The San Miguel market is no longer a meeting point for locals, but a tourist attraction. Residents of the historic centre report loss of identity, noise, and difficulties in finding basic products.
Madrid is undergoing an accelerated transformation that is redefining its historic centre. What was once a space for the daily life of Madrileños has become a showcase for global tourism. The San Miguel market, once a place for daily shopping, is now a pilgrimage site for visitors seeking a premium gastronomic experience. Locals, like Sonia de Gregorio, an architecture professor and lifelong resident, express their discomfort:
“I’m sorry, but I feel quite uncomfortable with the atmosphere. The tuk-tuks speed by. Vendors offering all sorts of things to tourists. And the smell...”as the aroma of fried chicken fills the air.
A growing identity crisis
The transformation affects not only daily life. According to Björn Beam, a former CIA officer and director of technological research at Arcano Partners, Madrid is going through a small identity crisis. Beam, who moved to the city in 2018, claims that back then the capital felt much more Spanish. Now, English and other languages can be heard everywhere. Vox, the far-right party, has made this loss of essence one of its rallying cries.
The greatest fear for many is the “Barcelona-isation”. Mateu Hernández, general director of Turisme de Barcelona, warns:
“Madrid would do well to look at Barcelona 10 or 15 years ago, when a disconnection began to emerge between tourism growth and public opinion. What happened in Barcelona will likely happen in Madrid, or is already happening.”Barcelona experienced a tourism boom that drove up prices in the centre and generated strong local backlash, from which it is now trying to recover.
The cost of being a global city
With around 7 million inhabitants in the region, Madrid is the second largest metropolitan area in the EU after Paris. However, its historical isolation —due to the civil war and dictatorship— kept it on the sidelines of global trends until a few decades ago. Joining the EEC in 1986 and the privatisation of major companies like Telefónica, Repsol, and Iberia injected dynamism, but international connections were limited to Latin America. Now, the arrival of high-income Americans, digital nomads, and investors has skyrocketed housing prices and transformed local commerce. Residents in the centre have to walk 20 minutes to find fresh fish, as De Gregorio reports.
For the average resident, the change is noticeable on every corner. The narrow streets of the centre, once quiet, are now a hive of tuk-tuks and crowded terraces. Rents have skyrocketed, and many traditional shops have closed to make way for franchises and souvenir stores. The feeling of loss is palpable, not only among the older generation. Young people also see their neighbourhood slipping away from them.
The question hanging in the air is whether Madrid can maintain its global appeal without sacrificing its identity. For now, the City Council has announced measures to limit tourist housing licenses in the centre, but residents believe these are insufficient. Meanwhile, the San Miguel market remains full of tourists toasting with beer, and the smell of fried chicken continues to be the soundtrack of a city seeking its new balance.
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