Visit the new Bernabéu Skywalk, head to the Hayedo de Montejo, and other incredible things to do in Madrid in November

The Bernabéu is preparing to open its highly anticipated Skywalk—an impressive perimeter terrace on level 10—and is doing so in partnership with Cirque du Soleil. The experience invites us to walk along the rooftop with the capital at our feet as we delve into the world of *Kurios*, one of the circus’s most acclaimed productions. The highlight of the visit comes when you reach The Train Station, a space in the Sky Bar where circus performers will take the stage with short live performances every 30 minutes.

Naturaleza Encendida returns: one of the great Christmas spectacles that will light up its paths of light on November 24 (and only for a limited time, through January 10). This year’s edition, inspired by Alice in Wonderland, not only brings the absurd and crazy world of the girl who fell down a rabbit hole in search of the White Rabbit, but also features live actors and characters who will interact with the audience.

Just an hour from Madrid, the Hayedo de Montejo turns shades of yellow and ochre every fall. This forest of centuries-old beech trees, designated a Natural World Heritage Site, can be explored via three guided routes lasting an hour and a half, with the Senda del Río being the most family-friendly option.

However, protecting its ecosystem means drastically limiting capacity: online reservations open on the Sierra del Rincón website on the 1st and 16th of each month, but due to high demand, requests are entered into a lottery. Once your spot is confirmed, you must pick up your pass in advance at the Information Center, located about eight kilometers from the forest.

If you can’t get a reservation online, you’ll have to get up early. Every morning, a few spots are set aside and distributed at the venue itself starting at 9:30 a.m., strictly on a first-come, first-served basis.

Bringing cinema to young children (ages 2 to 12) through a festival-style approach: that is, screenings, talks, and workshops that delve deeper not only into cinematic knowledge and language but also into visual culture and cultural references. Here’s this year’s program.

Niño de Elche and philosopher Sarah Ardite explore the concept of “deep listening” devised by composer Pauline Oliveros. In this event, they invite us to escape today’s audiovisual monopoly and restore the central role of hearing, music, and oral tradition in how we perceive reality.

But take note—this isn’t your typical conference: the event is designed as an immersive experience, where both artists will improvise around a turntable and the audience will participate by listening both individually and collectively.

The Autumn Festival returns for its 44th edition and, as usual, will bring together art forms such as theater, performance… A festival that has established Madrid as a leading destination on the international performing arts circuit and that brings together innovative and avant-garde national and international productions.

In 2026, the festival joins in the celebration of the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence with a program that seeks to highlight the richness of its impact on contemporary culture, as well as the undeniable “Hispanic, African, and European legacy that beats at the heart of its identity.” Here’s the complete program.

An abandoned building. Brutalism at its finest. And an artistic experience that will fill its interior with life and contemporary art. Just 24 hours, starting at 50€. Sneaking onto Madrid’s list of VIP events is ENEAS, a gathering of curators, gallery owners, artists… and the curious, as well as lovers of art in all its forms, which will bring together around a hundred works on November 13. The event will be rounded out with a silent auction, fine dining, cocktails, live music, and a parallel artistic program.

The international film festival returns, offering a space where women’s talent and perspectives in cinema take center stage. It’s a way to highlight and showcase the diversity and depth of their work. Each screening is an opportunity to reflect on gender equality, challenge stereotypes, and discover new ways of telling the world’s stories. This year, the 9th Cine por Mujeres Festival will take place at 18 venues, featuring 70 feature films from more than 15 countries. You can access the full program here.

*Cabaret*, *Maybe This Time*, *Mein Herr*… wow, it gives me goosebumps. *Cabaret* is a timeless musical that, six decades later, still stirs the soul. Now, the Kit Kat Club is kicking off a new season in this incredible venue transformed into a 1930s Berlin cabaret. The cast features Laia Prats as Sally Bowles, Mario Vaquerizo and Víctor Palmero as the Emcee, and José Pastor as Cliff Bradshaw… An immersive show that goes beyond the traditional concept of a musical.

Utopía Tierra transforms the Quinta de los Molinos Open Space into an urban laboratory to rethink the way we inhabit the city. Led by creator Arturo Babel as part of the “El jardín ilimitado” series, this family-friendly activity invites us to see our surroundings with fresh eyes through movement and imagination.

For two hours, the park serves as a stage for children (recommended age: 7 and up) and adults to redesign the streets together. The plan involves drawing new hopscotch lines, creating new ways to interact with the trees, and turning the benches into places for conversation. To participate in the event, all you need is comfortable clothing and a desire to play outdoors again.

Candlelight’s lineup for this November includes tributes to Fleetwood Mac, Bad Bunny, Michael Jackson, Extremoduro, ABBA… and exciting new additions like a tribute to the Movida Madrileña. All of this takes place at spectacular venues such as the Four Seasons Hotel, the Ateneo, the Pontifical Basilica of San Miguel, and the Palace of the Dukes of Santoña…

Emmet Cohen, James Carter, Jason Miles, veteran pianist Kenny Barron, and a diva like Cecile McLorin Salvant are just some of the names set to perform throughout Madrid to enjoy, reclaim, and occupy a jazz scene that is part of the capital’s very essence. Check out the lineup here.

The Crystal Gallery at the Palacio de Cibeles will open its doors for four days, transformed into a large flea market: Rastrillo Nuevo Futuro has been running for more than fifty editions now, with a charitable mission funded by proceeds from the sale of restored furniture and reimagined antiques, designer clothing, handmade jewelry, tableware, accessories… It will be open from 11:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., with an admission fee of €6 (free for children).

