La Boqueria reforms aim to shift market's focus back toward locals

Barcelona's La Boqueria market has long been a must-see on the tourist trail. 

Swathes of visitors led to many vendors to alter their offering away from the traditional market selling fresh fruit, vegetables, seafood, and meat, and more towards elaborated products designed to be consumed there and then, as opposed to bringing home to prepare a full meal from. 

Now, though, the market is undergoing a transformation to "change the story" of La Boqueria, backed with an investment of €12 million. 

As part of this, the market hopes to shift its focus back towards locals, letting people feel like La Boquera "is theirs" once again, as explained by Barcelona deputy mayor Raquel Gil. 

A regulation will be approved that will limit the offer of these processed products to 50% in the market as a whole to promote the sale of traditional products.

In the autumn, after technical studies are compete, work will then bgein on the new public toilets and on improving the lighting in the logistics area.

90% of the Boqueria Vendors Association have reached an agreement to set internal regulations for the minimum and maximum limits on the supply of fresh and processed products.

The procedure will be approved in a municipal plenary session towards the end of the year or early 2027.

Each stallholder will be able to sell up to 60% of these elaborated products, and a minimum of 40% of traditional products from their area.

It's currently estimated that in the whole market, 53% of the products sold are processed and 47% are traditional.

The objective of this measure is to recover fresh produce so that La Boqueria maintains "its uniqueness without ever ceasing to be a traditional market," according to Gil.

Works to keep the "soul" of La Boqueria

This autumn, construction of public toilets will begin on the first floor of La Boqueria. The lighting of the market's logistics area will also be improved and projects to reform the central fish island will begin.

The last phase of the project will begin at the end of 2027 when the market roof will be replaced, the structure will be fortified, the facilities will be brought into line with regulations, and a central corridor will be built.

Three blocks of stalls will be eliminated: two blocks to expand the market, with 20 stalls, and a block of 10 stalls to build new toilets.

The facade of Plaça de la Gardunya will also be remodeled so that there is "better communication" with the neighborhood's residents and it will be another access to the market.

Gil pointed out that the works will progress at a “slow” pace because there is not enough space to relocate all the stallholders at once, because if this were not done, the market would have to be closed.

This way, La Boqueria will be able to stay open, with minimal impact for vendors.