In recent years, Madrid has become a paradise for lovers of fiction, fantasy and animation. The capital has enthusiastically welcomed the creation of spaces dedicated to hobbies related to sagas such as Harry Potter, Star Wars and The Lord of the R ings; but also to games such as Zelda, SuperMario or even LEGO®. There are more and more geeky plans to do in Madrid. There’s everything from activities inspired by these franchises to new geek stores where you can buy merchandising from brands such as Marvel or Pixar.
The nerd offer in the capital is not a trend, it is a reality. Madrid offers geeky plans every day of the week, 365 days a year. Or 366, as in the case of this 2024, leap year. These are some of our favorites.
Board games and coffee
A hot cup of coffee feels great while you plan your strategy to win at games like Risk or Catan. That’s why coffee shops with board games are one of the most popular geeky plans in Madrid, as they combine a rich coffee with dozens of options to entertain you.
At La Manuela (Calle de San Vicente Ferrer, 29), one of the pioneers, you will find a wide selection of games to choose from. At Six Board Game Cafe (Avenida de la ciudad de Barcelona, 180), you can play more than a thousand games while you lick your fingers while eating a plate of nachos or chicken fingers. Or at Replay (Calle Rivera de Curtidores, 26), you can play your favorite board games, buy them at outlet prices and eat a good hamburger or a good sandwich at the same time. They have it all!
Quidditch tournaments
If you’ve ever stuck out your chest thinking you were the geekiest person on the planet, this article will make you think twice. In Madrid, there are people who participate in quidditch championships -orquadball, as it is now called-, the sport played by Harry Potter in J.K. Rowling’s novels on a flying broomstick.
The team Madrid Wolves Quidditch Team do it, without special effects or magic tricks, with sticks between their legs simulating brooms and balls instead of golden snitches. A bizarre sport that makes it clear that the geeky has little to do with the sedentary.
Geek fairs in Madrid
Besides San Isidro and La Paloma, there are dates you have to have marked in your calendar. Especially if you don’t want to miss any of the geeky plans that Madrid has to offer. We are referring to the days when fairs such as Japan Weekend, Madrid Otaku or the Comic Pop Up are held.
The first one already took place -it was during February 17 and 18- but Madrid Otaku a festival where manga, anime and cosplay go hand in hand, will open its doors soon: on June 11 at the Palacio de Cristal of Casa de Campo in Madrid. The comic book fair Madrid Comic Pop Up will be held on the weekend of November 8-10 at IFEMA.
For video game lovers, there are also unmissable events. One of them, and perhaps the most awaited one will be Freak Wars the biggest wargaming, tabletop gaming and modeling event in Madrid, which will take place on September 7 and 8 at La Nave (Villaverde). Or Gamergy a festival dedicated to gamers where they can enjoy the best video games and esports in the country between December 20 and 22.
Geek concerts by candlelight
You may find classical music concerts by candlelight to be boring, cheesy or overly romantic. We don’t blame you. It is true that this type of event is usually associated with couple plans, but nothing could be further from the truth. Candlelight is not only a ideal place to have a date it’s also a perfect place to show off your geeky side, don’t you believe us? Here are some examples.
The Candlelight concert series pays tribute to great classical composers, immortal rock bands and current pop artists. But that’s not all. You will also find tributes to your favorite movie soundtracks.
For example, the concert Candlelight Kids: Music for children and adults combines the universes of films such as Super Mario Bros, Toy Story, Frozen and The Little Mermaid. Or concerts Candlelight: Tribute to Hans Zimmer or Ludovico Einaudi which compiles music from anime classics such as The Lion King, Batman or Pirates of the Caribbean.
Escape rooms, among the best geek plans in Madrid
If when you enter one of the many geeky stores in Madrid, with a setting based on your favorite series or video games, you get excited as when you were a small kid; imagine yourself inside a escape room. In the capital, there are several escape rooms inspired by recent blockbusters, designed to make you feel like you are trapped in your favorite movie.
Perhaps the most beloved by potterheads are those offered by The Room Escape many of them inspired by the Harry Potter books and movies. Deathly Hallows or The Triwizard Tournament will turn you from muggle to wizard for 90 minutes. One of the best plans for geeks and frikifriends.
Geek exhibitions
Maybe when you hear the word “exhibition”, images of people in turtlenecks and horn-rimmed glasses in front of an abstract painting might come into your head. And, in part, it is true. There is one type of exhibit that serves as a home for these individuals but, fortunately, they are not the only ones. This year exhibitions for all types of profiles have arrived in Madrid from the most cultured to the most geeky.
IFEMA is full of the latter. This venue hosts art fairs such as ARCO but also exhibitions for lovers of animated films or construction games. Until next May 26th, in the 5.1 space, we find Mundo Pixar a reverse tour through the sets of your favorite Pixar movies: from the bedroom of Toy Story to the house of Up or the factory of Monsters Inc.
In this same pavilion and also until next Sunday 26th, you can enjoy Jurassic World by Brickman® the largest dinosaur exhibition in Madrid, made up of large-scale figures created from 6 million LEGO® pieces. A trip to the Jurassic where you can also create your own LEGO® constructions.
Arcade games
Another geeky plan that anyone likes is to spend an afternoon at the arcade. At Next Level located at 4 calle Tudescos, next to the plaza de la Luna, fuses the concept of a cocktail bar with that of an arcade game room to revive the golden age of video games with an interesting touch.
It’s a trip back to the 80’s and 90’s that, surprisingly, is 100% free. In this bar , all arcade machines, whether arcade, dance, sports or driving, are available free of charge. All you need to do is enjoy the music of that era and order a cold beer or an original cocktail to play for hours – this is the next level of fun!