13 Best Performing Arts Venues in Madrid, Spain

Prepare for a soulful, invigorating show at this old-school, not-too-kitschy flamenco tablao adjacent to the Plaza Mayor. The start times are 8 and 10 pm nightly, and the festivities spill over into a flamenco-fueled foot-stomping party that starts at midnight.

Less a traditional tablao and more a modern performance venue, Teatro Flamenco hosts a variety of classical and modern interpretations of flamenco dance and song. 

Madrid's main concert hall has spaces for both symphonic and chamber music.

This venue taking up an entire city block is best known for its summer live music concerts (flamenco, jazz, pop) and has free exhibitions, lectures, and theater performances. The quiet, well-lit library is a good place for studying or working. The wing at the southern end of the complex is dedicated to contemporary art.

A rare example of Art Nouveau architecture in Madrid, the alternative Cine Doré shows movies from the Spanish National Film Archives and eclectic foreign films, often at budget rates (and you frequently get a short film or two in addition to a feature). The pink neon-trimmed lobby has a sleek café-bar and a bookshop.

Concerts, theater, dance performances, art exhibitions, and other events are all on the calendar at this performance and entertainment venue. There is also an extremely popular (and some would say overpriced) café and rooftop restaurant-bar with breathtaking views of the city.

A Michelin-starred dinner followed by a world-class flamenco performance in the same building sounds too good to be true, but at Corral de la Morería the food (Basque with an Andalusian twist) is as invigorating as the twirling and stomping bailaoras. Opt for an elegant, market-driven prix fixe to be enjoyed during the show or splurge on an exclusive tasting experience at the four-table Gastronómico restaurant that earned the venue its coveted Michelin star. Wine pairings, which hinge on rare back-vintage sherries and other vinos generosos (fortified wines), are well worth the extra euros.

You can buy tickets for major concerts online.

Film festivals, alternative art shows, dance performances, lectures, and events for children (in Spanish) are held here. In summer, there are outdoor concerts on the rooftop, which is open to the public and a pleasant place to unwind with a book when nothing is on.

This resplendent neoclassical theater is the city's premier venue for opera and dance performances. Built in 1850, it fell into disuse from 1925 to 1966 because of political upheaval. A major restoration project endowed it with golden balconies, plush seats, and state-of-the-art stage equipment. Opera buffs rave about the choir, said to be one of the best in the world. The theater sometimes hosts flamenco on Friday evenings in the smaller auditorium.

This is your best bet for new releases.