there are countless things to do in Barcelona and around Catalonia this weekend. Here's a selection of some of the best plans and what's on this weekend Tres Tombs national gathering | May 3 | Horse and carriage parade | Barcelona and 600 'traginers' or muleteers will parade along the streets of Barcelona on Saturday Barcelona will be hosting the 28th National Gathering of the Tres Tombs in Catalonia part of the bicentenary celebrations of the Tres Tombs festival in the Catalan capital The city will welcome representatives from the 95 towns that form part of the Catalan Federation of the Tres Tombs in a parade of gigantic proportions La Vuelta Femenina | May 4-10 | Cycling | Barcelona and beyond Barcelona hosts the opening stage of the 2025 La Vuelta Femenina cycling tour on Sunday with an 8km team time trial along Avinguda Diagonal and through parts of Eixample The 99km stage 2 of Spain's leading women's cycling tour also takes place in Catalonia starting in Molins de Rei and finishing in Sant Boi de Llobregat on Monday the 15th event in the 2025 UCI Women's World Tour Barcelona International Jazz Day | May 4 | Concert | Passeig de Gràcia Ten hours of free concerts on an open air stage Barcelona International Jazz Day is back in Barcelona on Sunday May 4 to transform Passeig de Gràcia (between Gran Via aand Plaça de Catalunya) into one big jazz club six groups will be celebrating jazz right in the heart of the city in a free concert Empordà Museum reopens | May 2-4 | Exhibition | Figueres After four years of renovations, the Empordà Museum (Museu de l'Empordà) reopens its doors on Friday Visitors can enjoy free entry on the opening weekend The reopening forms part of the 'Fires i festes de la santa creu' celebrations in the northern Catalan city. Free entry to museums | May 4 | Exhibitions | Catalonia many Catalan museums open their doors free of charge open free every weekend in the afternoon as well but do away with the time limits when it's the first Sunday of the month. From art and history to science and design – and even some iconic Gaudí monuments and buildings – there’s sure to be something for everyone Biergarten | April 25-May 4 | Beer festival | Poble Espanyol German-style food and beers are laid out in terraces all in a highly spirited festive atmosphere. Feria de Abril | Various days until May 4 | Cultural fair | Parc del Forum Celebrating Andalusian heritage until May 4 a new edition of the 'Feria de Abril' returns to Catalonia organized by Andalusians living in the territory paying homage to the traditions of the southern Spanish region Visitors will be able to taste Andalusian dishes Picasso Museum free entry | Thursdays to Saturdays With the arrival of the good weather again the Picasso Museum is changing back to its summer opening hours The summer hours and free admission will be accompanied by guided tours in Catalan with the aim of bringing the museum closer to the locals Titanic: The Voyage Continues | April 17 - September 28 | Immersive experience | Espai Inmersa The exhibition will anchor at Poblenou’s Espai Inmersa and promises visitors a "cutting-edge" immersive experience with “breathtaking” virtual reality that allows visitors to travel more than 3,000 km to the bottom of the ocean the exhibition will showcase 200 real artifacts recovered from the Titanic wreck as well as recreations of the most emblematic spaces of the ship as it takes visitors back to April of 1912 to the moment when the Titanic embarked on its ill-fated maiden voyage HOT WHEELS CITY EXPERIENCE | Until July 10 | Exhibition | La Maquinista Shopping Mall Hot Wheels City Experience is the place to go for families and fans of the Hot Wheels toy The experience includes creativity in the game Visitors will enjoy an immersive experience through Hot Wheels' world which starts with a video to learn about the history and the culture of the brand The experience also includes fast-speed races and lab facilities with very interactive designs Tickets start at €18 and it is open from Wednesday to Sunday. 'Chris Ware. Drawing is Thinking' | April 3-November 9 | Exhibition | CCCB Chris Ware will be present at the Comic Barcelona as he was in the city this week for the launch of the new exhibition on his work at the CCCB The retrospective reviews the work and reflections of an author whose work has the power to move so many people as they touch on themes of human existence in great depth 'Uncertain Times. Interwar Germany' | April 2 - July 20 | Exhibition | CaixaForum Barcelona To understand how the Second World War happened one has to consider the Weimar Republic the German state that existed in the interwar years A new exhibition in the CaixaForum in Barcelona transports visitors to that fervent period of history explaining the cultural and intellectual boom of the time and how it foreshadowed one of the darkest periods of human history. Sean Scully exhibition | March 14 - July 6 | Art exhibition | La Pedrera Antoni Gaudí's 'La Pedrera' building on Passeig de Gràcia is hosting “Sean Scully” the most complete retrospective exhibition of works by one of the most important contemporary exponents of abstract art this exhibition gives visitors a unique view of the Dublin-born US-based artist’s career from his more figurative beginnings to his more recent creations. It explores his paintings lines and textures convey deep emotions and forge unique