This Holy Week, not all supermarkets in Madrid will operate the same way, so it’s good to know which ones you can go to if you run out of bread, ice, or torrijas at the last minute. Between Holy Thursday (April 2) and Easter Sunday (April 5), Mercadona will have the most restrictive hours, while Carrefour, Lidl, Alcampo, Dia, and Ahorramas will keep many stores open, especially in the capital and large shopping centers.
Mercadona
- Holy Thursday: In Madrid, most stores that open are expected to operate only in the morning, with hours such as 9:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m./3:00 p.m., while others will be closed depending on the area.
- Good Friday: all stores closed.
- Holy Saturday: normal hours (around 9:00 a.m.–9:30 p.m.).
- Easter Sunday: Closed, as on any other Sunday for this chain.
Carrefour
Carrefour is, once again, the most flexible chain on holidays:
- In Madrid, most hypermarkets and supermarkets will be open on both Holy Thursday and Good Friday, typically from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
- It is also common for stores to open on Easter Sunday in large shopping centers and tourist areas, thanks to the flexible operating hours allowed by the Community of Madrid.
The brand emphasizes that there may be variations depending on the store format (Express, Market, hypermarket), so it’s best to check each store’s website or app.
Lidl, Dia, Alcampo, and Ahorramas
- Lidl: In Madrid, stores are expected to be open on both Thursday and Friday, in many cases until 9:30–10:00 PM, especially in the capital and major commercial areas.
- Dia: With the most neighborhood-oriented network, it usually opens on Holy Thursday with almost normal hours and, depending on the area, part of Good Friday; you’ll need to check each store on their locator, but it’s one of the chains with the most options near home.
- Alcampo: a policy of extensive holiday openings in Madrid; many hypermarkets and supermarkets will be open on Holy Thursday and Good Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., especially in shopping centers.
- Ahorramas: Typically, stores open on Holy Thursday with reduced hours (9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.) and close on Good Friday, remaining open on Saturday and closed on Sunday, with a few specific exceptions.
Shopping centers and tourist areas
Due to the regional government’s flexible scheduling policy, major shopping centers in Madrid and the surrounding area (La Vaguada, Príncipe Pío, Islazul, Plenilunio, ParqueSur, etc.) and many downtown locations (Sol, Gran Vía, Serrano, the Barrio de Salamanca area, Plaza Mayor…) will have supermarkets and large retail stores open on at least one of the two major holidays.
Before heading out, the common recommendation from all chains is the same: check the website or app for the hours of your specific store, because Madrid allows almost everything to open, but each supermarket decides whether or not to take advantage of that flexibility in hours.