What's On Barcelona: 12th - 14th June

Bon Dia!

I hope you’re having a good week.

You'll notice things are looking a little different around here. We've got a new logo, and a big thank you to Paula for designing it.

Before we get into this weekend, here’s what’s on today (Thursday).

✈️ Pope Leo sets off from the airport, bringing an end to his visit of Barcelona
🎬 Final day of Cinefest where you can get cinema tickets for €3.50
⚽ The World Cup kicks off with Mexico 🇲🇽 vs 🇿🇦 South Africa at 9pm
🎼 Free musical tribute to Gaudi at Plaça Catalunya from 8pm

As for the weekend, here’s What’s On.

- Mark

⛅️ Weather

Fri ☀️ 26°/19° Sat ☀️ 28°/22° ☀️ Sun 27°/22°

1. Blaumarí Music Festival

What’s On: A brand new boutique music festival has launched at Port Vell, with artists including The Cardigans and UB40.

What makes Blaumarí unique is its floating stage, which sits directly on the Mediterranean, creating one of Barcelona's most spectacular concert settings. There will also be food stalls, cocktails and harbour boat trips before the shows.

📅 When: Starts Thurs 11th June until Sun 28th June
📍 Where: Moll de Barcelona, Port Vell

For more info see here →

2. Terrats en Cultura - Barcelona Rooftop Festival

What’s On: This festival takes place on rooftops across Barcelona, but there's a catch, you won't find out the location until 48 hours before the event.

The programme includes concerts, theatre, dance and performances hosted on terraces around the city, turning each event into part cultural experience, part urban adventure.

📅 When: Starts Fri June 12th until July 24th
📍 Where: Secret rooftop locations across Barcelona

For more info see here → 

Catalonia Beyond Fuet: The Architects Behind Modernisme [AD]

Big week for the Sagrada Família! Here’s some useful vocab to talk about Gaudí’s work in Catalan. Trencadís (broken-tile mosaic), Modernisme (Catalan Modernism), Mosaic (mosaic), Inspiració en la natura (inspiration from nature), Línies corbes (curved lines).

Barcelona is full of Modernisme architecture, and although Gaudí is the most famous, he was not the only one.

Josep Puig i Cadafalch
His most famous work in Barcelona is Casa Amatller, next to Casa Batlló. It was built for chocolate manufacturer Antoni Amatller. Another notable building is Casa de les Punxes, which resembles a medieval castle with its pointed towers.

Lluís Domènech i Montaner
He designed two of Barcelona’s most impressive Modernista landmarks, Palau de la Música Catalana and Hospital de Sant Pau, both UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

The hospital was pioneering for its time, with separate pavilions linked by underground passages and surrounded by gardens, designed to maximise sunlight and ventilation in the belief that architecture and nature could aid recovery.

For more resources on learning Catalan see here →

Content by the Department of Language Policy

3. Formula 1 Fan Village in Plaça de Catalunya

What’s On: Formula 1 is rolling into town, and you don’t need a trackside ticket to get in on the action. Plaça de Catalunya transforms into the F1 Barcelona Fan Village, with car displays, racing simulators, pit stop challenges, kids’ zones, food, and live music.

It’s free entry, but you’ll need to apply for tickets.

📅 When: Tues 9th June until Sat 13th June
📍 Where: Plaça de Catalunya

For tickets see here → (click ‘login’, then ‘get tickets’)

4. Meat & Fire Festival

What’s On: Over 30 world class grillers fire up the barbecues for a weekend of flame grilled goodness, live music, cooking shows, and more. Think ribs, roasts, fire, and good vibes by the sea.

📅 When: Fri 12th June until Sun 14th
📍 Where: Moll de la Fusta

You can get your ticket here →

And see more of what to expect here →

Plan Ahead - Meet New People at What’s On BCN’s Dinner Club

What’s On: Meeting new people in Barcelona can be difficult. We’re running another Dinner Club to help bring together people who are actually likely to get along.

You’ll take a short personality quiz, then we’ll match you with 5 compatible people for dinner at a surprise restaurant in Barcelona.

Open to everyone from all ages & backgrounds, you can even bring a plus one.

^{⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ "What a wonderful night. Was a bit skeptical before the dinner as I was wondering how the matches would go, but honestly I was so pleasantly surprised. Cant wait for next one!" - Isabel}

📅 When: Wednesday June 17th at 7pm
📍 Where: Gracia (exact location revealed on the day)

For more info see here →

Also Happening This Weekend

🎉 Neighbourhood Festivals
I’d usually go more in depth on these, but seeing as there’s so many on at the moment, I’ve just listed them.

Festa Major de Sant Gervasi – Expect giant parades, castellers, fireworks, concerts, a popular paella & activities by Plaça de la Bonanova (Ends Sun).

Festa Major del Coll, Festa Major de la Teixonera, Festa Major del Baix Guinardó, Festa Major del Turó de la Peira, Festa Major del Fort Pienc, Fiesta Mayor de Paraguay and Perú (Poblenou), Festa Major de Ciutat Meridiana (Nou Barris), Fiesta Mayor de la Marina, Festa Major Can Baro, Festa Major de les Roquetes, Festa Major de la Trinitat Nova, and Fiesta mayor de Baró de Viver.