bonds with the viewer Fernando Botero. A Universal Master | February 14 – July 20 | Art exhibition | Palau Martorell the Palau Martorell is hosting the most comprehensive exhibition of paintings ever held in Spain paying tribute to Fernando Botero (Medellín one of the most important artists of the 20th century who is already part of the History of Art His original and innovative creative approach through a language of monumental volumes and vibrant colour which has made his work immediately recognizable KBr exhibitions on the US-Mexico border | February 13 – May 18 | Photography | KBr Foundation The first major exhibition of the work of José Guerrero covers plenty of years of the artist's career throughout which he has explored the significance of the landscape The images of Felipe Romero Beltrán immerse the viewer in the complex landscape of northern Mexico that building up to an unsustainable situation in recent years Essència Palau | March 22 - June 22 | Guided Tour | Palau de la Música Catalana The Palau de la Música Catalana music hall invites visitors to rediscover its architectural splendor through a unique guided tour: Essència Palau Developed in collaboration with Eurofragance the tour features a collection of fragrances that resemble the ambiance of the early 20th century allowing visitors to connect with the building's history and symbolism on another level. ‘Extraterrestrials. Is there life beyond Earth?’ | February 26 - August 30 2026 | Science exhibition | CosmoCaixa science museum 'Extraterrestrials - Is There Life Outside Earth?' delves into topics such as our place in the cosmos and how literature and cinema have shaped the collective imagination about what form alien life could take. Visitors begin by discovering Earth's place in the cosmos the great philosophical debate between those who argue that life is unique to our planet and those who believe in the existence of other inhabited worlds Antoni Tàpies: The Imagination of the World | February 13 – January 25 The solo exhibition The Imagination of the World proposes a revision of the work of Antoni Tàpies based on ideas found in his earliest period of production the exhibition seeks to map out a network of relationships between active agents as related to two key areas: on the one hand the complex assimilation of artistic tendencies—such as dada and surrealism—and currents of thought—psychoanalysis Marxism—in Barcelona in that period; on the other hand the dialogue of these movements with various forms of the vernacular tradition of popular culture Ramón Masats. The silent photographer | Photography exhibition | January 16 – May 25 | Foto Colectania Ramón Masats stands as one of the most influential photographers of Spain’s 1960s generation His reputation was built upon a unique combination of instinctive compositional talent a sharp and ironic lens on post-war cultural clichés and an unwavering commitment to photographing with absolute freedom. The exhibition focuses on the early creative period of Masats’ career spanning from his beginnings in 1953 to 1965 The exhibition begins with his early experimental works where he alternated between abstract photography and documentary reportage. Amazons. The Ancestral Future | November 2024 – May 25, 2025 | Barcelona This CCCB exhibition explores the challenges that the Amazon rainforest and its biodiversity are facing as the planet's temperature continues to rise. The exhibition seeks to break from the Western colonial understanding of the world and defends the profound knowledge that the indigenous people of the Amazon have of the nature that surrounds us all. Get the day's biggest stories right to your phone v1.1.0. Copyright © 2025. Powered by EBANTIC. All rights reserved. The Christmas season officially kicked off in Barcelona on Thursday with the highly anticipated lighting of the festive displays The celebration began at 6 pm on Passeig de Gràcia boulevard featuring a grand spectacle of urban dance Over 40,000 people gathered in the heart of the Catalan capital to witness the event With 28 performers spread across five stages along Passeig de Gràcia the show featured projections and pyrotechnics created by the internationally renowned Aktionstheater Pan.Optikum (Freiburg) was inspired by light emerging from darkness After a half-hour performance culminating in an epic finale filling the streets with joy and excitement among the crowd As part of the ‘Voices Against Racism’ campaign the lights were was activated via a mobile device by two young representatives: an 18-year-old from the Chinese Cultural Association involved in organizing cultural events like the Chinese New Year and a 16-year-old Afro-descendant high school art student from La Guineueta This year the Christmas lights will stretch an additional six kilometers shining until 1 am from Sunday to Thursday and until 2 am on Fridays and Saturdays Some 24 illuminated seasonal figures, such as reindeer, will be placed around the city, and there will be a design inspired by the film 'El 47.' Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon We help you navigate a myriad of possibilities Sign up for our newsletter for the best of the city By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news Sign up for our email to enjoy your city without spending a thing (as well as some options when you’re feeling flush) Our newsletter hand-delivers the best bits to your inbox Sign up to unlock our digital magazines and also receive the latest news By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions. Barcelona Keep the kids busy at one of these fab playgrounds in Barcelona RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best things to do in Barcelona Thanks for subscribing! Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon! © Ajuntament de BarcelonaFind the tall One of Joan Miró’s most famous sculptures stands at the entrance of the park that bears the artist's name the park is a veritable paradise for kids because the amenities are endless: caged basketball courts a giant swing that holds multiple children at once.. Most of the equipment and play areas are better-suited for older children You can grab a quick bite at the snack bar and park it at one of the benches or take a gander through the Joan Miró Library located along the back edge of the park. Great for kids ages ten and older facebook twitter spotify tiktok About us Contact us Time Out Worldwide Construction workers working on a building under construction earmarked for public housing at 142 on the street Carrer de Viladomat Being able to access decent housing is a basic right recognised in both the Spanish Constitution and the Statute of Autonomy the historic lack of public housing developments and the rise in prices as a result of speculation processes and the proliferation of tourist flats have brought about a phenomenon of gentrification that has driven many residents out of the city Applications for public housing have skyrocketed The lack of affordable alternatives triggers the flight of young residents to other municipalities in the metropolitan area and beyond The measures undertaken during the pandemic to prevent evictions have buffered a social crisis that will eventually emerge renting an apartment in Barcelona costed an average of 688.20 euros per month the rental price had risen by more than 50% and stood the purchase and rental markets recovered differently The purchase price grew during the third quarter of 2020 and the rental price remained the same but the rental price fell more sharply and remained stable during 2021 the purchase price began to rise again as of January 2021 One of the main objections to the new rent control law was that it would shrink supply Data from the Catalan Housing Agency indicate that the limitation has not led to a fall in the number of leases The United Nations recommends that the cost of rent account for a maximum of 30% of household income but both Barcelona (43.5%) and its metropolitan area (37.5%) exceed this percentage according to the report “Housing Emergency Energy Poverty and Health” (2019) issued by the Barcelona Public Health Agency (ASPB) The purchase price of a property can be up to seven times higher depending on the neighbourhood where it is located The highest price per square metre is in the Sant Gervasi-Galvany neighbourhood Dreta de l’Eixample and Pedralbes neighbourhoods The prices in Sant Andreu and El Congrés i els Indians are also quite high Trinitat Nova and Bon Pastor are the most affordable neighbourhoods the most expensive neighbourhood is Vila Olímpica (where a large number of leisure and restaurant establishments are concentrated) followed by the Tres Torres and Vallvidrera neighbourhoods The Covid-19 crisis has marked a turning point in Spain’s rental market According to the real estate portal Idealista.com there has been a decrease in price compared to September 2020 especially in Barcelona (-7.3%) and Madrid (-7.7%) the Rent Control Law approved by the Parliament of Catalonia in September 2020 also influenced the fall in prices Barcelona is still the second most expensive provincial capital in terms of rent (€14.82 m2) The 2020 home lockdown put the relationship between size of living space and quality of life at the heart of the debate It is not the same to live and cohabit in 68 square metres the average living space in the Nou Barris neighbourhood one in ten homes measure more than 200 square metres the largest flats do not account for even 1% of the total and almost 40% have an area of 50 square metres or less the Eixample and Gràcia account for 70.1% of tourist flats The ten districts have suffered a very similar drop in prices due to the control of tourist rental listings With the application of the new regulations the flats that operated without a licence have been closed and a hiatus has been imposed on posting new accommodation which has reduced or maintained the number of tourist flats Barcelona holds the leading position in Spain in terms of the oldest rental and sale homes on the market according to the real estate portal Idealista The year of construction of the buildings is a key factor for buyers and is also key to setting the property price the city’s oldest flats are located in the Gothic quarter and in the Raval where the average age of the properties is around 122 years Diagonal Mar and the Vila Olímpica in Poblenou are the areas with the youngest flats The building age map also shows that older buildings are concentrated in the nuclei corresponding to the towns that were annexed to Barcelona Much of Barcelona’s building stock is so old that its construction predates the mandatory regulatory framework governing thermal insulation requirements There is a range for evaluating a property’s energy efficiency