🤖 The Tapa Weekend: November 8
Tomorrowland, a play about La Manada and the Madrid Hotel Week.
By @IanMount and @AdrianBono | November 8, 2024 | Madrid | Issue #74
🎉 Welcome to a new issue of The Tapa: Weekend Edition! An English-language newsletter about what to do this weekend in Madrid (plus memes!)
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Here Are 5 Things to Do in Madrid This Weekend
It’s Friday again!
And if a certain recent election across the ocean has got you depressed (or happy), then this is the perfect excuse to drown your sorrows in some liquid courage (or celebrate).
Here are five things for you to do this weekend.
Enjoy!
1.🍸 Madrid Hotel Week 2024
You know all those fancy hotels around Madrid that you’re always wondering what they are like inside because they look so insanely expensive that you probably need to sell a kidney in order to get a glass of tap water inside? Well, now’s your chance to experience them in a slightly cheaper way!
The Madrid Hotel Business Association (AEHM) is hosting the eighth annual edition of Madrid Hotel Week in which 73 hotels will participate, offering a rich lineup of activities for locals and visitors alike (and yes, before you ask, most of the city’s most prestigious hotels are participating).
Under the theme “Heritage for All,” this edition celebrates Madrid’s five UNESCO World Heritage Sites, along with flamenco and the Mediterranean diet—integral parts of the city’s cultural identity.
This year’s program includes more than 130 activities across 13 diverse categories such as art, mixology, family activities, gastronomy, history, literature, balanced Madrid, fashion and shopping, music and performance, heritage, and technology.
Each event aims to encourage both Madrileños and visitors to discover the most authentic sides of Madrid and immerse themselves in its vibrant culture, so sign up and get ready to, for a few minutes, feel like one of those TikTok influencers who pretend to be rich and famous even though it’s all for show.
Madrid Hotel Week 2024. Multiple hotels around Madrid. Check website for additional information.
2.🎭 A Play: Miguel Del Arco’s Jauría
If you read the news, you probably know what we mean in Spain when we talk about La Manada. Back in July of 2016, five friends (all guys) who called themselves La Manada (“the pack”, as in a pack of dogs) and were attending the San Fermín festivities, gang-raped an 18-year-old woman. It became a dark chapter in Spain’s recent history.
Eight years later, renowned director Miguel del Arco brings to the stage a powerful production based on the infamous trial. This documentary-style play uses real transcripts from their court appearances, featuring statements from both the defendants and the complainant, alongside excerpts from media coverage.
This theater piece captures a trial that became a turning point in Spanish society, sparking public debate and influencing legislation.
Written by Jordi Casanovas and directed by Miguel del Arco, the production meticulously reconstructs the events using trial records from 2017 to 2019, diving into the perspectives of the victim and the accused in a case that redefined societal views on masculinity, consent, and sexual assault.
The play has received many awards, including the 2019 Ministry of Equality’s Culture Award against Gender Violence and the 2020 Max Award for Best Theatrical Production.
Jauría. Nave 10 Matadero, Paseo de la Chopera, 14, Madrid. Through Nov. 24. Check website for schedule. Tickets start at €15.75
3.🎼 Singer and Songwriter Carlos Ares
You know how you’re always complaining that you listen to too much Lady Gaga and not enough local Spanish artists? Well, fortunately, you have us.
Musician, multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, and producer Carlos Ares is in Madrid to present his latest work, Peregrino, an album that reflects a deep connection to his Galician roots, blending a “minimalist creative approach with new folk influences”.
Trust us, this guy is not just another folk artist. Ares combines elements of rural pop, alternative folk, and indie to create a vibe that feels original and organic.
Peregrino includes tracks like “Odisea,” “Terrícola,” “Rocíos,” and “Amigo,” along with several unreleased songs. Ares says when composing this new album, he sought to reconnect with his most raw, authentic self while incorporating the lessons he’s picked up along the way.
Born in A Coruña, Ares has established himself as a leading figure in today’s Spanish music scene. If you enjoy artists who pour personal experience into their music, Peregrino, is a journey through his heritage and his growth as a musician.
Carlos Ares. Chango Club. Calle Isabel la Católica, 6, Madrid. Nov. 9, 8 p.m. Tickets start at €18.
4.🤖 Tomorrowland presents: The Great Library of Tomorrow
The future is finally here! The immersive Tomorrowland experience has transformed the Sala de Cristal at WiZink Center into a mesmerizing portal that brings the renowned Tomorrowland music festival to life, offering an immersive audiovisual journey for all ages that captures the wonder and magic of one of the world’s most iconic electronic music events.
You can explore beloved themes like Planaxis, The Book of Wisdom, The Elixir of Life, and many more that have defined the festival over the years, which has become an international phenomenon and has set new standards for VR experiences.
This 45-minute immersive experience is crafted for everyone, inviting attendees to dive deep into 20 years of Tomorrowland’s history. It’s a chance to lose oneself in its mythical realms, rediscovering the music, visuals, and stories that have captivated audiences around the globe.
Once the journey concludes, you can visit the Tomorrowland store to buy festival merch and exclusive tech gadgets.
Tomorrowland Immersive Experience. Wizink Center, Avenida de Felipe II, s/n, Madrid. Through Jan. 12. Tickets start at €18,50.
5.🐸 Mercado de las Ranas street market
The Mercado de las Ranas is back this Saturday so if you’re wondering where to spend your hard earned euros, this is the place.
This street market (which we recommend here regularly) is similar to the Portobello Road or Candem Town markets in London. This Saturday, stores participating in this mercado in Plaza Santa Ana, in the Las Letras district, bring their goods outside into the street so visitors can buy their favorite book, t-shirt or grab a slice of pizza on the go.
If there’s one thing we love about Madrid (and there are actually many), it’s the street market scene, and this one doesn’t disappoint. After a bit of retail therapy, grab a table at the plaza and sip a cool caña. You’re welcome.
Mercado de las Ranas. All along Calle de las Huertas in Las Letras, Madrid. Saturday, November 9, 12 p.m. to 7 p.m.
👨🏻💻 Viral Stories of the Week
🦸♀️ No todos los héroes llevan capa, part 2
It’s been a tragic week (again), so we’re celebrating those who helped. Which isn’t funny, but hey…
🔔 A Message From Our Sponsor
Secret Kingdoms is your English bookstore in Madrid. It specializes in Spanish history and literature, contemporary and classic novels, books for children and young adults of all ages, history and historical fiction, thrillers, science fiction, fantasy, poetry, biographies and much more.
Located on Calle de Moratín 7 — a few blocks away from the Prado Museum — and with over 20,000 new and used books, Secret Kingdoms has something for everyone.
Find out more at www.thesecretkingdoms.com
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We’ll be back next week with more.