What's On Barcelona: 15th - 17th May

Bon Dia Barcelona!

If you think you've got what it takes to become a model, Elite Models are holding an open casting call this Saturday as they look for new talent to join the agency.

I’ve been doing this newsletter for 18 months, this weekend has the most events I’ve ever seen! If you have a friend who doesn’t know what to do, forward them this email.

Here’s What’s On this weekend.

- Mark

⛅️ Weather

Fri 🌧️ 17°/12° Sat ☀️ 18°/12° ⛅ Sun 19°/14°

1. Tres Tombs Parade in Sant Antoni

What’s On: One of Barcelona’s oldest traditions takes place in Sant Antoni this Saturday, with the Tres Tombs parade bringing horse-drawn carriages, donkeys, giants, drummers and traditional Catalan celebrations through the neighbourhood.

The event celebrates Sant Antoni Abat, the patron saint of animals, and is usually held in January but was postponed this year due to rain. There’ll also be a blessing of the animals outside Escola Pia de Sant Antoni.

📅 When: Saturday 10:30am–1:30pm
📍 Where: Sant Antoni & Paral·lel

More info here →

2. La Nit dels Museus – Free Museum Night Across Barcelona

What’s On: More than 90 museums and cultural spaces across Barcelona will open late and free of charge this Saturday for La Nit dels Museus.

Alongside free entry, many venues will also host concerts, guided tours, immersive experiences, screenings and workshops, with participating spaces including MACBA, the Picasso Museum, MNAC, CosmoCaixa and Castell de Montjuïc.

📅 When: Saturday 7pm–1am
📍 Where: Museums across Barcelona

For more info see here → 

Catalonia Beyond Fuet: Catalan Poetry Festival in Barcelona [AD]

Barcelona’s poetry festival is takes place over the next two weeks, so it’s the perfect excuse to discover a little Catalan poetry, and learn a few words along the way.

Let’s start with Joan Brossa, famous for his wordless “visual poetry” (“poesia visual”), where images and words combine in imaginative ways. This piece from MACBA hints at how language helps us understand the world, & maybe why learning Catalan can too.

Another beloved poet is Miquel Martí i Pol, who wrote a playful collection called Bon profit! (“Enjoy your meal!”). Here’s one about fried eggs (“ous ferrats”):

Quan es couen, quins esclats,
els ous ferrats,
fins i tot, si no es vigila,
poden fer alguns disbarats.

I un cop cuits, ben presentats,
els ous ferrats,
se'ls mengen sense ganyotes
fins i tot els desganats.

And now you’ve learnt a fun Catalan word: “disbarat”.
“Quin disbarat!” = “That’s nonsense!”

For more resources on learning Catalan see here →

Content by the Department of Language Policy

3. Festa Major del Gòtic

What’s On: The Festa Major del Gòtic takes over the neighbourhood this weekend with four days of parades, live music, castellers, correfocs and community celebrations across the Gothic Quarter.

Highlights include Friday night’s correfoc through the old streets, late night concerts and DJs in several plazas, drag performances and traditional Catalan activities.

📅 When: Now until Sunday
📍 Where: Gothic Quarter

For more info see here → (PDF)

4. Matsuri Japanese Festival at Moll de la Fusta

What’s On: The Matsuri Festival takes place this weekend, bringing a full day of Japanese culture, performances and food to Barcelona.

Expect Japanese drummers, samurai shows, folk dancing, martial arts demonstrations, workshops, live music and plenty of Japanese street food throughout the day.

📅 When: Saturday from 10am
📍 Where: Moll de la Fusta

For more info see here →

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

What’s On: Meeting new people in Barcelona can be surprisingly difficult. After the success of our first Dinner Club last month (thanks to everyone who came along), we’re running it again 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 if you like

📅 When: Wednesday 27th May at 7pm
📍 Where: Eixample (exact location revealed on the day)

For more info see here →

Also Happening This Weekend

🎉 Neighbourhood Festivals & Street Parties

Poblenou May Festival – Three days of neighbourhood celebrations across Poblenou, with live music, family activities, traditional Catalan culture (Fri–Sun).

Nou Barris Festival – festival with concerts, food, family activities, sports events, ending with a large drone show finale (Thu–Sun).

Guinardó Festival – concerts, food events, fairs, games, children’s activities, finishing with a correfoc and fireworks finale (Until Sun).

Primavern Spring Festival (La Verneda & Sant Martí) – live music, dance performances, food, film screenings, cultural activities and family workshops (Until Sun).

Clot & Camp de l’Arpa Spring Festival – festival with parades, Catalan folk dancing, live music, food events and street celebrations (Until Sun).

Navas Festival – Traditional neighbourhood festival with castellers, gegants, correfocs, street parades, live music, food events and family activities across Navas (Until Sun).

