What's On Barcelona: 2nd - 4th October

Bon dia!

It’s 1st October. That’s surprised me a bit.

Although I’m not sure why. We’ve just had 30 days of September. So there were plenty of warning signs.

Just a quick one before we get into things. If you’ve been meaning to learn Catalan or Spanish, or any other language for that matter, you can now get 50% off your first lesson with a tutor on Preply using this link. That’s good isn’t it?

Anyway, here’s what’s on.

- Mark

P.S. it’s forecast to rain this weekend, do double check events incase they get cancelled

⛅️ Weather

Fri ☁️ 24°/21° Sat 🌧️ 24°/20° 🌧️ Sun 24°/20°

1. Bravas Fest – A Festival Dedicated to Patatas Bravas

What’s On: A whole festival dedicated to patatas bravas, which seems like a perfectly reasonable use of a weekend. Restaurants from across Barcelona will be competing to see who makes the best bravas in the city, alongside live music, workshops, giveaways and other bits and pieces.

Entry is free for Catalonia residents if you download a ticket beforehand, although capacity is limited and entry isn’t guaranteed.

📅 When: Friday until Sunday 4th
📍 Where: Poble Espanyol

For more info see here →

2. Viu Montjuïc – 100+ Free Activities Across Montjuïc

What’s On: Once a year Montjuïc transforms into a giant cultural festival, with museums, gardens, theatres and other venues opening their doors. More than 100 free activities are on offer, from concerts, dance shows and theatre to guided walks, exhibitions and family activities.

Most are drop in, although some need advance registration.

📅 When: Saturday & Sunday, 9am–8pm
📍 Where: Across Montjuïc

For more info see here →

Your Next Board Game… in Catalan 🎲 [AD]

Fancy practising your Catalan without actually feeling like you’re studying?

There’s a whole website for finding games you can play in Catalan.

Totjoc has a searchable catalogue of nearly 1,600 games, from family games and card games to strategy games, puzzles and games for kids.

A few you’ll find on there:

🎲 Covenant — strategy game for ages 14+
🃏 Distop-IA — card game for ages 8+
🏰 Fills de la boira — strategy game for ages 13+
🐧 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Pingüí! — one for the younger players

You can even filter them by age, type of game and manufacturer.

So next time you’re looking for a new game, you can practise a bit of Catalan at the same time.

👉 Browse games in Catalan on Totjoc

Content by the Ministry Language Policy

3. Medieval Street Festival – Markets, Knights & Street Performances

What’s On: The Fira Medieval de Creu Coberta in Hostafrancs, turns the neighbourhood into a medieval market for the weekend. Expect merchants, artisans, knights, musicians and various medieval characters taking over the streets.

There’ll also be traditional crafts, food, street performances and activities for kids, all happening alongside the Festa Major d’Hostafrancs.

📅 When: Saturday & Sunday, 10am–8pm
📍 Where: Creu Coberta, Hostafrancs

For more info see here →

4. Last Chance: World’s Largest Balloon Exhibition

What’s On: If you’ve been meaning to go to that massive balloon exhibition in Poblenou, this is your last chance. It closes this Sunday.

The exhibition is made from more than 600,000 balloons, with a 70-minute journey through themed rooms filled with giant balloon sculptures, including dinosaurs, sea creatures and space scenes.

Looks like a good one to do with kids if you haven’t been yet.

📅 When: Ends Sunday
📍 Where: Espai Inmersa (Poblenou)

For more info see here →

Also Happening This Weekend

🎉 Neighbourhood Festivals
Festa Major de la Barceloneta – Ends 4th Oct
Festa Major de Montbau – Ends 4th Oct
Sarrià Festival from October 2nd to 12th
Esquerra de l'Eixample Festival from October 2nd to 11th
Torre Llobeta and Vilapicina Festival from October 2nd to 12th
Les Corts Festival from October 2nd to 12th
Hostafrancs Festival from October 2nd to 11th
Rambla Festival from October 3rd to 11th
Congress Festival from October 3rd to 11th


🎶 Music, Parties & Nightlife
SOUNDIT Plaza (Monumental) – Open-air electronic music party with DJs playing house, disco & dance music in the plaza outside La Monumental (Sat).

