Madrid will host a free literary picnic at Matadero for Book Day on 23 April

Matadero Madrid is hosting a free literary picnic for Book Day. Readers of all ages will be able to share stories and discover new titles in a unique setting. The event will take place on 23 April, with prior registration. A different proposal for those looking for cultural plans in the city.

This year, Book Day in Madrid adds a proposal that breaks with the routine of bookshops and libraries. Matadero square will become a large urban meadow where readers can sit on the grass, open their favourite books and share the experience with strangers and friends. The event, called ‘Meet & Read’, invites people to put their phones aside and immerse themselves in collective reading, in the heart of the city.

Matadero Madrid is holding the free literary picnic “Meet & Read” on 23 April at Plaza Matadero, from 19:00 to 22:00, with prior registration from 7 April; the proposal is organised by Matadero Madrid and Casa del Lector. The activity will feature Luis Miguel Cobo on the soundscape and Fernando Bonete as the host of the gathering.

The format invites people to bring a book, switch off their phones, and read and talk in a large urban “literary meadow”, open to novels, comics, essays and other genres. Matadero and Casa del Lector present it as a shared reading celebration to mark Book Day as a community.

The free event is designed for those looking for more than buying books: here, it is about reading, talking and discovering new stories in company. It does not matter whether you prefer novels, comics or essays; all genres have a place at this literary picnic. The atmosphere will be accompanied by ambient music from composer and DJ Luis Miguel Cobo, who will provide the afternoon’s soundtrack.

Cultural communicator Fernando Bonete will guide the conversation, encouraging attendees to share their impressions of authors, reading and the pleasures of reading. Registration will open on 7 April and the event will take place on 23 April, from 19:00 to 22:00, coinciding with Book Day. An opportunity for those seeking different plans and wanting to experience literature in another way.

In recent years, Matadero Madrid has established itself as one of the city’s most versatile cultural spaces. Its square, a regular setting for festivals and gatherings, adapts easily to proposals that combine art, music and public participation.

Initiatives such as ‘Meet & Read’ reinforce its role as a meeting point for people who want to enjoy culture outdoors and as a community. Madrid is already starting to move in that direction.