The AEMET forecast gives no respite and the rain will continue until the weekend, but there is one plan that won’t be ruined by an umbrella: the Mercado de Motores, Madrid’s most famous covered market, is once again filling the old Delicias station with vintage fashion, gastronomy, and live music. Admission is free (you just have to reserve a time slot) and most of the stalls are located indoors, among historic locomotives and platforms, so you can spend the day shopping and sampling tapas without worrying about the gray skies.
The Mercado de Motores is held on the second weekend of every month at the Railway Museum, at Paseo de las Delicias 61, a stone’s throw from the Delicias metro station. Inside the old station, more than 100-150 exhibitors set up their stalls among carriages and locomotives, creating a unique experience where the stalls blend in with the industrial heritage of the railway.
Vintage fashion, antiques, and emerging design
Vintage fashion stalls and live music. | Editorial credit: Mercado de Motores
Those in treasure-hunting mode will find a little bit of everything, from vintage fashion, second-hand items, vinyl records, comics, and analog cameras to furniture and decoration, as well as crafts and emerging designs from local brands.
The market has also established itself as a showcase for young designers, illustrators, and artisans who find their first contact with the general public here. There will also be a space for gastronomy, and among those confirmed are the Portuguese pastries of Real Nata.
The Mercado de Motores is open continuously from morning to night on Saturdays and Sundays, with free admission upon online reservation of a time slot to control capacity. It is advisable to take the train or metro to Delicias to avoid parking problems, especially if rain complicates surface traffic.