Barcelona hosts an incredible variety of events throughout the year, from major festivals and concerts to sporting events and exhibitions. Here are my top picks for the best things to see and do.
Festivals
Guitar BCN Festival A long-running music festival featuring guitar concerts spanning genres from flamenco and jazz to rock and acoustic. Many performances take place in iconic venues across the city. January 17th to mid-September.
Grec Festival de Barcelona International theatre, dance, circus and music festival featuring performances across venues throughout Barcelona, centered around the Teatre Grec on Montjuïc. Starts June 29th and runs through July.
Festa Major de Gràcia Barcelona’s most famous neighborhood festival transforms the streets of Gràcia into elaborate themed displays created by local residents. 15–21 August 2026.
Brunch Electronik Festival One of Europe’s top electronic music festivals featuring Eric Prydz, Paul Kalkbrenner, Jamie Jones, Deborah de Luca, CamelPhat, Floating Points (Live) and many more. 7–9 August.
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Exhibitions
Steve McCurry Henan Province, China, 2004 70x100cm ©Steve McCurry All rights reserved
ICONS at Palau Martorell. The most comprehensive retrospective of Steve McCurry ever presented in Barcelona, featuring more than 150 iconic photographs including the legendary “Afghan Girl.” May 15 to September 6 2026.
The Last Days of Pompeii at IDEAL Centre d’Arts Digitals. A large-scale immersive exhibition recreating ancient Pompeii through projections, virtual reality, and interactive storytelling. Running through summer 2026.
The Sand House at MEAM. A major solo exhibition by Guillermo Lorca spanning a decade of the artist’s work. 28 May to 27 September 2026.
Prisoners of Love: Until the Sun of Freedom at MACBA. A contemporary multimedia exhibition by Basel Abbas and Ruanne Abou-Rahme exploring memory, resistance, and displacement through film, sound, and installation art. Running until 28 September 2026.
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Concerts
Morrissey at Poble Espanyol. The former Smiths frontman celebrates his legendary career with a set spanning beloved classics and solo favorites. July 25th.
The Weeknd at Palau Sant Jordi. One of the year’s biggest stadium concerts, featuring hits from across his career.
Aitana at Palau Sant Jordi. One of Spain’s biggest pop stars brings her highly anticipated tour to Barcelona for four nights, performing chart-topping hits and fan favorites in a spectacular arena show. September 4th, 5th, 7th & 8th.
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Sports Events
Open Water Swimming Series at Platja de la Nova Mar Bella. A series of open-water races for amateur and competitive swimmers. Throughout the summer.
Extreme Barcelona One of Europe’s largest urban sports festivals with skateboarding, BMX, scooter, breaking, freestyle competitions. 4-6 September.
24H de Barcelona de Automobilismo One of Spain’s premier endurance motor racing events, featuring GT and touring cars battling around the clock at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. 19–20 September.
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Conferences
European Blockchain Convention A two-day conference bringing together blockchain leaders, investors, financial institutions, startups, and digital asset innovators to explore the latest developments in Web3, cryptocurrencies, tokenization, and institutional adoption. September 16–17.
AI Summit Barcelona A two-day conference bringing together AI founders, developers, investors, enterprise leaders, and innovators to explore the latest advances in artificial intelligence through keynotes, workshops, networking, and live demonstrations. September 22–23.
Liber – International Book Fair Spain’s largest publishing industry event, bringing together publishers, booksellers, literary agents, authors, and media professionals from around the world to showcase the latest trends in publishing, rights, and digital innovation. September 29 – October 1.