Madrid attractions: what to do and see in summer Madrid starts coming to life after Easter. All over the city, waiters are busy putting out the tables and chairs at the pavement cafés, getting ready for the neverending demand for cold drinks. Afternoons slip by over languid lunches in shady squares, while when the heat is really on, in July and August, the locals lie low until well after dusk, then emerge in their thousands to share some tapas and a bottle of wine at a terraza table. At the Reina Sofía Museum (www.museoreinasofia.es),exhibitions include Madrid artist Mateo Maté (until June 27) & Hans Haacke (until July 23). German artist Rosemarie Trockel explores the theme of collecting objects (May 23-September 24), and there is a major retrospective of the multimedia work of James Coleman from April 25 until August 27. The big summer exhibition at the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum (www.museothyssen.org) is Edward Hopper (June 12-September 16). My hotel pick: Ritz hotel - a few minutes" walk from the Thyssen-Bornemisza and Reina Sofia museums, a great choice for art lovers There are photography exhibitions and related events at venues along the Paseo de la Castellana and other locations in the city during Photoespaña, a festival that runs from June 6 to July 22 (www.phe.es/festival). Madrid Gay Pride (www.orgullogaymadrid.com) turns the Chueca neighbourhood into one big party from June 27 to July 3. The line-up for the Rock in Rio music festival (June 29 & 30, July 5-7) includes Rihanna, Lenny Kravitz, David Guetta and the Red Hot Chili Peppers (www.rockinriomadrid.es). In the second week of August, the surprisingly untouristy San Cayetano, San Lorenzo and La Paloma festivals take place in the La Latina and Lavapiés neighbourhoods, when locals get out the bunting, dress up in traditional Madrilenian costume and have a non-stop knees-up with lots of free concerts, parades and kids" activities. My hotel pick: Chic&Basic Mayerling - a smart but not fancy, trendy but not pretentious hotel Read Annie Bennett's complete guide to Madrid