If you’d rather shop for Christmas gifts at your own pace and support small brands, mark these dates on your calendar: from December 4 to 13, the Hotel Palace will host the Christmas edition of the Mercadillo del Gato. Admission is free, and the market is open from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. without a break. The entrance is located at Plaza de Cánovas del Castillo.
Ten days, with the December long weekend in between, give you plenty of time to browse, revisit what you liked, and make your decision without rushing.
More than 50 vendors and a new gourmet corner
Participating brands include women’s, men’s, and children’s fashion, jewelry, costume jewelry, accessories, cosmetics, home decor, art, and crafts. But the new feature of this edition is a small gourmet corner offering Spanish wines and spirits, champagne, brut sparkling wines, and French delicacies. It’s perfect for this time of year, when many gifts are eaten, toasted, or shared.
The format avoids the crowds of a massive fair and functions like a pop-up boutique: you shop directly from small brands and artisans, without the rush or impersonality of last-minute shopping.
El Palace is located next to the Prado Museum, the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, CaixaForum, and the Congress of Deputies—perfect for those looking to take a break between cultural outings.
The Mercadillo del Gato was founded in Madrid in 2014 and has since been held at the Hotel Palace and Gran Vía 13 in the capital, as well as at the Hotel Carlton in Bilbao and the Hotel María Cristina in San Sebastián. It has hosted more than 100 editions and welcomed 3.5 million visitors. According to the organizers, the Christmas edition draws between 60,000 and 75,000 people.