Barcelona Online | What was on in Barcelona

>> Ages ago | Just missed it | On this month | Coming up

On this page we include what was on in Barcelona some time ago. If you've have missed it, note that nearly all of these are annual events, so you might want to take a look at them if you are coming to Barcelona next year.

You might also check our "coming up" page (link above)...

December
Christmas in Barcelona
We have a few odd Christmas traditions here in Barcelona, as this page shows...

If you are visiting Barcelona and going to be decorating the house for Christmas - particularly if you have a crib (Nativity scene), don't miss the Feria de Santa Lucia, in the square in front of the Cathedral.

As for those odd traditions, note the traditional Catalan figure of the "caganer", the (ahem...) "shitter" (as illustrated, right).

27 December 2009-4 January 2010
Festival de la Infancia
Barcelona's annual "Children's Festival" (this year the 44th edition) is a great day out for kids - with basically anything you could wish the Three Kings (aka Santa) would bring you.

•Languages: English, Spanish, Catalan

November 11-December 13
World Press Photo Exhibition
The truly outstanding World Press Photo exhibition [website], at the CCCB, includes some of the breathtaking images taken by photojournalists around the world in the last year.

Locking the world's leaders up inside on a starvation diet for a week or so would surely fix quite a number of the world's problems...

December 4-6
Davis Cup Final
It's Spain vs the Czech Republic in this year's Davis Cup Final, to be held at the Palau Sant Jordi.

We would have included it on our sports page but regrettably, the jingoistic, chauvinistic celebrations that will accompany every point won preclude that.

•We liked: Er, the recent Elton John concert, held at the same venue...?
•Not so hot: Inability to win in a gentlemanly fashion
•Languages: English and Spanish.

October 18-November 27
Barcelona's International Jazz Festival
Supposedly one of the best in Europe (but then that does tend to get added to just about everything that is on in Barcelona), with this year's program (the 41st edition of the Festival) including Wayne Shorter (October 28); Jimmy Cobb (November 7) and Marcus Miller (November 11).

Concert venues include the Auditori, the magnificent Palau de la Música, and two of the city's best club venues, Jamboree and Luz de Gas.

November 27-29
Salon del Hobby
Not one to miss if you've got kids... If they (or you) are into any of "model making, dioramas, miniatures, collecting, radio-control, educational games, dollhouses, electric railways, painting techniques, handicrafts" etc, the Hobby Fair is a thrilling day out.

You'll have to queue to get in, queue to play with the Scalextric, will probably lose the kids a couple of times and end up with a wretched headache but, come on Dad, the kids had fun!

November 7-15
Saló Nautico
Barcelona's International Boat Show is one of the biggest and most interesting of its many trade fairs. See our review.

October 29-November 1
ArtFutura
The eighteenth edition of ArtFutura, a digital art and new media festival, includes a wide range of workshops, conferences, performances, special presentations and audio-visuals.

October 29-November 1
XV Manga Festival
The La Farga de L'Hospitalet trade fair centre, just outside Barcelona, hosts a hugely popular offshoot of Barcelona's main (June) Comic Fair.

End of October
Escalada de Montjuic
Since 1963, and with past winners including Merckx (only six times), Rominger, Chiappucci and Jalabert, professional cycling had come to Barcelona for a spectacular one-day, end of season event, racing up and down the mountain that gives Barcelona its magnificent backdrop.

Regrettably, no sponsor was found for 2008 and no date has been announced for 2009.

October 18
Barcelona Triathlon
If you can't wait till March for the Barcelona Marathon, there's always the Triathlon, with a 1.5km swim, a 40km bike ride and a 10km run on a circuit stretching from the beach to the Arc de Triomf and the Torre Agbar.

There's also the possibility of entering a three person team, with each member taking one stage.

•We liked: Getting off the beastly bike (the only bit we did like, in fact)
•Not so hot: The organization left a bit to be desired in 2008
•Languages: English, Spanish and Catalan

October 17-18
Walk Barcelona
The International Walk in Barcelona, organised by the "International Marching League" (sic) involves non-competitve walks with a choice of 10, 20 and 30 km over the weekend. A great way to discover Barcelona - with some great views of the city from Collserola.

