Autumn is intense in Madrid, everything is renewed, plans multiply and the temperature accompanies. While parks and gardens are dyed golden, museums premiere exhibitions and concerts occupy the great halls day after day. By the time you start to need to wrap up warm, Halloween is getting ready and a couple of weeks later the Christmas markets. From September to December without a weekend off.
Exhibitions
Marvel: Universe of Super Heroes
Madrid is that cultural epicenter where everything happens. Everything, including the arrival of Marvel’s greatest superheroes and villains. The official exhibition of Marvel, also known as the House of Ideas, will open its doors next November 15 at IFEMA, with more than 200 original pieces that summarize 85 years of adventures, 85 years of history from comics to blockbuster movies.
From the sound design of the experience (created by composer Lorne Balfe, author of the soundtracks of films such as Black Widow) to the different scenarios, everything is designed to immerse attendees in the Marvel universe, interact with it and feel part of this incredible world.
📍 Location: Avenida del Partenón, 5 (Barajas)
🗓️ Dates: From November 15.
Join the waiting list here to be the first to get your tickets at a special price.
Titanic Immersive Exhibition
The Legend of the Titanic exhibition at Matadero de Madrid offers a unique immersive experience. Organized by Madrid Artes Digitales, the exhibition allows visitors to embark on a journey across the Atlantic, reliving the experiences of the Titanic’s passengers and exploring the social differences on board. The exhibition will be open until October 13, with tickets starting at €18.40.
📍 Location: Matadero of Madrid, Plaza de Legazpi, 8
🗓️ Dates: From September 12 to October 13
Seventy great masters of the Pérez Simón Collection
The private collection of Juan Antonio Pérez Simón comes to Madrid with masterpieces by artists such as Murillo, Van Gogh and Magritte. This exhibition at CentroCentro offers a journey through different periods of art, from the old masters to contemporary art. The exhibition will be on display until January 12, providing a unique opportunity to enjoy never-before-seen pieces.
📍 Location: CentroCentro, Palacio de Cibeles, Madrid
🗓️ Dates: September 20 to January 12
The most autumnal parks
Campo del Moro Gardens
Autumn in Madrid where it shines the most is in the Campo del Moro Gardens. From mid-October its deciduous trees begin to turn yellow framing the Royal Palace as in a postcard designed by Tim Burton.
It is fenced and has only one entrance, and its gates are open from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. It is not usually crowded, for how beautiful it is, which adds to its charm. It is one of the most bucolic parks in the city, partly because it hides the nineteenth-century pavilions and the Queen’s Chalet, which, although you can not visit inside, are buildings reminiscent of northern Europe and are unusual in the city. There are also loose peacocks and other caged birds.
📍 Location: P.º de la Virgen del Puerto, 1 (Downtown)
Gardens of the Vista Alegre Estate
The Finca de Vista Alegre Garden, declared an Asset of Cultural Interest, is attractive in almost any season for its landscape diversity, which includes romantic, geometric and exotic plant gardens, but the ochers of autumn highlight its beauty even more.
The garden is home to historical and architectural elements such as the Plaza de las Estatuas, the Ría and the Parterre, which blend harmoniously with the surrounding nature. In addition, access to the garden is free, and it is not a well-known garden, allowing visitors to enjoy a quiet and less crowded walk in a unique historical setting.
📍 Location: Puerta Real. Calle General Ricardos No. 179 (Carabanchel).
Music: concerts and festivals
Madrid Live Experience
Let it not be said that after summer the festivals end: in Madrid we are lucky enough to have festivals all year round. In the case of Madrid Live Experience, a one-concert-a-day festival in a theater as delightful as Príncipe Pío. There, from September 26 to October 2, Bonnie Tyler, Mikel Erentxun, Alex Ubago, Leo Rizzi, Club del Río, Siloé and the magnanimous Jethro Tull (sorry, tickets for this day are already sold out).
In addition, this festival dedicates several days to the little ones, with the Rock en Familia (September 28) and Pica Pica (the next day) shows.
📍 Location: Cuesta de San Vicente, 44 (Princesa)
🗓️ Dates: September 26 to October 2
Tickets: from 18 € and 5 € (children’s show Rock en Familia).
Concerts in halls and arenas
Madrid’s calendar of venues is frenetic all year round, but it slackens in summer, when we spend our lives looking for shadows and swimming pools. With the autumn, the underground bands, big international tours, debut shows of emerging artists… the venues are where the talent moves.
