Madrid 2026

I did not want to keep talking about pen shows and similar events. I thought I had already written a tad too much on the matter, but about two weeks ago Pens and Friends, the organizers of the Madrid Pen Show, announced that they were stepping down from that role. The consequences are obvious—as of today, there will not be a 22nd edition of the Madrid Pen Show in 2026. Is there any hope in the form of a new organizer?

Ten years ago...

Back in November 2025, in the aftermath of the last edition, I wrote a text explaining what I saw as a decline in the event. In summary, I argued that the Madrid Pen Show had two main problems—an ageing public and an expensive city—and these are bound to remain for a while regardless of the organizers. Still, I would like to offer my two cents’ worth of reflections on how a new team could approach a renewed version of the Madrid Pen Show:

1 ・Different dates.
In the not-so-distant past, there was a global calendar of pen shows. According to it, Madrid was held on the third weekend of November -occasionally on the second-, and following that schedule was key to attracting some important dealers. However, new pen events have crowded the calendar and scheduled their shows whenever they see fit.

In this new context, Madrid could adopt the same strategy in order to reduce organizational costs.

2 ・A smaller and shorter event.
With the same goal of reducing costs, the three-day event of 2025 could be shortened to a single day with a smaller number of dealers.

3 ・Attracting new audiences.
The new event should also aim to attract younger and new audiences. Marketing through social media and expanding beyond fountain pens could serve this purpose.

4 ・Local and professional organization.
The organization must be based in Madrid, as it is hardly feasible to organize such an event remotely in Spain. It should also aim to be professional rather than relying solely on the enthusiasm and personal commitment of a small number of individuals.

For now, however, Madrid has no pen show. But does this city deserve one? Only time will tell.

And I promise I did not intend to write about events for a while…

Parker T1 – Faber-Castell Königsblau

Bruno Taut
January 28th, 2026
label: evento, Madrid, mercado