National Day holiday, Mexican celebration, Altaveu music festival: what's on this weekend

With events ranging from music to cultural festivals, art, and celebration, there are countless things to do in Barcelona and around Catalonia. 

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

Catalan National Day | September 11 | Public holiday | All over Catalonia

La Diada de Catalunya is upon us once more. There are infinite ways to spend the day, but among the public acts will be open doors days at various museums, the Catalan parliament, and government headquarters building, as well as musical acts in the event at Passeig Sant Joan and the pro-independence rally around Plaça Catalunya around 5.14pm.  

Flea Station | September 12 | Vintage market | Estació de França

Flea Station is a vintage market held in an elegant indoor space that attracts large crowds of locals and tourists throughout the day. 

Barcelona Vive Mexico | September 12-13 | Mexican festival | Poble Espanyol 

Mariachis, lucha libre (Mexican wrestling), and over 30 stalls featuring food, handicrafts, businesses, and organizations, plus piñatas, tequila tastings, and everything needed to experience the best of Mexico. Morning and lunchtime hours (11am - 4pm), ideal for families, pet owners, seniors, groups, and people with reduced mobility. Seating for food and drinks will be available until 4:00 PM. Children's area: larger, separate from the main square, and featuring additional activities.

Gegants at La Pedrera | September 13 | Folk culture | La Pedrera 

Dancing architecture. Giants with Gaudí’s Universe Created in 1998 by master giant-maker Toni Mujal, the La Pedrera gegants were conceived from the very start as a living tribute to Antoni Gaudí’s building. Inspired by the forms and elements of the famous rooftop, the figures, featuring King Gaudí and Queen Pedrera, warriors Badalot and Forjat, and the big-heads Trenca and Dis, have become icons of Barcelona’s popular culture.

Festival Altaveu | September 10-13 | Live music | Sant Boi 

Now holding its 37th edition, Altaveu is one of the longest-running music festivals in Catalonia, showcasing emerging talent as well as some of the most recognizable Catalan acts. With a program dispersed around the town, some gigs are free, while others cost €1, and others just €6. Some of the names playing this year include Lluís Gavaldà, Mushkaa & Greta, Els Amics de les Arts, Joan Garriga, Pastora and Naim Smaili. 

 

Brunch Electronik | September 5 & 13 | Music Festival | Barcelona  

The day-time electronic music festival will see its last concerts of the season the next two weekends in Montjuic's Joan Brossa Gardens, with headline acts like Solomun, Dennis Cruz b2b Josh Baker, and Saoirse performing. 

L’Hora del Jazz | September 12-October 17 | Live music | Barcelona and around Catalonia

The L’Hora del Jazz – Tete Montoliu Memorial Festival celebrates its 36th edition this year, cementing its status as a long-standing and essential event on the Catalan jazz calendar. Events in Barcelona take place every Sunday until September 27 in Plaça de la Vila de Gràcia, while shows are held Saturdays and Sundays through to mid October in Tarragona, Sitges, Reus, Girona, Vilafranca del Penedès, and more.

Live music

JONY | September 10 | Razzmatazz

Headsend | September 10 | Razzmatazz

Rigoberta Bandini | September 11 | Razzmatazz

Ronnie Wood and His Band Featuring Imelda May | September 12 | Razzmatazz

Mac Demarco | September 16 & 17 | Razzmatazz

Ty Segall | September 21 | Parallel 62

Only The Poets | September 25 | Razzmatazz

Modeselektor dj set | September 26 | Sala Apolo

Fat Freddy's Drop | September 26 | Razzmatazz

The Damned | September 26 & 27 | Razzmatazz

Valeria Lynch | September 28 | Razzmatazz

Placebo | October 3 | Sant Jordi Club

Blood Red Shoes | October 3 | Razzmatazz

Big Big Train | October 7 | Razzmatazz 

The Lemon Twigs | October 15 | Parallel 62

Teenage Fanclub | October 17 | Razzmatazz

The Strokes | October 20 | Palau Sant Jordi

Band Of Horses | October 21 | Razzmatazz

Joe Jackson | October 23 | Parallel 62

Niall Horan | October 25 | Palau Sant Jordi

Simple Plan | Ocrober 26 | Sant Jordi Club 

Pitbull | November 4 | Palau Sant Jordi

Ginestà | November 7 | Razzmatazz

Bryan Adams | November 14 | Palau Sant Jordi

Kingfishr | November 24 | Sala Apolo

Carolina Durante | November 28 | Palau Sant Jordi

Hercules & Love Affair live | December 15 | Sala Apolo

Amaia | December 20 | Palau Sant Jordi

Buhos | January 15 | Razzmatazz

Editors | January 31 | Razzmatazz

Amble | February 10 | Sala Apolo

Passenger | April 4 | Razzmatazz

Angèle | April 28 | Sant Jordi Club

Olivia Rodrigo | May 1, 2, 5, & 6 | Palau Sant Jordi

Rodrigo y Gabriela | May 7 | Sala Apolo

Gracie Abrams | May 27 & 28 | Palau Sant Jordi

Out of Focus: Another Vision of Art | May 21 - September 27 | Exhibition | CaixaForum Barcelona 

Monet's Water Lilies series introduced the concept of blur in art, using the blurred and indistinct as expressive elements. This exhibition explores how this phenomenon provided a new way of understanding the world for subsequent artists, a key to reinterpreting some aspects of modern and contemporary art.

The Cult of Beauty | May 21 - November 8 | Exhibition | CCCB

Based on the ideals of human beauty that exist in all eras and cultures, the latest exhibition at the CCCB traces the evolution of these ideals throughout history. ‘The Cult of Beauty’ analyzes how aesthetic canons have been constructed, and stands up for bodies and beauties excluded from the norm. Through 400 pieces, the exhibition puts works, objects, and installations into dialogue to address how the idea of ​​beauty is conditioned by morality, status, and gender.

Experience 'The Last Days of Pompeii' | Open March 20, 2026 | Exhibition | IDEAL Montjuïc

Towering flames of lava taking over the skies, ash and soot flooding homes and buildings; utter devastation and total destruction inevitable. ‘The Last Days of Pompeii’ is the newest exhibition from IDEAL Digital Arts Centre, taking visitors back to 79 AD and one of the most compelling episodes of ancient history. The experience seeks to bring visitors closer to the lives and culture of the people who lived in the shadow of Vesuvius. 

Joan Miró: Cirlces | March 13, 2026 - March 12, 2028 | Art | Joan Miró Foundation

A new exhibition reorganizes the Miró collection and invites visitors to reinterpret the artist's work through Joan Miró's creative process rather than a traditional chronological or thematic narrative. The show presents 102 works from across the artist's career and will run for two years, with some pieces rotating every six months.

Visit 50,000-year-old Siberian mammoth | Every day | Museum | CosmoCaixa, Barcelona 

Barcelona's CosmoCaixa Science Museum unveiled the latest addition to its exhibition: a large six-meter-long and 3.5-meter-tall Siberian mammoth. The mammoth is between 40,000 and 50,000 years old and will now be part of the permanent exposition.