Come Alone by Meet & Mint Events you can go to on your own

Book clubs & reading nights · Madrid

Book clubs in Madrid, come alone, bring a book.

36 upcoming book clubs, readings, poetry nights and author talks in Madrid at 22 venues — all easy to walk into on your own.

Biblioteca Pública Municipal Iván de Vargas (Centro)4 upcoming

Mon16Nov
Free
CultureMadrid
18:00–19:30

Guía de Autores Europeos - Hungría, Iván de Vargas library, Madrid

Biblioteca Pública Municipal Iván de Vargas (Centro)

On Monday 16 November 2026 at 18:00 the Iván de Vargas public library in Madrid presents its new Guía de Autores – Hungría, prepared with the European Documentation Centre of the Community of Madrid and the Embassy of Hungary in Spain. The listing describes the guide as a tour of Hungarian literature for Spanish readers, from the great classics to contemporary voices, with a selection of authors and works available in Spanish translation. The meeting also looks at the literary and cultural links between Hungary and Spain and at how Hungarian writing has been received in Spain. Speakers are the Hungarian ambassador, the historian and author Jorge Martín Quintana, and Dr Zsuzsanna Lakatos-Báldy, lecturer in Hungarian language and culture at CEU San Pablo University. Entry is free until the room is full, and no end time is given. A talk about books like this is easy to attend alone, since everyone in the room shares an interest in reading. «La publicación ofrece al público español un recorrido por la literatura húngara» Starts 18:00, ends about 19:30. Source: Madrid city open data — Agenda de actividades y eventos (Ayuntamiento de Madrid, datos.madrid.es, CC BY 4.0). The listing gives no end time, so the end shown is estimated. The listing says entry is free until the room is full.

Thu19Nov
Free
LearningMadrid
11:00–12:30

Don Carlos de Austria, talk at Biblioteca Iván de Vargas, Madrid

Biblioteca Pública Municipal Iván de Vargas (Centro)

On Thursday 19 November 2026 at 11:00 the Biblioteca Pública Municipal Iván de Vargas (Centro) in Madrid hosts a talk titled Don Carlos de Austria: cómo se construye la imagen de un príncipe en la Edad Moderna, held in the library's Sala de Actividades on Calle San Justo 5. The listing explains that the activity takes the figure of Prince Don Carlos of Austria as its starting point and explores the role of art in building public image and discourses of power during the early modern period. The lecture presents the development of a doctoral research project and ends with an open discussion with the people attending. Entry is free, but registration is required through the form linked on the official page, and the registration process closes on 18 November 2026. A talk and discussion like this is easy to attend alone, since everyone in the room has come to listen and exchange ideas. «La conferencia permitirá conocer el desarrollo de una investigación doctoral y concluirá con un coloquio abierto con los asistentes.» Starts 11:00, ends about 12:30. Source: Madrid city open data — Agenda de actividades y eventos (Ayuntamiento de Madrid, datos.madrid.es, CC BY 4.0). The listing gives no end time, so the end shown is estimated. The listing says the activity is free with registration open until 18 November 2026.

Tue1Dec
Free
SocialMadrid
18:00–19:30

Yuxtaposición: a music chat club in a library

Biblioteca Pública Municipal Iván de Vargas (Centro)

On Tuesday 1 December 2026 at 18:00 the Iván de Vargas library in central Madrid hosts Yuxtaposición, a musical tertulia that works like a book club but for music. The collective has met since April 2024 in Madrid and San Sebastián, and runs a monthly radio programme on RadioRelativa. People share music, talk about what they listen to and how, and the listing says anyone is welcome whatever their musical background. The sessions are for adults over 18, free, with entry open until the room is full. The December date is the last session of the autumn run. The page gives no end time, so we estimate about ninety minutes. A talk club where everyone brings a song is one of the easiest ways to meet people alone, since the music starts the conversation for you. «Yuxtaposición es un punto de encuentro que sacia el hambre de hablar de música» Starts 18:00, ends about 19:30. Source: Madrid city open data — Agenda de actividades y eventos (Ayuntamiento de Madrid, datos.madrid.es).

Fri4Dec
Free
SocialMadrid
19:00–20:30

Tolkien Universe book club at a Madrid library

Biblioteca Pública Municipal Iván de Vargas (Centro)

On Friday 4 December 2026 at 19:00 the Iván de Vargas public library in central Madrid holds the December session of its Tolkien Universe club. The group meets on the first Friday of each month, this season on 2 October, 6 November and 4 December, to share readings, interpretations and curiosities about the work of J. R. R. Tolkien. The first book was The Hobbit. The club is for adults over 18, free, and entry is open until the room is full. The library does not provide the books, and the listing gives no end time, so we estimate about ninety minutes. A themed book club is an easy way to meet people alone, because you arrive with a shared story and a ready subject, and in a winter city the warm library is a good place to spend a Friday evening. «Un club para adentrarse en el universo literario de J. R. R. Tolkien» Starts 19:00, ends about 20:30. Source: Madrid city open data — Agenda de actividades y eventos (Ayuntamiento de Madrid, datos.madrid.es).

Museo de San Isidro3 upcoming

Thu26Nov
Free
LearningMadrid
18:30–20:00

Talk: how science learned to speak — Greek scientific vocabulary

Museo de San Isidro

Where do words like 'atom' or 'planet' come from? A free talk on how Greek science created a new vocabulary that passed to Rome and into every modern language. Part of the autumn lecture cycle.

Thu3Dec
Free
LearningMadrid
18:30–20:00

Talk: Pliny the Elder and women's medical knowledge

Museo de San Isidro

How did ideas about the body and health travel from Pliny the Elder to women writers of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance? A free university talk on old medical knowledge, the body, the soul and the passions. Part of the autumn lecture cycle.

