American life in Madrid: holidays, clubs, embassy

Madrid makes it easy to go local: late dinners, long lunches, a terrace on every corner. But come late November, you might want turkey, football and someone who gets why you're homesick.

The short version

You're not alone. The number of registered Americans in Spain rose from 36,544 in 2020 to 50,623 in 2024, The Local reported [1].
The US Embassy is at Calle de Serrano 75, in the Salamanca district. There's also a Consulate General in Barcelona [2].
The NFL is back at the Bernabéu: the Bengals and Falcons play there on Sunday, November 8, 2026 [3].
Democrats Abroad Madrid runs monthly meetups [4]. Republicans Overseas is active in Spain but, when we checked, listed no Spain chapter on its national site [1][5].
The American Club of Madrid organizes tours and social events for members and non-members [6].

Thanksgiving in Madrid

Thanksgiving is just a regular Thursday in Spain. Your Spanish co-workers won't get the day off, schools are open, and nobody's hitting Black Friday sales the way they do back home (though "Black Friday" signs have spread to Spanish stores too).

How Americans make it work:

Host it yourself on the weekend. Saturday Thanksgiving is common among expats. Order a whole turkey from your neighborhood butcher (carnicería) well ahead; in Spain they're more of a Christmas item, and smaller ovens mean you may want a turkey breast or a bird under about 5 kg (11 lb).
Hunt for the hard stuff early. Canned pumpkin, cranberry sauce and stuffing mix show up in import shops and some supermarket international aisles, but they sell out. Our American food in Madrid guide covers where people look.
Book a dinner. Some restaurants put on a Thanksgiving menu, and groups host dinners too. Democrats Abroad Madrid, for example, has held Thanksgiving fundraiser dinners in past years; its 2021 dinner was at a Malasaña taproom [7]. Check each group's events page for this year.
Watch the games. The late-afternoon NFL games on Thanksgiving Day kick off in the evening Madrid time. Sports bars that show American football fill up.

The Fourth of July and the 250th

On July 4, Madrid is hot (it often tops 35°C, or 95°F) and half the city is getting ready to leave for August. Americans mark the day with backyard-style barbecues on rooftops, picnics and parties at bars.

2026 is a big one: the United States' 250th anniversary. The US Embassy site carries a "Freedom 250" banner celebrating 250 years of American history [2]. Don't count on an open-to-all embassy party; for most of us, the Fourth is a do-it-yourself affair with friends.

The US Embassy and your paperwork

The US Embassy in Madrid sits at Calle de Serrano 75, 28006 Madrid, phone (+34) 91 587 2200. The Consulate General in Barcelona is at Paseo Reina Elisenda de Montcada 23. Consular agencies in other cities are listed on the embassy's contact page [2].

What the embassy does for you [2]:

Service	When you'll need it
Passports	Renewing an adult passport, or a child's (both parents usually need to be involved)
Consular Report of Birth Abroad	Your baby is born in Madrid
Notarial services	Signing US documents, such as for a house sale back home
Social Security services	Questions about benefits paid abroad
Emergency help	Arrest, serious illness or a death abroad

For an emergency from abroad, the State Department number is +1-202-501-4444 [2]. Enroll in STEP, the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, so the embassy can reach you. The embassy notes that a new version of STEP launched and asks people to re-enroll [2]. See STEP and help from US embassies.

On safety: when we checked the State Department's Spain page on November 6, 2026, its advisory text said to "exercise increased caution in Spain due to terrorism and civil unrest", and the page showed a last-updated date of August 9, 2023 [8]. The same page warns that Spanish authorities and airlines have sometimes applied Spain's rules on minors traveling without a parent inconsistently, so it suggests notarized permission for US kids flying without you [8]. Madrid's day-to-day hassle is pickpocketing, especially on the Metro and around Sol.

Football, the other kind

Soccer (fútbol) is Madrid's religion, with Real Madrid at the Bernabéu and Atlético at the Metropolitano. Go to a match at least once, even if you can't name a single player.

For American football, the NFL is making Madrid a regular stop. The Bengals face the Falcons at the Bernabéu on Sunday, November 8, 2026, kicking off at 9:30 a.m. Eastern, which is 3:30 p.m. in Madrid [3]. That's the Bengals' first game in Madrid [3]. Big games bring Americans out of the woodwork, and the Super Bowl means a very late Sunday night (or a sick day) on European time.

Clubs and groups we've verified

The American Club of Madrid

The American Club of Madrid runs tours and social events with member and non-member prices. In May 2026, for example, it organized a guided tour of the Las Ventas bullring for San Isidro, Madrid's patron saint festival [6]. Its site also lists a directory of local contacts, hospitals and international schools for members. It's a solid first stop if you want to meet other Americans fast.

Democrats Abroad and Republicans Overseas

Both major parties have overseas organizations, and Americans in Spain can join either one.

Democrats Abroad Madrid is the local chapter of Democrats Abroad Spain. It helps Americans register to vote and request absentee ballots, and it runs monthly meetups and political discussions [4].
Republicans Overseas is the Republican-aligned group for Americans abroad. A study cited by The Local described its activity in Spain and Portugal as focused mainly on voter registration and turnout [1]. When we checked, the national leadership page listed a vice president for Europe but no Spain chapter, so contact the national group directly [5].

Both groups push hard around elections. The 2026 midterms just took place on November 3, and the next big one is 2028. Whatever your politics, the Federal Voting Assistance Program is the neutral place to register: see Voting from abroad: the FPCA and FVAP.

Other ways in

University alumni clubs, international churches and English-language book clubs, running groups and language exchanges (intercambios) are everywhere in Madrid. The language exchanges are a great way to make Spanish friends, which is the real secret to feeling at home here. For a crowd that gets both sides of your life, try our community group for Americans in Spain.

Living on Madrid time

The hardest adjustment isn't the language. It's the clock. Lunch at 2 p.m., dinner at 9:30 or 10 p.m., and many small shops closed for part of August. Fight it and you'll be hungry and annoyed; lean in and you'll wonder why Americans eat dinner at 6. Our guide to Madrid's timetable explains the rhythm.

American life in Madrid: Thanksgiving, the Fourth and finding your people