Support La Cotorra on Patreon
Access exclusive content, special perks, and closer connection with us.
Madrid's top events in February 2026
February in Madrid is packed with events: performances by Russian and English-speaking stand-up comedians, a magic festival, traditional colourful carnivals, a concert by the band Boombox and a book festival. La Cotorra tells you where to go in the Spanish capital this month.
Louis C.K. concert
10, 11 February
Tickets
Legendary American stand-up comedian and actor Louis C.K., considered an influential figure in the history of world humour, will arrive in Madrid for two concerts at the Teatro Capitol Gran Via. His programme is called Louis C.K. Ridiculous. Prior to this, Louis C.K. will also perform in Barcelona on 9 February.
Louis C.K. is a six-time Emmy Award winner and three-time Grammy Award winner. He has released more than ten stand-up shows and became the first comedian to sell out Madison Square Garden in New York three times in the same tour.
Carnival
14-18 February
Every year in mid-to-late February, traditional carnivals are held throughout Spain, preceding Lent. This year, the carnival will take place from 14 to 18 February. It will all begin at 10:30 a.m. with the opening of the festivities in Matadero Square, although in some areas, carnival events will start even earlier. For example, on 10 February, Chamartín will host a master class on making carnival masks, and on 12 February, the Galileo Cultural Centre in Chamberí will hold a lecture entitled “Carnival: Beyond the Mask”.
Every day, Madrid residents can enjoy workshops, lectures, shows, musical performances, tastings and concerts. The full schedule can be viewed separately for each district of the Spanish capital.
The grand finale of the carnival will be the ‘burial of the sardine’ on 18 February. This is a humorous procession that dates back to the 18th century.
King Carlos III of Spain thought that his nobles would not have enough food during Lent and ordered a large shipment of sardines. While they were being transported from the port to Madrid, the sardines spoiled, and the king gave them to the common people. They decided to make fun of the king's ‘gift’ and held a funeral for the spoiled sardines.
Since then, the ‘funeral of the sardine’ has become a tradition. Nowadays, the procession ends with the burning of a large effigy of a sardine.
This year, the ‘funeral’ will begin at around 6 p.m. at the Hermitage of San Antonio de la Florida, and the bonfire for burning the sardines and bidding farewell to winter is scheduled to be lit at around 9 p.m. In the following days, some areas of Madrid will also organise separate events: for example, on 19 February, there will be a costume ball in Villaverd, on 20 February, there will be a theatrical performance in Villa de Vallecas, and on 21 February, the Ditirambo troupe will perform short sketches in Tetuán.
Boombox concert
22 February
Tickets
The famous Ukrainian band Boombox, founded more than 20 years ago by vocalist Andriy Khlyvnyuk and guitarist Andriy Samoilov, will perform songs such as Kvitky v vlasy, Kalyna, Firtka, Naodynci, and others.
Boombox will also perform in other Spanish cities: Malaga (12 February), Valencia (14 February), Alicante (15 February) and Barcelona (18 February).
Concert of pianist Grigory Sokolov
23 February
Tickets
Legendary pianist Grigory Sokolov gives dozens of concerts every year in various venues across Europe, and this time he is coming to Madrid. Critics praise Sokolov's virtuoso technique, vivid personality and profound interpretations of musical works.
The exact programme for his performance has not yet been announced, but he usually includes a wide variety of works in his concerts, from medieval music to 19th and 20th century classics.
Festival of Magic
From 12 February to 15 March
Билеты
Six famous magicians and illusionists from Italy, Spain, Australia, Belgium and South Korea will gather at the 16th International Magic Festival at the Circo Price theatre in Madrid. Performances will take place every day; in addition to the acts, illusions and magic tricks, the festival will feature lectures, film screenings and discussions with the audience.
The full programme is available here.
Festival Leer Juntos
From 18 to 21 February
Admission is free, but registration is required for some events
The Leer Juntos book festival is ideal for those who enjoy reading and discussing books in Spanish. This year's topic is ‘Life Between the Lines’ and includes various meetings, discussions, book clubs, and master classes that explore the relationship between literature and real life. The festival will feature Spanish-speaking writers who will share their vision of literature as a mirror of the present and as a tool for interpreting what is happening in reality.
The full programme is available here.
Open rehearsals of the play ‘The Cherry Orchard’
10, 11, 12 and 13 February
The Fernán Gómez Theatre invites you to open rehearsals of the play ‘The Cherry Orchard’, based on the play by Anton Chekhov. The production will be directed by Juan Carlos Pérez de la Fuente, the theatre's artistic director. Audiences are invited to observe the process of creating the play and then see the final result.
To participate in the rehearsals, you must register, and to register, you must show a ticket for any of the regular performances of the play, which will begin on 15 February and run until 12 April.
Riesgo Circus Festival
12 February to 1 March
The circus arts festival will be held in Madrid for the second time and, aimed at young and adult audiences, will feature six performances of various formats by circus companies from France, Spain, Canada and Belgium: from chamber productions to large-scale shows. Also, the programme includes a meeting with director and teacher Roberto Magro, who will discuss contemporary drama.
The musical ‘Antoine’
From 13 February
In February, Madrid will begin showing the musical ‘Antoine,’ based on the famous book by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, ‘The Little Prince,’ a semi-biographical story of the author. The audience will be introduced to Exupery's personality through his works, learn about his life full of adventure and ingenuity, and meet the characters from The Little Prince and other works of his.
Concert by Eduard Matsaberidze
14 February
Millionaire blogger, comedian and TV presenter, known for the programmes ‘Orel i Reshka’, ‘Eda, ya lyublyu tebya!’ and ‘Uboynaya liga’, Eduard Matsaberidze will perform at Madrid Comedy Lab with a new solo concert and a talk with the audience.
Alexander Nezlobin's concert
25 February
Actor, stand-up comedian, film director and former Comedy Club member Alexander Nezlobin will come to Madrid with his new programme ‘I'm Fine’, which will talk about family, emigration, everyday trifles that suddenly become quests, the artist's daughter, who found her bearings in a new country faster than her parents, fears and situations that at first seemed completely unfunny.
Nezlobin will also visit Valencia (26 February) and Barcelona (27 February)