Teatro Español3 upcoming

Wed2Dec
LearningMadrid
18:00–19:15

Natalia Ginzburg, una vida familiar, a talk at the Teatro Español

Teatro Español

On Wednesday 2 December 2026 at 18:00 the Teatro Español in Madrid hosts a talk titled Natalia Ginzburg: una vida familiar. The listing says it is a conversation with the participation of Elena Medel, moderated by Albanta San Román. The event accompanies the theatre's staging of Ginzburg's comedy Me casé por alegría, which runs from 6 November to 20 December 2026, and offers a way into the life and work of one of the most luminous voices of twentieth-century Italian literature. It is a spoken event rather than a play, so you sit and listen, and the discussion leaves room for questions. The page gives few other details about the programme, so this description is limited to the listing. The talk starts at 18:00, which leaves the evening free for dinner nearby. The ticket costs 3 euros. A short literary conversation in a historic theatre is an easy and cheap plan alone. «Coloquio con Elena Medel, moderado por Albanta San Román.» Starts 18:00, ends about 19:15. Source: Madrid city open data — Agenda de actividades y eventos (Ayuntamiento de Madrid, datos.madrid.es, CC BY 4.0). The listing gives 23:59 as the end, a placeholder, so the end shown is estimated. The listing gives no duration, so we estimate about an hour and a quarter. The price is 3 euros.

Fri15Jan
CultureMadrid
19:00–21:00

Historia de una escalera by Buero Vallejo, Teatro Español, Madrid

Teatro Español

On Friday 15 January 2027 at 19:00 the Teatro Español in Madrid opens a new run of Historia de una escalera, the classic by Antonio Buero Vallejo. The listing says that after the success of the 75th anniversary of its premiere at the Teatro Español, the play returns to the stage. It won the Lope de Vega Prize of the City of Madrid in 1949 and became one of the essential works of Spanish dramatic literature. Time passes on the staircase, the true protagonist of the drama, while the lives of its neighbours converge: simple people who, with their hopes and frustrations, try to survive in an impossible society. The plot is made of small stories set in three moments of history, spring 1919, autumn 1929 and winter 1949, which allow us to find coincidences with society today. The director notes that the play premiered on 14 October 1949. The listing gives the price as 6 to 22 euros. A classic Spanish drama in a historic theatre is an easy evening alone. «Un clásico de Buero Vallejo que regresa al escenario del Teatro Español.» Starts 19:00, ends about 21:00. Source: Madrid city open data — Agenda de actividades y eventos (Ayuntamiento de Madrid, datos.madrid.es, CC BY 4.0). The listing gives 23:59 as the end, a placeholder, so the end shown is estimated. The date shown is the first evening of the run. The listing gives the price as 6 to 22 euros.

Wed27Jan
LearningMadrid
18:00–19:30

Talk on 1927 and the peak of Lorca's poetic theatre, Teatro Español

Teatro Español

On Wednesday 27 January 2027 at 18:00 the Teatro Español in Madrid hosts a colloquium titled 1927. Lorca y la culminación del teatro poético, with Julio Vélez, moderated by Albanta San Román. The listing gives no further description, but the title points to the year 1927, when the Generation of 27 met in Seville to honour Góngora, and to the high point of Lorca's poetic theatre, so it suits readers of Spanish poetry and theatre. The price is 3 euros, with tickets sold through the theatre page, and the colloquium starts at 18:00. The listing gives no end time, so the end shown is estimated. The Teatro Español is on the Calle del Príncipe, in the centre of Madrid, close to the Plaza de Santa Ana and its cafes. A talk with a moderator and an audience is easy to join alone, and the low price makes it a cheap evening out. «Coloquio con Julio Vélez, moderado por Albanta San Román.» Starts 18:00, ends about 19:30. Source: Madrid city open data — Agenda de actividades y eventos (Ayuntamiento de Madrid, datos.madrid.es, CC BY 4.0). The listing gives no end time, so the end shown is estimated. The listing gives the price as 3 euros.

Centro Cultural Nicolás Salmerón (Chamartín)2 upcoming

Mon16Nov
Free
CultureMadrid
19:00–20:30

Talk Madrid verso a verso, Centro Nicolás Salmerón, Madrid

Centro Cultural Nicolás Salmerón (Chamartín)

On Monday 16 November 2026 at 19:00 the Centro Cultural Nicolás Salmerón in the Chamartín district of Madrid holds the talk that opens Madrid verso a verso, led by the speaker Juan Carlos Carpetano. The listing describes a poetic walk through Madrid among verses and poets, and the talk covers poets who were born in, lived in or sang about the city, from the Siglo de Oro and the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries to the Modernistas, the Generación del 98, the Generación del 27 and the present. A guided walk follows on Thursday 19 November at 18:30 from the plaza de la Platería de Martínez to the plaza de Santa Ana, with sign-up after the talk on Monday. The public is listed as adult, and entry is free until capacity is reached. A talk on poetry is easy to attend alone, because listening and sharing a walk afterwards need no companion. «Un paseo poético por Madrid entre versos y poetas.» Starts 19:00, ends about 20:30. Source: Madrid city open data — Agenda de actividades y eventos (Ayuntamiento de Madrid, datos.madrid.es, CC BY 4.0). The listing gives no end time, so the end shown is estimated. The listing says free entry until capacity is reached, for an adult audience.

