13 Best Festivals in Barcelona

Castellers de Barcelona is a Catalan tradition that involves building human towers of astounding heights. The practice started in the rural town of Valls in the 18th century, and the 1st Barcelona club was formed in 1969. Castellers traditionally perform at festivals, and it’s a heart-racing spectacle, watching them climbing and stacking to form their human towers. Nowadays, Castellers entertain crowds on many occasions during their June–November season.

The castle-building technique is an artform that requires much practice for Castellers to master. After forming the base and vertical columns, a young boy or girl climbs atop the “castle”. Upon reaching the top, they wave to the crowd to celebrate the crowning of the castell.

Holi Festival of Colours Barcelona is Spain’s rendition of the famous Hindu celebration. The festival welcomes the arrival of spring and is a day of spirited fun and joyous games. Participants dance around the streets of Barcelona and douse each other in bright colours. It’s a day of happiness to rejoice in the parting of winter and the triumph of good over evil.

Food trucks and live music complement the exciting paint-throwing games. Each colour represents unique symbols such as love, beauty, harvest, and new beginnings. As the large crowds wipe powder and paint from their faces, DJs blast pulsating electronic music for everyone.

Sala Montjuïc is an outdoor film festival that features live jazz concerts on the grass and under the open sky. Held every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, it's a good idea to get to the field early or buy tickets in advance to get a good spot before the crowds. If you're looking to grab food and drinks, takeaway food stalls and a bar are available, or you can bring your own picnic food along.

The festival is held on the grounds of the Montjuc fortress, whose ramparts rise majestically behind the screen. You'll find the venue about 20 minutes south of the city centre.

The Música als Parcs festival offers free jazz and classical music concerts all over the city. The event began in the early 2000s and continues to this day, running from June to August. The concert series features top local, up-and-coming and global jazz and classical acts, all performing outdoors in city parks. At this festival, you can relax with cool jazz rhythm and blues or vibrant classical stylings while enjoying these picturesque parks.

If you're planning to visit, check out the programme to see any changes due to inclement weather. The concerts can get crowded, so be sure to show up early and grab a good seat for the show.

The Sónar Festival is one of the world's largest and most-famed experimental electronica festivals, offering possibly the biggest rave you'll ever attend. Held every June, you'll find the biggest names as well as the most obscure emerging acts. The entire week of the festival is marked by street and club parties all over the city, and also features 'unofficial' mashups and madcap activities that only serve to highlight the featured music.

While music is the feature, the festival also highlights multimedia art and design. You'll catch stunning light shows, video performances and performing arts of all kinds. The primary venue is the Advanced Music S.L. just 15 minutes east of the city centre.

Fiestas con Correfocs del Barrio de Gràcia is the year's hottest block party in the Gràcia district. Thousands of residents descend on Gràcia’s vibrant squares to adorn the neighbourhood with artistic decorations. People of all ages participate in streetside activities like open-air concerts, dancing, or card games. Everyone stays entertained and enjoys the company of each other on the brightly coloured streets.

The 7-day festival is jam-packed with fun activities that bring family and friends together. Watch parades, foam parties, live music, and fire runs as you wander each decorated street. The festival’s programme also includes wine tastings, dance classes, and traditional songs. And don’t forget to vote for your favourite street and square during the festivities.

Barcelona's Pride festival every year is a vibrant and wild celebration of dignity, freedom, acceptance, respect and diversity for the LGBTQ community. Despite its focus on this community, Pride strives to offer something for everyone, so people can stand side by side and celebrate our individuality, love and life. The celebration, which includes a parade down the streets, food stalls, live music and entertainment, works with local businesses to get its message across throughout the city.

Each year's festival has various themes ranging from personal choice to HIV awareness and many others, so it helps to educate as well as entertain. The Festival is held annually in June in the Eixample District.

The Cruilla Festival is a vibrant event that offers a broad and eclectic set of artists from all over the world. What sets this music festival apart from others is that there are few criteria for participation, just that the artists make great music. Held in July each year, the festival has seen everyone from Iggy Pop to Robert Plant and Cat Power to Gogol Bordello, among hundreds of others.

The festival takes place in the Parc del Forum primarily, and it's the place to catch your favourite big name acts as well as emerging artists. The Parc del Forum is just a 20 minute drive up the shoreline from the city centre.

Eat Street is an exciting food festival to appeal to the foodie in you, offering an eclectic takeover of the streets by food trucks offering local and international bites. Whatever kind of food you enjoy, you're sure to find something to whet your appetite here. You can find gluten-free, vegetarian and other restricted diet options as well. Entry to the festival is completely free, though the food trucks range in price.

Still, a main dish is quite affordable here. For the most part, food vendors don't offer drinks, however, these are available from a dedicated drink stand. The festival is dog friendly and held every month along the Plaça de Margarida Xirgu in the city centre.

Guitar BCN Festival is a fun event that offers classical, jazz or rock concerts from a wide range of artists. Thousands of people flock to Barcelona for this event, which takes place in venues across the city from. Sponsored by The Project in the city centre, this festival has a legacy of more than 25 years and offers shows from top name international and local artists. Past performers have included John Williams, Vincente Amigo, David Byrne and Pat Metheny.

Whether you're into jazz, blues, rock, or flamenco, you can find a Guitar Festival show to suit your tastes. The festival runs from late winter to mid summer, so you've got a huge window to catch it.

Mutek is a week-long citywide arts festival that features an eclectic, vibrant collection of art in all its forms. At this festival you'll see every kind of artwork from performance art to paintings, multimedia to pen-and-ink drawings, crafts, sculpture and many others. Exhibitions are supported by live appearances and talks from many of the artists involved, so you can get an insight into their mindset when they created these iconic works.

The Mutek organization that hosts the festival is in the heart of the city centre. Held in conjunction with festivals in Argentina and Mexico, the festival exhibits are displayed in galleries and public places all over Barcelona.

Carnival marks the last chance to cut loose before Lent with parades, fireworks and a party atmosphere. One of the most iconic festivals in Spanish culture, this vibrant festival has taken on a new level of party vibe in the past 20 years or so and gets wilder every year, culminating in La Gran Rua de Carnaval, a parade with floats, costumes and a vast firework display.

The party lasts for 7 days, with each offering a different themed experience: food, parade, the Carnival King, the symbolic sardine burial and others. The festival dates back to Roman times and is representative of freedom and rebellion. Each year, Carnival is held in the Barri de La Ribera neighbourhood about a 10 minute walk from the city centre.

The Festes de Sant Medir is a festival held in honour of Sant Medir, in the Grácia neighbourhood with a vast parade, candy and a celebratory vibe. The parade winds through the Villa de Grácia, or 'old town' area of the neighbourhood, to the Jardinets de Grácia. The events include hundreds of horses and colourful floats representing community organizations and clubs called 'colles.'

Kids love the celebration because as the floats drive past, a bunch of candy is thrown to the spectators who show up with bags to fill. Grácia is just a 20 minute drive from the city centre to the north. Be sure to bring a jacket, as it often rains during the festival.