Spain's largest book fair: more than 350 stalls along the Paseo de Coches in El Retiro, thousands of signings and seventeen days in which the whole city passes through the park.
The 2027 edition has no official dates yet. It is usually held between late May and mid June; this page will be updated as soon as they are announced.
Last edition: 29 May – 14 Jun 2026 · Theme: "Reading and laughing: two ways to resist"
Updated: September 2026
Since 1967 the Madrid Book Fair has been held in El Retiro, and the 2027 edition marks sixty years there. Bookshops, publishers and distributors fill a line of stalls almost a kilometre long; authors sign at fixed times and the queues for the most popular are part of the scenery. Each year there is a guest country or region and a theme that shapes the programme.
It is a fair for buying and for watching: the 10% discount applies at every stall, and a good share of spring releases are launched here. Weekends are packed; on weekdays, especially in the morning, you can browse at ease.
Log what you buy, your progress and the quotes you underline. Free, no account needed to start.
Start for freeThe signing schedule is published stall by stall a few days ahead. If you are after a specific author, arrive an hour early.
Metro Retiro (L2) and Ibiza (L9) drop you at either end of the Paseo de Coches. Príncipe de Vergara (L2, L9) works too.
The best time to browse without the crush. Saturday afternoons are the busiest.
The 2027 dates have not been announced yet. It is usually held between late May and mid June. The last edition ran 29 May – 14 Jun 2026.
At Parque de El Retiro, Madrid.
Yes, admission is free.
Yes, 10% at every stall. It is one of the legal exceptions to fixed book prices in Spain.