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đŸ’Œ What's on in Madrid: September 4

Back to work, everybody! Because adulting sucks.

Are these two guys performative males? You get to decide.

Madrid | Issue #160

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Here Are 5 Things to Do in Madrid (and Surroundings!) This Weekend

It’s Friday again!

Is summer over, or are we trapped in some kind of time loop endlessly repeating the unsettling nothingness of August?

  • It’s getting hard to tell. Madrid is still surprisingly empty, which, admittedly, isn’t unusual for this time of year, and the city’s cultural calendar hasn’t exactly roared back to life yet. In other words: there’s still not, like, a lot to do.

  • This weekend, squeeze in one last afternoon at the pool before they close for the season, wander through the Prado and Thyssen after dark for free, travel back to the Middle Ages, or join 30+ artists at Coca-Cola Music Experience.

Happy weekend!

1. đŸŽ€ Coca Cola Music Experience: Two days, 30+ artists and one massive end-of-summer festival

Want to send summer off with something considerably louder than a day at the pool (more on that below)? Coca-Cola Music Experience is back this weekend. The two-day festival takes over Iberdrola Music for its 16th edition, bringing together more than 30 Spanish and international artists across pop, reggaeton, urban music and electronic music.

  • The lineup is pretty ridiculous. Melendi, Wisin, Dellafuente, Milo J and Dimitri Vegas are among the biggest names, joined by Omar Montes, Natalia Lacunza, Lucho RK, Ruslana, Violeta, Dei V, YSY A, Taichu, Pepe y Vizio and plenty more. (If you don’t know who these people are, you’re probably an old).

  • Hosted once again by radio personality Tony Aguilar, CCME is designed as a giant pop-music celebration, mixing established stars with emerging artists, plus activities and other surprises throughout both days.

If you want to confuse your Spotify algorithm, pick this event. It includes pop, reggaeton, rap, and EDM. And with two full days of music, it’s a pretty spectacular way to close out Madrid’s summer festival season.

đŸ–„ïž What: Coca-Cola Music Experience 2026

📍 Where: Iberdrola Music, Calle Laguna Dalga, Madrid

📅 When: Sept. 4 & 5

đŸŽŸïž Tickets start at €42 (for one day)

2. đŸ· Fiesta de la Caldereta: Get drenched in wine and eat stew

Yum! Or as you’d say in Spain, ñam! If you didn’t have a chance to escape Madrid last weekend, I have another option this week that’s waaaaaay out of your comfort zone. Not only because it’s, like, far away from central Madrid, but also because it involves eating from a stew that may or may not be Soylent Green (Google it, kids!).

  • Kidding! Well, I’m kidding about the Soylent Green part, because this party is taking place in Hoyo de Manzanares, a small town that’s nowhere near Malasaña.

  • The town’s Fiestas Patronales are taking place this weekend in honor of its patron saint, the Virgen de la Encina. The festivities officially start today with the traditional pregĂłn, this year delivered jointly by the Peña el Huevo and AsociaciĂłn de Belenistas, which are celebrating their 30th and 25th anniversaries.

  • Sunday is the real reason to make the trip. It's the DĂ­a de la Caldereta (aka Stew Day), a local tradition big enough to have been declared a Festival of Regional Tourism Interest.

  • The whole day turns Hoyo into one enormous village party, beginning with pasacalles through the streets and continuing with traditional games, a bull run and a bullfighting festival.

  • Then comes the caldereta itself. The day culminates with the Gran Cena, a huge communal dinner serving a traditional Spanish stew of shepherding origins, made with meat (usually lamb), vegetables, olive oil and wine, followed by a verbena where the town keeps partying into the night.

  • Then there’s the wonderfully chaotic Riego del Vino (aka Wine Spraying): a tradition in which wine is sprayed over the crowd during the celebrations. (Maybe don’t wear your favorite white shirt).

If you’re afraid of venturing outside the M-30 beltway, this is definitely not for you.

đŸ„˜ What: Fiesta de la Caldereta

📍 Where: Hoyo de Manzanares, Madrid

📅 When: Sept. 4–9; Día de la Caldereta on Sunday

đŸŽŸïž Tickets: Free

3. 🏰 Travel back to the Middle Ages in a walled village

You guys remember the movie Timeline? No? Figures. It was pretty bad. It’s about a bunch of students who are sent back in time to medieval France, and everyone gets killed or something. I don’t recall; I think I fell asleep watching it.

  • Anyway, if you’ve always wondered what it was like for Paul Walker to get teleported there, your dream is about to come true because this weekend, Buitrago del Lozoya (one of the best-preserved historic towns in the Madrid region) turns its old center into a sprawling medieval market, with the town’s walls, castle and narrow streets providing a considerably more convincing backdrop than your average collection of tents in front of the mall.

  • The XXIV Feria Medieval de Buitrago del Lozoya runs through Sunday, filling the town with artisans, food stalls, musicians, jesters, storytellers and street performers.

  • There are circus and fire shows from Rithual’s, folk music from Raebellion Folk, La captura del DragĂłn Rojo and, after dark, Demonium, a large-scale nighttime parade that should provide some appropriately creepy medieval atmosphere.

  • The fair takes over several squares, with storytelling in Plaza del Gato, food, acrobatics and fire performances around Plaza del Castillo, and games and attractions in Plaza de Picasso.

  • You can also use the occasion to explore Buitrago’s medieval walls and Torre del Reloj at a reduced price, which is probably the best way to appreciate just how perfect a setting the town is for the whole thing.

If you’re complaining about the fact that this activity is also outside of Madrid, gimme a break; it’s not London’s Whitechapel in 1888.

