Open society and creativity in Chueca

Experience one of the world's best street parties

Chueca has been established since decades, as the unrivaled heart of Madrid's LGBT and LGBT-friendly community. But the community extends far beyond the city boundaries every summer, when Chueca plays host to one of the largest and most colourful Gay Pride events on the planet, welcoming revellers from all corners of the globe. This is a special time to be in the neighbourhood, regardless of sexual orientation, as the streets come alive with crowds, events, songs and laughter underneath the strong midsummer sun. The winding streets directly off Chueca Square are particularly lively.
But thanks to Chueca's phenomenal array of non-exclusive clubs and bars - from elegant cocktail terraces to underground raves and pensioner institutions - you do not have to be here for the Gay Pride to enjoy the nightlife.

Set some trends with Madrid's cutting-edge

Alongside Chueca's vibrant nightlife has come an open, expressive environment giving life to some of the city's most creative fashion designers and emerging contemporary artists, many of whom have taken up residence in the neighbourhood and have works on display in different forms. A lot of the city's cultural output begins in Chueca, in some form, and it's a good place to get a head start on the coming trends before they hit the rest of Europe. To take a piece of this fashion scene away with you, seek out some of the cool boutiques on the major shopping boulevards of Fuencarral Street and Calle Augusto Figueroa, where one can find anything the body requires, the mind desires, and even some surprises that have not yet been dreamed of. Elsewhere around Chueca, hidden galleries and temporary exhibits offer unique art pieces for the more introspective connoisseurs. It may not have the reputation of Madrid's Prado district for museum art or its highbrow catwalks for fashion - but it also lacks the overblown prices and the crowds of visitors.

Whatever happens, the palate will thrive

As any visitor to Spain's glorious capital will have noticed - Spanish food is very, very good. The entire city is packed with fantastic eateries, but Chueca now garners more of them to its small bosom than most other Madrid districts. A day, afternoon or evening cannot really go wrong if it starts around Pedro Zerolo, previously known as Plaza Vázquez de Mella, where people watching alone is enough of a reason to sit down on a street bench, but the string of bustling cafés and restaurants is perhaps even more alluring. There are no tourist traps here, just an endless line of good reasons to sit down to a meal, drink or coffee. The inevitable tapas are abundant and often experimental, and it doesn't hurt to sample a few different venues in one evening by nibbling a trajectory from small dish to small dish with accompanying drinks. Some of the best and most popular tapas joints are found in or around the recently modernised San Antón Market. This square brings together an eclectic societal mix with the best gastronomy. Members of the avant garde, chic yuppies and old school traditionalists mingle with apparent ease amongst the specialist hipster stalls, elegant open-air establishments and fruit and vegetable stands who have held their place for more than 60 years. 

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