🍺 The Tapa Weekend: September 13
Oktoberfest in Madrid, an immersive Titanic exhibit and tons of contemporary art.
By @IanMount and @AdrianBono | September 13, 2024 | Madrid | Issue #66
🎉 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
Happy Friday, everyone!
As we approach the most depressing season of the year (this is not up for discussion, the fall 🍂 sucks), we’d like to hear from you.
We have a lot of fun writing this section and we hope that you find it slightly amusing—even if you don’t end up going to any of the places we suggest each Friday.
But we’d still like to make it more interactive. While we are clearly the weekly Oracles of Fun™, it’s important to listen to what our readers have to say. Do you hate street markets? Would you like more recommendations for things to do outside the M-30 beltway? Should we approach lifestyle differently? Is this newsletter even relevant to you?
We’re asking because as we begin to make significant changes to the Tapa Newsletter (no spoilers but get ready!), we want to make sure we are offering the kind of content you need.
So please comment below or send us an email with your thoughts. Our subscribers are now in the thousands (🥳) and we want to hear from all of you, even if you’re not in Madrid.
Anyway, here are five recommendations from us, the Oracles of Fun™.
Enjoy.
1.🍺 Oktoberfest in Vallecas, Because Why the Hell Not
Forget flying to Munich. You can pass out drunk celebrate the existence of beer right here in Madrid.
Vallecas will once again host the highly anticipated Oktoberfest Vallekana, now in its sixth edition. This amazing festival has grown in popularity and size, prompting a move to the larger venue of Parque Javier de Miguel
Originally organized by local bar El Boliche on Calle de la Concordia, this event is renowned for its commitment to authenticity, with tents, tables, and four types of traditional German beer—HB Oktoberfestbier, HB Dunkel, Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier, and Weihenstephaner Festbier—imported directly from Germany.
Oktoberfest Vallekana also promises an exciting lineup of live performances, such as Paco from Ska-P, Armando Castro from Barón Rojo, and other artists from bands like Algo Salvaje and Fates Warning.
There will also be daily parades, including the Grimorium, where performers in medieval masks will march through the festival while playing traditional German bagpipes and other ancient instruments. Fun stuff!
Last but not least, no Oktoberfest is complete without great food. A variety of food trucks will be serving authentic German sausages and other gourmet delicacies to complement the beer offerings, so you can really feel like you’ve made it all the way to Germany for like, the price of a subway ride.
Oktoberfest Vallekana. Parque Javier de Miguel, Puente de Vallecas, Madrid. Sept. 12 to 15 and Sept. 20 to 22. Noon to midnight (1 a.m. on Fri and Sat). Free admission.
2.🎭 A Play: Carmen, nada de nadie
(This one is for those of you who a) are into Spanish politics and b) are fluent in Spanish).
Carmen Díez de Rivera was a highly influential political figure during Spain’s transition to democracy after Francisco Franco died. And because her personal life was as dramatic as the plot of a Greek tragedy, this play is entirely about her.
Starring Beatriz Argüello and written by Francisco M. Justo Tallón and Miguel Pérez García, the play revolves around Carmen, whose life has been shaped by unusual family circumstances that she’s initially unaware of but will later shatter her world.
Díez de Rivera was known for her strong will and sharp intellect, and for fighting relentlessly against societal and political forces in the name of democracy. (She later was appointed by Prime Minister Adolfo Suárez as the Head of the Prime Minister’s Office, a position no other woman has held since, as Spain went through a period of legalization of trade unions and political parties.)
In the play, a mature Carmen reflects on the pivotal moments of her intense political career and describes her memories to the audience (with some appearances from some key historical figures), offering people a glimpse into the life of a woman who helped shape the course of Spanish politics.
Carmen, nada de nadie. Teatro Español. Calle del Principe 25, Madrid. Through Oct. 19. Tuesdays to Sundays, 7:30 p.m. Tickets: €18.
3.🚢 The Legend of Titanic: An Immersive Experience
Fans of James Cameron and Celine Dion, rejoice! Now you can feel like the king of the world (or like a frozen corpse sinking to the bottom of the North Atlantic Ocean) by heading over to The Legend of Titanic: The Immersive Exhibit.
(Also, it looks great on your Instagram stories)
MAD Madrid Artes Digitales, the only permanent center in the city dedicated to immersive exhibitions is debuting its newest blockbuster production today, this time focusing on one of the most iconic ships in history: the Titanic.
Visitors will have the opportunity to explore the ship’s spaces and its tragic history, from when it left the port of Southampton to when it sunk on April 15, 1912. Through cutting-edge technology and the latest scientific insights, you can uncover “the mysteries of the Titanic’s sinking” (we don’t know what mystery they’re referring to… Last time we checked it was an iceberg? But maybe now it’s…aliens).
Anyway, aliens or not, you can now relive the most dramatic moments experienced by passengers aboard the most iconic ship in history. Which is a weird thing to want to experience, but…OK!
The Legend of Titanic. MAD, Plaza de Legazpi 8, Madrid. Sept. 13 to Oct. 31. Check website for opening hours. Tickets: €18.40
4.🎨 Madrid Gallery Weekend 2024
If you’re not into contemporary art, look away because, for the 15th year in a row, Madrid is becoming the world capital of contemporary art as the Apertura Madrid Gallery Weekend returns.
This cultural event showcases the city’s vibrant art scene and sees numerous art galleries and museums across the city simultaneously opening their new exhibitions, with extended hours to welcome as many people as possible.
Apertura’s main goal is to bring contemporary art closer to the general public and promote Madrid’s thriving artistic landscape on an international level. This year, attendees will have the opportunity to participate in the joint inauguration of galleries, which will operate on special schedules throughout the event.
Apertura Madrid has solidified its place as one of the most important Gallery Weekends in the world, second only to Berlin in terms of visitors.
Apertura Madrid Gallery Weekend 2024. Multiple locations around Madrid. Through Sept. 15. Check website for participating art galleries. Free admission.
5. 📺 More Contemporary Art: HiperObjetos
Have you ever wondered, “Is it possible that technology is an integral part of our consciousness?” (The answer is ‘yes.) If so, this exhibit is for you.
The exhibition HiperObjetos at the Círculo de Bellas Artes “presents a journey that emerges from the most decisive artists of the new media, generative art and computational art generation.” The exhibition presents contemporary creation in the era of the transistor, the internet and AI, bringing together a large selection of classic and new works from the Tarragona-based .NewArt { foundation;}, one of the largest collections of electronic and digital art in the world.
In the words of exhibit organizers: “Consciousness, the flame that makes us human, is not limited to the skull or the brain synapse. Instead, it extends beyond us, merging with the tools we create, the objects and worlds we inhabit.” Amen!
New media, generative and computational art generation members: Peter Weibel (above), Charles Sandison, Alba G. Corral, Ken Matsubara, and Marina Núñez are some of the 24 influential artists whose works are featured in this retrospective.
Enjoy, technologically.
HiperObjetos. Círculo de Bellas Artes, Alcalá, 42, Madrid. Through Nov. 17, Tue.-Sun. 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. €5.50.
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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.
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As someone who lives in Andalusia, your weekend account of interesting things to do in Madrid is not of particular relevance to me. It just makes me envious!