👑 What: 24th Medieval Fair of Buitrago de Lozoya

📍 Where: Historic center of Buitrago del Lozoya, Madrid

📅 When: Through Sept. 6

đŸŽŸïž Tickets: Free admission

4. đŸ–Œïž Two museums, one very cultured Saturday night

Why choose between the Prado and the Thyssen when you can do both? This Saturday, two of Madrid’s greatest museums are opening their doors after dark, and you can turn the whole thing into a free nighttime art crawl along the Paseo del Prado.

  • Get off the TikToks and start at the Prado (which, as you know, opens late on the first Saturday of every month). There’s something undeniably cool about wandering through one of the world’s greatest museums at night, when the daytime crowds have disappeared, and VelĂĄzquez, Goya, and company suddenly feel a little more atmospheric.

  • The evening combines access to selected parts of the collection with cultural activities, music and other programming, and yes, admission is completely free.

  • Then walk five minutes up the Paseo del Prado to the Thyssen. Unlike the Prado, Thyssen Nights happen every Saturday, opening the museum’s temporary exhibitions for free from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m.

  • It’s a chance to see some of the museum’s most interesting rotating shows in a much more relaxed setting, and a pretty excellent alternative to immediately surrendering your Saturday night to a crowded bar.

Hit the Prado when it opens, wander up to the Thyssen afterward, and you’ve got several hours of world-class art for precisely €0. Just arrive early: free museum nights are not exactly one of Madrid’s best-kept secrets. (The city may be empty, but there are still tourists walking around).

đŸ›ïž What: Prado Museum at Night + Thyssen Nights

📍 Where: Museo del Prado (Paseo del Prado) + Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza (Paseo del Prado, 8)

📅 When: Sept 5 (Prado 8:30–11:30 p.m. / Thyssen 9–11 p.m.)

đŸŽŸïž Tickets: Free admission

5. 🏊 One last cruise dip before Madrid closes the pools

Summer is technically still hanging on, but Madrid’s public pools are about to call it a year, so if you’re into gay cruising swimming at the Complu or any of the other cool pools, you better hurry up.

  • This Sunday marks the end of the 2026 summer season for the Madrid region’s outdoor pools. Among the options are Canal de Isabel II, San Vicente de PaĂșl and the enormous Parque Deportivo Puerta de Hierro, where you can swim, sunbathe on the grass, gay cruise, read a book or simply lie there pretending the end of summer isn’t approaching.

  • The M86 swimming center is also included among the regional facilities, although conditions and prices vary depending on the pool.

  • And there’s an especially good reason to go if you’re a youth: holders of Madrid’s Carnet Joven can swim for free at several regional pools through September 6, with special discounts available at others.

  • Otherwise, admission remains remarkably cheap, topping out at around €5. Same-day tickets can be purchased online or through the DeportesCM app.

So consider this your warning: you have one final weekend to squeeze some summer out of Madrid before the gates close.

🍬 What: Madrid’s regional swimming pools

📍 Where: Multiple locations around Madrid

📅 When: Through Sept. 6

đŸŽŸïž Tickets: €0–€5

đŸ“ș What to watch if you don’t want to leave the couch this weekend


đŸ“ș Movie: The Righteous (Los Justos) | 2026

📍Where to watch: HBO Max

❓What’s it about: The 12 members of the jury in a high-profile case against an allegedly corrupt businessman receive a letter with a shocking offer: €1 million in exchange for finding him not guilty.

đŸ€© Why you should watch: Because it takes the 12 Angry Men setup and gives it a cynical twist, forcing ordinary people struggling with their own problems to decide exactly how much their principles are worth. The moral dilemma doesn’t always go as deep as it could, but a mix of tension and dark humor makes the experiment worth watching. Also, Carmen Machi is in it and she’s awesome.

💬 English Subtitles: Yes.

đŸ’ƒđŸ» Places to try this weekend


đŸ‡±đŸ‡§ TOÓM: Lebanese comfort food that gets it right

Instagram/Toom

What’s it about: TOÓM is a relaxed Lebanese deli built around the idea that food is better shared: fresh mezze, creamy hummus, falafel, grilled meats and excellent shawarma, all rooted in traditional Lebanese flavors.

Why you should go: Because the chicken shawarma is a standout, the falafel is among the best you’ll find in Madrid, and the mezze make it dangerously easy to keep ordering. There are also plenty of genuinely good vegetarian and vegan options, plus the kind of warm service that makes the whole place feel totally welcoming.

Bottom line: Authentic Lebanese food and generous sharing plates. Go with friends, order far too much, and leave happy.

📍 Address: Calle del Conde de Peñalver, 31, Madrid

☕ The Miners: Eastern Europe’s specialty coffee favorite lands in Chueca

The Miners

What’s it about: The Miners, the specialty coffee chain that started in Prague, has opened its third Madrid location and first in Chueca, just off Plaza Pedro Zerolo. Yay! They offer their own specialty coffee, properly whisked matcha (iced included), and the clean, contemporary atmosphere that has helped the brand expand across Europe.

Why you should go: Because this one feels particularly well suited to its neighborhood: one block back from the chaos of Gran Vía, with Plaza Pedro Zerolo essentially serving as Chueca’s living room. And they take the coffee seriously: their head of coffee, Boris Kalinin, was recently named Czech Roasting Champion.

Bottom line: A very welcome new addition to Chueca’s coffee scene and potentially your new spot for a flat white, an iced matcha and three hours of doing absolutely nothing around Plaza Pedro Zerolo.

Address: Calle de las Infantas 9, Madrid

đŸ‘šđŸ»â€đŸ’» Viral Memes of the Week

😭 BelĂ©n Esteban crying over going back to work is all of us

đŸŽ¶ How was El Fin de Semana’s concert?

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Read the original on Substack