'Music, lights and magic': Barcelona unveils Christmas events lineup

Barcelona's Christmas season promises "music, lights, magic and joy," Mayor Jaume Collboni said on Wednesday, unveiling the city's holiday events lineup at City Hall.

From the Christmas lights switch-on on November 22 to the arrival of the Three Kings on January 5, Barcelona will be brimming with festive spirit – including hundreds of shows, concerts and events across the city, a traditional nativity scene at City Hall, and Catalonia's biggest New Year’s Eve party at the foot of Montjuïc.

The festivities kick off on Saturday, November 22 with the Christmas lights switch-on at 6pm.

Christmas lights

As announced last month, Passeig de Gràcia will be the setting for the event for the third consecutive year, with a show curated by Jordi Duran and created by Brava Arts under the direction of Pep Anton Gómez.

The show will feature a performance of Barcelona's Christmas carol – 'Un cor que batega' (Beating Heart) – and acrobatic dances, culminating with the switch-on of the city's Christmas lights, including specially designed displays at Plaça de Catalunya, Via Laietana, Carrer d'Aragó, Gran Via, and Passeig de Sant Joan.

Collboni pointed out that while 30,000 people attended the central event last year, festive celebrations in neighborhoods across Barcelona also draw enthusiastic crowds.

Barcelona will be lit up by a total of 126 kilometers of Christmas lights this year, 16 kilometers more than last year.

The lights will follow the same schedule as last year. From November 22, 2025 to January 6, 2026, they will be on daily from 5.30 pm to 1 am. On Fridays, Saturdays, and special dates such as December 24, 25, and 31, and January 5, the lights will stay on an extra hour, until 2 am.

The festive program also features five themed light routes, each designed to guide visitors through the city's displays. Among them, the "Light and Water" route will showcase 39 ornamental fountains across Barcelona's ten districts.

Barcelona Christmas Festival

The Barcelona Christmas Festival takes place in Plaça de Catalunya from December 20 to 30, featuring 357 street performances.

The program, under the artistic direction of Sergi Ots and with Jordi Duran curating the evening shows, will blend theatre, dance, circus, and music across four daily time slots: family-friendly mornings, circus and dance afternoons, musical evenings, and "spectacular" night shows. 

Christmas tree and nativity scene

A 15-metre Christmas tree will be on display in Plaça Sant Jaume, home to both the Catalan government and the city council. 

The two institutions will also collaborate on a joint artistic installation. reinterpreting traditional Christmas images through digital art, projected onto the façades of the government and council buildings. More details will be announced at a later date.

The large illuminated star displayed in the square last year will be moved to another location in the city.

The traditional nativity scene will once again be displayed inside City Hall from December 13 to January 5.

Collboni announced that this year's nativity scene will be three times larger, increasing from 24 to 70 square meters. Last year's display drew around 180,000 visitors. The new installation will bring Catalan mountain landscapes to life.

Concerts

Choirs and carols are at the heart of this year's Christmas celebrations in the city, as showcased in the council's marketing campaign, featuring voices from across Barcelona.

Sounds of the City will feature 45 concerts in squares, streets, and markets between December 12 and January 4, spanning genres from jazz and Catalan rumba to pop and classical.

The Orfeó Català's annual Christmas Concert will take place on December 29 on the steps of Barcelona Cathedral, featuring a program of Catalan and international carols.

New Year's Eve and Three Kings parade

Another undoubted highlight of the festive calendar will be New Year's Eve, with Barcelona's main celebrations once again taking place on Avinguda Maria Cristina, at the foot of Montjüic.

The event will be produced by Groupe F and directed by Barcelona musician Marc Parrot, combining drones, audiovisual technology, and fireworks.

The festivities will kick off at 10 pm with a special show at the Magic Fountain.

Finally, on the night of January 5, the Three Kings – or Three Wise Men – will arrive on their ships from the East at the Portal de la Pau.

At 6 pm, the Three Kings parade will make its way through the city, to the Magic Fountain of Montjuïc.

The 2026 parade will feature new designs and performances by local and international artists, combining music, choreography, and technology to turn the city into "a spectacular stage of magic and wonder."

European Capital of Christmas 2026

Barcelona is bidding to become the European Capital of Christmas 2026, a recognition backed by the EU for cities whose holiday celebrations inspire others across Europe.

The Catalan capital's proposal highlights its mix of traditional nativity scenes, markets, lights, cultural events, and community involvement.

Winners will be announced at the end of November, with the selected city formally recognized at a ceremony in Vilnius, Lithuania on December 13.