Thu26Nov
Free
CultureMadrid
19:00–20:30

JRJ 100 años de poesía y de belleza, Nicolás Salmerón, Madrid

Centro Cultural Nicolás Salmerón (Chamartín)

On Thursday 26 November 2026 at 19:00 the Centro Cultural Nicolás Salmerón in the Chamartín district of Madrid hosts JRJ 100 años de poesía y de belleza, a poetry and music recital by the company Arte y Parte. The listing says it is aimed at an adult audience and pays homage to Juan Ramón Jiménez, called the father and master of the Generation of 27. The recital is a selection of poems, eleven of them sung and accompanied by a sound-art production and five original musical compositions. It is presented as a suite in four parts covering the poet's states of life, fullness, nostalgia, introspection, silence and death, with introductory texts by the writer and researcher José Antonio Expósito. Entry is free until capacity is reached. A poetry recital is easy to attend alone, since the audience simply sits together and listens, and there is no need to bring anyone along. «La poesía de JRJ deja de ser texto para convertirse en acción escénica.» Starts 19:00, ends about 20:30. Source: Madrid city open data — Agenda de actividades y eventos (Ayuntamiento de Madrid, datos.madrid.es, CC BY 4.0). The listing gives no end time, so the end shown is estimated. The listing gives free entry until capacity is reached and names the audience as adult.

Centro Cultural San Juan Bautista (Ciudad Lineal)2 upcoming

Fri27Nov
Free
MusicMadrid
19:00–20:00

Zo Brinviyer, poetry and jazz, San Juan Bautista, Madrid

Centro Cultural San Juan Bautista (Ciudad Lineal)

On Friday 27 November 2026 at 19:00 the Centro Cultural San Juan Bautista in Madrid presents Zo Brinviyer in a poetry and jazz session within the Festival de Jazz de Ciudad Lineal. According to the listing, Zo Brinviyer fuses words and jazz alongside the Cuban trumpeter Lachy Torriente, in a proposal with deep Afro and rumba roots that is also influenced by spiritual jazz. The listing calls it an emotional journey through themes that cross all of us, such as being a woman in a world of men, vulnerability and love as a driving force. The session lasts 60 minutes, and admission is free, as the listing marks it gratuito. The centre is at Calle San Nemesio 4. A short poetry and jazz evening is easy to enjoy alone, since the audience simply listens together. «Zo Brinviyer fusiona palabra y jazz junto al trompetista cubano Lachy Torrriente» Starts 19:00, ends about 20:00. Source: Madrid city open data — Agenda de actividades y eventos (Ayuntamiento de Madrid, datos.madrid.es, CC BY 4.0). The listing gives no end time, so the end shown is estimated. The listing marks the event as free and gives a duration of 60 minutes.

Sat28Nov
Free
MusicMadrid
19:00–19:50

Luis Medina meets Manuel Machado Project, jazz, Madrid

Centro Cultural San Juan Bautista (Ciudad Lineal)

On Saturday 28 November 2026 at 19:00 the Centro Cultural San Juan Bautista in Madrid hosts Luis Medina meets Manuel Machado Project, part of the Festival de Jazz de Ciudad Lineal. The listing says that Luis, a singer-songwriter with more than thirty years of career, goes through the repertoire most linked to some of the jazz musicians he has shared his artistic path with. He is joined by Manuel Machado on trumpet, Ramón El León on drums, Luis Guerra on piano and Iván Ruiz Machado on bass. They present a recital in which jazz and musical poetry join hands. The performance lasts 50 minutes and admission is free, as the listing marks it gratuito. The venue is at Calle San Nemesio 4. A short recital like this is easy to enjoy alone, because the whole room is there to listen. «presenta un recital en el que el jazz y la poesía musical se dan la mano» Starts 19:00, ends about 19:50. Source: Madrid city open data — Agenda de actividades y eventos (Ayuntamiento de Madrid, datos.madrid.es, CC BY 4.0). The listing gives no end time, so the end shown is estimated. The listing marks the event as free and gives a duration of 50 minutes.

Centro Dotacional Integrado Arganzuela Ángel del Río2 upcoming

Thu19Nov
Free
CultureMadrid
19:00–20:30

Silent film Vagabundo, vagabundo, vagabundo, Arganzuela, Madrid

Centro Dotacional Integrado Arganzuela Ángel del Río

On Thursday 19 November 2026 at 19:00 the Centro Dotacional Integrado Arganzuela Ángel del Río in Madrid screens Vagabundo, vagabundo, vagabundo, directed by Harry Edwards in 1926 in the United States. It belongs to the cycle of classics of silent comedy from the twenties and to the fourth season of silent cinema with live piano in Arganzuela. The listing says Harry Langdon plays a naive young man who joins a cross-country endurance race, hoping to win the 25,000 dollar cash prize to save from foreclosure the house of the girl he loves, facing all kinds of rivals and comic situations. The activity is listed as free, with no booking arrangement mentioned. The centre is at Calle Canarias 17. A silent comedy with live piano is easy to enjoy alone, since the whole room laughs together. «Harry (Langdon) es un joven ingenuo que se une a una carrera de resistencia a través del país» Starts 19:00, ends about 20:30. Source: Madrid city open data — Agenda de actividades y eventos (Ayuntamiento de Madrid, datos.madrid.es, CC BY 4.0). The listing gives no end time, so the end shown is estimated. The listing gives the screening as free, part of a silent film season with live piano.

