Madrid’s vibrant arts scene takes centre stage this weekend with the third week of the 43rd Autumn Festival, a key event solidifying the city’s reputation as a European cultural hub. The festival presents a diverse program of contemporary dance and theater, including works addressing social issues and reimagining classic tales. beyond the festival, Madrid’s cultural offerings expand to include flamenco, visual arts exhibitions-many of them free to the public-and theatrical productions exploring ancient and contemporary themes.
MADRID 20 Nov. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Madrid is gearing up for a vibrant cultural weekend, headlined by the third week of the 43rd Autumn Festival. The festival showcases a diverse lineup of dance and contemporary theater, including a performance by Greek choreographer Christos Papadopoulos and a reimagining of the classic “Oedipus Rex” by Mexican playwright David Gaitán.
Papadopoulos will present ‘My Fierce Ignorant Step,’ a choreographic “exorcism” tackling pressing issues like corruption, war, and environmental destruction. The piece, featuring ten dancers, will be staged at the Teatros del Canal on Friday and Saturday. The Autumn Festival consistently draws large crowds and critical acclaim, solidifying Madrid’s position as a European cultural hub.
Also on the program is ‘Historia de amor’ from the Chilean collective Teatrocinema, a daring blend of theater and cinema based on Régis Jauffret’s novel. The production combines comic book aesthetics, 2D and 3D projections, and live performance to tell a story of stalking and abduction, which the company is restaging after more than a decade.
The world premiere of ‘HÄXAN’ by the ÉSKATON group (Saturday and Sunday) explores the intersection of mythology and rumors surrounding witchcraft through a contemporary lens. Gaitán’s ‘Edipo. Nadie es ateo’ (Oedipus. No One is an Atheist) (Saturday and Sunday), also at Teatros del Canal, offers a modern take on the Sophoclean tragedy, unfolding around a large diagonal table and a dozen chairs.
The tragedy of Mexico’s missing persons is powerfully addressed in ‘Hasta encontrarte’ (Until We Meet), a monologue by Vicky Araico (Teatro Pradillo, Thursday and Friday). Created from interviews with mothers of victims, the play portrays the stories of over 114,000 missing people in Mexico and the struggle against bureaucracy and impunity.
Uruguayan creator Tamara Cubas will present ‘Ofrenda para el monstruo’ (Offering to the Monster), a unique, non-tiered performance where the audience surrounds a cast of young performers aged 18 to 24 (Teatro del Bosque de Móstoles, Friday; Teatros del Canal, Sunday).
ACTIVIDADES PARALELAS
The Autumn Festival enhances its interactive nature with the ‘Ágora’ space, hosting meetings and free events. This week features “Antesalas” (Anteroom), 30-minute introductions to the performances of ‘Hasta encontrarte’ (Friday), ‘My Fierce Ignorant Step’ (Saturday), and ‘Edipo: Nadie es ateo’ (Sunday).
On Saturday, ‘Bailar el ágora’ (Dance the Agora), a DJ session featuring ‘Jihane (Neowarras),’ will take place in the Crystal Room of the Teatros del Canal, open to ticket holders for any festival event. The free ‘Paisajes de fondo’ (Background Landscapes) cycle concludes on Sunday at Réplika Teatro with a talk by journalist Álvaro Vicente titled ‘De la raíz al asfalto. Poética global de la danza en el Festival de Otoño’ (From Root to Asphalt. Global Poetics of Dance in the Autumn Festival).
PROPUESTAS TEATRALES Y MIRADAS FLAMENKAS
Outside the festival program, Teatro de La Abadía presents ‘Francisco Ferrer. ¡Viva la Escuela Moderna!’ (Francisco Ferrer. Long Live the Modern School!), directed by José Luis Gómez. The play revisits the life of the Catalan pedagogue executed after a controversial trial linked to the Tragic Week. Ernesto Arias stars as Ferrer, alongside Lidia Otón, David Luque, and Jesús Barranco. The production runs at the Sala Juan de la Cruz until December 7.
The Miradas Flamenkas (Flamenco Gaze) cycle at the Centro Cultural Pilar Miró dedicates its second weekend to the legacy of Lole y Manuel, pioneers of Nuevo Flamenco (New Flamenco). Guitarist and composer Luna La Hara will perform her show ‘Al Turath’ on Saturday, accompanied by El Pimientito and Aimar Habibi. On Sunday, Víctor Iniesta, co-founder of Elbicho, will present ‘Claveles y rosas’ (Carnations and Roses) with his band, a tribute to the duo and a showcase of his own work.
EXPOSICIONES GRATUITAS
Madrid’s cultural agenda is further enriched by free exhibitions in various spaces throughout the city.
‘Ecos del arte virreinato del Perú’ (Echoes of Peruvian Viceroyalty Art) highlights the fusion of Inca and Spanish cultures at the Casa Museo Lope de Vega and the Museo Casa Natal de Cervantes (until January 11) and at the Consejería de Cultura, Turismo y Deporte (from mid-December).
‘¡Me lo pido! Juguetes en el Madrid de nuestra infancia’ (I Want It! Toys in the Madrid of Our Childhood) invites visitors to rediscover childhood memories through a unique visual and material experience. The exhibition is free to visit until February 8, 2026, at the Sala Cristóbal Portillo of the Regional Archive, located in El Águila.
The Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza hosts ‘Warhol, Pollock y otros espacios americanos’ (Warhol, Pollock and Other American Spaces) until January 25, 2026, in collaboration with the Community of Madrid.
‘Un Madrid de novela… negra’ (A Madrid of Noir Novels) traces four centuries of crime literature linked to the capital. The free exhibition is on display at the Sala de Exposiciones of the Regional Library until January 11, 2026.
‘14 millones de ojos. Colección, fotografía, público’ (14 Million Eyes. Collection, Photography, Public) showcases outstanding photographs from the collection of the Museo Centro de Arte Dos de Mayo (CA2M). It can be visited for free at the Sala Canal de Isabel II until January 11, 2026.
The Sala Alcalá 31 features ‘Una retrospectiva’ (A Retrospective), dedicated to the various stages of artist Alfredo Alcain’s career, winner of the 2003 National Arts Award, until January 11, 2026.
Outside the capital, in Buitrago del Lozoya, the Museo Picasso-Colección Eugenio Arias hosts ‘Picasso en la obra de Mingote’ (Picasso in the Work of Mingote) until December 7, curated by Carlos Villanueva and Juan García Cerrada.
In Móstoles, the Centro de Arte Dos de Mayo (CA2M) presents several exhibitions: ‘Aguas Turbias’ (Turbid Waters) and ‘Juan Pérez Agirregoikoa. Guerra, Comercio y Filantropía’ (Juan Pérez Agirregoikoa. War, Commerce and Philanthropy) (both until January 11, 2026).
