Barcelona • Spain Festivals and Events 2018-2019

Barcelona Festivals And Events
There are no end of colourful and vibrant festivals and events taking place throughout the city that include several religious festivals, sporting events and energetic music festivals.

January

6th January Three Kings Day (Dia de los Reyes)
The arrival of the Three Kings or Wise Men known as Melchior, Balthazar and Caspar is an eagerly anticipated event which features lively parades, costumes, floats and entertainment and is celebrated by thousands of adults and children alike, with the parade route often passing through areas such as Barri Gotic and past well known sights such as the Placa Catalunya and the Magic Fountain... more about Three Kings Day

February

February Barcelona Carnival
There are no end of parades and carnival entertainment taking place throughout the city for the week long carnival celebrations which are concluded on Ash Wednesday for the Enterro de la Sardina which is the burial of the ceremonial sardine which also marks out the beginning of Lent... more about Barcelona Carnival

March

Easter (Semana Santa)
Easter celebrations often include several religious processions, especially through the Ciutat Vella where images such as Christ and the Virgin Mary are carried high by Costaleros who are members of the religious brotherhood known as Cofradias. These Costaleros are also dressed in traditional robes during the procession which often leads from each of their home parish's towards the Barri Gotic Cathedral and then back again... more about Easter in Barcelona
Barcelona Marathon
The Barcelona Marathon is a popular city marathon that covers the classic distance of 26.218 miles and takes runners past many beautiful areas of the city, often including the Magic Fountain, Sagrada Familia and La Pedrera... more about the Barcelona Marathon

April

Sant Jordi Festival
Saint George's Day is a popular festival that celebrates the Patron Saint of Catalunya which involves friends and family members exchanging gifts of roses and books in a similar style to Valentines Day takes place on the 23rd April.

May

Corpus Christi
This Catholic festival includes a religious procession and mass as well as other events that include the tradition of the dancing egg which is one of the many highlights of this religious festival, one of the best places to witness this is at Barcelona Cathedral where a specially prepared egg is placed over the water of the fountain and can be seen to dance... more about Corpus Christi

June

Sonar Electronic Music Festival
This incredibly popular festival often takes place in the middle of June within the heart of the city and has two venues one for the day and one for at night. Each of the venues has several stages that offer music and entertainment from both local and internationally acclaimed artists making this one of the most popular events in the music calendar... more about Sonar Music Festival
Revetlla de Sant Joan
The Festival of Saint John takes place on the 23rd of June and is a popular summer solstice celebration that involves a variety of different events that often feature parties, bonfires, fireworks and firecrackers... more about Revetlla de Sant Joan

August

Festes de Gracia
This immensely popular street festival often takes place for one week around the middle of August and attracts thousands of visitors to the Gracia area of the city where you will find many of the streets decorated with plenty of lights and other decorations as well as hundreds of events such as concerts and street entertainers... more about Festes de Gracia
Assumption Day (Asuncion de la Virgin)
Assumption Day is a public holiday that takes place on the 15th August and symbolizes the day in which the Virgin Mary was taken up into heaven at the end of her life on earth. On this day there are often religious processions through the street where statues and pictures of Mary are carried high and beautifully decorated with flowers, often accompanied by marching bands and other street entertainment.

September

Festes de la Merce
The La Merce festival takes place annually on the 24th September and involves hundreds of events such as the giants parade, the fire breathing devils and dragons parade, the human towers, live music performances and firework displays... more about the Merce Festival

October

National Day (Dia Nacional de la Espana)
In commemoration of when explorer Christopher Columbus first set foot in the Americas there is a national holiday on the 12th of October to mark the occasion, in Barcelona crowds of people often gather to demonstrate waving the Spanish flag in the main squares such as the Placa de Catalunya.

November

All Saints Day (Todos Los Santos)
All Saints Day is a public holiday that takes place on the 1st of November and is the day when friends and families get together to visit the graves of deceased family members to lay flowers, leave gifts and attend mass... more about All Saints Day

December

Day of Immaculate Conception
This Roman Catholic Festival takes place on the 8th of December in celebration of the Blessed Virgin Mary's Immaculate Conception and often involves processions and the chance for friends and family to spend time together... more about Day Of Immaculate Conception
Fira de Santa Llucia
The Fira de Santa Lucia is a large open air market that takes place at the beginning of December in front of Barcelona Cathedral and contains no end of stalls selling Christmas decorations and figurines for nativity scenes as well as gift ideas... more about Fira de Santa Llucia
Christmas Day Barcelona
Christmas Day in Barcelona is often the chance for friends and family to get together and when small gifts are often exchanged. Christmas Day itself is not as festive as the celebrations for the eve of the Epiphany which is when the Three Kings parade through the streets and which is traditionally the day in which gifts are exchanged and the main celebrations take place... more about Christmas In Barcelona
New Years Eve
Barcelona offers several opportunities to bring the new year in with style from private parties and energetic nightclubs to packed out street gatherings at the Placa Catalunya or simply dinner at your favourite restaurant, whatever your preference be sure to book early and remember to eat your twelve grapes with each of the chimes at midnight for good luck in the coming year... more about Barcelona New Years Eve

Barcelona Public Holidays, Festivals and Events
Some of Barcelona's main public holidays as well ad religious festivals and events.

1st of January New Years Day (Ano Nuevo)
6th January Three Kings Day (Dia de los Reyes)
March 19th St Joseph's Day (San Jose) Father Day
Easter (Holy Week - Semana Santa)
- March/April Palm Sunday(Domingo de Ramos)
- Holy Wednesday (Miercoles Santo),
- March/April Maundy Thursday (Jueves Santo)
- March/April Good Friday (Viernes Santo)
- Holy Saturday (Sabado Santo)
- Easter Sunday (Domingo Santo).
- March/April Easter Monday (Lunes de Pascua de Resurreccion)
1st May Labour Day (Fiesta del Trabajo)
May Whitsun/Pentecost
23/24th June St John's Day
15th August Assumption Day (Asuncion de la Virgen)
11th September National Day of Catalonia
24th September La Merce Festival
12th of October Columbus Day/ National Day Of Spain (Dia Nacional de la Espana)
1st November All Saints Day (Todos Los Santos)
6th December Constitution Day (Dia de la Constitucion Espana)
8th December Day of Immaculate Conception (Inmaculada Concepcion)
25th December Christmas Day (Navidad)
31st December New Years Eve (Ano Nuevo)