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Madrid opens a weekend of books, neighbourhood festivals and culture in the street
Madrid enters one of those weekends when the programme seems spread across the whole city. El Retiro fills with books again, neighbourhoods begin local festivities and museums, theatres and venues add options for those who want to make the most of the last days of May without staying at home.
The most eagerly awaited event is the 85th Madrid Book Fair, held from 29 May to 14 June at Paseo de Coches in El Retiro. This year humour will be the common thread, with authors, signings, talks, live podcasts and a programme designed for regular readers, families and curious people who come to the park almost out of tradition.
The fair will bring together 366 stalls and thousands of signing sessions, with national and international names as well as comedians and popularisers who broaden the event's usual tone. Entry is free and opening hours will be Monday to Friday from 10:30 to 14:00 and from 17:00 to 21:00, opening until 15:00 at weekends.
Neighbourhoods will also have their own leading role. Hortaleza celebrates its spring festivities from 29 May to 7 June, with free concerts and family activities. Notable names include David Bustamante, Burning and Funambulista, as well as tribute acts, street parades, urban dance and activities for children.
In Aluche, the atmosphere will be just as festive, with several days of music, stalls and neighbourhood activities in the park. Las Tablas also joins the calendar with concerts and local plans, reinforcing the feeling that Madrid does not live only through major venues or the centre: each district has its own way of marking the weekend.
The cultural offering is completed by exhibitions, theatre, music and dance. El Prado, the Thyssen, Matadero, Conde Duque, Teatro Real, Teatros del Canal, La Abadía and Auditorio Nacional maintain a programme that makes it possible to move from an art exhibition to a concert, a classic play or a contemporary proposal without leaving the city.
For those who prefer food-focused plans, Madrid also offers scope to discover new venues. Japanese and Asian cuisine continues to gain ground in neighbourhoods such as Chamberí, Salamanca and the Bilbao area, where more specialised proposals coexist with traditional bars and terraces full because of the good weather.
What is interesting about this weekend is not only the number of plans, but how they are spread out. El Retiro will be the great cultural showcase, but Hortaleza, Aluche, Las Tablas, Usera and Conde Duque remind us that Madrid works best when each neighbourhood adds its own rhythm. Books, concerts, festivities and exhibitions do not only fill the calendar: they make the city livelier, more walkable and easier to rediscover even for those who think they know it by heart.