Travel
Festival de Música Antigua - Late April/early May
- In Barcelona You’re In For The Time Of Your Life
If you find yourself in the Catalan city of Barcelona one day with a group of friends, you’re in for the time of your life. Between the Serrade Colserolla Hills and the Mediterranean, this metropolis is the hub of culture, music and art. Added to that...
- Tomorrowland. Belgium's Craziest Music Festival
With many festivals all year round, there is almost no bad or boring time to visit Belgium. Other than the traditional festivals like Easter, Carnical de Binche, Cavalcade of Herve and Ommegang Festival, there are other more modern and popular festivals...
- Ikebukuro Autumn Festival, Tokyo: A Photo Essay
Before going to Japan, our friend +Lili Florea (aka Muza-Chan) recommended us to attend at least one matsuri. Given our fondness for festivals and all things traditional, we thought it would be an amazing idea, but at the same time we weren't...
- Amsterdam’s Off-centre Festival Is Just Right For Music Fans
If your musical preferences are a little more underground and you’d rather listen to trance than anything in the Top 40, you might find that there are many music festivals in Amsterdam to suit your tastes. One of these is the Off-Centre Festival, which...
- 5 Free Attractions In Barcelona
Mix Antonio Gaudi's surrealist architecture with great night life and old Spanish traditions, add a bit of salty Mediterranean water and you will get one of the fines cities in the world - Barcelona. Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain,...
Travel
Barcelona’s Spring and Summer Festivals
One of the world’s most stylish cities, Barcelona is full of amazing architecture, design and artworks. It is also home to some of the most exciting festivals, thanks to a strong tradition and the inventive Spanish spirit.
Some of Barcelona’s best-known festivals take place in spring and summer. You can enjoy outdoor drama, music and dance in a Greek-style open-air theater during the prestigious Grec performing arts festival; leap over bonfires on the beach on Midsummer’s Night; party hard with tens of thousands of music fans at the Sónar; join in the fun at old-fashioned neighborhood festivals; or simply soak up the romance of Lover’s Day in April. Pair these with the great nightlife and amazing cuisine, and you'll be in for the time of your life.
La Diada de Sant Jordi - 24 April
The feast of St George is Lover’s Day in Catalunya, when couples traditionally exchange gifts of roses and books. The air is heady with spring and romance, and the streets become a sea of rose petals. There are also outdoor readings from Cervantes’ Don Quixote in tribute to the chivalrous hero of the book.
Festival de Música Antigua - Late April/early May
The Festival of Early Music takes place in venues such as the beautiful Palau de la Música. Most atmospheric of all are the concerts held in the Saló del Tinell – a sublime Gothic banqueting hall that’s now part of the Museu d’Història de la Ciutat.
Festival de Flamenco de Ciutat Vella - Late May
Flamenco is not part of Catalan culture, but the flood of immigrants from southern Spain has ensured that the spirit of this dance remains vibrant in Barcelona. The flamboyant dancing takes over the streets in the last week of May, with live outdoor performances on the Rambla de Raval.
Festa de Sant Joan (Midsummer’s Eve) - June
Midsummer’s eve on the night of 23 June is explosively celebrated with huge bonfires on the beaches, fireworks – every balcony and terrace seems to crackle with volley of fizzing rockets - and plenty of cava-fuelled carousing across the city.
Sónar - June
During one long, crazy weekend in mid-June (dates vary), Barcelona hosts one of the biggest and slickest festivals of music and multimedia in Spain. Sónar by Day has exhibitions, conferences and record fairs. Sónar by Night, held in the SónarPark in Hospital de Llobregat, features some of the biggest names in electronic music, such as Ryuichi Sakamoto and Massive Attack.
Dia per l’Alliberament Lesbià i Gai - End Jun
On the last Sunday in June, Orgull Gay (Gay Pride) is celebrated with a parade of floats in the city centre and political speeches in front of the City Hall. There are market stalls and live concerts on Plaça Universitat and, of course, plenty of action in the bars and clubs.
Classics als Parcs - Jul
Throughout July, free classical concerts take place in several city parks. Schedules change annually, but Saturday-night concerts (from 10pm) are mostly held in the Parc de la Ciutadella. The other main parks involved include La Tamarita (entrance on Passeig de Sant Gervasi), Turó Park (entrances on Avinguda de Pau Casals and C/Josep Bertrand) and Jardins Can’Altamira (entrances on C/Horaci and C/Mandri).
Festival del Grec - End Jun–early Aug
Barcelona’s biggest festival of performing arts gets its name from Montjuïc’s open-air Teatre Grec, where many of the main performances are staged against a romantic backdrop of ivy-clad stone. Throughout July the festival offers an excellent and wide-ranging programme of theatre and dance, as well as classical, world and contemporary music. All of Barcelona’s main venues play host to the performances.
Festa Major de Gràcia - Aug
Long known for its feisty independence, Gràcia puts on a fantastic show every August during its colourful neighbourhood festival. Each street vies to create the best decorations, and there are parades featuring traditional Catalan gegants and capgrossos (giants and fatheads). The festival culminates with a wild correfoc, when locals dressed up as fire-spitting dragons and demons race through the streets.
- In Barcelona You’re In For The Time Of Your Life
If you find yourself in the Catalan city of Barcelona one day with a group of friends, you’re in for the time of your life. Between the Serrade Colserolla Hills and the Mediterranean, this metropolis is the hub of culture, music and art. Added to that...
- Tomorrowland. Belgium's Craziest Music Festival
With many festivals all year round, there is almost no bad or boring time to visit Belgium. Other than the traditional festivals like Easter, Carnical de Binche, Cavalcade of Herve and Ommegang Festival, there are other more modern and popular festivals...
- Ikebukuro Autumn Festival, Tokyo: A Photo Essay
Before going to Japan, our friend +Lili Florea (aka Muza-Chan) recommended us to attend at least one matsuri. Given our fondness for festivals and all things traditional, we thought it would be an amazing idea, but at the same time we weren't...
- Amsterdam’s Off-centre Festival Is Just Right For Music Fans
If your musical preferences are a little more underground and you’d rather listen to trance than anything in the Top 40, you might find that there are many music festivals in Amsterdam to suit your tastes. One of these is the Off-Centre Festival, which...
- 5 Free Attractions In Barcelona
Mix Antonio Gaudi's surrealist architecture with great night life and old Spanish traditions, add a bit of salty Mediterranean water and you will get one of the fines cities in the world - Barcelona. Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain,...