What to Do in Madrid This Weekend (February 19-22, 2026): Chinese New Year, Chillida Exhibition, Jorge Blass at the Price, and Much More
The cultural agenda for Madrid this weekend is packed with exciting events, including the celebration of the Chinese New Year, the exhibition ‘Eduardo Chillida. To Dream the Space,’ and the 16th International Magic Festival. The program is further enriched with arthouse cinema at Cineteca, 21 DISTRITOS concerts, and family-friendly proposals at Espacio Abierto Quinta de los Molinos.
Need ideas for plans in Madrid this weekend? The city offers an agenda that combines the celebration of Chinese New Year, a major exhibition, music, cinema, and proposals for all ages. At Conde Duque, a retrospective of Eduardo Chillida explores his dialogue with matter, light, and space. Additionally, the Circo Price is filled with wonder with the International Magic Gala of the Madrid International Magic Festival. And, for cinephiles, Cineteca brings together premieres and special screenings with discussions.
Chinese New Year Madrid 2026
Location: Various locations, primarily Usera district
Among the major plans for this weekend is the Chinese New Year Madrid 2026, celebrating the Year of the Fire Horse with a comprehensive cultural program in Usera. This is a must-attend event for those looking for things to do in Madrid this weekend, filling the district with music, traditional dances, gastronomy, and activities for all audiences. Madrid welcomes the Chinese New Year with an image inspired by the horse, a symbol of energy and prosperity.
- Friday, February 20: Inaugural act and traditional lion dance ceremony, accompanied by cultural performances.
- Saturday, February 21: Pradolongo Park hosts exhibitions, a market, and family activities, culminating in the Fire Horse Festival and a fireworks display.
- Sunday, February 22: The most anticipated moment, the Grand Chinese New Year Parade, will tour Pradolongo Park with dragons, lions, and traditional comparsas, turning Usera into a large open-air festive stage.
Eduardo Chillida. To Dream the Space (Exhibition)
Location: Centro Cultural Conde Duque, Sala 1. Calle del Conde Duque, 11
Conde Duque hosts ‘Eduardo Chillida. To Dream the Space,’ a grand retrospective bringing together 102 pieces including sculptures, graphic works, drawings, collages, and portraits, covering the entire career of the Basque artist. The dialogue between matter, light, and space articulates an itinerary that alternates small-format works with larger-scale pieces, including key series such as Gravitaciones. This is a unique opportunity to rediscover one of the fundamental figures of 20th-century art, whose work maintains its validity and poetic force.
- Dates: Until June 21
- Hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM and 5:30 PM to 9:00 PM
International Stage Magic Gala (Show)
Location: Teatro Circo Price. Ronda de Atocha, 35
The International Stage Magic Gala of the 16th Madrid International Magic Festival once again brings some of the world’s best illusionists to Circo Price in a show that combines technique, creativity, and large-format staging. An essential event for those looking for things to do in Madrid this weekend and who want to be surprised. Amazing tricks, impossible illusions, high-impact visual acts, and moments of humor turn the gala into a journey into the territory of the extraordinary. Each artist brings their own style-from manipulation and narrative magic to high-risk mentalism-creating a dynamic, exciting show designed for all audiences. The festival’s main event brings together six great international figures on stage: Francesco Della Bona, Calista Sinclair, Celia Muñoz, Aaron Crow, Jorge Blass, and Han Manho, who merge different ways of understanding illusionism into a unique experience.
- Dates: February 18 to March 15
Le Parody (Music)
Location: Contemporánea Condeduque. Calle del Conde Duque, 9 y 11
Le Parody presents ‘Remedios’ within the ‘Música a Voces’ series, a live performance that blends dark pop, folklore, flamenco, and dance electronics with an intimate yet powerful staging. Sole Le Parody combines samplers and pedals, mixing live loops with her voice and ukulele, in a format that transitions from attentive listening to dancing. A concert to be carried away by the emotion, rhythm, and uniqueness of one of the most personal proposals in the current music scene.
- Date: Friday, February 20
- Time: 8:00 PM
Premieres and Special Screenings (Cinema)
Location: Cineteca Madrid. Plaza de Legazpi, 8
If your ideal plan includes the big screen, Cineteca this weekend concentrates documentaries, premieres, and arthouse cinema with several outstanding proposals:
- ‘Al oeste, en Zapata’ (DOCMA Cycle): Friday, February 20, 7:30 PM, Sala Plató. Screening with presentation and post-screening discussion with the director.
