For the third year running Suma Flamenca hits the streets of Madrid with a mixture of music, dance, cinema, poetry and exhibitions across not just Madrid Centre but the whole of the Madrid Community. Artists who are appearing include: Estrella Morente, Carmen Linares, Arcángel, Pitingo, Serranito, Miguel Poveda, Eva Yerbabuena and La Moneta. More information can be found on the Suma Flamenca and EsMadrid sites. The festival runs from the 17th May to the 15th June, 2008.
Category Archives: Nightlife
New Year’s Eve in Madrid
I have been asked this question so many times now, that I thought I would display the answer on the site. I would also welcome suggestions by other people on the subject, which is:
What can I do and where can I go on New Year’s Eve in Madrid?
This is what I normally end up doing if I find myself in Madrid with my wife, her family and our friends.
Many places in Madrid have private parties on that night – especially the nightclubs. Tickets are not that bad – around 40-60 Euros. However, I have only once been to one of these places and I would
personally recommend that you do the following:
Have a late dinner in a nice restaurant, preferably near the centre of the city as you don’t want to be catching the Metro (I do believe it closes for an hour or two). Try and finish around 11.15 – 11.30. Head as near to the Puerta del Sol as you can. Make sure you buy yourselves a bottle of Cava (Spanish champagne) – I would personally ask the waiter in the previous restaurant to keep it chilled for you. You also need to buy twelve grapes and make sure that you eat them on the stroke of each chime at 12 midnight.
I would then head over to Plaza Santa Ana where you will find plenty of nightlife – and in the nearby streets such as calle Huertas. Try the Moderna, Cerveceria Alemana and Naturbier. You may want to explore the bars around c/ Principe, such as Viva Madrid. Don’t be alarmed if the bars are closed – this does happen as it gives waiters and bar staff the chance to celebrate with their families. They will open at least by 1 am!
And finally, try and have a cup of chocolate in Cafeteria San Gines – preferably around 6 or 7 in the morning.
These are just some quick thoughts and I would welcome suggestions from other people on where to go in Madrid on New Year’s Eve. Simply add a comment below.
2007 Festival de Otoño
For the 24th year running the Festival de Otoño returns to Madrid. A combination of music, theatre, dance and circus from around the world will entertain visitors and Madrileños for the coming 5 weeks. The event runs from the 15th October to the 18th November and is held is venues across the city.
The Theatre companies who are represented include: Britain’s National Theatre, La Comédie-Française, Piccolo Teatro di Milano, Josep Maria Mestres.
Dance companies attending include: Les Ballets C. de la B., Compañía Blanca Li, Toneelhuis. Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and Compañía Carlotta Sagna.
On the music front Caetano Veloso, Companyia Carles Santos, David Sylvian, Philip Glass and Compagnia dell’ Ambra will all be performing.
For more information, visit the Festival de Otoño website.
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December Suggestions from Metrópoli
Metrópoli has a really good guide to what you can do in Madrid this December – it is in Spanish, though. They have come up with 150 suggestions for what you can do in the coming weeks – eat, drink, be merry and much more. Interestingly, they have broken them down into 15 categories – based on different types of personality. These range from the sportsman (woman), the art lover, the over 65’s, under 18’s, the shopaholics, singles, and a good few more. There are some really cool suggestions here – there is even a category for those who think they’re cool!!
Christmas Programme for Madrid
If you’d like an "exhaustive" programme of activities on in Madrid this Christmas, download [pdf] the esMadrid magazine. Be aware this is quite a "beefy" 8MB pdf!!
Suite Española Presents Clave Flamenca at Teatro de Madrid
The Suite Española has been enchanting audiences across the world for the past 21 years, with their innovative flamenco style. Over the next 17 days – from the 9th – 26th March, 2006 – they will be doing exactly the same in Madrid’s Teatro de Madrid. The Madrid audience will be the first to see ‘Clave Flamenca’, which is a homage to the composers Albéniz, Tárrega y Sarasate. The members of Suite Española will turn the creations of these composers into different flamenco rhythms, all of which will be sung, played and danced to by two female vocalists, a violinist, flautist, percussion and ten dancers.
The second part of the show is dedicated to Garnata, a story of a beautiful Jewish woman who, in the times when Granada was both Jewish and Arabic, breaks the hearts of both Jews and Arabs. It is sure to be a wonderful night of music and dance.
Timetable
Tues & Wed: 7.30 p.m.; Thurs & Fri: 8.30 p.m.
Sat: 7 p.m. & 10 p.m; Sun: 6 p.m.
Prices/Ticket Sales
10-22 Euros; Reduced Price: Tues & Wed (18 Euros)
Groups (over 20): 12 Euros
Tickets can be bought from the Box Office or through Entradas
Address
Teatro de Madrid (Avda de la Ilustración s/n)
Metro: Barrio del Pilar
La Otra Mirada del Flamenco – Flamenco Festival
The flamenco festival La Otra Mirada del Flamenco will this year celebrate its tenth anniversary at the Teatro Pradillo. It has supported comtemporary flamenco artists and projects over the decade and says itself that some of the productions have been quite risky and have broken new ground. For the tenth anniversary they have put together a line up of both young and well-known artists such as Belén Maya and Rafaela Carrasco, Angel Rojas, Manuel Liñán and Silvia Marín.
The press information actually says that La Otra Mirada del Flamenco will give international visitors to Madrid an alternative flamenco programme of great quality in a small format to the purely commercial offerings that can be found.
