Pride parade, free open-air concerts, circus workshops and fantasy movies: what's on this weekend

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.

Pride Barcelona | June 28 – July 19 | Various events | Barcelona

After three weeks of free activities — including concerts, parties, aperitifs, exhibitions, guided tours, talks, and workshops — Pride Barcelona reaches its grand finale this weekend with the main Pride parade and demonstration. This year’s theme is “LGBTQIA+ Culture: Universal Culture.”

Poble-sec Festa Major | July 18 - 27 | Street festival | Poble-sec, Barcelona

Open-air concerts, traditional correfocs (fireworks parades)... The festes majors season is in full swing, and for over two weeks, Poble-sec will take center stage. Popular culture will once again be a main highlight of the Poble-sec Festa Major, with a program packed with a wide variety of activities: music, street parades, sports, children's events, correfocs, and a fireworks display, among others.

Free classical music concert | July 18 | Concerts |  Sant Pau Art Nouveau Site

The Barcelona Municipal Band will offer a free concert at the Sant Pau Art Nouveau Site — a stunning and ideal setting for a summer evening of classical music. The concert, titled Music for a Celebration, features works by José Manuel Izquierdo, Philip Sparke, Pablo Luna, Eduardo Betes, Joaquim Serra, and Ricard Lamote de Grignon. Admission is free, but tickets must be reserved in advance through L’Auditori’s website or box office.

International Carillon Festival | July 18 - 27 | Music festival | Barcelona

The Barcelona Carillon Festival brings together the best virtuosos in the world of this traditional craft each year. The event takes place in the emblematic Pati dels Tarongers and the gothic gallery of the Palau de la Generalitat, located in Sant Jaume Square, in front of Barcelona City Hall. During the festival, various artists from around the world perform on the palace's carillon pieces by composers such as Mozart, Chopin, Grieg, or Beethoven, among others, as well as popular music. The current carillon of the palace, with 49 bronze bells that include four octaves, is classified as a concert carillon. It is an instrument made by the company Petit & Fritsen, presented on December 21, 1976, which replaced the small carillon from 1927. Access is free with registration.

La Regadora | July 15 - 24 | Clown festival | Besòs civic center, Barcelona

The clown festival La Regadora returns with circus performances and family-friendly workshops. Enjoy the world of circus, explore body awareness, and connect with different disciplines through play and the development of artistic skills. Workshops will take place one hour before each show and will include creative exercises inspired by theater, dance, and circus arts. Both the workshops and performances are free of charge.

Overlook Vol.5 | Fantasy cinema festival | July 17 to 20 | Barcelona

Four days of film screenings, talks, live performances, a toy and comic fair, and other surprises. The 5th edition of Overlook — the Festival of Fantasy Cinema, Comics, and Toys from the ’70s and ’80s — is coming to Lluïsos d’Horta from July 17 to 20. The opening event will take place on Friday, July 18 at 8.30pm, featuring live music by Mr. Jau Fibla. This year, the festival’s honorary award, the Shark Fin, will be presented to film and theater actress Maria Molins, winner of the Gaudí Award for Best Leading Actress for her role in El Bosque by Òscar Aibar. All activities are free and open to the public, except for Saturday’s community dinner, which costs €10.

NEXO Festival | Circus | July 14 - 20 | Barcelona

Artists, researchers, and circus enthusiasts come together to explore new forms of expression and connect in an open, inspiring environment. The NEXO Festival — a creative circus gathering — takes place from July 14 to 20 at Fabra i Coats: Fàbrica de Creació. The festival offers a full journey through the creative process: from the training phase with the Creative Courses, to the Ma-Nô performance residencies, the premieres of the shows Consagrada and Lua, and Umbral — a free final day dedicated to sharing pieces, scenes, materials, or raw ideas that emerged during the week’s creative explorations.

Reggaeton Beach Festival | July 19 and 20 | Music festival | Fira de Barcelona

If reggaeton and dancing are your vibe, this is the festival you’ve been waiting for. The Barcelona Reggaeton Beach Festival is back this weekend for its seventh edition, now at a brand-new location: Fira de Barcelona. Get ready for an explosive lineup of reggaeton heavyweights, including Chencho Corleone, Bryant Myers, Almighty, Dei V, Blessd, Sech, Justin Quiles, Ñengo Flow, Cosculluela, and many more. 

Alma Festival | June 26 – July 21 | Concerts | Poble Espanyol, Barcelona

Alma Festival Barcelona, formerly known as Festival Jardins Pedralbes, is an annual summer event held at the iconic Poble Espanyol. It brings together well-known national and international artists for several nights of live music in a unique setting. This weekend it's the turn of 70s British Madness on Friday, Spanish musicians Natalia Lacunza and Zahara on Saturday, and Conociendo Rusia and El Kuelge on Sunday.