- ‘La desmemoriada’ (Special Screenings): Friday, February 20, 8:00 PM, Sala Borau.
- ‘Father Mother Sister Brother’: Saturday, February 21 (6:00 PM, Sala Azcona); Sunday, February 22 (7:00 PM, Sala Borau); Wednesday, February 25 and Thursday, February 26 (7:00 PM, Sala Borau). Jim Jarmusch’s new film.
- ‘Vivir al revés’: Saturday, February 21 and Sunday, February 22, 8:00 PM, Sala Plató.
- ‘Queer me’: Saturday, February 21 (8:30 PM, Sala Azcona); Sunday, February 22 (8:30 PM, Sala Azcona); Tuesday, February 24 (7:30 PM, Sala Borau).
Children’s Cultural Plans (Various Disciplines)
Location: Teatro de Títeres del Retiro and Espacio Abierto Quinta de los Molinos
The cultural agenda for the weekend also includes several proposals designed for family enjoyment, with puppet theater, outdoor experiences, and creative workshops for different ages.
- Teatro de Títeres de El Retiro: Saturday, February 21 and Sunday, February 22 (12:30 PM), ‘Cristobita y el novio de la muerte.’ A popular puppet piece that recovers the tradition of the ‘cachiporra’ with humor and critical spirit.
- Espacio Abierto Quinta de los Molinos:
- ‘Transparente,’ by Lupe Estévez: February 21 (12:30 PM and 5:30 PM). A scenic experience for early childhood (18 months to 3 years) focused on curiosity and shared play.
- ‘Camino a los almendros,’ by Arturo Babel: February 21 (and March 1), 12:00 PM and 4:00 PM. An invitation to walk through the park in a poetic drift to the almond trees in bloom (from 5 years old).
- ‘Instrucciones para bailar como un bosque’: February 22 (10:45 AM and 12:45 PM). A body exploration workshop inspired by nature, aimed at families from 7 years old with an accompanying adult.
21 DISTRITOS (Various Disciplines)
This weekend, 21 DISTRITOS brings cinema, early music, jazz, inclusive circus, and singer-songwriter music to various cultural spaces in the city, with free proposals for the general public.
- ‘Madrid, EXT.’ (Cinema): Screening of Juan Cavestany’s film. Centro Cultural La Vaguada, Fuencarral-El Pardo. Friday, February 20, 7:00 PM.
- ‘Ay amor, ay ausencia’ (Early Music): María Espada and Manuel Minguillón. Centro Sociocultural Santa Petronila, Villaverde. Recital dedicated to song in the Golden Age. Friday, February 20, 7:00 PM.
- Inclusive Circus and Cooperative Games (Workshop): Circo Diverso. Centro Cultural Orcasur, Usera. Participatory workshop adapted for seniors and people with functional diversity. Saturday, February 21, 11:00 AM.
- Moisés P. Sánchez Trío (Music): Centro Cultural Antonio Machado, San Blas-Canillejas. Presentation of their new project. Saturday, February 21, 7:00 PM.
- Raul Midón (Music): Centro Cultural Nicolás Salmerón, Chamartín. Acoustic concert celebrating 20 years of his album ‘State of Mind.’ Sunday, February 22, 7:00 PM.
Additional Cultural Plans
- X Exhibition of Contemporary Goldsmithery and Jewelry (AdOC): Museo de San Isidro. Los Orígenes de Madrid. Focus on author design.
- ‘Crear archivos tullidos: Memoria y rescate de genealogías’: Matadero Madrid, within the Intermediæ program. Friday. Workshop to collectively build crip and queer archives.
- Planetario de Madrid: Projections for all audiences:
- ‘Postales de otros mundos’ (6:00 PM): A fulldome journey through the landscapes of the solar system.
- ‘Biosfera oscura’ (7:00 PM, recommended for ages 12+): Explores microbial life in extreme conditions.
Also free exhibitions: ‘Europa en el espacio (ESA)’ and ‘Artemisa: la magia de la Luna.’
- ‘Cromos de artista,’ by Luis Pérez Calvo: CentroCentro. A tour of his visual universe with over five hundred small pieces and murals.
Source: Madrid City Council
