They say that cats are crepuscular animals, that is, they wake up and activate all their instincts to the maximum both at dusk and at dawn. Madrid has something to welcome all those cats that come out of the cave in the evenings and extend their activity until the early hours of the next day. For starters, the city has the best dens, the best nightclubs ready to make any night owl dance, no matter what kind of music they like. That’s the thing about living here: you know when the discos in Madrid open but never when they will close.
Fabrik
You have to make a pilgrimage to Humanes to reach the mecca of electronic music lovers (from Madrid and the rest of Spain). Fabrik moves masses and its sessions, classified by genre, are internationally recognized. This is the case of its CODE parties, which celebrate their 20th anniversary with a trilogy of nights with names like Mulero, I Hate Models or Indira Paganotto.
The macro-room keeps the bar high with an avant-garde, pioneering and absolutely dedicated to the different styles of international electronic music.
📍Avenida de la Industria, 82 (Humanes)
🎶 The cradle of electronic music, techno, hardstyle…
Kapital Theater
The history of one of the most iconic nightclubs in the city begins in the 70s, when in its magnificent stalls movies were projected in that Cine San Carlos. A decade later, the tapes were changed by plates becoming a party room in 1983 (so was Titanic, unstoppable, unsinkable in the nights of Madrid) and the place to go out at night. Its fame began to escalate in the city until 1994 when it became what we know today: Teatro Kapital.
📍Calle de Atocha, 125 (Atocha)
🎶 House, disco.
Eslava Theater
More than a hundred years. A century of history bearing the weight of art, culture and nightlife of the city, which is soon said. Teatro Eslava is an iconic place in the city, a space in which, if you look at its ceiling, you will find the father of the place(Hilarión Eslava, nineteenth-century composer whose nephew was the promoter of the theater’s construction) watching every movement of Madrid’s night owls.
A look from that centenary sky that has seen everything since its foundation in 1871: género chico, premieres of works by Lorca or Valle Inclán (among others), flamenco shows, epic concerts… and a lot of night, a lot of discotheque and a lot of partying. Currently, Fridays are dedicated to BomBom, a session in which reggaeton, perreo, dembow and dancehall are the kings. Saturdays are for YASS, the LGBTIQ+ party session with more movement in Madrid.
📍 Calle del Arenal, 11 (Sol)
BomBom: reggaeton, dembow, dancehall. Yass: indie-rock.
El Sol Room
What happens in “la Sol”, stays in “la Sol”. A classic of the city that dazzles from those mythical stairs to the first floor. Here you will find the extensive closet and the gigantic bathrooms where you will always find a free toilet (this is pure service information, Madrilenians).
In its main hall, in the afternoons the concerts of the moment in the city are programmed and at night, the absolute fun in its nightclub. An eclectic room where they sound from classics of yesterday and today (they usually play here El cuerpo del disco, for example) to the Trueno session with the best techno.
📍 Calle de los Jardines, 3 (Sol)
🎶 Indie, rock… Trueno session: electronic, techno, acid, house.
Macera Club
Macera is a rarity and for that very reason a permanent good news. A safe bet that can be defined as the old reliable. For starters, Macera may not be a nightclub: nothing prevents you from stopping by at any given time on a Thursday night to have a cocktail as if you were going to one of the best cocktail bars in Madrid.
The particularity of Macera is its subway floor where, depending on the session, electronic music is played more or less dark. Meanwhile, upstairs, there is reggaeton and commercial music. The best of both worlds in the same space.
📍Calle Ventura de la Vega, 7 (Barrio de las Letras).
🎶 Electronic and commercial
Café Berlin
What a magical place, Café Berlín. What a survivor, moreover. Born almost half a century ago on Jacometrezo Street, it changed location to Costanilla de los Angeles in 2016. A space that programs epic jazz and flamenco sessions, as is the hallmark of the house, as well as all kinds of music (pop, rock, indie…).
The best electronic, disco, house and alternative genres of clubbing are also programmed when the night comes. Here we have been able to move to the rhythm of Cuerpo del Disco, John Morales, Rahaan, HUNEE… It’s that place to “come down” when you know you need to dance. It will never let you down.
📍Costanilla de los Angeles, 20 (Callao)
🎶 Electronic, disco, house.
Siroco
Siroco is like a good friend: it’ s always waiting for you, no matter what. Its two floors are a reflection of what Madrid is, two atmospheres, two styles, two places in one to choose from and not leave until the sun comes up.
The Siroco has been programming concerts and sessions since 1989 and today remains an essential and a “basic classic” of the night owls of Madrid.
📍Calle de San Dimas, 3 (Conde Duque).
🎶 Breaks, electro, techno, urban music…
Maravillas Club
What anecdotes and moments have been lived in one of the temples of the Madrid nightlife. The Sala Maravillas was born as such in the 90’s to become Sala Nasti twenty years ago. In all this time, through its dance floor and small but epic stage, bands that were the backbone of the indie of this country (not in vain, there debuted a very young Los Planetas in 93 and its founders were part of the organizers of the FIB).
But since a few years ago, new airs come to this corner of Malaga returning to the original name: Maravillas Espectaclub. It is currently open from Wednesday to Sunday and is known for its commitment to the arts and performance, its drag sessions and its nights.
