Three Infernal turns, Henri Cartier-Bresson and Folk music: what's on this weekend in Barcelona and Catalonia

From concerts to cultural festivals, events and nightlife, there are countless things to do in Barcelona and around Catalonia this weekend.

Here's a selection of some of the best plans and what's on this weekend.

Els Tres Tombs Infernals (or Three Infernal turns) | Popular event | January 11 | Plaça de Can Fabra, Barcelona

There are numerous versions of the legend of Sant Antoni. One of the most original is the one enacted by the Satànica de Sant Andreu in the Tres Tombs Infernals, which this year reaches its 33rd edition. The event is a popular celebration featuring legends, fireworks, and a triple fire run to tell the story of how the devil tempted Sant Antoni.

This event explains how Satan presented Sant Antoni with all sorts of very earthly temptations: power, drink and sex. This is a free event held at the Plaça de Can Fabra in the Sant Andreu neighborhood at 8:30 pm.

Tres Tombs de Sant Andreu de Palomar | Popular event | January 12 | Sant Andreu neighborhood, Barcelona

The Tres Tombs de Sant Andreu de Palomar festival will take place on Sunday. This event is similar to the Tres Tombs Infernals, but it starts at 10 a.m. Attendees will be able to see buggies, Berlin carriages, Valencian horse-drawn carriages, phaetons, brakes, chariots, muleteers’ carts, and more. When it reaches Passeig de Fabra i Puig, the parade makes three loops between Carrer Gran de Sant Andreu and Concepció Arenal.

The route goes around Carrer de Sant Adrià, Carrer del Segre, Passeig de Torras i Bages (as far as Carrer de Valentí Iglesias), Carrer del Segre, Carrer de Virgili, Rambla de l’Onze de Setembre, and Passeig de Fabra i Puig.

The Urban Sketchers Barcelona will gather at 10:00 a.m., and the parade will start at 11:45 a.m., followed by a blessing at noon.

Catalonia's blood drive | Blood donations | January 9 - 18 | Across Catalonia

The drive is held every year at the beginning of the year, as Christmas always brings a 20% drop in donations. Some of the collection points will be located in iconic places such as the Palau de la Música, the Fabra i Coats industrial complex or the Born's Cultural Center in Barcelona.

Until January 18, people can donate blood at numerous collection points in 104 towns and cities. A woman who has given blood 258 times, Teresa Orquín, hailed as a "super donor," started donating blood at 18 years old and is now 64, meaning she has only six years left to continue donating. She urges young people to step up and donate blood.

Henri Cartier-Bresson. Watch! Watch! Watch! | Photo exhibition | Until January 26 | Fundació Mapfre

Henri Cartier-Bresson (1908-2004) is one of the most famous photographers of the 20th century. As a photojournalist, art photographer and portrait photographer, he created timeless compositions and shaped the style of later generations of photographers. With his talent for finding the “decisive moment”, he captured spontaneous encounters and situations and became one of the most important representatives of street photography. His works, many of which have become icons today, made him one of the great exponents of street photography.

The exhibition consists of 240 original copies, as well as a careful selection of his publications in magazines and books, of great interest to understanding his career between 1930 and 1970. The show has been curated by Ulrich Pohlmann.

Tradicionàrius International Folk Festival | Music festival | January 10 - April 11 | Centre Artesà Tradicionàrius, Barcelona

The  38th edition of the Tradicionàrius International Folk Festival promotes folk music in all its forms and fosters artistic and musical alliances among traditional folk artists. 

During the first months of 2025, there will be plenty of activities, featuring traditional folk music from all over the world.

Amazonia | Photo exhibition | December 4 - April 20 | Barcelona

Showcased in Barcelona in Drassanes Reials from December 4 to April 20, the exhibition 'Amazonia' derives from 9 years of work of the Brazilian photographer Sebastião Salgado. From large works of Amazon biodiversity to portraits of indigenous peoples, this exhibition has more than 200 photographs and seven films that will take visitors to the heart of Amazonia.

Ravalada Drag Tour | Party | January 12 | Eixample neighborhood

A monthly pub crawl with Drag Queens as your tour guides. The event takes party-goers around the streets of the Eixample neighborhood or Raval neighborhood, depending on the week, to enjoy shows with DJs, artists, and plenty of music.

Tickets cost €17 and all the information is available on the Instagram account of Las Menuditas Factory.

