In Madrid there are things to do all the time, at all hours, every day of the week, but if this city specializes in something is to be the queen of nightlife. And yes, the nightclubs are good enough to find Dua Lipa dancing, but nightlife is not limited to places to go out and party.
From hiking in the mountains to contemplate the stars to go see your favorite painting or discover the secrets of a theater: Madrid hangs the open sign after 21h with all these night plans.
Free nighttime visits to museums
Nightlife is not incompatible with culture. If your thing is the exhibitions you are in luck, because there are several museums that offer the public the opportunity to visit them at zero cost at night. This is the case of the Prado Museum with its successful initiative El Prado de Noche, which opens the doors of the art gallery on the first Saturday of each month from 8:30 pm to 11:30 pm, or the Thyssen, which does the same with its temporary exhibitions on Saturdays from 9 pm to 11 pm.
On the other hand, every year on the occasion of the Night of the Museums, these cultural spaces open at unusual hours around May 18.
đLocation: various locations
Recenas
Among the night plans can not miss the recena or resopĂłn, that second dinner that has saved more than one life after a night of partying. And those who make it possible are establishments that, (almost) regardless of the time, help us to kill that specific kind of craving that is only experienced in the early hours of the morning. Among them we find the Papizza and its generous portions, many kebabs or the Redbar 24h.
đLocation: various locations
Night tours in the Guadarrama Mountains
Absolute truths about the Madrid sierra: it has beautiful skies. More, if we talk about clear and frosty nights. And much more if they are traveled by moonlight looking for constellations, stars … or signs of nocturnal animals. This is what is proposed by Sierra del Guadarrama a series of night activities (from now until 2025) among which the star tour through Los Molinos and Colmenarejo, the night nature in the Sierra by Moralzarzal or the route of the viewpoints by the light of the full moon in the valley of the FuenfrĂa stand out.
đLocation: Sierra del Guadarrama National Park
Il morto che parla in Lavapiés
If what we are looking for is a multicultural bar to have a drink at a good price after dinner and warm up for a night of bars, Il morto che parla has to be on your radar. It is a small and informal place where every Thursday they usually organize live music nights and free tapas buffet starting at 9:00 pm. Ordering a beer or any of their rich cocktails, we can serve ourselves delicious Mediterranean appetizers at no extra cost, while listening to excellent rock, indie, cumbia or other genres bands.
This bar is located in the heart of Lavapiés, very close to the center. For that reason, those who are already reserving a space in the agenda to go on the weekend are recommended to go a little before 22:00 to get a seat. Open from Wednesday to Sunday and usually closes between 2:00 and 2:30.
đLocation: Calle del Salitre, 31 (LavapiĂ©s)
Spend a night behind the Schweppes sign.
Neither New York with its Times Square nor London with its Picadilly Circus, the city that has best known how to make its billboards a sign of identity is Madrid. And we are not referring to when a certain subway station was named after a certain telephone company, but rather to ads like the TĂo Pepe ad in Puerta del Sol or the Schweppes poster on Gran VĂa. Advertisements so mythical that they have already become postcards, magnets, illustrations and photographs in the cell phone of any tourist.
It is this last poster, the Schweppes de la Gran VĂa, which can become one of the best night plans in the capital. Behind it are some of the most luxurious rooms of the Vincci Capitol hotel, the Skylight rooms. Located on the tenth and eleventh floors of the building, both spaces are inspired by the unmistakable brand that presides over the luminous neon and feature a huge circular bed. The price of the rooms varies according to the date but, for two people, ranges from 200 to 440 euros.
đLocation: Hotel Vincci Capitol, Gran VĂa, 41 (Downtown)
Try one of the best cocktail bars in the world.
If there is one part of the day when you can drink a cocktail without anyone looking at you funny, that is the night. Cocktails are the star drink of the early hours of the morning in Madrid, just as coffee is the most common liquid in the digestive system -and nervous system- of the office workers of the Castellana. There are many cocktails and many places that serve them, too. Although let’s be honest, not all of them are good. A mojito with white rum is not the same as a signature cocktail, a unique cocktail like the ones they make at SalmĂłn GurĂș, considered the 16th best cocktail bar in the world according to the 50 best bars.