Thu26Nov
Free
SocialMadrid
19:00–20:30

Tertulia El cine en silencio, on 1920s silent comedy, in Arganzuela

Centro Dotacional Integrado Arganzuela Ángel del Río

On Thursday 26 November 2026 at 19:00 the Centro Dotacional Integrado Arganzuela in Madrid hosts the tertulia El cine en silencio, part of a cycle on the classics of silent comedy of the 1920s. The listing describes a conversation dedicated to silent cinema of that decade, an era in which gestures, looks and music gave a voice to the screen. Through its films, characters and great figures, participants will share memories, curiosities and opinions on the origins of the seventh art. The listing places it within the fourth season of silent films with live piano at Arganzuela, and gives the entry as free. It gives 19:00 as the start and no end time, so the end shown is estimated. A small conversation circle about old films is an easy way to talk with strangers when coming alone. «Los gestos, las miradas y la música daban voz a la pantalla.» Starts 19:00, ends about 20:30. Source: Madrid city open data — Agenda de actividades y eventos (Ayuntamiento de Madrid, datos.madrid.es, CC BY 4.0). The listing gives no end time, so the end shown is estimated. The listing gives the entry as free.

Centro Sociocultural Maestro Alonso (Salamanca)2 upcoming

Tue17Nov
Free
LearningMadrid
18:00–19:00

Talk on Vermeer and the Mauritshuis at Maestro Alonso centre, Madrid

Centro Sociocultural Maestro Alonso (Salamanca)

On Tuesday 17 November 2026 at 18:00 the Centro Sociocultural Maestro Alonso in the Salamanca district of Madrid hosts a lecture titled Vermeer De Delft, genio entre las obras del museo de la haya, given by the historian Belén García Naharro. The listing explains that the Mauritshuis in The Hague holds three important works by Johannes Vermeer, known for his scenes of everyday life, his mastery of perspective and his use of the camera obscura. The museum collaborates with international institutions such as the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum in Madrid. The talk aims to introduce the figure of Vermeer and to prepare a visit to the Thyssen exhibition planned for 19 November. It is a lecture of 60 minutes for all audiences, and admission is free. A lecture like this is easy to attend alone, since people come to listen and learn. «En esta actividad se conocerá mejor la figura de Vermeer» Starts 18:00, ends about 19:00. Source: Madrid city open data — Agenda de actividades y eventos (Ayuntamiento de Madrid, datos.madrid.es, CC BY 4.0). The listing gives no end time, so the end shown is estimated. The listing says the lecture lasts 60 minutes, is free and is for all audiences.

Thu19Nov
Free
CultureMadrid
12:00–13:30

Guided visit, Mauritshuis-Thyssen exhibition, Madrid

Centro Sociocultural Maestro Alonso (Salamanca)

On Thursday 19 November 2026 at 12:00 the Centro Sociocultural Maestro Alonso in the Salamanca district of Madrid offers a guided visit to the Mauritshuis-Thyssen exhibition, led by Belén García Naharro, an official guide of the Community of Madrid. The listing explains that the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum in Madrid, at Paseo del Prado 8, and the Mauritshuis gallery in The Hague in the Netherlands are taking part in a historic cultural exchange of 25 masterpieces from their permanent collections, carried out at the same time in both cities. The listing says that registration for the visit takes place at the lecture on 17 November at the Maestro Alonso centre, at Calle Maestro Alonso 6. The activity is free. A guided visit is easy to join alone, because the group follows the guide and conversation comes naturally. «Inscripciones a la visita en la conferencia del día 17 de noviembre» Starts 12:00, ends about 13:30. Source: Madrid city open data — Agenda de actividades y eventos (Ayuntamiento de Madrid, datos.madrid.es, CC BY 4.0). The listing gives no end time, so the end shown is estimated. The listing gives the activity as free, with sign-up at the 17 November lecture.

Centro de Cultura Contemporánea Conde Duque2 upcoming

Tue26Jan
LearningMadrid
19:00–20:30

Queridísimos seres peludos, a talk about pets at Conde Duque

Centro de Cultura Contemporánea Conde Duque

On Tuesday 26 January 2027 at 19:00 the Centro de Cultura Contemporánea Conde Duque in Madrid hosts Queridísimos seres peludos, plumosos, escamosos, a conversation about the animals we live with. The listing says that for centuries we have built affective bonds with animals that are sometimes comparable to those of the family itself: we name them, talk to them and cry when they go. Living with another animal implies ethical decisions, complex affections and a reorganisation of daily life that we rarely talk about. The talk asks what animals teach us about attachment, dependence and grief, how this relationship has been represented in art and literature, and what it says about our time that they occupy the centre of our emotional life. The speakers are Estela de Castro, photographer and activist, Jaume Fatjó of the Affinity Foundation chair at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, and the writer Berta García Faet, with the journalist Beatriz Nogal as moderator. The ticket costs 2 euros. A talk on a gentle theme is an easy evening alone. «¿Qué nos enseñan los animales sobre los vínculos afectivos, la dependencia y el duelo?» Starts 19:00, ends about 20:30. Source: Madrid city open data — Agenda de actividades y eventos (Ayuntamiento de Madrid, datos.madrid.es, CC BY 4.0). The listing gives 23:59 as the end, a placeholder, so the end shown is estimated. The listing gives no duration, so we estimate about an hour and a half. The price is 2 euros.