Tempesta is Captain Hook’s daughter, a young pirate torn between continuing her family’s nomadic lifestyle or joining the Lost Boys… *The Island of Neverland* is a show featuring acrobatics, circus arts, theater, and immersive technology, allowing the whole family to experience the excitement of this magical world firsthand.

Feriarte once again transforms the capital into the premier hub for collecting and antiques. Nearly 80 national and international galleries and antique dealers take over the fairgrounds to bring together historical pieces and works of art in a single exhibition.

The tour ranges from the traditional market—featuring leading names such as Artur Ramón Art, Colnaghi, and Parisian antique dealer Stéphane Renard—to contemporary art, represented by artists like Guillermo De Osma and Mayoral. The event also features specialists traveling directly from Portugal, France, and Italy.

Every November 9, Madrid celebrates its patron saint, Our Lady of Almudena. In this context, the “Patronas 2026” series highlights the city’s musical “patronesses”: that is, new and emerging bands led by women, with names like Anne Feels or Phoe + Planeta West.

The Madrid International LGBTIAQ+ Film Festival celebrates its 31st edition under the name QueerCineMad. For more than two weeks, the screens at some twenty cultural venues will show over a hundred films, maintaining their usual focus on showcasing and premiering productions from Spain and Latin America.

The goal is to showcase “works that blaze new trails for queer cinema and reflect the diversity of perspectives, aesthetics, and narratives,” featuring feature films, short films, and documentaries, with the winners chosen by the attending audience.

Developed in collaboration with the Smithsonian Observatory, NASA, and the European Space Agency, “Smithsonian Among the Stars” is an interactive virtual reality expedition that transforms complex astronomical data into a navigable three-dimensional journey. The experience allows us to move freely through the universe, guided by Astro, a virtual astronaut, aboard the most powerful telescopes in history.

Playwright María Velasco, recent winner of the National Prize for Dramatic Literature, takes the stage at the Teatro de La Abadía with this autobiographical play. Drawing on her own school memories in a special-needs classroom, *Keep Out of Reach of Children* explores rejection, the feeling of not fitting in, and fantasies of revenge in the purest *Carrie* style, imagining a settling of scores at an alumni dinner.

On stage, she’s joined by flamenco singer Al-Blanco and dancer Mario Patrón. Together, they transform the stage into a performance that blends the pain of non-conforming childhoods with the lament of flamenco.

Madrid is turning on its Christmas lights this month: the ceremony will take place on November 22 at Plaza de Cibeles. The lights will shine until January 6, as they do every season, and many streets throughout the city will debut new Christmas lighting: practically every corner of Madrid (about 240 locations in 21 districts) will feature more than 13 million LED bulbs, prioritizing energy savings. In total, according to last year’s data, 7,134 string lights, 126 cherry trees, and 13 large illuminated fir trees will light up Madrid.

The Reina Sofía Museum brings together more than fifty years of Miguel Ángel Rojas’s career in an exhibition that traces Colombia’s political and social reality. Through photography, drawing, installation, and a mix of materials, the exhibition explores themes such as the impact of drug trafficking, the exploitation of the Amazon, and indigenous-mestizo identity and homosexuality on the urban fringes.

The Prado Museum explores poet Rainer Maria Rilke’s connection to Spanish artistic culture in an exhibition commemorating the centennial of his death. The exhibition brings together the writer’s reflections on figures such as Velázquez and Murillo, his early interest in Zuloaga, and the profound impact that the works of El Greco, Goya, and Picasso had on him.

Take your seat on the jury and decide the final verdict in this interactive courtroom drama. Far from being a conventional play, the format invites you to listen to testimonies, examine the evidence, and vote at key moments to steer the course of the case, ensuring that no two performances are alike.

La Casa Encendida is hosting this year’s third and final series of debates on the most pressing challenges affecting our way of life. On this occasion, the discussions will focus on the loss of social cohesion, the lack of civic harmony, and the exponential growth of large data platforms and their impact on democracy, featuring Alenka Zupancic, Marina Otero, Fernando Broncano, Bouchra Khalili, and Gabriela Wiener.

The Madrid Río Interpretation Center is organizing a craft session for children ages 6 to 12 to put their creativity to the test. During the session, the little ones will learn the basic techniques of paper folding through origami. To participate, you must reserve your spot here.

The Prado Museum is dedicating an exhibition to Hans Baldung Grien, one of the most ambitious painters of the German Renaissance and a gifted disciple of Albrecht Dürer. The exhibition focuses on two of the most enigmatic works from his later period: *Harmony* and *The Ages and Death*, which are now on display following a recent restoration.

“An Idiot’s Guide to Wine” breaks away from traditional tastings to offer a comedic monologue paired with wine tasting. You’ll sample five wines from different regions of the world while a comedian explains the grape varieties, food pairings, and the history behind each glass. The format, created by comedian Merrick Watts and brought directly from Australia, is designed to help you discover what you like without having to pretend to be an expert.

The Open House Madrid architecture festival opens the doors to more than 100 buildings and studios across the city that are not normally open to the public. The event invites visitors to explore the interiors of these unique structures through guided tours in small groups, as well as offering guided walking tours through the capital’s streets and virtual tours.

The Sinespacio Teatro company is organizing a family shadow theater workshop inspired by circus stories. Through playing with light, participants use their bodies and various objects to bring to life the supposed ghosts that inhabit the building: former acrobats, musicians, and tightrope walkers who return to the ring as silhouettes. This activity is recommended for children ages 5 and up.

BioCultura brings together more than 350 exhibitors at a major event dedicated to organic products and responsible consumption. The venue functions as a market where you can sample fresh, seasonal foods and buy directly from local producers without middlemen, as well as explore the latest in sustainable fashion, green building, and certified natural cosmetics.