And Madrid is back to doing what it does best â hot weather! Which means your weekend plans just got way (literally) cooler.
Weâre leaning all the way into it this week, either cooling off at the cityâs public pools, eating your way through Madrid Food Fest (Michelin chefs!) or going full techno at Maudes Festival.
If youâre feeling more refined, thereâs a surprisingly fun Hamlet remix, a low-key marimba recital, and enough cultural options to pretend youâre balanced. If all else fails, thereâs always Netflix and (again, literally) chill.
Happy weekend!
1. đ Madrid Food Fest: Where street food goes Michelin
You know what? We really should promote more the long-lost art of eating and sobremesa. Weâre so glued to our phones all the time, when instead we should be talking to our (possibly inebriated) loved ones. Maybe itâs time to change that, and we have the perfect activity for you and your friends.
The Madrid Food Fest offers the unique opportunity of eating like a Michelin inspector but paying like a poor normal human. This event is what happens when some of the countryâs top chefs decide to ditch their fancy tablecloths and go full street food. Itâs their version of sluming.
The Museo del Ferrocarril turns into a playground for food people (aka all of us) for one week only. There will be chefs with Michelin stars and Repsol suns, such as Miguel Carretero, Dani Ochoa, LucĂa GrĂĄvalos, and Juan DâOnofrio, serving scaled-down, street-style versions of their signature dishes.
So instead of having to make a reservation, plan logistics, and commit a sizable amount of money to an overpriced meal, the MFF offers the chance to taste the same meal while standing up, probably with something dripping down your hand. Glamorous? Nah. Cheap? Def. Delicious? Fuck yes.
But wait, thereâs more. The whole thing is designed as an experience: a market packed with artisan producers (cheeses, Madrid wines, kombucha startups, even zero-waste products), live showcookings, podcasts being recorded in real time, music, DJs, and workshops (letâs be honest, you donât care about those unless thereâs, like, samples.
There you have it. High-end cuisine, stripped of its pomp and dropped into a setting where you can try a bit of everything without committing to a full tasting menu. Madridâs top culinary scene in one go.
đ Where: Museo del Ferrocarril, Paseo de las Delicias 61, Madrid
đ When: May 23â24, 11 a.m.
đ Tickets start at âŹ12.50
2. đ Stand-up tragedy: Hamlet, now with punchlines
Now that your belly is full and youâve recovered from your post-San Isidro drunken stupor, maybe we could do something highbrow for a change? If youâre into it, hereâs an interesting option: Hamlet, but without the existential dread and a slightly⊠funnier.
The Teatro Español is staging a modern adaptation of Shakespeareâs classic that does something borderline sacrilegious: it turns the Prince of Denmark into a stand-up comedian.
Written and directed by Sergi Belbel, the play takes just the first act of Hamlet and rebuilds it as a one-man show starring Catalan actor Enric Cambray. And when we say one-man show, we mean it: Cambray is alone on stage, breaking down the text, commenting on it, questioning it, and, at times, straight-up roasting it.
The innovative part is that it lowers the barrier to Shakespeare without dumbing it down. Youâre still getting all of the playâs dilemmas, but filtered through humor, irony, and a very 2026 sensibility.
Instead of treating Shakespeare like a sacred, untouchable relic, this show treats it like something you can poke, question, and laugh at with. That balance is hard to pull off, and yet Belbel does.
Attention, music fans! Do you prefer basslines, lasers, and a crowd that looks like it hasnât slept since yesterday super hot to pretentious Shakespeare stuff? Then we have great news: Maudes Festival is back! And itâs going all in.
Taking over Parque Enrique Tierno GalvĂĄn across three dates, this open-air electronic festival is becoming one of Madridâs most immersive music experiences.
This yearâs theme (The Green Nation) leans into a kind of retro-futuristic, industrial aesthetic where techno meets environmental consciousness. Yes, itâs a rave and many people there probably donât recycle, but itâs the thought that counts.
The lineup is stacked with big names in the electronic scene: Fisher, Ăme, The Blessed Madonna and Argy, alongside local favorites like Les Castizos. Itâs a mix of heavy-hitting international sets and crowd-pleasing energy that will carry you well into the early hours.
BTW, Maudes isnât just about techno music. Thereâs also art installations, branded spaces, interactive activities, and a social/environmental angle that tries to give the festival a bit more depth than your average âstand in a field and danceâ situation. Have fun!
đ Where: Parque Enrique Tierno GalvĂĄn, Calle Meneses 4, Madrid
đ When: May 23 (Additional dates: May 30 & 31)
đ Tickets start at âŹ39,95 (âŹ32,95 if you get in before 5:30 p.m.)