Fri29Jan
SocialMadrid
19:30–21:00

Graphic novel book club on El arte de volar, at Conde Duque, Madrid

Centro de Cultura Contemporánea Conde Duque

On Friday 29 January 2027 at 19:30 the Centro de Cultura Contemporánea Conde Duque in Madrid hosts a reading club for graphic novels, led by Javier Olivares. The listing says the meetings take place monthly to comment on and analyse outstanding works of the graphic essay and of journalism in panels. This month's book is El arte de volar, by Altarriba and Kim. The price is 2 euros. The start is 19:30, and the listing gives no end time, so the end shown is estimated. A reading club that meets every month is one of the easiest ways to meet people when coming alone, since everyone has read the same book and the conversation starts from it. Conde Duque is a large cultural centre in the Universidad district, close to the Plaza de España, and the same building has other events that evening. «Club de lectura de novela gráfica con Javier Olivares.» Starts 19:30, ends about 21:00. Source: Madrid city open data — Agenda de actividades y eventos (Ayuntamiento de Madrid, datos.madrid.es, CC BY 4.0). The listing gives no end time, so the end shown is estimated. The listing gives the price as 2 euros.

Centro de Cultura Contemporánea CondeDuque2 upcoming

Wed25Nov
CultureMadrid
19:00–21:00

Kate Zambreno lecture, Monstruosidad, fotografía, amor, Madrid

Centro de Cultura Contemporánea CondeDuque

On Wednesday 25 November 2026 at 19:00 the Centro de Cultura Contemporánea CondeDuque in Madrid hosts a lecture titled Monstruosidad, fotografía, amor by the American writer Kate Zambreno. The listing says she will speak about love and heartbreak, covering the affections between partners, within families, between mothers and children, between friends and between artists, starting from her own work, which sets literature in dialogue with photography and contemporary art. Afterwards she will talk about these themes with the art critic John Vincler, who is her husband. The listing gives the duration as 2 hours. The listing does not give a price, and it does not describe a booking arrangement, so anyone interested should check the centre's information before going. A lecture followed by a conversation is easy to attend alone, since the audience is there to listen and think about the same subject. «La escritora norteamericana Kate Zambreno impartirá una conferencia sobre el amor y el desamor» Starts 19:00, ends about 21:00. Source: Madrid city open data — Agenda de actividades y eventos (Ayuntamiento de Madrid, datos.madrid.es, CC BY 4.0). The listing gives a duration of 2 hours and does not state a price.

Fri27Nov
LearningMadrid
19:30–21:00

Graphic novel book club: El piano oriental, CondeDuque, Madrid

Centro de Cultura Contemporánea CondeDuque

On Friday 27 November 2026 at 19:30 the Centro de Cultura Contemporánea CondeDuque in Madrid holds a session of its graphic novel reading club, led by Javier Olivares. The listing explains that the meetings take place monthly and are used to comment on and analyse outstanding works of the graphic essay and of comics journalism. The book for this session is El piano oriental by Zeina Abichared, and the session belongs to the centre's Ensayos gráficos programme for the 2026 and 2027 season. The listing gives the price as 2 euros and does not describe a booking arrangement. The session is listed in the courses and workshops section of the city agenda. A reading club is easy to join alone, since the whole point is to talk about one shared book with other readers, and no one needs to arrive with a group. «Club de lectura de novela gráfica con Javier Olivares.» Starts 19:30, ends about 21:00. Source: Madrid city open data — Agenda de actividades y eventos (Ayuntamiento de Madrid, datos.madrid.es, CC BY 4.0). The listing gives no end time, so the end shown is estimated. The listing gives the price as 2 euros.

Museo de San Isidro. Los Orígenes de Madrid2 upcoming

Wed18Nov
Free
LearningMadrid
18:30–20:00

Talk: Penelope the weaver and textiles in Homer

Museo de San Isidro. Los Orígenes de Madrid

On Wednesday 18 November 2026 at 18:30 the Museo de San Isidro, Los Orígenes de Madrid, hosts a conference called Penelope, the weaver: textiles in Homer and in the Mycenaean world. The speaker is Eugenio Ramón Luján Martínez, a professor of philology at the Complutense University of Madrid, and the talk is organised with Oriens, the Association for Near Eastern Studies. It takes place in the museum's auditorium in the historic La Latina quarter, close to the Plaza de la Paja. Admission is free until the room is full and no booking is needed. Ancient cloth, looms and the web that Penelope unpicked each night are a friendly topic for a mixed audience, and a lecture that ends with a few questions makes it easy to say hello to a neighbour in the next seat. «Tejidos en Homero y en el mundo Micénico» Starts 18:30, ends about 20:00. Source: Madrid city open data — Agenda de actividades y eventos (Ayuntamiento de Madrid, datos.madrid.es).

Wed25Nov
Free
LearningMadrid
18:30–20:00

Talk: Elamite, the ancient Iranian language

Museo de San Isidro. Los Orígenes de Madrid

On Wednesday 25 November 2026 at 18:30 the Museo de San Isidro, Los Orígenes de Madrid, hosts a conference titled Elamite, the pre-Indo-European language of ancient Iran. It is given by Juan Eugenio Briceño Villalobos, a professor of philology at the Complutense University of Madrid, and organised with Oriens, the Association for Near Eastern Studies. The lecture takes place in the museum's auditorium, in the old quarter of La Latina near the Plaza de la Paja. Admission is free until the room is full and there is no registration. The museum itself tells the story of the city from its Roman and medieval roots and is worth arriving early to see. Evening lectures at small museums attract curious regulars who like to talk afterwards, which makes this an easy event to attend alone. «La lengua pre-indoeuropea del Irán Antiguo» Starts 18:30, ends about 20:00. Source: Madrid city open data — Agenda de actividades y eventos (Ayuntamiento de Madrid, datos.madrid.es).