🎶 Music, Parties & Nightlife

Sarrià Jazz & Blues Village (Sarrià) – Jazz & blues festival with concerts from local & international musicians, across several evenings in an intimate theatre (Wed–Sun).

Estrella Damm 150th Anniversary Festival (Parc del Fòrum) – Huge open-air concert celebrating Estrella Damm’s 150th anniversary (Sat from 3pm).

ELS40 Pop Nou Barris (Nou Barris) – Free open-air pop concert featuring a mix of established Catalan artists and emerging acts (Sat, 10pm).

Brit Under Fest (Poble Espanyol) – Festival celebrating contemporary British culture with live music, comedy, fashion, and food (Fri & Sat).

Poblenou Wine Festival (Poblenou) – Open-air wine festival with Catalan wines, DJs, street food and guided tastings taking over Plaça de Rosa Peraulet (Fri & Sat)

Bravas Rock Festival (Clot) – Free festival with live rock music, bravas, local food stalls, shopping & family activities in Jardins del Clot de la Mel (Sun, 11am–9pm).

Ameba Parkfest (Nou Barris) – Free open-air electronic music festival with 12 hours of DJs, food trucks and family activities in Parc de Josep Maria Serra Martí (Sat).

90s vs 2000s Party at La Monumental – Open-air throwback party inside Barcelona’s former bullring, DJs playing hits from the 90s and 2000s (Sat, 3pm–11pm)

🛍️ Markets & Shopping

Westfield Reloved Market (Glòries) – Sustainable fashion market where influencers sell clothes from their own wardrobes (Sat & Sun).

Palo Market Fest (Poblenou) – Popular design & street food market with independent fashion brands, handmade products, live music, & international food stalls (Sat & Sun).

Handmade Festival Barcelona (Montjuïc) – Huge DIY & crafts festival with 90+ exhibitors, workshops, ceramics, handmade products & masterclasses (Thu–Sun).

ZOCO Barcelona Market (Sarrià) – Outdoor lifestyle market with fashion, accessories, food stalls, live music and free beer for visitors across the weekend (Fri–Sun).

BCN en las Alturas (Torre Bellesguard) – Lifestyle market set inside Gaudí’s Torre Bellesguard, with fashion, food, cocktails, live music, art & designer stalls (Fri–Sun).

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

Ceramic Lab (Fira Barcelona) – Barcelona’s first festival dedicated to ceramics, with ceramic artists, handmade pieces, live demonstrations, workshops (Thu–Sun).

Los 22 del Market (Poblenou) – Huge second-hand & vintage market with 40+ sellers, thousands of pre-loved fashion finds (Sun, 11am–7pm).

🎨 Culture & Experiences

Comic Barcelona (Montjuïc) – Big comic & pop culture festival, with exhibitions, artists, cosplay, competitions, gaming & a focus on Asian pop culture this year (Fri–Sun).

Barcelona Street Arts Festival (Horta-Guinardó) – Free street arts festival with performances, theatre and inclusive outdoor activities (Fri–Sun).

RetroBarcelona (La Farga de L’Hospitalet) – Retro gaming festival celebrating classic video games and tech from the 80s and 90s (Sat–Sun).

Open Workshops BCN – Free open studio weekend where artists, designers & makers open their creative spaces to the public across several neighbourhoods (Sat & Sun).

Nutcracker Jazz for Families (Liceu, La Rambla) – Family-friendly jazz reimagining of The Nutcracker, combining live music, dance and colourful staging (Sat & 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 (Starts 21st May).

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).

🌞 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).

MotoGP Catalunya (Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya) – MotoGP returns to Barcelona with the world’s best riders racing across three days at the Circuit (Fri–Sun).

Nou Barris Popular Run (Nou Barris) – Community running event with 5K & 10K races through Nou Barris, attracting runners of all levels from across the city (Sun, 9am).

CheckpointRace Barcelona (Sant Andreu) – Urban navigation race where participants use a map app to find checkpoints across Sant Andreu (Sun from 8:30am).

Olympic Walk of Barcelona – Free 11km community walk through Barcelona as part of the Barnatresc hiking series, helping people explore the city on foot (Sun, 9am–1pm).

💼 Jobs of the Week

Graphics Programmer at Larian Studios
^{Build the next generation of RPGs at the studio behind Baldur’s Gate 3, working on graphics, VFX & rendering
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Find more jobs like this on BarcelonaJobs.com</sup>

A small favour 🙏

If you enjoy these emails, I’d really appreciate it if you could forward them to one person you think would enjoy them too, maybe someone new to Barcelona, or someone who never seems to know what’s going on. Thanks ❤️

— Mark

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