AMEBA Parkfest (L’Hospitalet) – Free electronic music festival with local DJs, food trucks, kids’ DJ workshops & other activities at Parc de l’Alhambra (Sat, 12pm–1am).

JazzTast (Horta-Guinardó) – Jazz festival across local bars & venues, combining live music with a tapa and drink for €3 (now until Sun).

🛍️ Food, Drinks, Markets & Shopping
Palo Market Fest (Poblenou) – Weekend market with independent designers, vintage finds, street food, cocktails & live music in the gardens of Palo Alto (Sat–Sun).

Oktoberfest Barcelona (Fira Gran Via) – Bavarian-style festival with German beer, food, live music & traditional Oktoberfest celebrations (€Fri & Sat evenings).

Barcelona International Record Fair (Estació del Nord) – One of Europe’s largest record fairs, 170 stalls selling vinyl, CDs, music memorabilia, rarities & collectibles (Fri–Sun).

Festivalet Moda (La Sagrera) – Independent fashion market with locally produced clothing from brands across Spain, plus food & drink (€4, Sat–Sun).

Mercat de Colom Vintage Market (Port Vell) – Browse vintage jewellery, cameras, watches, antiques, military memorabilia and collectibles (Fri–Sun).

🎨 Culture & Experiences
Barcelona Speed Festival (Montmeló) – GT3 racing with Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini & more, plus the Lamborghini Super Trofeo, open paddock & car meets (Fri–Sun).

BAUM Fest (Fira Barcelona, Plaça Espanya) – Huge tattoo & urban culture festival with 250+ tattoo artists, BMX, graffiti, Muay Thai, cars & motorbikes, live music (Fri–Sun).

Choreoscope – Barcelona Dance Film Festival (Various Locations) – Dance film festival screening international & local films exploring movement, identity & culture (Now –Sun).

NUDO Poetry Festival (Various Locations) – Poetry festival mixing spoken word with music, performance, video & other art forms across 8 Barcelona venues (Ends 4th Oct).

Cirque du Soleil's KURIOS (L’Hospitalet) – Steampunk-inspired circus show with acrobatics, comedy, live music & elaborate sets (Until 18th Oct).

Jardí Geològic (Les Corts) – 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.

🌞 Outdoors & Active
Drassanes Family Festival (El Raval) – Free family day at Maritime Museum with games & workshops where kids can build ships, make postcards & more (Sat, 10:30am–2pm).

Critical Mass Barcelona (Arc de Triomf) – Monthly group bike ride through Barcelona promoting cycling & bike-friendly streets. Not a race, turn up & ride together (Fri, 8pm).

CSIO Barcelona (Real Club de Polo) – Show jumping event featuring the world’s top riders & horses, culminating in the Longines League of Nations Final (Now–Sun).

Travessia al Port (Moll de la Fusta) – Open-water swimming races through the port, followed by an international European Aquatics competition (Sat, 8:30am–1pm).

Corre contra el Càncer (Nou Barris) – Charity 10K through Ciutat Meridiana, Torre Baró & Vallbona that you can run or walk, raising money for cancer research (Sun, 10am).

Outdoor Board Game Space at Glòries – Free open-air board game area with 100+ games you can borrow and play in the park (Sat & Sun, 6pm–10pm).

Juguem a les Places (Various Locations) – Free outdoor play spaces for kids & families across almost 50 Barcelona squares, with toys, games & activities.

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

💼 Jobs of the Week

Revenue Growth Manager at La Redoute
^{Own revenue, forecasting & growth strategy across La Redoute’s Iberian business
See the role →}

Head of Tech at ActioGlobal
<sup>Lead the technology team & strategy behind ActioGlobal’s SaaS platform
See the role →

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

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

— Mark

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