The rooftop of the Círculo de Bellas Artes sits 56 metres above Calle de Alcalá, on the seventh floor, beside the bronze Minerva statue, with the dome of the Metrópolis building and Gran Vía laid out below. A ticket costs €6, and the terrace opens from 10am until 1.30am, or 2am on Fridays and Saturdays. One thing to know first: that ticket pays for the view only. The bar and restaurant up there, Azotea del Círculo, books tables separately, charges €14 for most cocktails and asks for a bottle purchase on drinks-area bookings. The door is about 90 metres from Banco de España Metro.
The Círculo de Bellas Artes is a cultural centre at Calle de Alcalá 42 whose rooftop is a paid viewpoint open from morning to the small hours.
How much is the Círculo de Bellas Artes rooftop? The Círculo de Bellas Artes rooftop costs €6, or €5 reduced, and under-6s go free. It opens 10am to 1.30am, and until 2am on Friday and Saturday. From 2pm to 4pm and after 9pm tickets are sold only at the door, and the ticket does not guarantee a table at the rooftop restaurant.
Is the Círculo rooftop worth €6?
Yes, if you want the Gran Vía postcard from a central terrace reached by a glass lift, and you want it after dark. The two council-run decks nearby close early, Cibeles at 7.30pm and the Faro de Moncloa at 8pm, while the Círculo stays open past midnight.
It is poorer value if you pictured a free rooftop bar, because you pay to go up before you order, there are no changes or refunds, and rain only brings a refund if the whole space closes.
For a couple, the view costs €12, twice the €6 of Cibeles and a little more than the €8 of the Faro. A cocktail each takes it to about €40, and sharing the €42 Hugo Spritz jug from the bar menu makes €54. For the full list of free and paid decks, see the best viewpoints in Madrid.
When should I go, sunset or late at night?
The clock decides where you can buy, and what the visit is good for.
| Time slot | Where to buy | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| 10am to 2pm | Online or at the desk | Daylight photos, and the exhibitions from 11am |
| 2pm to 4pm | Desk only | A walk-in after lunch |
| 4pm to 9pm | Online or at the desk | Autumn sunset, booked ahead |
| 9pm to last entry | Reception only | A drink after dinner, last entry 12.30am or 1am on Friday and Saturday |
For sunset, book the 4pm to 9pm window online. The sun sets at 7.57pm on 1 October and 7.22pm on 24 October 2026, per the Observatorio Astronómico Nacional, so autumn sunsets fall comfortably inside it. The 9pm cut-off matters for another reason: it is roughly when Madrid sits down to dinner, and lunch here starts around 2pm, the two moments when online sales pause. If you want to go up after dinner, walk in and pay at reception; last entry is 12.30am Sunday to Thursday and 1am at weekends. At weekends the online allocation is limited, although the Círculo says there are always tickets at the desk.
How do I book a table from abroad?
There are two separate bookings, and if you only want the view you need just the first:
- The rooftop ticket: the Círculo charges €6 and sells it online within the windows above. The combined ticket with the exhibitions, €7, is valid Tuesday to Sunday only, because the galleries close on Mondays.
- A table at Azotea del Círculo: through the restaurant’s English booking page, by phone on +34 911 17 00 62, by email or by WhatsApp. A booking in the drinks area means buying a bottle, refunded only if you cancel 24 hours ahead.
If you want one drink rather than a bottle, skip the drinks-area booking and look for a free spot. Tipping is not compulsory in Spain and nothing is added to the bill by default, as explained in tipping in Madrid.
How do I get there from the airport or Puerta del Sol?
The entrance is on Calle Marqués de Casa Riera 2, beside the Alcalá 42 façade, and from Puerta del Sol it is about 700 metres on foot up Calle de Alcalá.
From Barajas, the Exprés Aeropuerto bus stops at Cibeles, at the end of the same street; it costs €5 paid on board, as covered in the airport express bus. By Metro, Banco de España and Sevilla are both on Line 2, with singles priced in Madrid Metro ticket prices.
Cheaper decks are the Cibeles Palace viewing deck and the Faro de Moncloa; other rooftops and their closing times are in Madrid rooftops.
Círculo de Bellas Artes rooftop questions from visitors
How much is the Circulo de Bellas Artes rooftop?
Entry to the Círculo de Bellas Artes rooftop costs €6, or €5 reduced for students, youth card holders, children aged 7 to 12, the unemployed and over-65s. Under-6s go free. A combined ticket with the exhibitions costs €7, valid Tuesday to Sunday.
Do you need a ticket to drink at the Circulo de Bellas Artes rooftop bar?
Yes, to go up you buy the €6 rooftop ticket, and the Círculo warns that it does not guarantee a table at the café-restaurant. The restaurant, Azotea del Círculo, takes its own bookings on +34 911 17 00 62. Whether the ticket counts toward your bill is not published, so ask when booking.
What does bottle purchase mean at the Azotea del Círculo?
Any booking in the restaurant’s drinks area requires buying a bottle, and the payment is refunded only if you cancel at least 24 hours ahead. If you just want one cocktail, at €14 on the menu, go without a drinks-area booking and take your chances on a free spot.
What time does the Circulo de Bellas Artes rooftop close?
Sunday to Thursday it closes at 1.30am, with last entry at 12.30am, and on Friday and Saturday at 2am, with last entry at 1am. It opens at 10am every day, and from 9pm tickets can only be bought at the building’s reception.
Pay €6 for the view; book the restaurant separately only if you want to sit.