Barcelona festivals and events: the best of the year

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The Catalans’ seemingly endless enthusiasm for festivals and parties means that there’s scarcely a week in the year that doesn’t include at least a couple. The array of religious events and old-fashioned pageants, all of which spotlight what makes Catalonia unique, are supplemented by a wide variety of more modern celebrations.

The Sónar electronica music festival alone attracts upwards of 100,000 people each year, and Primavera Sound’s indie rock festival now brings in over 200,000 annually. Meanwhile, local cultural celebrations often feature many traditional ingredients: ‘castells’ (human towers), and ‘gegants’ (huge papier-mâché/fibreglass giants dressed as princesses, fishermen, sultans and even topless chorus girls), and two unique exercises: the ‘correfoc’ (fire run) and the ‘sardana’ folk dance.

Here you’ll find a list of public holidays that could help when you’re planning your visit to Barcelona, as well as highlights of the big festivals and events that enliven the city throughout the year.