The place, in the heart of the neighborhood of Las Letras, is almost as striking as its menu, which has more than 30 different cocktails, not counting its ephemeral or temporary creations. Sweet, bittersweet, refreshing, strong, unexpected cocktails… mixtures of flavors and alcohols of all types and for all tastes that exceed expectations and make you believe that the gods of Olympus took the ambrosia directly from a cocktail shaker.
đ Location: SalmĂłn GurĂș, Calle de Echegaray, 21 (Barrio de las Letras)
Go to a Candlelight concert
The darkness of the night is good.It is attractive, unexpected and deep. It has a halo of mystery, of novelty, that attracts us almost as much as the neighboring Whatsapp conversation on public transport. It has risk, but it’s worth the risk.
However, sometimes, even at night, we want to leave the darkness aside and get closer to the light. Warmly illuminate the darkness and spend a different evening. This is exactly what Candlelight offers: a bit of light in the midst of the darkness. The concert series offers the opportunity to enjoy live classical and contemporary music, always surrounded by thousands and thousands of candles. A musical plan that has already reached more than a hundred cities around the world.
đ Location: Different venues in the city
A show at Flamenco de Leones
What a beautiful place and what tenacity and taste: Flamenco de Leones has achieved the impossible, condense the essence of flamenco in a place with different spaces, different stages and those murals signed by Ivan Floro that make a retrospective by the main figures of flamenco. In its tablaos you will find talented singers, dancers, Spanish guitarists and flamenco cajĂłn players, such as the bailaora Raquel Lara, Carmen La Talegona and the cantaora Chelo Pantoja. And also, a simple menu, well thought out, with great products and deep flavors.
đ Location: Plaza de la Independencia, 4 (Salamanca neighborhood).
Night tours of the Teatro Real
What happens when the curtain falls? What happens when the stage empties? Guided nighttime tours of the Teatro Real explore everything that happens afterwards and in which spaces in one of the most original nighttime plans on this list. The visit is especially interesting as it also allows access to the workshops, dressing rooms, rehearsal rooms, the stage itself and one of the “most interesting and unknown parts of the theater”, the stage box.
đ Location: Paseo de Isabel II s/n (Opera)
Downtown bar tour
This is one of those night plans ideal for undecided… or for lively people who want to try several places in the same night. The bar tour through the center of Madrid includes four of the best bars and cocktail bars in the city, although the list changes every day. But it’s not just about trying the best spirits, you’ll also get to know part of the (more playful) history of the capital.
đ Location: NĂșñez de Arce street, 9 (Downtown)
Nightclubs
Summarizing Madrid’s nightlife is complex due to the variety and multitude of nightclubs. From the vibrant electronic scene of Fabrik, known for its legendary CODE parties, to the historic Kapital, which has evolved from a cinema in the 70s to a nightlife icon today. Not to forget the Teatro Eslava, which presents itself as a century-old venue that combines art, culture and nightlife, while Sala El Sol is a Madrid classic that offers everything from concerts to techno sessions.
On the more alternative side, but also as old Madrid acquaintances, is CafĂ© BerlĂn, famous for its jazz and flamenco sessions. In addition to Siroco and Maravillas Club that stand out for their eclectic programming and their history in the indie scene.
Among the newcomers are places like Lula Club, with its elegant atmosphere, and La Discoteca, where local and international celebrities can be seen late at night.
đ Location: various locations
Tuning out at a karaoke bar
What’s more rewarding than belting out some of your favorite tunes at the top of your lungs with your friends? Whether in front of complete strangers in a traditional karaoke or in the intimacy of those who have private rooms for groups, no matter how long it takes: one of the best night plans remains – and will remain – to sing without complexes timeless hits while watching a screen with stock images and brightly colored subtitles.
đLocation: various locations
This article was written by Isabel Nieto, Elena FrancĂ©s, Helena MenĂ©ndez, MarĂa F. Carballo and Miguel SĂĄnchez Ortiz.