arts-culture
Light Filtered Through the Cracks
MACBA’s exhibition looks back to when video became a tool for political intervention
miniguide
The best things to do in Barcelona, curated by locals. Events, restaurants, nightlife and the spots worth knowing – updated weekly.
Barcelona
miniguide
The best things to do in Barcelona, curated by locals. Events, restaurants, nightlife and the spots worth knowing – updated weekly.
Events
Sunday, Aug 16
arts-culture
Gracia Festa Major 2026
Every August, Gràcia celebrates its week-long Festa Major
arts-culture
Pere Portabella
A programme of screenings drawn from this Catalan filmmaker’s repertoire
arts-culture
Echoes: Videos from the Han Nefkens Foundatio4n Donation
An exhibition on a donation of 18 video artworks by Han Nefkens Foundation
arts-culture
Chez Matisse
CaixaForum's deep dive into Henri Matisse
arts-culture
Declaration of Love to Lenin, Juana Dolores Romero Casanova
This incredible artist’s first exhibition held at La Virreina
arts-culture
Patrim’25: Look in Silence. That Blues Look
A snapshot of emerging artistic talent from the Universitat de Barcelona’s Faculty of Fine Art
arts-culture
Minor White
An exhibition on one of the most influential figures in 20th-century American photography
arts-culture
Opening of the Baluard Garden
Soak up some of the city’s history at the Jardí del Baluard
arts-culture
“Small, Middle and Big” Family Space
A family space for children to play, rest, read, draw and imagine together
arts-culture
Joaquín Tusquets de Cabirol. Eloquent Form
An exhibition on the work of the Catalan photographer whose images capture postwar life
arts-culture
Elisava
A sun-soaked photography project capturing the Poblenou coastline
nightlife
Prostir Fest
Celebrating Ukrainian culture with three days of music and community
music
Festigabal 2026
Heliogàbal's yearly free festival as part of Festa Major de Gràcia
film
Clueless
Teenage life Beverly Hills-style in this razor-sharp Nineties classic
music
Blue Moon
Richard Linklater's melancholy portrait of a brilliant songwriter
Monday, Aug 17
arts-culture
Women Will Come 2026
An exhibition retelling the city’s history through women and their fight for change
arts-culture
Summer Nights at Casa Amatller 2026
Discover Casa Amatller at night with an audio guide and glass of cava
film
Cineclub 113
A film to get you in the mood, then a DJ set to carry the feeling into the night
Wednesday, Aug 19
music
Resilience Samba Jazz & Collective
Trumpeter and composer Estefane Santos brings Brazilian swing to the stage
fitness-wellness
The Beautery Rooftop
Beauty, music and socialising form this glamorous midweek rooftop escape
music
Fiesta Caribe at Poble Espanyol
Fiesta Caribe is back to bring a little tropical heat into our summer
Thursday, Aug 20
style-design
Hidden Boutiques of Barcelona: A Curated Shopping Tour
Discover the city through its independent boutique scene
Friday, Aug 21
film
Mecal Air Barcelona 2026
Mecal Air turns summer nights into relaxed open-air short-film cinema sessions
Saturday, Aug 22
fitness-wellness
Outdoor Fitness Workout
An energising group-training session at Barcelona’s seafront
Ongoing
arts-culture
Like a Dance of Starlings
Reflecting on MACBA’s 30-year journey through a metaphor of starling murmuration
arts-culture
Out of Focus, another Vision of Art
CaixaForum’s latest exhibition exploring blur and visual imprecision
arts-culture
The Cult of Beauty
The CCCB’s latest exhibition delves into one of the most loaded ideas in culture
arts-culture
Basel Abbas and Ruanne Abou-Rahme
An exhibition led by two Palestinian artists featuring songs, poetry, installations and more
film
Open-Air Cinema at the Palace 2026
El Palace’s Rooftop Garden transforms into the city’s best open-air screen
Places
food-drink
Xiringuito Escribà
The Escribà family’s Bogatell-beach paella house, cooking over wood fires since 1992.
food-drink
Otsu
A creative Japanese-inspired café blending coffee, design and food in Poblenou
food-drink
Bonsai
A matcha-obsessed Eixample café sourcing first-harvest ceremonial powder from Japan, stone-ground to order – with proper coffee alongside.
romance
Forest Days Glamping
Leave your tent at home and book comfortable digs at Forest Days Glamping.
food-drink
Bicos
Bicos means “little kisses” in Gallego , and it’s a befitting name for this Galician corner restaurant.
arts-culture
La Model
Barcelona’s notorious 1904 prison, and a monument to Francoist repression.
nightlife
HQ Club
Cannabis clubs are proliferating as readily as the weed itself.
nightlife
El Diset
Named for the 17°C wine is best served at – Catalan bottles by the glass, in Born.
food-drink
El Puestu
Specializing in “vins i platillos”(wines and small dishes), the menu features bold but simple dishes that rely heavily on the quality of each ingredient.
food-drink
Lambicus
Enter a world of Belgian beers.
nightlife
Garage Beer Co.
This UK-style brewery is one of Barcelona’s most central stops for quality brews.
food-drink
Morning Glory
A brunch café behind the Rambla del Raval – ecological food, craft coffee, pastries.
food-drink
The Rooftop at Serras
A chic terrace and plunge pool above the Serras, with serious cocktails and a clean sweep over Port Vell, Barceloneta and the sea.
food-drink
Flax & Kale
Their “flexitarian” cuisine is rooted in nutrition and 35 years of culinary experience.
food-drink
La Mundana
A quintessentially trendy vermuteria by chefs Alain Guiard and Marc Martín.
arts-culture
Casa Vicens
Gaudí’s first Modernist jewel in Barcelona, completed in 1883, is among the pioneer buildings in Europe’s Art Nouveau.
food-drink
Little Fern
A slice of New Zealand brunch culture in Poblenou – flat whites, the charred-corn fritter stack and those kimchi pancakes, all done with real care.
film
Phenomena
This is one of the biggest, most beautiful-looking and sounding cinemas in Europe.
nightlife
Ølgod
Revered Danish craft beer bar Kælderkold now has a younger sister.
nightlife
The Barcelona Edition
The Barcelona Edition hotel was designed by the world’s hottest hotelier Ian Schrager (of Studio 54 fame) and Barcelona tastemaker Lázaro Rosa-Violán.
food-drink
Maná 75
A Barceloneta paella specialist – a dozen varieties, 19 open cooking stations.
arts-culture
Arte Bar
Americans Bruce and Alisa run a paint-and-sip art studio in the Eixample where anyone can pick up a brush.
food-drink
Bar Brutal
A Born natural-wine institution – Can Cisa’s Bar Brutal pours biodynamic, sulphite-free bottles alongside sharing plates to a clued-in crowd.
food-drink
Holly's Ice Cream
The team at Holly’s craft the gnarliest ice cream sandwiches this side of the Atlantic.
arts-culture
La Puntual
Unassuming yet enchanting, it has played host to some of the most skilled puppeteers around, captivating local little ones since 2005.
food-drink
Gouthier
Based in Sarrià, this is Barcelona’s premier oyster bar.
food-drink
Ceviche 103
Bridging the gap between homely Peruvian eateries and upscale locales.
nightlife
Coco Vail Beer Hall
The space is an embodiment of the founders’ passion for American craft beer and food.
food-drink
Parking Pizza
Neapolitan pizza meets Mediterranean cuisine.
lgbt
Sauna Casanova
This is a labyrinth of gay sexiness.