In this guide
💡 The Short Version: August is hot and quiet: a mean daily high of 31.3°C, and 38.1°C at the Retiro on 13 August 2026. Hotels were 63.6% full in August 2025, the joint lowest of the year. About 35% of the city’s bars and restaurants close in August, but only about 10% in the centre, and Casa Lucio is shut all month. The Thyssen stays open to 21:00 from Tuesday to Friday, the Royal Palace to 19:00, and the Retiro from 06:00 to midnight. Monday 16 August 2027 is a holiday. Or book an evening: the Teatro Flamenco Madrid showad is from €32.
⚠️ Some old taverns close for the whole of August. Casa Lucio on the Cava Baja is closed for the month, and about 35% of the city’s bars and restaurants close for some or all of it. Check each place’s own page before you cross the city for a table.
August in numbers
- Heat. The mean daily high is 31.3°C and the low 18.8°C, with rain on 1.7 days and 10 mm in the month, on AEMET’s Retiro averages for 1981 to 2010. August 2026 in the Comunidad de Madrid averaged 25.2°C, 1.3°C above normal, and the Retiro hit 38.1°C on 13 August, with 21 tropical nights (AEMET).
- Sunshine and daylight. August has 332 hours of sunshine. The sun rises at about 07:25 and sets at about 21:14 on 15 August, 13 h 50 of daylight.
- Hotels. 63.6% of rooms were occupied in August 2025 and 64.5% in August 2026, against 69.2% in July 2026. INE counted 812 open hotels in August 2026 and 906 in July. See the best time to visit Madrid for the other months.
- Restaurants. Telemadrid’s report of August 2024 put the closures at 35% of the city’s bars and restaurants (its text says 37%), 65% of them for about 15 days. In the centre only about 10% shut, because the tourist trade keeps them open (Telemadrid).
The Puente de Segovia and the fountains in the Manzanares at Madrid Río. Photo: Lprolando, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
What is open, and when
From the operators’ pages, for August:
| Sight | August hours | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Thyssen-Bornemisza | Tue to Fri 10:00 to 21:00; Sat 10:00 to 23:00; Sun 10:00 to 19:00; Mon 12:00 to 16:00 | Free on Monday and on Saturday from 21:00 to 23:00 for the temporary exhibitions. See the Thyssen |
| Royal Palace | Mon to Sat 10:00 to 19:00; Sun 10:00 to 16:00 | Summer hours run from April to September. See Royal Palace tickets |
| Reina Sofía | Closed Tuesday. Free from 19:00 to 21:00 on Monday and Wednesday to Saturday, and from 12:30 to 14:30 on Sunday | See the Reina Sofía and Guernica |
| Temple of Debod | Tue to Sun 10:00 to 19:00, last entry 18:30 | Closed Monday. A maximum of 30 people, for 30 minutes. Summer hours run from 15 June to 15 September |
| Retiro | 06:00 to 00:00 | April to September. See Retiro Park |
| Changing of the Guard | Wed and Sat 10:00 to 12:00 | From 1 July to 31 August, because of the heat. The solemn ceremony is not held in August |
The Prado’s hours are on the Prado page. The Círculo de Bellas Artes rooftop, a viewpoint, is open Sunday to Thursday until 01:30 and Friday and Saturday until 02:00: see Madrid viewpoints.
August fiestas and dates
- The Fiestas de la Paloma. La Latina holds them around the day of the Virgen de la Paloma, 15 August. In 2026 they ran from 13 to 16 August, with the programme in the Vistillas gardens and the Plaza de la Paja. The 2027 dates have not been announced.
- Veranos de la Villa. The city’s summer arts programme ran from 7 July to 20 September in 2026 (veranosdelavilla.com).
- Holiday. Monday 16 August 2027 is a public holiday, because the Assumption falls on Sunday 15 August.
- The eclipse. The total solar eclipse of 2 August 2027 is total across southern Spain, and Madrid sees a partial eclipse in the morning (IGN).
The evenings
Flamenco shows in Madrid compares the venues, Madrid tapas lists the bars, and Madrid food tours compares the evening walks.
Where to stay
The links go to the hotel on Hotels.com, and all three have a pool outdoors. Where to stay in Madrid compares the areas.
The Madrid EDITION
Plaza de Celenque 2 · 200 rooms · Michelin Selected · about 180 m from the Puerta del Sol · Hotels.comad
An infinity pool on the fourth-floor rooftop, with sunbeds and private cabanas, a pool bar and a terrace, according to the hotel.
Pestana Collection Plaza Mayor
Calle Imperial 8 · 90 rooms · Michelin Selected · about 340 m from the Puerta del Sol · Hotels.comad
A seasonal pool on the top floor, which opens when the weather allows, beside a rooftop bar, and an indoor pool in the spa on the lower floor, according to the hotel.
Hotel Emperador Madrid
Gran Vía 53 · about 620 m from the Puerta del Sol · Hotels.comad
A pool on a 1,200 m² terrace over the skyline, open in summer, according to the hotel. The cocktail bar and restaurant are open all year.
Next
The best time to visit Madrid gives the weather and the hotels by month. Madrid in one or two days fits the sights round the heat, and free things to do in Madrid lists the free hours at the museums. Day trips from Madrid covers the trips out. In Seville, see the best time to visit Seville, and in Barcelona, the best time to visit Barcelona.
Common questions
Is Madrid too hot in August?
The mean daily high is 31.3°C and the mean low 18.8°C, on AEMET's Retiro averages for 1981 to 2010, with rain on 1.7 days. In 2026 the Retiro station reached 38.1°C on 13 August and had 21 tropical nights, where the temperature stays above 20°C. Spain's summer of 2026 was the hottest since records began in 1961, according to AEMET.
Does Madrid close in August?
Partly. Telemadrid reported in August 2024 that 35% of the city's bars and restaurants close in August (the article's text says 37%), most of them for about 15 days. In the centre only about 10% close, because tourists keep trade going. Casa Lucio on the Cava Baja closes for the whole month.
Are Madrid's museums open in August?
Yes, with summer hours. The Thyssen-Bornemisza is open Tuesday to Friday from 10:00 to 21:00, on Saturday to 23:00 and on Sunday to 19:00, and on Monday from 12:00 to 16:00. The Royal Palace is open Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 19:00 and on Sunday from 10:00 to 16:00. The Reina Sofía is closed on Tuesday.
Are Madrid's hotels empty in August?
They are among the emptiest of the year. INE's survey of the city's hotels put room occupancy at 63.6% in August 2025, the joint lowest with January, and 64.5% in August 2026. It counted 812 open hotels in August 2026 against 906 in July.
What festivals are on in Madrid in August?
The Fiestas de la Paloma in La Latina ran from 13 to 16 August in 2026, around the day of the Virgen de la Paloma on the 15th. The 2027 dates have not been announced. Monday 16 August 2027 is a public holiday, and a partial solar eclipse crosses Madrid in the morning of 2 August 2027.
What time should I sightsee in Madrid in August?
Early or late. The Retiro is open from 06:00 to midnight from April to September, the Changing of the Guard at the Royal Palace moves to 10:00 to 12:00 on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 1 July to 31 August because of the heat, and the Círculo de Bellas Artes rooftop is open to 01:30 on Sunday to Thursday and 02:00 on Friday and Saturday.