Agencia Estatal Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)1 upcoming

Wed25Nov
Free
LearningMadrid
18:30–20:30

Reading workshop on the Odyssey, Librería CSIC, Madrid

Agencia Estatal Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)

On Wednesday 25 November 2026 at 18:30 the Librería CSIC at Calle de Serrano 123 in Madrid, run by the Spanish National Research Council, hosts a reading workshop on the Odyssey, as part of the Barrio de la Ciencia programme. The listing says the session lasts 120 minutes and entry is free until capacity is reached. The workshop covers the whole work: the search of Telemachus, the adventures of Odysseus and his return to Ithaca, a journey through memory, identity, hospitality and the wish to go home. The reading edition is Odisea, Volume I, Cantos I to IV, published by CSIC in 2022. Francisco Martínez Morán, a doctor in comparative literature, poet and novelist, will talk about what the classic means today, with Óscar Santos Payán as presenter and moderator. A reading workshop is easy to join alone, since the shared book gives strangers a natural way to start talking. «Entrada libre hasta completar aforo.» Starts 18:30, ends about 20:30. Source: Madrid city open data — Agenda de actividades y eventos (Ayuntamiento de Madrid, datos.madrid.es, CC BY 4.0). The listing gives free entry until capacity is reached and a duration of 120 minutes, within Barrio de la Ciencia.

Biblioteca Pública Municipal David Gistau1 upcoming

Thu19Nov
Free
SocialMadrid
18:00–19:30

Reading club with the author of Inmóvil, at a Madrid library

Biblioteca Pública Municipal David Gistau

On Thursday 19 November 2026 at 18:00 the municipal library David Gistau in Madrid hosts a reading club with the author, around the book Inmóvil by Amador Analógico Analgésico. The listing calls it a very special club, because it is led by the author of the book himself. It asks whether you would like to use your phone in a less addictive way, and says that if so the book may prove especially useful and substantially interesting. It describes Inmóvil as a novelised essay with the body and soul of a diary, an initiatory work of deep rebellion, with intimate, universal and timeless themes and passages of exploring introspection that may stir some sensibilities. The listing gives no end time, so the end shown is estimated. The listing gives the entry as free. A small reading circle is an easy way to talk with strangers when coming alone. «Un club de lectura muy especial.» Starts 18:00, ends about 19:30. Source: Madrid city open data — Agenda de actividades y eventos (Ayuntamiento de Madrid, datos.madrid.es, CC BY 4.0). The listing gives no end time, so the end shown is estimated. The listing gives the entry as free.

Centro Cultural Casa de Vacas1 upcoming

Fri20Nov
Free
MusicMadrid
19:00–20:30

La música de las palabras, Juan Ramón Jiménez, Casa de Vacas

Centro Cultural Casa de Vacas

On Friday 20 November 2026 at 19:00 the Centro Cultural Casa de Vacas in Madrid, in the Retiro park, hosts La música de las palabras, a concert-recital with poems by Juan Ramón Jiménez, the Nobel Prize winner for literature in 1956. The listing names the Grupo Retablo, with Mayte Domínguez as performer and Pablo Bethencourt on piano and composition. It says the poet and writer Javier Mateo Hidalgo opens the evening. The listing also gives the ticket rules: tickets are handed out from one hour before at the cultural centre, with a maximum of two per person until the capacity is full. It gives no programme of poems and no running time, so this page says no more than that. Admission is free. The end shown is estimated. A poetry and piano evening is easy to join alone, since the audience listens in a seated hall. «Recital con poemas de Juan Ramón Jiménez, Premio Nobel de Literatura 1956.» Starts 19:00, ends about 20:30. Source: Madrid city open data — Agenda de actividades y eventos (Ayuntamiento de Madrid, datos.madrid.es, CC BY 4.0). The listing gives no end time, so the end shown is estimated.

Centro Cultural Casa de Vacas (Retiro)1 upcoming

Tue17Nov
Free
LearningMadrid
19:00–20:00

Consecuencias jurídicas y económicas de la música sintética, Madrid

Centro Cultural Casa de Vacas (Retiro)

On Tuesday 17 November 2026 at 19:00 the Casa de Vacas cultural centre in Madrid hosts a talk titled Consecuencias jurídicas y económicas de la música sintética, which translates as the legal and economic consequences of synthetic music. The listing presents it as a lecture within the FORO DENAE series and says it lasts 60 minutes. It gives the recommended age as an adult audience. Admission is free, but tickets are handed out at the cultural centre from one hour before the start, with a maximum of two tickets per person until the room is full. The listing names no speaker and gives no end time, so the finish is estimated from the stated one-hour length. A lecture like this is easy to attend alone, because the audience comes to listen and the format needs no company, and the ticket handout queue is a simple way to start a conversation. «Reparto de entradas desde una hora antes en el centro cultural.» Starts 19:00, ends about 20:00. Source: Madrid city open data — Agenda de actividades y eventos (Ayuntamiento de Madrid, datos.madrid.es, CC BY 4.0). The listing gives no end time, so the end shown is estimated. The listing says the talk lasts 60 minutes, is free and is recommended for an adult audience.

Centro Cultural Eduardo Úrculo (Tetuán)1 upcoming

Fri27Nov
Free
CultureMadrid
19:00–20:20

Verde que te quiero verde, flamenco, Centro Eduardo Úrculo, Madrid

Centro Cultural Eduardo Úrculo (Tetuán)

On Friday 27 November 2026 at 19:00 the Centro Cultural Eduardo Úrculo in the Tetuán district of Madrid presents Verde que te quiero verde, a show of flamenco and spoken word by Mónica Te llo. The listing explains that it starts from Federico García Lorca's Romance sonámbulo but does not adapt it. Instead, it questions the poem with a text of its own. Lorca's green is desire, moon, death and waiting, and the piece asks what remains of that green when it is danced, when it is spoken aloud and when it is looked at from today. The listing gives the running time as 80 minutes, so the show should finish around 20:20, and it marks the event as free. The recommended audience is given as everyone. A mix of dance and poetry like this is easy to enjoy alone, since attention stays on the stage and the room shares the same quiet focus. «Esta pieza pregunta qué queda de ese verde cuando se baila, cuando se dice en voz alta y cuando se mira desde hoy.» Starts 19:00, ends about 20:20. Source: Madrid city open data — Agenda de actividades y eventos (Ayuntamiento de Madrid, datos.madrid.es, CC BY 4.0). The listing marks the event as free (Gratuito) and gives the duration as 80 minutes.

