arts-culture
Catalan book week 2026
The city celebrates Catalan literature across one whole week
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
Tuesday, Sep 22
arts-culture
Picasso Cyprus
An exhibition exploring how ancient Cypriot art influenced Picasso’s art
arts-culture
Elisava
A sun-soaked photography project capturing the Poblenou coastline.
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
Declaration of Love to Lenin, Juana Dolores Romero Casanova
This incredible artist’s first exhibition held at La Virreina.
food-drink
Barcelona Hotel Bar Week 2026
Explore Barcelona’s grandest hotel bars and taste some signature cocktails
arts-culture
After the Rush: Strangers
A discussion of Belle Burden's moving memoir
arts-culture
Summer Nights at Casa Amatller 2026
Discover Casa Amatller at night with an audio guide and glass of cava.
film
Transhumant Film Festival 2026
The socially committed film and photojournalism festival returns
music
Moses Yoofee Trio
Moses Yoofee Trio bring their explosive Berlin sound to La Nau
music
Holy Wave
Psych-rock from Austin, Texas
Wednesday, Sep 23
arts-culture
Light Filtered Through the Cracks
MACBA’s exhibition looks back to when video became a tool for political intervention.
arts-culture
Pere Portabella
A program of screenings drawn from this Catalan filmmaker’s repertoire.
arts-culture
Echoes: Videos from the Han Nefkens Foundation Donation
An exhibition on a donation of 18 video artworks by Han Nefkens Foundation.
arts-culture
La Mercè 2026
One of the biggest cultural events on the calendar, La Mercè 2026 arrives
food-drink
San Miguel Biergarten
This annual beer festival descends upon Poble Espanyol’s Plaza Mayor
arts-culture
La Mercè Opening Ceremony 2026
La Mercè kicks off with an opening ceremony with traditions and folklore
music
BAM festival 2026
BAM is the part of La Mercè that offers us a free programme of music across Barcelona
Thursday, Sep 24
arts-culture
Sagrada Família Free Entry La Mercè
As part of La Mercè festivities, the Sagrada Familia opens its doors for free
film
What's Up, Doc?
Peter Bogdanovich’s classic screwball comedy
Friday, Sep 25
food-drink
Sustainable Food Festival 2026
Terra i Gust - the sustainable food festival - returns as part of La Mercè
music
Transvision Vamp
British 1980s rock band Transvision Vamp are back
Saturday, Sep 26
fitness-wellness
Outdoor Fitness Workout
An energizing group-training session at Barcelona’s seafront.
Sunday, Sep 27
arts-culture
Out of Focus, another Vision of Art
CaixaForum’s latest exhibition exploring blur and visual imprecision.
arts-culture
Colecta Solidaria
A community-driven event that aims to give back to the local community
arts-culture
Art & Coffee Oil Painting Workshop
Slow down, get creative and enjoy something a bit off the beaten track
Monday, Sep 28
arts-culture
Like a Dance of Starlings
Reflecting on MACBA’s 30-year journey through a metaphor of starling murmuration.
arts-culture
Basel Abbas and Ruanne Abou-Rahme
An exhibition led by two Palestinian artists featuring songs, poetry, installations and more.
Ongoing
arts-culture
The Cult of Beauty
The CCCB’s latest exhibition delves into one of the most loaded ideas in culture.
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
La Europea
This bodega doubles as a café with familiar favorites with a twist, or from further afield.
food-drink
Ajoblanco
The upscale bar and restaurant was designed by Lázaro Rosa Violán.
nightlife
Dr. Stravinsky
A cocktail bar done up as a mad alchemist’s lab – test tubes, fermenting jars.
nightlife
La Vinya del Senyor
This diminutive wine bar is revered as one of the city’s very best.
nightlife
Pesca Salada
A cocktail bar with a warm atmosphere, excellent soundtrack and great drinks.
food-drink
Cacho
Homemade food, great music, local beers and what they bill as “the best terrace of the @22 district.”
food-drink
Raó
Locally sourced and seasonal products are favored to create modern delights that are based on a selection of Mediterranean and traditional local dishes.
food-drink
Bar But
Market-fresh Mediterranean food is their game, but Asian influences assert themselves too.
food-drink
Pizza Circus
This unassuming little pizza takeout is one of those places you get dragged to by “that foodie friend” after tipping back one too many cold ones.
food-drink
Bocanariz
The newest wine bar in town, head to Bocanariz and indulge in some of the best wines of the region and abroad.
food-drink
El Tío Ché
This centenarian horchatería is loved for its artisanal icy treats.
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.
nightlife
Two Schmucks
This “five-star dive bar” is the result of Moe and AJ’s dedication and love for cocktail shaking.
nightlife
Penny Banger
This expat-owned bar sits in part of a 450-year-old Modernist palace.
food-drink
Flax & Kale
Their “flexitarian” cuisine is rooted in nutrition and 35 years of culinary experience.
food-drink
Casa Dorita
Market-cuisine tapas named for the great-grandmother whose cooking started it.
food-drink
Santamasa
Enjoy good food with a local feel at Santamasa in Sarrià.
food-drink
Lateral
This glitzy tapas joint is the result of a €1.3 million investment.
lgbt
Madame Jasmine
A Raval gay bar that embodies the neighborhood’s charms, queerness and eccentricities.
food-drink
Nobu Hotel
Twenty-three floors above Sants – a rooftop pool and terrace open to non-guests, plus Japanese-Peruvian cooking from Nobu Matsuhisa.
food-drink
Dr. Beer & Mr. Fried
A champion of craft beer and fried food, the new arrival draws inspiration from US-style cajun and creole cuisine.
food-drink
Garage Bar
The creators of the Vella Terra food and wine fair founded this wine bar to celebrate excellent natural wines and natural, artisanal foods.
food-drink
Tiberi Bar
Natural wine and Mediterranean sharing plates from the Tiberi Club collective.
nightlife
Gimlet
Founded by Javier de las Muelas, Gimlet was the first of what is now a global empire of cocktail bars.
food-drink
Boa-Bao
Boa-Bao takes diners on a culinary journey through flavors of Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines and beyond.
food-drink
El Casal
Steps away from Santa Maria del Mar sits this gem of a café.
nightlife
Guzzo
Urban art, a soul kitchen plus live concerts and DJs.
nightlife
Libertine
Casa Bonay’s lobby bar – gothic flowers, Eric Stephenson cocktails, vinyl DJs.
food-drink
Betlem
A gastrobar based out of a locale with a history going to back to 1892.
food-drink
Cyclic Beer Farm
A factory and bar specializing in beer fermentation and natural wine making.