🎶 Music, Parties & Nightlife
84 Bells of Gaudí (Plaça Catalunya) – Free open-air concert and musical tribute inspired by Gaudí's vision for the Sagrada Família (Thu, 8pm).

The Secret Cabaret Show (Ciutat Vella) – Cabaret night featuring live singers, drag, burlesque, comedy & dancers, followed by an afterparty with DJs (Fri, 8pm).

Talents Jazz at La Pedrera (Passeig de Gràcia) – Rooftop jazz concerts at Gaudí’s La Pedrera, featuring emerging jazz artists plus cava & attic access (Fri).

The Wombats (Poble sec) – Best known for Let's Dance to Joy Division & Moving to New York, the British indie rock band performs at Paral·lel 62 (Fri, 8:30pm).

🍽️ Food & Drink 
Wine Festival (Horta) – Outdoor wine festival with local wines, food and DJs on a traffic-free Carrer del Tajo (Sat, 12pm–11pm, free).

The Champions Burger (Cornellà de Llobregat) – Popular burger festival bringing together some of Spain’s top smash burger vendors at the RCDE Stadium (Until Sun).

Champions Cheesecake Fest (Cornellà de Llobregat) – Cheesecake festival featuring some of Spain's most popular bakers, with award-winning cheesecakes (Until Sun).

🛍️ Markets & Shopping
Gran Price Vinyl Fest (Sant Antoni) – International vinyl festival featuring 100,000+ records for sale, DJ sets, live music and music-themed activities (Fri–Sun, free).

Everything for €2 Market (Poblenou) – Indoor flea market with 70+ sellers offering clothes, accessories, homeware and other second hand items, all priced at €2 (Sun).

Sarrià Market (Sarrià) – Outdoor market featuring local brands, fashion, design and handmade products inside Torre Amat, with food, drinks (Fri–Sun, free).

CUULKID Fashion Pop-Up (Poblenou) – Shop from local fashion brands while enjoying DJs, food and drinks on a rooftop in Poblenou (Sat, 11am–10pm, free).

🎨 Culture & Experiences
Popular Culture Parade (Eixample) – Giants, castellers & traditional Catalan groups parading from Casa Batlló to the Sagrada Família - part of the Gaudí celebrations (Sun).

Circorts Festival (Les Corts) – Expect acrobatics, aerial performances, clowns, workshops & circus acts taking over the streets of Les Corts (Fri–Sun).

FESesDESIGN Festival (Antiga Fàbrica Estrella Damm) – Design festival featuring talks, workshops, studio tours, exhibitions & networking (Fri–Sat, free with donation).

LGBTQ+ Film Festival (Sant Gervasi-Galvany) – Award-winning LGBTQ+ film festival showcasing international cinema, documentaries & exhibitions (Until Sun).

Jardí Geològic (Les Corts) – New open-air museum exploring geology and Earth science, with rock displays and interactive exhibits (Free, open daily).

La Model Prison (Esquerra de l’Eixample) – Former prison turned public space, open for free visits where you can explore its cells and learn about its history.

The Last Days of Pompeii (IDEAL Montjuïc) – Immersive exhibition recreating Pompeii with 360° projections, VR and sound, including a dramatic Vesuvius eruption finale.

World’s Largest Balloon Exhibition (Poblenou) – Immersive exhibition made from 600,000 balloons, with sculptures & interactive rooms to explore.

Montjuïc Open Air Cinema (Montjuïc) – Open-air cinema returning this July with films, live music & picnic space at Montjuïc Castle (10th July–5th Aug, tickets now on sale).

DroneArt Show: Harry Potter (Parc del Fòrum) – Open air drone show featuring 1,200 illuminated drones recreating iconic Harry Potter scenes (17th Jul tickets now on sale).

🌞 Outdoors & Active

Outdoor Board Game Space at Glòries – Free open-air board game area with 100+ games you can borrow and play in the park (Sat, 10am–2pm & Sun, 4pm–8pm).

Barcelona Night Skate Routes – Free guided skate routes through Barcelona every Friday night, starting from Vila Olímpica & led by volunteer skaters (Fri, 10pm).

Barcelona's Outdoor Pools Reopen – including Can Caralleu, Can Dragó, Parc de la Creueta del Coll, Vall d'Hebron, Guinardó, Parc de la Ciutadella, Sant Sebastià, Bernat Picornell, Piscines Municipals de Montjuïc, Can Toda and Bac de Roda.

💼 Jobs of the Week

Senior Marketing Analyst at Rover
^{Analyse behaviour & marketing performance for Rover, the platform that connects pet owners with pet sitters
See the role →}
Senior Product Manager at Gameloft
<sup>Help decide how one of the world's biggest mobile racing games evolves, attracts players & generates revenue
See the role →

Find more jobs like this on BarcelonaJobs.com</sup>

That’s all for this week, have a great weekend!

— Mark

P.S. I'm collecting a few testimonials. If this newsletter has helped you discover events, meet people, or make the most of Barcelona, I'd love to hear from you :)

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