I know. You havenât even finished carving out your pumpkins and yet the Christmas lights are already adorning the city streets like itâs Dec. 8. But you can relax: this is all due to the insane logistics of setting them up (it takes a long time) and not because we donât care about Halloween Noche de Brujas.
So if youâre mentally exhausted from the spooky seasonâs doom and gloom (thanks to the housing crisis in particular) we have some great options for you. (Yes, some of them involve death, but the fictional and/or ethereal kind, so you are all good.)
Happy weekend!
1. đ° Madrid is once again opening its secret doors (and youâre invited)
Dear peasant: Ever walk past a beautiful building in Madrid and wonder what's inside? Well, hereâs your chance to find out! This week, Madrid Otra Mirada (aka MOM, a weird acronym in English) is back, giving you free access to some of the cityâs most fascinating (and usually off-limits) places.
This annual celebration of Madridâs architectural and cultural heritage â now in its 14th edition â is bigger than ever, with 205 locations and 250 activities, including guided tours, concerts, exhibitions, workshops, and even theatrical performances. This is a great opportunity to learn more about the city you live in and venture beyond the M-30 beltway without sounding like Kim Kardashian in Mexico.
Palaces and hidden treasures. Explore historic buildings and cultural institutions, including newcomers like the Council of State, the Royal Collections Gallery, and Palacio de Gaviria.
Culture without spending a euro (the best kind of culture!). Check out the jazz concerts, guided walks, art workshops, and visits to places like the Faro de Moncloa (that UFO-shaped monstrosity that looks like some half-built Soviet project from the 60s), where you can take in spectacular views of Madrid.
Thereâs just one catch. All activities require reservations through the official booking platform, so you better hurry up. Worst-case scenario, there are still 25 activities that donât require advance registration, including visits to the British Cemetery, several churches, cultural centers, and concerts.
Check the official brochure for their dates and times.
đïžTickets: Free, but many activities require advance registration.
2. đ O Captain! My Captain! Dead Poets Society comes to Madrid
Hereâs a fun fact: Thereâs this really old movie from the late 20th century that is largely responsible for that supposedly original tattoo in Latin that you got on your self-discovery trip to Thailand, Costa Rica (or one of those). If youâve ever wondered why âCarpe Diemâ is as popular as a Paulo Coelho book, you can blame Robin Williams for it (Google him, kids!)
Dead Poets Society is a tear-inducing 1989 Oscar-winning film thatâs been adapted to the stage and is playing in Madrid with Spanish actor Juanjo Artero (Google him, kids!) stepping into Williamsâ iconic role.
The play is set in a strict American boarding school in 1959, and follows John Keating, an unconventional English teacher who encourages his students to question authority, think independently, and seize the day (aka carpe the diem).
Inspired by his teachings, a group of boys resurrects a secret society where they meet at night to read poetry and dream about the lives they actually want to live (here in Spain we call it a club and not a society either because âsocietyâ sounds either too elitist or because La Sociedad de los Poetas Muertos is kind of a mouthful. Latin America went with âsociedadâ and it barely fits the poster).
This production brings back everything that made the original film a classic: friendship, rebellion, the pressure to conform, and the courage to follow your own path.
If you can,bring someone whoâs never seen the movie. And maybe a tissue or two. If you know, you know. Oh, and I donât think I need to clarify, but the play is obviously in Spanish.
If poetas muertos are not your thing, you can try other types of muertos. The Day of the Dead is approaching and, while it may sound like something created by George A. Romero (donât make me ask you to Google him), itâs actually one of the most beautiful celebrations this season.
Inspired by a cemetery in the mountains of MichoacĂĄn, this installation recreates the mystical night when (at least according to Mexican tradition), the souls of the dead return to visit the living. (OK, so I guess itis a little like something created by George A. Romero).
Expect thousands of colorful flowers, candles, incense, music, and monarch butterflies, which some Indigenous communities believe represent the returning souls of their ancestors.
This yearâs altar pays tribute to AgustĂn Lara, the legendary Mexican composer whose music helped connect Mexico and Spain. And thereâs more: three additional altars will be displayed at CentroCentro, Matadero, and Plaza de DaoĂz y Velarde.
Our advice? Donât just take a picture and leave. Take a moment to appreciate the symbolism behind the flowers and offerings. DĂa de Muertos isnât really about death. Itâs about keeping the memories of dead people alive.
4. đš Seba Calfuque: What if a river could tell its own story?
What if rivers could actually tell us their stories? Thatâs the idea behind CautĂn, a fascinating new exhibition at Madridâs Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum by Chilean artist Seba Calfuque, who is transgender and of Indigenous Mapuche heritage.
Seba is making her European solo exhibition debut with a series of newly commissioned works inspired by the CautĂn River, which flows from the Andes to the Pacific Ocean through southern Chile.
This isnât your typical landscape exhibition. Calfuque treats the river as a living being, one that has witnessed centuries of colonization, Indigenous resistance, and struggles over land and natural resources.
Through her work, she invites visitors to rethink humanityâs relationship with nature, drawing on the Mapuche worldview, in which water isnât simply a resource to be exploited but a source of life deserving respect.
If youâre looking for something beyond the usual European artists, this is an opportunity to discover a contemporary Indigenous perspective on art, history, and the environment.
đWhere: Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, Paseo del Prado 8, Madrid
đ When: Through Jan. 17, 2027
đïžTickets start at âŹ14
5. đš At last! After two years, Museo Sorolla is finally reopening
After a long renovation, one of Madridâs most beautiful museums is back! The Museo Sorolla reopened its doors yesterday, finally giving visitors once again the chance to explore the former home and studio of JoaquĂn Sorolla (one of Spainâs most celebrated painters).
And what better way to celebrate than with an exhibition about the house itself?Tras la casa del artista: Arquitecturas del Museo Sorolla (1905â2026) takes visitors on a journey through more than a century of history, revealing how Sorollaâs private residence became the museum we know today.
The exhibition also introduces visitors to the museumâs newly expanded spaces, designed by Nieto Sobejano Arquitectos, where natural light takes center stage, just as it did in Sorollaâs paintings.
Our advice? Even if youâve visited before, this is the perfect excuse to return. Few places in Madrid offer such an intimate glimpse into an artistâs life.
Whatâs it about? Located in the uber-cool Salesas neighborhood, Los 33 is a restaurant and bar with great food and great music opened in 2022 by Nacho Ventosa and Sara Aznar. The place has become one of Madrid's hottest tables, even earning its first Sol Repsol in 2026.
Why you should go: You need to try their legendary grilled bikini sandwich, made with Italian bread, melted Havarti cheese, thinly sliced prosciutto, and smoked butter. Also, los 33 has a collection of more than 3,000 vinyl records, played on vintage sound equipment, with DJs taking over every night after 9 p.m.
Bottom line: Order the bikini, and don't make plans for afterward. Dinner here has a habit of turning into a night out.
đ Address: Plaza de las Salesas 9, Madrid
đ· Ultramarinos MarĂn: Barcelona's coolest bar lands in Malasaña
Whatâs it about: Ultramarinos MarĂn brings its old-school Spanish tavern concept all the way from Barcelona to Malasaña, combining traditional neighborhood-bar charm with seriously good food.
đ€Žđ»King Felipe VI plays matchmaker in primary school (and itâs hillarious)
đ« This donkey thinks itâs a bull (spoiler: itâs not)
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