Centro Cultural Galileo (Chamberí)1 upcoming

Wed18Nov
Free
CultureMadrid
19:00–20:00

Magic comedies in theatre, talk at Centro Cultural Galileo, Madrid

Centro Cultural Galileo (Chamberí)

On Wednesday 18 November 2026 at 19:00 the Centro Cultural Galileo in the Chamberí district of Madrid hosts a lecture titled El ilusionismo irrumpe en las tablas, on the comedies of magic, given by Saladina Jota. The listing says the talk lasts 60 minutes and is open to all audiences. It explains that elements of illusion and fantasy were used in the theatre from the Middle Ages onwards, often linked to traditional tales. In the Golden Age, it adds, those stage resources developed into fantastical characters and situations that reached the stage to surprise the audience. Admission is free until the room is full, and no ticket price is listed. A talk like this is easy to attend alone, since everyone in the room has come to listen and learn about the same subject, and nobody needs a companion to follow along or to ask a question afterwards. «Desde la Edad Media se utilizaron elementos de ilusionismo y fantasía en el teatro, a menudo vinculados a relatos tradicionales.» Starts 19:00, ends about 20:00. Source: Madrid city open data — Agenda de actividades y eventos (Ayuntamiento de Madrid, datos.madrid.es, CC BY 4.0). The listing gives no end time, so the end shown is estimated. The listing gives the price as free until the room is full and the duration as 60 minutes.

Cineteca Madrid1 upcoming

Fri18Dec
CultureMadrid
19:30–21:15

Universo Vilchez, Fernando Vilchez films and talk, Cineteca Madrid

Cineteca Madrid

On Friday 18 December 2026 at 19:30 Cineteca Madrid in Plaza Legazpi, Madrid, presents Universo Vilchez, a programme of three short films by Fernando Vilchez with a total running time of 71 minutes. Recuerdos para el que por mi pregunte (Spain, 2025, 26 min) has grandchildren and other relatives reading the last words written by people about to be killed, giving voice to a family and collective memory. Solo te puedo mostrar el color (Peru, 2014, 25 min) follows the protest of Awajún and Wampis communities against a mining company in the northern jungle of Peru in 2009, and young indigenous people who later learn to use video cameras. La calma (Peru, 2011, 20 min) is set in a village destroyed by an earthquake beside the sea. A talk with Fernando Vilchez follows the films. The listing does not give a price. A screening followed by a talk is easy to attend alone, as the audience shares questions afterwards. «Casi noventa años después de los hechos, nietos, bisnietos y otros familiares leen las últimas palabras» Starts 19:30, ends about 21:15. Source: Madrid city open data — Agenda de actividades y eventos (Ayuntamiento de Madrid, datos.madrid.es, CC BY 4.0). The listing gives no end time, so the end shown is estimated. The listing names three short films by Fernando Vilchez and a talk but gives no price.

Museo Reina Sofía, Edificio Nouvel, Auditorio 4001 upcoming

Sat21Nov
Free
CultureMadrid
18:00–20:00

Bahía, Afro-Brazilian culture day, Reina Sofía, Madrid

Museo Reina Sofía, Edificio Nouvel, Auditorio 400

On Saturday 21 November 2026 at 18:00 the Museo Reina Sofía in Madrid hosts Bahía, cuna de la cultura afrobrasileña, a gathering for Black Consciousness Day in Brazil, in the Auditorio 400 and the foyer of the Nouvel building. It is the third edition, organised by the Asociación Cultural Brasileira Maloka with Museo Situado, and brings music, dance, poetry and performance focused on Bahia, in Spanish and Portuguese. The page describes Maloka as an organisation devoted to spreading Brazilian culture in Madrid, based in the Lavapiés neighbourhood. Its main initiatives include the Black Consciousness Day, the Carnaval de la Pachamama and the Festival de Música Brasileira de Autor. Entry is free until the room is full. The page gives no end time, so about two hours is assumed. A performance evening like this is easy to join alone, since the programme gives everyone something to watch. «Desde hace 21 años, organiza actividades para promover la riqueza y la diversidad de la cultura afroindígena brasileña» Starts 18:00, ends about 20:00. Source: Museo Reina Sofía official event page (museoreinasofia.es). The listing gives free entry until the room is full, a start at 18:00 and no end time, so the end shown is estimated.