Cruïlla Hivern 2025 | Music festival | January 11 - March 15 | Across Barcelona

Maria Becerra, Flashy Ice Cream, Sidonie, Hard Gz, Shunk Anansie, Trueno, and Sexy Zebras are among the many artists playing at the Cruïlla Hivern 2025 music festival. Shows will take place across several sites in Barcelona, including the Heliogàbal bar, the La Paloma party hall, Razzmatazz, and even the Sala Apolo and Sant Jordi Club concert hall. Tickets are on sale online, and some artists have already sold out.

Paul VI's contemporary art | December 13 - March 2 | Art exhibition | Museu Diocesà, Barcelona

Dealing with transcendence and spirituality, Pope Paul VI's art collection arrives in Spain at the Barcelona Diocesan Museum. The exhibition consists of 20 art pieces from diverse artists such as Salvador Dalí, Henri Matisse or David Hockney. The collection originally exhibited in the Italian municipality of Concesio was put together after the death of Pope Paul VI in the late 1970s. For the first time, it is presented outside of its original museum.  

Picasso Museum's new exhibition | November 22 - March 30, 2025 | Barcelona

The Picasso Museum in Barcelona is hosting groundbreaking exhibition dedicated to Catalan artists who lived and worked in Paris during its artistic heyday in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The exhibition showcases 200 works by more than 80 artists, from the iconic Pablo Picasso to lesser-known talents.

Amazons. The Ancestral Future | November 2024 – May 2025 | Barcelona 

The new CCCB exhibition explores the challenges that the Amazon rainforest and its biodiversity are facing as the planet's temperature continues to rise. The exhibition seeks to break from the Western colonial understanding of the world and defends the profound knowledge that the indigenous people of the Amazon have of the nature that surrounds us all. 

Beyond Images. Miró-Matisse | October 25 to February 9 | Art exhibition | Fundació Miró

A new exhibition in Barcelona's Miró Museum explores the relationship between Joan Miró and legendary French Fauvist artist, Henri Matisse.

On display are dozens of works from Matisse placed alongside Miró paintings, showing comparisons and contrasts in their art. 

Alice in Wonderland exhibition | October 18-February 16 | Exhibition | CaixaForum Barcelona

Venture down the Rabbit Hole, enjoy tea with the Mad Hatter, and explore century-old originals of Alice in Wonderland in a new exhibition depicting the iconic history of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland. The exhibition, curated by London's Victoria & Albert Museum, focuses on the origins, adaptations, and artistic reinventions of the story, and features 312 objects and artworks, ranging from originals to 21st-century-inspired elements.

DHUB Vinçon exhibition | October 17 to February 23 | Exhibition | Design Hub, Barcelona

Barcelona's design museum DHUB will host a new exhibition bringing together furniture from IKEA and Barcelona's iconic store Vinçon. Vinçon was a well-known household goods store in the heart of the city, which closed its doors in 2015 after almost 75 years.  

Comic. Dreams and history | October 8 - February 23 | Exhibition | Tarragona

The exhibition in Tarragona's CaixaForum shows the original version of historical comics such as Tintin, Mafalda and Marvel with more than 140 creations by authors like Quino, Richard Felton, Outcault, and Hergé displayed in an "unprecedented" exposition.

Barcelona Jazz Festival | October 10 - March 23 | Music festival

The 56th edition of the festival brings in new talents on the jazz scene, as well as consolidated artists in a variation of concerts, lectures, meet ups and many other activities. 

Concerts with artists such as Judit Neddermann, the Liceu Big Band, Fred Hersch, and other artists will be in Barcelona up until March 2025. 

Pixar World | September 26 - March 12 | Virtual exhibition | Westfield La Maquinista, Barcelona 

Visit Pixar's largest immersive exhibit where you can step into the sets of some of your favorite movies such as Toy Story, Coco, Up, Finding Nemo or Inside Out. Mundo Pixar comes to Barcelona after its success in Madrid, with more than 600,000 visitors in only 5 months. General admission is €16.90, with VIP and discount options available. 

Interior Berlanga | July 17 - April 20 | Exhibition | CaixaForum, Barcelona

'Interior Berlanga' exhibition proposes to discover the work of this filmmaker and his international scene. Berlanga created his own universe that combines unexpected elements with satire, and caricatures. Tickets cost €6, but CaixaBank clients can access the exhibit for free.