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Festivals and holidays
A
lmost any month you choose to visit Barcelona you’ll coincide with a
saint’s day, festival or holiday, and it’s hard to beat the experience of
arriving to discover the streets decked out with flags and streamers,
bands playing and the entire population out celebrating. Traditionally,
each neighbourhood celebrates with its own
festa
, though the major ones – like
Gràcia’s Festa Major and the Mercè – have become city institutions. Each is
different, but there is always music, dancing, traditional costume, fireworks and
an immense spirit of enjoyment – for more, see the colour section.
The religious calendar has its annual highlights too, with Carnaval, Easter and
Christmas a big time for parades, events and festivities across the city.Meanwhile,
biggest and best of the annual arts and music events are the Generalitat’s (city
council’s) summer Festival de Barcelona Grec, the ever-expanding Sónar
extravaganza of electronic music and multimedia art, and the rock and indie fest
Primavera Sound.
There’s a
month-by-month calendar
below of the best annual festivals,
holidays, trade fairs and events, though it’s not an exhaustive list. For more
information about what’s going on at any given time, call into the cultural
information office at the
Palau de la Virreina
, Ramblas 99, or check out the
Ajuntament’s useful
website
(
W
www.bcn.cat/cultura).
Incidentally, not all
public holidays
coincide with a festival, but many do –
there’s a complete list on p.39. In addition, saints’ day festivals – indeed all
Catalan celebrations – can vary in date, often being observed over the weekend
closest to the dates given.
L
January
Cap d’Any
New Year’s Eve
Street and club
parties, and mass gatherings in Pl. de
Catalunya and other main squares. You’re
supposed to eat twelve grapes in the last
twelve seconds of the year for twelve
months of good luck. The next day, Jan 1,
is a public holiday.
Cavalcada dels Reis
Afternoon of Jan 5
This is
when the Three Kings (who distribute
Christmas gifts to Spanish children) arrive by
sea at the port and ride into town, throwing
sweets as they go. The parade begins at
about 5pm on Jan 5; the next day is a
public holiday.
Barnasants
Dates vary, Jan–March
,
W
www
.barnasants.comA singer-songwriter festival
(Catalan/Spanish, plus Brazilian and Latin
American artists), with around 50 gigs held
over three months in city clubs and concert
venues.
Festa dels Tres Tombs
Jan 17
Costumed
horseback parade through the Sant Antoni
neighbourhood with local saint’s day festivi-
ties to follow.
Tomb
is the Catalan word for
a circuit, or tour, so the riders make three
processional turns of the neighbourhood.
February
Festes de Santa Eulàlia
Feb 12
W
www.bcn
.cat/santaeulalia.
The signal for a week’s
worth of music,
sardanes
, children’s proces-
sions,
castellers
and fireworks in honour of
one of Barcelona’s two patron saints, the
FESTIVALS AND HOLIDAYS
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