Les Nits de Barcelona - Palau de Pedralbes | July 2 - 23 | Concerts | Pedralbes Gardens, Barcelona

The other major summer music festival in Barcelona, Les Nits de Barcelona, takes place at the Palau de Pedralbes gardens during July with performances from Ha*Ash, Rosario, Morcheeba, Ara Malikian, Lax’n’ Busto, God Save The Queen, Miki Núñez, Macaco, Fonseca and many more.

Brunch Electronik | July 20 | Music festival | Barcelona

A Sunday of electronic music offering you the chance to enjoy good music, good food and a great atmosphere in the open air.

Grangel Studio | July 8 - September 4 | Exhibition | Casa Seat, Barcelona

Grangel Studio has been designing some of the most characteristic animation movie characters, and now all are featured at the largest exhibition ever presented on the animation team. The entry is free and the show features characters from famous movies, such as Tim Burton's Corpse Bride, Alex the lion from Madagascar, Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio, How to Train Your Dragon, Kung Fu Panda, and Spirit. Divided into two floors, the exposition featuring 300 objects starts with characters designed for 'stop motion' movies, such as Del Toro's Pinocchio and Burton's Corpse Bride. 

Sala Montjuïc | June 27 – August 6 | Outdoor cinema | Les Tres Xemeneies, Sant Adrià de Besòs

Open-air cinema, live music and gastronomy under the Barcelona sky. Despite the name, this summer Sala Montjuïc moves temporarily to a new location: Les Tres Xemeneies (Three Chimneys) in Sant Adrià de Besòs – an iconic spot with stunning sea views and industrial charm. Screenings include A Complete Unknown, Conclave, Blade Runner, All About My Mother, Oldboy, and many more. All films are screened in their original language, with subtitles (usually in Spanish).

Grec Festival | June 29 – August 4 | Performing arts festival | Various venues, Barcelona 

The 49th edition of the Grec Festival includes 44 theatre productions, 24 music performances, 15 dance shows, 5 circus acts, and 3 film screenings, spread across 42 venues throughout Barcellona. Highlights include Milo Rau, Carolina Bianchi and Cara de Cavalo, Max Richter, William Kentridge and the Handspring Puppet Company, Declan Donnellan and Nick Ormerod, Alessandro Sciarroni, Christos Papadopoulos, Mario Banushi, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, and Lisaboa Houbrechts.

Art Nou | June 25 – September 4 | Art exhibitions | L'Hospitalet and Barcelona

Art Nou (New Art) aims to support young artists, reaffirm the role of galleries as spaces for dialogue and exchange, and connect art professionals with the general public. The 14th edition of Art Nou features a program of around thirty exhibitions and over forty artists, along with a wide range of activities including guided tours, openings, artist talks, performances, screenings, and live actions in galleries, institutions, and independent venues.

'Se ha escrito un crimen' | July 8 - August 12 | Musical comedy | Teatre Apolo, Barcelona

The murder-mystery musical comedy, 'Se ha escrito un crimen' (A crime has been written, a literal translation), premiered on Tuesday at Barcelona's Apolo theater. The musical, written, composed and directed by Naim Thomas, follows seven strangers that are invited to a billionaire’s island mansion, where they must solve a murder  — or else all of their secrets will be exposed. But there’s a twist. The actors don’t know who the murderer is at the top of the show. There are seven different endings to ‘Se ha escrito un crimen,' that the audience votes on each night.

‘How to Design a Revolution: The Chilean Road to Design’ | July 2 - November 16 | Exhibition | Disseny Hub building, Barcelona

How to Design a Revolution: The Chilean Road to Design is a comprehensive exhibition on graphic and industrial design during Salvador Allende’s government in Chile (1970-1973). An exceptional case in the history of design, where the unprecedented act of choosing a revolution through the ballot box led to the first instance of a country to collectively designing through socialism and democracy.

The exhibition, which was on display in Santiago de Chile as part of the programme commemorating the 50th anniversary of the civilian-military coup, featured original pieces and design reproductions aimed at the democratisation of reading and music, the reduction of technological dependence and addressing child malnutrition, among other goals.

Chocolate milkshake workshop | June 21 – August 31 | Workshop | Barcelona Chocolate Musuem

Cool off with a one-hour workshop making a milkshake with chocolate produced in the museum's Bean to Bar space, giving it a personal touch with different toppings. From €11 to €16 per person, depending on the workshop booked. The price also includes entry to the museum.