Ticket Prices: 12 Euros can be bought at the theatre
Address: C/ Pradillo, 12
Metro: Concha Espina (Exit Plaza Cataluña)
XXI Jazz Festival of Madrid
This week sees the start of the 21st Jazz Festival of Madrid. It kicks off on the 15th October and runs until the 20th November. Events will take place across a number of venues in Madrid, including Jazz bars and concert halls and brings to the capital more than 100 groups and musicians. Highlights include: Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter, McCoy Tyner, Jack DeJohnette, John Scofield, Ron Carter, Birelli Lagrene, Richard Galiano, Youssou N´Dour and the Dizzy Gillespie All Big Band; with Solomon Burke providing Soul and Paco de Lucía the Flamenco angle. There will be a range of activities going on throughout this period, including debates and documentary projections in FNAC, a children’s jazz concert and music in Retiro Park.
More information can be found on the Esmadrid.com website or simply by my suggestion would be to buy the Guía del Ocio guide or (free in the newspaper El Mundo’s Friday edition) from a Madrid newsagent.
Corral de la Morería – Flamenco Shows
The Corral de la Morería is often billed as one of the best flamenco shows in the world – if the list of famous personalities who have visited it are anything to go by, they certainly are. George Bush, Ronald Reagan, Frank Sinatra, Liza Minelli, Tom Jones, Samuel Jackson, Hugh Grant and Mariah carey have alll visited this famous place. Since its inauguration in 1956 it has put on shows with all the major flamenco artists like Antonio Gades, Lucero Tena and Pastora Imperio. The shows cost around 32 Euros, whilst a show plus dinner will set you back 72 Euros. Though the menus are impressive, most people would recommend going for dinner first and then on to the show.
Address: c/ Morería 17
Telephone: 91 3658446
Metro: Sol & Ópera
Veranos de la Villa – Madrid Summer Festival
For 2006 click here: Veranos de la Villa 2006
During the months of July and August, the streets, gardens, theatres and other public places of Madrid see a number of activities organised by the Madrid Council for Art and called Veranos de la Villa. The city plays host to dance, music, theatrical events and zarzuela throughout this period. You can catch Flamenco Nights in the Sabatini Gardens (next to the Royal Palace); Spirit of the Dance by the Arabic Wall; Bizet’s Carmen, Madame Butterfly and Steve Winwood in Conde Duque and a variety of Zarzuelas, too.
Details of the events, times and prices can be found on the Veranos de la Villa website or you can download the Veranos de la Villa press release. In the ‘Useful Information‘ section of the site, you will find the Madrid locations where these events take place.
Related Links
Veranos de la Villa 2006
New Flamenco show from the Compañía Suite Española
On the 29th April a new Flamenco show will open in Madrid’s Teatro de Madrid and will run until the 16th May. It is being put on by Compañía Suite Española and is split into two parts, which will display classical dance and the various styles of Flamenco, with music and dance.
Prices
From 9 to 22 euros. (Wed and Thurs reduced price)
Times
Wednesday-Friday: 8.30 p.m.
Saturdays: 7 p.m and 10 p.m Sundays: 6 p.m
Address
Avda. de la Ilustración, s/n.
Area: Fuencarral – El Pardo.
Metro: Barrio del Pilar.
Tel: 91 730 17 50.
Phantom of the Opera notches up 700 shows
The Phantom of the Opera last night notched up its 700th show in the Spanish capital, with profits going to children affected by 11th March Madrid bombings. The show has played to over 700,000 spectators over an 18-month period. The show will run until the 20th June.
Address
Gran Vía, 57
Show times
Tuesday to Thursday: 8.30 p.m
Friday: 10 p.m.; Saturday 6 & 10 p.m.
Sundays: 7 p.m.
Price
25 to 63 euros.
Tickets on sale at:
The theatre itself, Teatro Coliseum and El Corte Inglés stores
Jazz in Madrid – from Café Central to Clamores
Over the past 20 years there has been an upsurge in the amount of jazz bars in the capital and now you can fin dquite a few dotted around the city. Café Central, close to Madrid’s Plaza Santa Ana, is probably the best known Jazz club in Madrid. Popular in the day when you can have a coffee, but really comes to life at 10 p.m. when the live performances start. Address: Plaza del Angel, 10; Metro: Sol /Antón Martín. Here is a brief selction of other venues:
Café Populart is another popular venue for jazz in the capital and is situated in c/Huertas, 22 – Metro: Antón Martín). Their website gives you a run down of events for the coming month.
Clamores – it is reckoned that some of the best jazz artists appear at this popular venue in c/Albuquerque, 14 – Metro: Bilbao
La Coquette is a small, smoky bar near Puerta del Sol which offers great jazz music and atmosphere. Address: c/Hileras, 14; Metro: Sol or Opera. Live music on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
Paul Mc Cartney comes to Madrid
Tickets have just come out for Paul McCartney’s ’04 Summer Tour’. The concert takes place in the Estadio La Peineta on the 30th May and tickets can be bought from FNAC, Tipo, Crisol, Madrid Rock and by telephone 902 888 902. You can also try www.ticktackticket.com. I am not sure what the issues are regarding purchase of tickets outside of Spain, though. You will find more information about this tour on the Paul McCartney website.
Address: Avda. de Arcentales s/n.
Prices: from 40 to 73 euros.
Super Furry Animals & Justin Timberlake come to Madrid
Here are a few concerts that take place in the capital this month:
Super Furry Animals (21st January)
Justin Timberlake (28th January)
A Perfect Circle (22nd January)