time Slows Down
What it’s about: La Analógica is a hi-fi cocktail bar in Madrid’s Barrio de las Letras where every detail leans into analog: vinyl-only music, film photography, and a vintage indie-rock aesthetic. The place is a sensory escape — the music plays on turntables, photos are shot on film, and the cocktails are crafted to match that slow, tangible atmosphere.
Why you should go: If you’re tired of bars that feel soulless and polished, La Analógica gives you something real. Their 18-cocktail “Mixtape Volume 1” menu is built around songs, blending flavor and sound in thematic pairings. The setting is cozy but serious about music — there’s a vinyl collection and three turntables — and the staff clearly cares about each drink.
Bottom line: La Analógica is a refuge for music lovers who want their evening to feel curated. If you believe cocktails should carry stories and that a bar should have character, this is your next stop.
📍 Address: Calle de las Huertas, 65, Madrid.
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