where A is the maximum efficiency and G is the minimum Less than half of homes (40.45%) have an energy certificate and only 1.18% have obtained an energy rating of A or B Most (84.4%) certified buildings obtain a primary energy rating (natural gas much of the city’s internal movements show the Eixample to be their final destination where 10,000 inhabitants moved during 2020 It should be considered that it is one of the city’s most populated districts Sant Martí was also the destination of a large share of the changes of address followed by Ciutat Vella and Sants-Montjuïc Gentrification is the process of expelling the lowest-income families from a neighbourhood when it undergoes a transformation on account of investments of different kinds that revalue the land and cause sharp rises in property prices Researchers at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) have created a city gentrification index based on income Santa Caterina and La Ribera has experienced the most gentrification processes followed by the Raval and Barceloneta neighbourhoods The 2021 census shows a preference among Barcelona’s inhabitants to emigrate to municipalities of less than 5,000 inhabitants The report “Migratory Movement in Times of Covid-19” by the Municipal Data Office (OMD) reveals that anomalies have been observed in the net migration of municipalities in Vallès Oriental and Vallès Occidental Penedès and towns on the coast to high mountain areas such as the Val d’Aran where about 3.3 million people live – almost half of Catalonia’s population – there is a clear trend among this area’s population to emigrate to the counties of Girona and Alt Penedès almost 20,000 inhabitants from the metropolis 6,200 fewer people live in Barcelona (0.4%) than a year ago the population’s decline mainly stems from the rise in mortality due to the pandemic the fall in the birth rate and the near neutrality of net migration after a six-year period in which this migration balance has acted as a driver of population growth Discrimination in access to housing according to place of birth and name of origin is a real fact Barcelona City Council carried out an experiment by sending fictitious requests to visit flats for rent using names of Catalan/Spanish or Arabic origin for the applicant Among the applicants with names of a Catalan/Spanish origin while only 37.8% of those with names of Arabic origin received a response 18.8% less than applicants with names of Catalan or Spanish origin The public housing stock in Spain (1.5% of the total) is one of the lowest in all of Europe In the city there are approximately 19,000 valid state-subsidised housing properties [VPO being its Spanish acronym] but it is estimated that in 30 years 88% will no longer be valid according to data from the Barcelona Public Health Agency (ASPB) Applications for state-subsidised housing have only increased but the number of registrations remains low 39,260 applications were registered in Barcelona and only 4,710 were accepted Despite the widespread decline in the construction sector in Barcelona the number of properties started has remained thanks especially to the impetus of state-subsidised housing and accounted for 31% of the total (592 VPO according to the Barcelona Metropolitan Housing Observatory Most properties in Barcelona are owned by a private individual (658,006) and the rest (122,769) by another type of owner according to data from the Metropolitan Housing Observatory Thirteen point nine per cent of the housing stock belongs to big property owners – those with more than 15 properties – of which 50% are private individuals and 45% are legal entities according to the last municipal census of 2019 the homes were uninhabited for less than two years Ciutat Vella is the location of the most empty flats: 981 unoccupied The districts with fewer empty flats are Vallvidrera Tibidabo and Les Planes and the Vila Olímpica in Poblenou Most evictions in Barcelona are imposed on families who cannot pay the rent eviction notices were very much brought to a standstill during the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic Each year a decrease was recorded in the number of evictions in the third quarter Foreclosures are much lower in number than those ordered under the Urban Lease Act Subscribe to our newsletter to keep up to date with Barcelona Metròpolis' new developments This menu requires arrow keys to be able to use it through the Barcelona Institute of Sports (IBE) has started a project to renew the artificial turf at four city football ground The initiative will be executed over the next few months at these four football grounds: With an overall budget of 1.6 million euros the project is part of Barcelona City Council’s commitment to offer citizens first-class sports facilities The artificial turf to be used offers several advantages: The work gets under way at the end of June and is expected to be completed in the middle of September this year The initiative comes in addition to the work recently completed at a further 12 football grounds with an overall investment of 5.1 million euros There are also plans to renew the turf at the Torrent del Bosc and Clot de la Mel football grounds soon Barcelona City Council consolidates its commitment to foster sports activity in the city and guarantee that all people in the city have access to modern sustainable and quality sports facilities.