arts-culture
Pere Portabella
A program of screenings drawn from this Catalan filmmaker’s repertoire.
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
Monday, Sep 28
arts-culture
Light Filtered Through the Cracks
MACBA’s exhibition looks back to when video became a tool for political intervention.
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
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.
film
Festival u22 2026
Festival U22 returns as Barcelona’s young cinema festival
film
Transhumant Film Festival 2026
The socially committed film and photojournalism festival returns
Tuesday, Sep 29
arts-culture
Declaration of Love to Lenin, Juana Dolores Romero Casanova
This incredible artist’s first exhibition held at La Virreina.
arts-culture
Elisava
A sun-soaked photography project capturing the Poblenou coastline.
arts-culture
Josep Maria de Sucre, Activist and Visionary Artist
A new exhibition on the work of Catalan visionary artist Josep Maria de Sucre
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
Backstory Talks: Daisuke Yosumi
Practical ideas from Japanese minimalism
Wednesday, Sep 30
music
La Mercabanda 2026
Casa Batlló’s Magic Nights brings this quartet to its Dragon rooftop
film
Hard Truths
Mike Leigh’s prickly, darkly funny family drama
film
Open-Air Cinema at the Palace 2026
El Palace’s Rooftop Garden transforms into the city’s best open-air screen.
Thursday, Oct 1
film
Hard Eight (Sydney)
Paul Thomas Anderson’s coolly controlled debut feature
film
What's Up, Doc?
Peter Bogdanovich’s classic screwball comedy
music
maya ongaku
Dreamy, earthy psychedelia from Japan
Saturday, Oct 3
fitness-wellness
Outdoor Fitness Workout
An energizing group-training session at Barcelona’s seafront.
Sunday, Oct 4
arts-culture
Art & Coffee Oil Painting Workshop
Slow down, get creative and enjoy something a bit off the beaten track
Ongoing
arts-culture
The Cult of Beauty
The CCCB’s latest exhibition delves into one of the most loaded ideas in culture.
Places
food-drink
La Terraza del Claris
The rooftop of an Egyptologist’s hotel – discreet, art-filled, no day-club treatment.
nightlife
Marsella
This charmingly grimy Raval bar is famous for its absinthe, and said to be Barcelona’s oldest.
film
Zumzeig Cinema
The arthouse cinema reopens as Catalunya’s first “cinema co-op.”
nightlife
Garage Beer Co.
This UK-style brewery is one of Barcelona’s most central stops for quality brews.
food-drink
Mina
An intimate Italian-inspired restaurant serving up small plates and natural wines.
food-drink
Malpaso Taquería
Mexican street food in the Eixample, from breakfast chilaquiles to tacos by six.
food-drink
El Nacional
A sprawling food hall in a converted garage just off Passeig de Gràcia.
nightlife
Pesca Salada
A cocktail bar with a warm atmosphere, excellent soundtrack and great drinks.
food-drink
La Querida
The menu is full of delights like tapas, burgers, pasta dishes and wok-based treats – all sure to put a smile on the face of the fussiest of eaters.
romance
Oops!
The city’s best-known swingers club – discreet, stylish and not remotely seedy.
food-drink
GiGi Von Tapas
Opened by the trailblazing team behind Milk and Firebug, GiGi’s is one of those places where every day feels like Sunday.
food-drink
El Casal
Steps away from Santa Maria del Mar sits this gem of a café.
food-drink
Ocaña
Four spaces in one, including the new D.F. Mexican restaurant.
food-drink
Maiaia
Maiaia is a vermuteria with family and tradition at its core.
food-drink
La Dentellière
This French-owned restaurant is perfect for romantic meals, group celebrations and those times when you need somewhere “nice but affordable.”
nightlife
Barna Brew
A brewery and a beautiful bar where you can quaff your way through the Belgian-Catalan inspired brews.
food-drink
Casa Rafols
Casa Lolea’s sister restaurant, in a converted century-old hardware store.
food-drink
Elsa y Fred
The weekend brunch is a local fixture, offering staples like pancakes and Eggs Benedict.
food-drink
El Tío Ché
This centenarian horchatería is loved for its artisanal icy treats.
nightlife
Coco Vail Beer Hall
The space is an embodiment of the founders’ passion for American craft beer and food.
nightlife
Dr. Stravinsky
A cocktail bar done up as a mad alchemist’s lab – test tubes, fermenting jars.
food-drink
Boa-Bao
Boa-Bao takes diners on a culinary journey through flavors of Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines and beyond.
nightlife
Kælderkold
One of Barcelona’s most exciting craft beer utopias.
food-drink
Bar Treze
This tapas bar sits among Sarrià’s burgeoning scene along its main street, Major de Sarrià.
food-drink
Bar But
Market-fresh Mediterranean food is their game, but Asian influences assert themselves too.
nightlife
Sub Rosa
Among the flurry of one of La Rambla’s many Gòtic tributaries, Sub Rosa would be everyone’s regular watering hole, if only there was enough space.
nightlife
La Llibreria
This self-dubbed “cocktail bar and book collection” is the latest gem to appear in Les Corts.
food-drink
Pachuco
Wash down generous portions of Mexican fare with peso-priced micheladas.
food-drink
La Tere Gastrobar
A Venezuelan-run gastrobar on Carrer Riego, one of the reasons Sants is rising.
food-drink
Anita Gelato
Anita’s handmade gelato runs past 150 flavors, from pistachio to halva, scooped fresh all day.