Malasaña is a neighborhood located in the center of Madrid, Spain. The district has a roughly square shape, bordered by Gran Vía to the south, Calle Fuencarral to the east, Calle Carranza to the north, and Calle de San Bernardo to the west. Malasaña is known for a vibrant, creative, and fringe cultural scene.

Malasaña is situated west of Chueca and east of Argüelles, making it a central neighbourhood in Madrid. It is well-connected by several metro stations. Notable residents include Esperanza Aguirre, the former President of the Community of Madrid, as well as various politicians and artists.

The neighbourhood is named after Manuela Malasaña, a 15-year-old girl who lived on San Andrés street and was executed by French troops following the Dos de Mayo Uprising in 1808.^[1][2] Today, a near the Glorieta de Bilbao roundabout bears her name. The heart of the area is the Plaza del Dos de Mayo, a square that commemorates the uprising against the occupying forces and its violent suppression, an event marking the start of the Spanish War of Independence.

The Malasaña neighborhood has become a hub for the Hipster movement, attracting many young residents and visitors with its abundance of bars, clubs, and unique atmosphere. Its rich history, spanning several decades, has shaped the area's distinctive musical and artistic culture.^[3] Botellónes are common within the neighbourhood, sometimes notable enough to be stopped by police activity. Parts of the neighbourhood closer to Gran Vía also feature various adult clubs and sex shops.

The local nightlife scene is diverse, with venues catering to alternative, funk, LGBTQ, hard rock, metal, house, nudists, BDSM, gothic, and other genres.

It remains unclear whether Malasaña will maintain its atmosphere or become more commercialized and upmarket. Since 2017, the Mercado de Fuencarral, once an iconic shopping destination known for its industrial style and alternative shops, closed down in July 2015 after being bought by an investment fund.^[4]

Malasaña is also known for its diverse commercial scene, featuring fashion boutiques, design stores, and niche markets that showcase progressive designers and products. These stores are typically affordable and far from mainstream. The area is home to numerous secondhand vintage shops, used bookstores, and unique gift stores. Calle del Espíritu Santo embodies the neighborhood's character, with a range of establishments in one block, including a retro shop, specialty butchers, a pastry shop, vintage stores, a florist, a vegetable shop, bars, bohemian cafés, ethnic restaurants, mid-range dining options, and clothing shops.^[5]

Malasaña is mentioned in Me Gustas Tú by Manu Chao, and the surf instrumental Farawel Malasaña by Bambi Molesters from Croatia.

With Chueca, Malasaña hosted the Art Festival Los artistas del barrio in October 2017,^[6] opening the doors of more than 70 venues to show the work of international and national artists like David Trullo, Pablo Sola, Daniel Garbade, Le frère, Pablo Kalafaker, Carmen Alvar, Rosa Guerrero, and more.^[7]

Film directors often used Malasaña as a set for their productions, so has Marco Ferreri's in El Cochecito (1960), Franklin J. Schaffner in Patton (1970), Fernando Colomo in Bajarse al moro (1989), Pedro Almodóvar in Pepi, Luci, Bom (1980) and in Law of Desire (1987), or Emilio Martínez Lázaro in The Worst Years of Our Lives (1994).^[8] It was the center of the movida movement in late 1970s and 1980s Madrid.^[9]

The architecture in Malasaña is traditionally uniform, featuring buildings with 4 to 6 levels, 3 to 5 windows wide. Each building is painted in a consistent color, with almost all windows adorned with French balconies and minimal ornamentation. A special site is Pedro de Ribera's Hospicee, now the Municipal Museum on Calle de Fuencarral, which exemplifies the evolution of the Castilian baroque style towards a more decorative aesthetic. Whereas the Conde Duque Cuartel, a former barracks that is today a cultural center, counts as an example of Madrid's Bourbon architecture.^[10]

Rents are high for smaller spaces, and some buildings are very exclusive.

This is a list of notable places in Malasaña. More information can be found here.

It is the heart of the neighborhood, surrounded by a number of bars and restaurants. It is common for people to go outside here. It also has a crafts market in Malasaña that takes place over the weekend, as well as many vintage shops. It is common for people to sell beer here. ^{[citation needed]}

This street stretches from Fuencarral all the way to San Bernando, and there are many bars and restaurants, as well as a theater called El Teatro Maravillas that was founded more than a hundred years ago, and showcases musicals, plays, comedy nights, etc. There is also a bar called La Cerveceria Casa Maravillas, a popular bar for people visiting Madrid. ^{[citation needed]}

La Plaza de la Luna, officially named Plaza de Santa María Soledad Torres Acosta, is a bustling area in Malasaña, Madrid. Commonly recognized by locals as Plaza de la Luna, it attracts both tourists and residents with its numerous bars and restaurants. ^{[citation needed]}

A popular spot in this area is Gymage Malasaña, offering a multifaceted experience with a gym, a theater, and a rooftop bar featuring a swimming pool. During the summer, a temporary bar emerges in the center of the square, while the winter season transforms it into an ice-skating rink. ^{[citation needed]}

The square is just off Gran Vía, the closest station is Callao. There are also a couple of toy stores on the square that specialise in board games.

A couple of points of interest in the square are the San Ildefonso Church constructed in 1827, built on the grounds of the original building that had stood since 1619.

Then you have the Farmacia Malasaña, known as the Puerto Pharmacy. The buildings in the San Ildefonso square of Malasaña were reformed by the architect Manuel Bradi back in 1798, and there was a chemist previously known to be at this address. ^{[citation needed]}

This narrow street in Malasaña runs from Corredera Baja to San Bernando. There were films made here.

Legend is that the land was previously owned by a priest in the 18th century, and after the land was given and divide up by royalty, there was a lake that housed a lot of fish that died due to the water being polluted during the construction of the new buildings being erected, so as a tribute and a reminder, a fish was carved on the entrance to the original Casa del Pez. ^{[citation needed]}

Although it no longer is here, there is a fish carved into the entrance of door number 24 in La Calle del Pez as a reminder.

In 1628 it was reported that 25 nuns from the local convent had been possessed and had to be exorcised, including the founder of the convent, Teresa Valla de la Cerda. Juan Francisco García Calderón was eventually held responsible, perpetually confined to the convent by the inquisition. ^{[citation needed]}