📍San Vicente Ferrer, 33 (Malasaña)
🎶 Eclectic: indie, indie pop, indie rock…
Barceló Theater
In its origins it was a theater and cinema (we are talking about almost a century ago, since it opened its doors as a neighborhood projector in 1931 with the film El Cantor Desconocido). In 1980 it became a discotheque, housing one of the most famous brands of Spanish nightlife: Pachá.
After its change of name (and owners) in 2013, it has not ceased to be an icon of the capital. Known for its elegant and fine dresscode , we recommend that you don’t forget your shirt and your nautical shoes. Once inside, you can enjoy three rooms where you can dance to electronica, pop and reggaeton.
📍Calle de Barceló, 11 (Malasaña)
Commercial and urban music.
Malasaña Club
Laura Vandall is the brilliant mind behind Club Malasaña. After collecting so much popularity with other events and venues like ChaChá, Club Malasaña (in the former Sala Taboo) was not going to be less. Its red neon lights have already been the protagonist of more than one video clip or of the publications of many personalities from the world of cinema or the music industry. With reserved areas worthy of the Great Gatsby and the best house music from Wednesday to Sunday, it has become the trendy club for ‘nocturnal animals’.
📍Calle de San Vicente Ferrer, 23 (Malasaña)
Commercial and urban music.
Sala Cocó
Sala Cocó hosts the best techno party in the capital: Mondo Disko. The spaces are spacious, the dance floor safe and collected. Cocó is the resident room of the best techno scene in Madrid from Thursday to Saturday. Not in vain, hosts sessions of those who never forget international DJs like Helena Hauff or Nicolas Jaar.
📍Calle de Alcalá, 20 (Seville)
🎶 Techno and electronica.
Lula Club
When we talk about Lula Club a name already protagonist of the pages of the couché paper resounds. The place that Íñigo Onieva has managed to turn into an essential of Madrid’s nightlife was a classic dance hall where the chulapos and chulapas of age swept through the night displaying their steps afternoon to afternoon.
Now, red velvet, dark blue almost black and fantasy, invade a place that invites dancing and confidences (which Onieva knows a lot about).
📍Calle Gran Vía, 54 (Santo Domingo)
🎶 Commercial music, dance, electro…
BarCo Room
BarCo is a classic in Malasaña that you can find open on a Wednesday (you never know when you’ll need a club open even if it’s until the early hours of the night). Upstairs, live music and the best blues, rock, jazz…; downstairs, clubbing sessions to dance until the wee hours of the morning.
📍Calle del Barco, 34 (Malasaña)
🎶 House, dance, techno.
Cuenca Club
Is it possible to dance to the soundtracks of Camp Rock and Hanna Montana in a nightclub? In Cuenca Club, yes. Up to three rooms where you can go interspersed with the latest hits of the ex-participants of OT or the hits of Dua Lipa and Frozen wrapped in the best LGTBI+ atmosphere.
📍Calle de Ventura Rodríguez, 7 (Argüelles)
🎶 F irecracker, commercial music, pop, greatest hits…
Thundercat Club
The classics of blues, jazz and rock have a temple in Madrid. It is Thundercat, the mythical concert hall is between Colon and Tribunal that has programming from Thursday to Sunday. On Thursdays and Fridays, its program is the most fun: Jam Sessions (in which you can go out and improvise with your friends) and blues concerts with free admission from 22:30h.
The rest of the weekend, they bring together the best tribute bands of Arctic Monkeys, Fito y Fitipaldis and other rock icons, and close the night with the most unusual DJs. You won’t hear reggaeton or techno: Thundercat respects the editorial line.
📍Calle de Campoamor, 11 (Justicia)
🎶 Rock, indie-rock.
Cadavra
A good afterwork doesn’t tire anyone, but if you extend it until the wee hours of the morning… maybe it does. At Cadavra (formerly known as Costello), apart from having one of the best afterworks in Gran Vía, they also function as a concert hall and, if you have the strength, you can stay until their club sessions, where you can breathe house, elegance and a lot of love for music.
Electronic, acid or a more colorful techno shape the club nights of Cadavra, which in a short time has become a platform for new sounds in the city.
📍Calle del Caballero de Gracia, 10 (Gran Via)
🎶 Techno, acid, electronica.
Florida Park
What Florida Park has seen, it has not seen from anyone. In fact (and we always tell this anecdote because it is pure Spanish history) it was here that Lola Flores lost her earring. Now, Florida is the place for parties, live music sessions and even Lorena Castell’ s famous Bingo for Ladies.
📍Parque de El Retiro, Paseo de Panamá, s/n (Ibiza).
🎶 Rock, indie rock, greatest hits, urban rhythms.
Fitz
Fitz is the nightclub that wants to recover the spirit of the 20s of the last century: the excess made party and overflowing optimism. Its name refers to the writer who best narrated the decade: F. Scott Fitzgerald, who knows if the next Great Gatsby is set in this Madrid club.
Its forte is the electronic music, but they also have the best of urban music in concert, such as Ozuna.
📍 Calle de la Princesa, 1 (Argüelles)
🎶 Electronic and urban music.
Oh My Club
Live shows, sparklers and bottles of cava. This, and a lot of elegance is what you breathe in the club nights of Oh My Club. But not everything that glitters is a party: Oh My Club has its own restaurant where you can book a dinner with friends before the dancing, where sushi and meat are the protagonists.
📍Calle de Rosario Pino, 14 (Tetuán).
🎶 Commercial music.
This article has been written by Carmen Seco, María F. Carballo and Elena Francés.