MadridFoto International Contemporary Photography Exhibition

Taking place between 5-8 May, MadridFoto is one of the biggest international exhibitions of contemporary photography at the Feria de Madrid (IFEMA). Representatives from around 50 galleries, some as far away as Los Angeles and New York, will be be there displaying some astonishing photographic creations. The fair will be open to the public Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th, the first two days being reserved for professsionals only. Tickets cost 12€, a little pricey, but there is always a lot to see and the quality is very high.

25th Salon de Gourmets Food Fair

This gastonomic fair takes place every year and is a must for all food lovers! This year it will be running from 11th-14th April at the Feria de Madrid (IFEMA) and more than 75,000 people are expected to pass through its doors over the four days. More than a thousands food producers from all over Spain will be there exhibiting their products- from the picotas del Jerte cherries, olive oil producers, to fine Spanish hams and chocolates. There will also be the Club de Gourmet de Vinos, a specialised exhibition dedicated to wines. To visit, you will need to get accreditation here (technically is for professionals only), which costs 15€ online or 30€ on the door. We went along last year and here's a video we made:

Cibeles Madrid Fashion Week

The fashion world will have its eyes on Madrid over the coming days as it celebrates its 53rd fashion week. Big names in Spanish fashion such as Adolfo Dominguez, Agatha Ruíz Prado and TCN will be amongst the 45 designers showing off their autumn-winter collections on the Cibeles catwalk. Futhermore, the event offers opportunities for 40 young designers to present their designs to the fashion industry in a effort to encourage new Spanish talent. The event places great emphasis on social media, with a blogger zone and the Soy Cibelino Competition on Facebook. 

The event takes place at the IFEMA (Feria de Madrid) between 18-23rd February.

ARCOmadrid International Contemporary Art Fair 16th-20th February

Taking place between 16th-20th February is the ARCOmadrid Internation Comtemporary Art Fair, during which Madrid will become the world capital for contemporary art. This event, now in its 30th year, is highly estimed in the contemporary art circuit and it is one of the biggest events of its kind. This edition should see more than 300,000 visitors pass through its doors, and 145 exhibitors from various art galleries and institutions across the globe will be there. Also there will be a series of talks each evening given by experts from the international contemporary art scene for both the general public and professionals.

The fair takes place at the Fería de Madrid (IFEMA), metro Campo de las Naciones (L8). Tickets cost 32€ or 66€ with the full entrance pack. You can visit the ARCOmadrid website and buy tickets here.

MadridFusion 2011 25th-27th January

Some of the world's top chefs including Ferran Adrià, Pierre Gagnaire and Heston Blumenthal will be in Madrid for the 9th edition of MadridFusion, a three day event of workshops, demonstrations and talks relating to gastronomy. Each day has a different theme; Tuesday focuses on science and cooking, Wednesday centres on new trends and innovation, whilst managing talent and and commercial success are the topics for Thursday. The live events will be translated simultaneously into English, Spanish and French.

MadridFusion 2011 takes place between 25th and 27th January at the Feria de Madrid (IFEMA). Registration costs 10€ and can be done here. For more details about the different events, speakers and other practical information, visit the MadridFusion website.