ARCO opened in 1982, early in the democratic period, and was explicitly part of the project of reconnecting Spain to the international art world. It has kept a stronger Latin American presence than any other European fair, with galleries from across the region and a guest country programme.
IFEMA publishes attendance per edition; we have not collected a dated figure here.
The fair occupies two IFEMA halls with a curated section for younger galleries, and the Madrid museums — Reina Sofía, Thyssen, Prado — time openings to the week, which is when the city's art calendar concentrates.
Trade days come first and the public days are busy. The dates sit in late February or early March and are announced a year ahead.
PlanningA late-February window at IFEMA; the trade days precede the public ones.