Barcelona still is a favorite destination for thousands of people when planning their summer holidays or a weekend break, but not only because of its beaches and hot climate but also because of the many leisure events that take place during the summer months. Many of these events and festivals are related to music, gastronomic, and cultural traditions.
If you are a newcomer, probably you want to get the most of the city with the time you have. As in the summer season the city get a bit overcrowded, I suggest touring the main Barcelona highlights in the early morning, so you avoid long lines, do not feel stress and plan better other activities during the day. If this sounds good to you, I recommend you to join our 4 hours Barcelona Highlights Tour; you will have a complete overview of these landmarks:
TOP 10 BARCELONA TOURIST PLACES
- Colon Monument
- Museum Picasso
- Ciutadella Park
- Arc of Triumf
- Barcelona History Museum
- The Sagrada Familia
- Casa Batlló
- Palau Guell
- The main Catedral of Barcelona
- Park Guell
You can check out information about these places in other of our blog’ posts. Here you will find the relevant events that take place during the summer season, so get ready to live an intense and dynamic experience in your summer holidays in Barcelona 2020.
2020 Brunch in the park Barcelona
When: Poble Espanyol
Where: every Sunday, from the first Sunday in June to the last Sunday in September
Price: 11€ - 12€
If you love listed electric music in open spaces, you should join one of the electronic music sessions hosted by international DJs and local artists at Pueblo Español, an open-air architectural museum located at the Montjuic Mountain. This event offers an ideal atmosphere to escape from the noise of the city and has joyful moments with friends or family surrounded by nature, cultural tradition, and good music. Also, it offers a wide variety of food to delight from meat, brunch, oysters to delicious waffles.
If you have kids, bring them, they can enjoy it the same as you at the Petit Brunch, an open space with many activities and workshops design for them.
Stay update in the official website
Festival de Pedralbes
When: from 5th June to 15th July
Where: Parc de Pedralbes
Price: from 18€ to 240€
It is one of the most recognize and await music festivals in the summer of 2020, which brings together renowned artists from a wide range of musical genres (Pop jazz, blues, R&B). During June and July, the Pedralbes Gardens will transform into a space that offers its visitors a natural, exclusive, gastronomic atmosphere. A unique experience for music lovers.
Find all the artists who will be performing in 2020, here
SONAR Music festival
When: June 18th and 19th
Where: Fira Montjuic/ Fira gran Via Hospitalet
Price: from 48€ to 195 €
Founded in 1994, the Sonar Festival is a pioneering cultural event with a unique concept, which links creativity and technology throughout experimentation with newest trends in innovation and electronic music. Its recognition has led it to become the meeting point for electronic music lovers and professionals from different disciplines.
Find out here details of the event
Dinner with stars
When: From June to the first week of October
Where: Camino del Observatorio 30, Tibidabo.
Price: from 73€ to 125€
If you want to enjoy a dinner with the stars overlooking the city, book a table at the Fabra Observatory (Barcelona's astronomical observatory); there, you will live a unique experience surrounded by the magic of the constellations and the best of Catalan cuisine. It has various types of menu suitable for all audiences.
Dinner includes a guided tour (in Spanish and English) to the observatory's museum, where you can observe elements of distant constellations, stars, and much of the solar system, with the 1904 telescope, one of the largest and oldest in Europe in operation today.
Find out more here.
Rooftop music events in hotels
When: from May to Septiembre
Price: free
Many of the city's hotels offer free entrance to its terraces to anyone who wants to get away from the noise of the city and watch the sunset in a relaxed and exclusive environment with live music sessions hosted by artists who play from Bossa Nova to Electric music.
Find out about the different events in the Events section of Facebook or on exclusive websites such as We Sound.
Fira Modernista de Barcelona 2020
Price: free
When: from 5th to 7th June 2020
Where: Carrer de Girona 100, Eixample
Time: Friday and Saturday from 10 hrs to 20 hrs and Sunday from 10 hrs to 14 hrs.
The Barcelona Modernista Fair is a 3-days street fair that is taking place in the first week of June; it is considered Barcelona's most authentic events in summer. You can find a series of activities such as workshops, market, guided tours and routes, live music, the early 20th-century fairground rides, vintage car exhibition, and much more. A fantastic weekend to spend with the whole family.
San Juan Night
When: 24th of June 2020
In Spain, this is one of the most important celebrations of the year since it is the summer solstice and with it begins the most joyful and dynamic Barcelona summer season.
The celebration takes place in different parts of the city; usually, people gather in the evening on the beaches, from there, they light up their torches and wait until the fireworks show at night. If you are not of those who enjoy crowd environments, avoid going to the beaches that night and watch the fireworks show from any of the city's viewpoints such as the Arenas Mall, Bunkers of Carmel viewpoint, or from a hotel's terrace.
Music at park
When: from June 2020 to August 2020
Where: Barcelona parks and gardens
Price: free
This is a free summer jazz concerts in the city's gardens and parks, organized by the Barcelona City Council in collaboration with the districts and other municipal entities. Do not hesitate to enjoy a picnic at any of these parks and gardens in Barcelona:
- Ciutadella Park (every Wednesday and Friday evenings at 10 pm or 22.00)
- Glories Park
- Joan Miro Park
- Barceloneta Park
- Can Fargues Garden
- Trinitat Park
- Juan Ponce Garden
- Montbau Gardens
- Turó del Putxet Gardens
- San Martí Park
la Mercé festival
When: from 18th to 24th of September
Where: (Route) Plaça Sant Jaume, Calle Ferran, La Rambla, Plaça del Pi, Plaça Nova and back to Plaça Sant Jaume.
This festival held in honor of Mare de Deu de la Mercè, the Patron Saint of Barcelona. During these 5 days, you can join some of the most important Catalans traditions that have been celebrating in different public places since 1902.
The event program covers different kinds of activities, such as giants and fire parades (Correfoc), traditional dancing (Sandarna), human towers (The Castellers), among others. Also, this festival represents the end of the summer season and welcomes the cooler months of autumn.
- The Correfoc - Fire Run
The Via Laietana street goes wild with firecrackers, fireworks, and devils running through the streets; if you are interested to assist, carry protective clothing because often some of the sparkler fireworks are sprayed into the crowds. I recommend to wear long jeans and cotton long-sleeved shirts, glasses, a hat, and avoid the use of sandals.
- Gran Giants Cavalcade
Giants with effigies of kings, queens, and nobles march through the streets accompanied by small percussion groups that beat out a rhythm on drums as the Giants go by around the crowds of people.
These huge figures procession starts at 18:00 hrs from the Pelai street near Plaza Catalunya, going through centric streets and emblematic points, and it ends at Plaça de Sant Jaume.
- The Castellers in Barcelona 2020
This is one of the most important popular events for Catalans, it held on specific occasions throughout the year, at the Merce Festival, it takes place on the 22nd and 24th of September of 2020.
The Castellers is composed of a group of people who work as a team with total concentration and synchronization; its intention is to create a human tower of nine levels, reaching 12 meters in height. The most important mission is carrying by a small child who must climb the tower to the top waves a solute and then slide back down to safety.
Thousands of people gather in the Plaza Sant Jaume square to see to animate the Castellers, so it is worth arriving early.