Among all the extensive agenda, we highlight five that, we are sure, will be talked about and of them we will say: “I saw them first, when they played in that room so many years ago…”. We start with Fat Dog They are rebels, they are dirty on stage (they jump, scream, live the moment and the sound becomes the context of a stage show that opens mouths), they are pure show and they will play on October 2nd at the Sala Sol.
We continue with Nick Cave and his international tour that, fortunately, lands in Madrid for the pleasure of his entourage of followers. The composer has become a preacher, a preacher who spreads the word in intimate concerts (despite being held in large arenas, such as the WiZink Center), where he plays, wallows and mingles with the audience. Don’t miss him on October 25.
On November 23, Desire will be playing at Panda Club. You will recognize this voice and style if you have seen the movie Drive, with Ryan Gosling: slow, electronic melodies, otherworldly vocals, soft and distant like a dystopian dream.
Continuing with dystopia and darkness, that same day at the festival called Santuario Fest (in Pinto) the unrepeatable, iconic, historical The Sisters of Mercy return. Coffee for coffee lovers.
And two days later, the shoegaze that resurrects making homage to the best grunge of the 90’s:DIIV will be remembered, a posteriori, as one of the great bands of this century (and if not, time to time). They will perform at BUT on November 25th.
Autumn markets
The pantry of Madrid
La Despensa de Madrid is a traveling market organized by the Community of Madrid, which celebrates its twelfth edition in 2024. This event tours 20 municipalities in the region, and in October ends its tour in El Escorial (October 13) and in Colemnar Viejo (October 19 and 20).
The market is made up of 15 individual tents displaying a wide variety of local agri-food products, such as olives, meat, beer, chocolate, preserves, pies, vegetables, eggs, legumes, liquors, jams, honey, bread, pastries, sausages, cheeses, vermouth, oils and wines with protected designation of origin.
📍 Location: different locations.
🗓️ Dates: October 13 in El Escorial, October 19 and 20 in Colmenar Viejo.
Alcalá de Henares Cervantino Market
The Alcalá de Henares Cervantino Market is known for being one of the largest in Spain and Europe, attracting thousands of visitors who wish to stroll through the Spanish Golden Age, at least for a while.
During the event, the old town of Alcalá de Henares is transformed into a Renaissance setting, with streets decorated in the style of the period and numerous stalls offering handcrafted products, traditional foods, jewelry and textiles.
There is also a wide variety of cultural activities, including street theater, baroque music, parades and historical re-enactments. In addition, medieval jousting and falconry exhibitions are organized and to complete the experience you can tour the city on the Cervantes Train.
📍 Location: Alcalá de Henares
🗓️ Dates: October 8 to 13
Halloween Special
Altar of the Dead at Casa de México
The Casa de México Foundation presents a spectacular altar of the dead designed by Eugenio Caballero, famous for his work in films such as Pan’s Labyrinth. This year, the altar includes sensory experiences that transport visitors on a journey between the world of the living and the dead. Admission is free and reservations are recommended through their newsletter.
📍 Location: Casa de México (Alberto Aguilera, 20)
🗓️ Dates: October 2 to November 10
Pumpkin field
The pumpkin gives color, flavor to autumn and accompanies part of the theme of the season. In Madrid there are places like La Huerta de Aranjuez where you can choose your pumpkin for Halloween, as well as decorate it, participate in activities and have a snack there.
From September 22 to November 3 events will take place: tractor rides, pumpkin picking, corn maze, snack bar (cob + drink of choice), among others that you can see in the calendar on their website. Perhaps this is one of the best plans on the list to share with children.
📍Location: Carretera de Cádiz, 69 (Aranjuez)
Theme parties
What happens at Fabrik, stays at Fabrik. This is the code of conduct that prevails in the largest nightclub in Spain. Especially if everything happens with a mask, a costume, a party like Halloween. For this 2024, the iconic night of Humanes, celebrates a HallowFest, a real one-night festival. It will be on October 26, 12 hours of non-stop music, with a tremendous line up of DJs: Cuartero, Lilly Palmer, Sam Paganini…
The same happens with WAH Madrid, that clandestine space, hidden in the bowels of IFEMA, which once again opens its doors to one of the most fun Halloween parties in the city: it all starts in its food court, with stalls from different parts of the world, gastronomic spaces and cocktail bar. Suddenly, something happens, something happens: the characters of this dystopian world intermingle with the attendees and the party begins and continues in a large theater where the great artists of the history of music are honored.
This article was written by María F. Carballo and Elena Francés.