Nave de Terneras del Centro Cultural Casa del Reloj1 upcoming

Mon30Nov
Free
LearningMadrid
19:00–20:30

Talk on Napoleonic court love and power, Casa del Reloj, Madrid

Nave de Terneras del Centro Cultural Casa del Reloj

On Monday 30 November 2026 at 19:00 the Nave de Terneras of the Centro Cultural Casa del Reloj in Madrid hosts the talk Amor, poder y ambición en la corte napoleónica de Madrid, part of the third lecture cycle Lunes con la historia en Arganzuela. The speaker is Alicia Vallina. The listing sets the story during the War of Independence, when King Joseph I Bonaparte and Pilar de Acedo, Marchioness of Montehermoso, lived a passionate love story amid power and the din of war. It says that ambition and conflicting loyalties had irreparable political consequences and that, when the Napoleonic dream collapsed, their romance was trapped between defeat and exile. The venue is at Paseo de la Chopera 10. Entry is listed as free. A history talk like this is easy to attend alone, since the audience is there to listen and the subject gives plenty to discuss afterwards. «el rey José I Bonaparte y Pilar de Acedo, marquesa de Montehermoso, vivieron una apasionada historia de amor» Starts 19:00, ends about 20:30. Source: Madrid city open data — Agenda de actividades y eventos (Ayuntamiento de Madrid, datos.madrid.es, CC BY 4.0). The listing gives no end time, so the end shown is estimated. The listing gives the price as Gratuito and names the speaker and the lecture cycle.

Tablao Flamenco Torero1 upcoming

Sun22Nov
CultureMadrid
12:30–13:30

Romancero gitano, Mónica Tello, flamenco at Tablao Torero, Madrid

Tablao Flamenco Torero

On Sunday 22 November 2026 at 12:30 the dancer and choreographer Mónica Tello performs Romancero gitano at the Tablao Flamenco Torero in the centre of Madrid, a flamenco reading of the poems by Federico García Lorca. The listing says Lorca wrote the poems with an ear for flamenco, which now returns them as movement. Tello's version is not an illustration of the poems but a reading from the body, with the footwork as pulse, silence as verse and song as the voice Lorca always looked for in the Andalusian people. The show is given on 25 October, 22 November and 13 December, and this listing is for the Sunday midday show. Tickets start from 15 euros. The page gives the show about 60 minutes. A small flamenco show like this is easy to book alone, since one seat is all that is needed. «Lorca escribió estos poemas con el oído puesto en el flamenco» Starts 12:30, ends about 13:30. Source: Tablao Flamenco Torero official event page (esmadrid.com). The listing gives tickets from 15 euros, a start at 12:30 and about 60 minutes of show, so the end shown is estimated.

Teatro Monumental1 upcoming

Tue1Dec
MusicMadrid
19:30–21:00

Banda Sinfónica Municipal, París: música y color, Madrid

Teatro Monumental

On Tuesday 1 December 2026 at 19:30 the Banda Sinfónica Municipal de Madrid plays París: música y color at the Teatro Monumental in Madrid, conducted by Sergio Casas. It is one of twelve Tuesday concerts in the band's 2026-27 season, Confluencias. The page presents the band as founded in 1909 to spread symphonic music in the city, with a wide repertoire that ranges from transcriptions of classical works to original and contemporary pieces, and says audiences especially recognise its readings of zarzuela. Other concerts in the series are on 17 November and 15 December at the same time. The ticket costs 3.75 euros. The page gives no end time, so about an hour and a half is assumed. A band concert like this is easy to enjoy alone, since everyone faces the stage and the programme is easy to follow. «es un verdadero tesoro cultural para Madrid» Starts 19:30, ends about 21:00. Source: Banda Sinfónica Municipal de Madrid official event page (esmadrid.com). The listing gives a ticket price of 3.75 euros, a start at 19:30 and no end time, so the end shown is estimated.

Teatro de La Abadía, Sala José Luis Alonso1 upcoming

Thu3Dec
CultureMadrid
20:00–21:15

La ira de Narciso, Sergio Blanco, Teatro de La Abadía, Madrid

Teatro de La Abadía, Sala José Luis Alonso

On Thursday 3 December 2026 at 20:00 the Teatro de La Abadía in Madrid shows La ira de Narciso in the Sala José Luis Alonso, in the 44th Festival de Otoño. The listing presents the premiere production of one of the celebrated plays by the Uruguayan playwright Sergio Blanco, an intense immersion in the limits between desire and obsession, reality and fiction, and the construction of one's own identity. A lecturer who has come to a hotel in Ljubljana to talk about the myth of Narcissus finds bloodstains in his room, and the story moves into artistic creation, the pull of death and the fear of not recognising oneself in one's own image. The run is from 18 November to 6 December, Tuesday to Saturday at 20:00 and Sunday at 19:30. The general ticket costs 25 euros and the page gives about 1 hour 15 minutes. A play like this is easy to enjoy alone, since you watch from your seat. «una intensa inmersión en los límites entre el deseo y la obsesión, la realidad y la ficción» Starts 20:00, ends about 21:15. Source: Teatro de La Abadía official event page (esmadrid.com). The listing gives a general ticket price of 25 euros, a start at 20:00 and a length of about 1 hour 15 minutes, so the end shown is calculated from that.

First time?

How to join a book club alone

  1. Check the book, then relax. Many groups welcome people who have not finished it — the official page says if reading ahead matters.
  2. Arrive five minutes early and tell the host it is your first time; they will introduce you.
  3. Say one thing — a line you liked or a question. That is enough for a first evening.
  4. Nothing that suits you? Host a silent reading night: 60 minutes silent, 15 minutes talk, phones away, any book, finish at a café.

Phrases in the local language for your evening: Phrases for tonight · Library events in Madrid

Questions people ask

Where can I join a book club in Madrid?

This page lists 36 upcoming book clubs, readings, poetry nights and author talks in Madrid at 22 venues, from city open data. Public libraries and bookshops run most of them, and most are free.

Can I go alone to a book club in Madrid?

Yes. Most people at public book clubs and readings come alone; the host opens the conversation, and having finished the book is often optional. Arrive early and say it is your first time.

Is there a silent reading party in Madrid?

If none is listed, host one: create a free invite on party.comealone.app, pick a café, read silently for 60 minutes, talk for 15, phones away, any book.

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