4. đȘ Conrado Moya gives classical music a marimba makeover
Thereâs no marimba emoji so a pair of maracas will have to do. Apologies.
If techno/EDM is not for you because you think youâre better than that, fair enough. Lucky for you we have a musical option that is probably a bit more refined (read: no bass drops, no crowds, no hangover). Get ready, this is your chance to watch someone absolutely shred a marimba.
A what now? If you thought marimba was just an annoying iPhone ringtone, youâd be wrong. And if you thought it was just a fancy xylophone, youâd also be wrong! (Although they are part of the same mallet percussion family, so points for trying.) If youâre still wondering what a marimba sounds like, think of the first few seconds of The Little Mermaidâs Under the Sea. Thatâs it.
But we digress. Conrado Moya, one of the instrumentâs top international performers, is taking over the SalĂłn del Ateneo with a recital that turns the marimba into the center of a full classical experience. And not just any program; this one jumps from Bach to Gershwin to contemporary compositions, all filtered through an instrument most people still think belongs to a singing crab with a Trinidadian accent.
What makes this interesting is that this is a kind of personal map of Moyaâs artistic journey. The pieces heâs chosen are the ones that shaped him, the ones heâs grown with, and in some cases, the ones written for him. It all builds toward a Madrid premiere, Las ninfas de Nisa, which closes the night.
Want niche? This is niche. Solid cultural flex.
PS: Is Under the Sea stuck in your head now? It is in ours and can you blame us? Itâs a bop.
đ Where: Ateneo de Madrid, Calle Prado 21, Madrid
đ When: May 23, 7:30 p.m.
đ Tickets start at âŹ14,28
5. đŠ Itâs officially pool season in Madrid!
Itâs the perfect place to sing Under the Sea!
Pool season is here! And it means two things: the city is about to get unbearably hot, and everyone suddenly becomes very strategic about where to cool off. The lucky ones will flee to Mallorca or Marbella, while the plebs (i.e. us) will stay in the city. The good news? The municipal pools are back, and there are lots of them.
22 of Madridâs 25 public outdoor pools are already open, with the remaining three joining in early June. Prices are staying the same, with full-day tickets at âŹ4.50 for adultsâor âŹ2.25 for a tactical half-day escape from the heat. (Youâll need to plan ahead: most tickets are sold online in advance, and the good spots go fast.)
The system is the usual controlled chaos. You pick your slotâmorning, afternoon, or full dayâscan your QR code, and try to claim a decent patch of grass before someone else does. But once youâre in, itâs peak Madrid summer energy: people swimming, friends pretending theyâll âjust stay an hourâ and leaving at sunset.
This year thereâs also a bit more going on beyond just floating in water. The city is rolling out free âexpress classesâ like aquafitness and stretching sessions, plus even CPR workshops if youâre feeling unexpectedly productive mid-heatwave.
If the municipal pools are packed, youâve also got the regional onesâslightly pricier, same idea, equally necessary.
đ Tickets start at âŹ4.50 (even cheaper for kids!)
đș What to watch if youâre staying in this weekendâŠ
đ„ïž What:Many People Need to Die (Se tiene que morir mucha gente) | TV Series | 2026
đWhere to watch: Movistar+
âWhatâs it about: Donât be misled by the title. This is actually a comedy about three women in their forties who deal with midlife chaos: addiction, career struggles, and marriage to a wealthy older man. As one friend's life unravels, their longtime bond faces its biggest challenge.
Whatâs it about: ABYA is simply a full-blown spectacle set inside the Palacio de Saldaña in Madridâs Golden Mile. Add caviar and luxury ingredients sitting comfortably next to a very well-executed burger, and it feels more like an art gallery than a restaurant.
Why you should go: Because itâs theatrical, over-the-top, and unapologetically extravagant, without losing sight of the food. Even if you need to splurge (seriously), and the project screams luxury, thereâs a clear attempt to make it feel like more than just a place for the ultra-rich.
Bottom line: ABYA is big, bold and expensive, but itâs absolutely worth checking out at least once, if only to see what happens when ambition runs wild in a kitchen.
Why you should go: Because the coffee is seriously good. Itâs one of those rare espressos that actually makes you stop mid-sip and go, âdamn!â. Credit goes to the baristas behind the machine, who treat coffee like a craft, not a routine.
Bottom line: Itâs small, itâs simple, and thatâs exactly the point. Go, order an espresso or a latter, enjoy it, and leave feeling like you just discovered one of Madridâs better-kept coffee secrets
Address: Calle de Perez Galdos 2, Madrid
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