Móstoles is preparing to revisit one of the key moments in Madrid’s history and raise its voice against Napoleon once again, but this time amidst craft stalls, traditional food trucks, and parades for the whole family. From April 29 to May 3, the Goyesco Market takes over the town center and transforms it into a living reenactment of the 1808 uprising: lanterns, banners, residents dressed as majos and manolas, historical reenactments, and more than a hundred stalls filling the streets and squares as if the mayors’ proclamation had just been issued.
The Goyesco Market is not your typical flea market, but rather one of the main highlights of the May 2nd Festivities in Móstoles, declared of National Tourist Interest for commemorating the famous proclamation by mayors Andrés Torrejón and Simón Hernández, which called for an uprising against Napoleon’s troops.
For five days, the historic center (Calle Antonio Hernández, Plaza del Pradillo, Plaza de la Cultura, Agustina de Aragón, and the surrounding area) is filled with fabrics, flags, garlands, and decorations that recreate a city from the early 19th century, with residents and extras dressed in Goyesque style.
More than 120 stalls, crafts, and the scents of a bygone era
The market itself is a small village within the city, with more than 120 stalls selling food and crafts scattered throughout the main squares. There are traditional sweets, cheeses, cured meats, wood-fired breads, herbal teas, spices, cured meats from all over Spain, but also handcrafted leather goods, ceramics, handmade jewelry, wooden toys, blown glass, and all kinds of objects inspired by the trades of that era.
What truly transforms the town is not just the scenery, but the accompanying program. Over the course of five days, there are period-themed parades, music, dances, minstrels, jesters, puppets, circus performances, and storytelling designed for different audiences. Among the highlights are nighttime performances such as “Fuegos del Capricho” or “La Danza del Fuego y el Lienzo, ” which combine pyrotechnics, dance, and references to Goya’s paintings, turning squares like the Pradillo into small open-air theaters.
Regular hours are extended from 10:00 a.m. to midnight, and on the eve of a holiday, until 1:00 a.m., with some areas, such as Iker Casillas Avenue, operating on a more nighttime schedule between 6:00 p.m. and 4:00 a.m. To make this possible, the traditional weekly market at the fairgrounds is relocated, and the downtown area becomes pedestrian-only, making way for the promenade, booths, and attractions.