October 2-12
Sitges Film Festival
A popular seaside resort some 40km down the coast from Barcelona, Sitges has an equally popular film festival, which this year celebrates its 42nd edition.

The main sections are science-fiction, fantasy and horror with both commercial and non-commercial movies.

•Languages: English, Spanish and Catalan

October 1-4
Rally Catalunya
Details on our sports page.

Until July 31
Open air cinema
On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, for a lamentably short period, there's open-air cinema, the film starting at 9.00pm, under the walls on the fort on Montjuic (free bus service from the Plaza España). The 2009 programme includes Scorsese, Hitchcock, Almodóvar, the Coen brothers... Bring your picnic supper along beforehand and enjoy some live jazz to go with it. A cool way to spend a hot summer night.

•We liked: The walk round the castle walls afterwards in the moonlight
•Not so hot: Some of the films on the programme... But hey, I'm going for the picnic
•Languages: English, Spanish, Catalan

16-18 June 2009
Internet Global Congress
For four days in May, Barcelona becomes the "Internet world capital", the IGC site modestly claims. The event offers a wide range of papers and plenaries on Internet-related matters.

The site carries full information on the congress, its different plenaries and parallel sessions, as well as information on the "village" where you will be able to get your hands on some of all that technology.

•We liked: The vast, apparently all-inclusive range of its themes
•Not so hot: €300 a head for the four days unless you qualify as a student - and that was the 2004 edition!
•Languages: English, Spanish, Catalan

No Summercase this year
It had become one of the highlights of the summer (last year we had Sex Pistols, Blondie, Primal Scream, The Verve, The Stranglers...) but there will be no Summercase Festival this year, due to the recession.

Now that's a worrying sign!

June 6-7
Barcelona Extreme Sports Festival
If "skateboard, BMX, inline, FMX, urban jibbing and wakeboard" are your thing, don't miss the Barcelona Extreme Sports Festival, at the Parc del Fòrum.

•Languages: English, Spanish and Catalan

25 May-7 June
Jewish Film Festival of Barcelona
As well as the Asian Film Festival (see above), Barcelona also has a Jewish Film Festival, which reaches its 11th edition this year.

May 24
Corte Inglés Fun Run
The 31st edition of this 11 km run, sponsored by Spain's largest department store, one of the world's largest fun runs with over 50,000 participants.

The route takes you from Plaça Catalunya out to Plaça Espanya, up Montjuic, into the Olympic Stadium and back down to Plaça Catalunya for the finish.

30 April-10 May
Barcelona Asian Film Festival
Taking place largely at the CCCB, this will be the eleventh edition of one of Europe's top Asian film festivals.

Why an Asian film festival in Barcelona? Well, for one thing Barcelona is now home to a large number of Asian immigrants. Why, if you go down to bars in the right areas of town, you can even catch the Test Match on satellite TV -- and even watch cricket actually being played in parks and on vacant lots. Details on the site are currently rather sketchy, but if you like Asian cinema, well worth going to.

•Languages: English, Spanish and Catalan

May 27-June 1
Barcelona Fashion Week
Barcelona likes to think itself as always at the height of fashion and its Fashion Week, the Pasarela Gaudí is its big annual event.

"Moda Barcelona's" next big event is June's "BCN Bridal Week".

The Flash-built site is decidedly uninspired.

•We liked: Dressing up when we were kids...?
•Not so hot: "Fashion shows require a direct personal invitation from the designer". Er... Guess that means I'll not be going, then
•Languages: English, Spanish, Catalan

May 9-September 26 2004
Forum 2004
Officially, the "Universal Forum of Cultures" is an event that was going to "move the world", according to the propaganda, that was. The statistics suggest that the world didn't buy it. More information on our Forum 2004 page.

The Forum, thankfully, is not an event that will be coming back.

What's on in Barcelona

>> Ages ago | Just missed it | On this month | Coming up