Miguel Milá. (Pre)industrial Designer | Until September 28 | Exhibition | Barcelona Disseny Hub

The exhibition Miguel Milá. (Pre) industrial designer celebrates the career of one of the pioneers of design in Spain, Miguel Milá Sagnier. Through more than 200 pieces, prototypes, maps and recent works, the exhibition offers a unique look at the life and work of this icon of Barcelona’s design and its modernisation. With a career spanning more than 70 years, Miguel Milá received some of the biggest awards in design, such as the Premi Nacional de Disseny and the Compasso d’Or Internazionale, consolidating him as a key figure in the history of industrial design. His perspective combines functionality, elegance and simplicity, guided by the conviction that good design must be useful and timeless.

Flemish Baroque works, including Rubens | Until September 21 | Art exposition | CaixaFòrum Barcelona

CaixaForum Barcelona premieres their new exhibition 'Rubens and the Artists of the Flemish Baroque,' exploring Peter Paul Rubens and other 17th century painters. The collaboration between La Caixa Foundation and Museo Nacional del Prado in Madrid showcases 62 works. The exhibition also includes works from other Baroque artists like Anthony Van Dyck, Jacob Jordaens, and Pieter Brueghel the Elder. 

Pioneers: 125 Years of Catalan Football | May 23 - August 3 | Exhibition | IDEAL, Barcelona

There's no doubt that Catalan ingenuity has shaped football history, but past the game's top names are a foundation of the sport comprised of hundreds of clubsç, all ranging from amateur youth setups all the way to professional teams winning trophies and competing in Europe. Learn about and celebrate 125 years of Catalan football at the immersive IDEAL Digital Arts Centre in Poblenou, Barcelona.

Bowie x Sukita | May 23 - September 15 | Exhibition | FotoNostrum, Barcelona

Japanese photographer Masayoshi Sukita pictured his great friend, the international singer David Bowie, over 40 years. Years later, Barcelona's FotoNostrum exhibition hall presents 'Bowie X Sukita,' featuring around 70 iconic photos from the international artist.

Picasso Museum free entry | Thursdays to Saturdays, 7-9 pm | Art | Picasso Museum, Barcelona

With the arrival of the good weather again, the Picasso Museum is changing back to its summer opening hours, opening earlier and closing later. The summer hours and free admission will be accompanied by guided tours in Catalan, also free but with reservation, with the aim of bringing the museum closer to the locals.

Titanic: The Voyage Continues | April 17 - September 28 | Immersive experience | Espai Inmersa, Barcelona

The exhibition will anchor at Poblenou’s Espai Inmersa and promises visitors a "cutting-edge" immersive experience with “breathtaking” virtual reality that allows visitors to travel more than 3,000 km to the bottom of the ocean. Additionally, the exhibition will showcase 200 real artifacts recovered from the Titanic wreck, as well as recreations of the most emblematic spaces of the ship as it takes visitors back to April of 1912, to the moment when the Titanic embarked on its ill-fated maiden voyage.

'Chris Ware. Drawing is Thinking' | April 3-November 9 | Exhibition | CCCB, Barcelona

Chris Ware will be present at the Comic Barcelona as he was in the city this week for the launch of the new exhibition on his work at the CCCB. The retrospective reviews the work and reflections of an author whose work has the power to move so many people as they touch on themes of human existence in great depth.

Fernando Botero. A Universal Master | February 14 – July 20 | Art exhibition | Palau Martorell

A little over a year after his death, the Palau Martorell is hosting the most comprehensive exhibition of paintings ever held in Spain, paying tribute to Fernando Botero (Medellín, Colombia, 1932 - Monaco, 2023), one of the most important artists of the 20th century who is already part of the History of Art. His original and innovative creative approach, through a language of monumental volumes and vibrant colour, gave rise to a style of his own, Boteroism, which has made his work immediately recognizable.

‘Extraterrestrials. Is there life beyond Earth?’ | February 26 - August 30, 2026 | Science exhibition | CosmoCaixa science museum

'Extraterrestrials - Is There Life Outside Earth?' delves into topics such as our place in the cosmos, the meaning of the concept of life, and how literature and cinema have shaped the collective imagination about what form alien life could take. Visitors begin by discovering Earth's place in the cosmos. The exhibition then explores, from a historical perspective, the great philosophical debate between those who argue that life is unique to our planet, and those who believe in the existence of other inhabited worlds.

Antoni Tàpies: The Imagination of the World | February 13 – January 25, 2026 | Art exhibition | Tàpies Museum

The solo exhibition The Imagination of the World proposes a revision of the work of Antoni Tàpies based on ideas found in his earliest period of production. With Tàpies as the centre of the project, the exhibition seeks to map out a network of relationships between active agents, discourses and practices, as related to two key areas: on the one hand, the complex assimilation of artistic tendencies—such as dada and surrealism—and currents of thought—psychoanalysis, Marxism—in Barcelona in that period; on the other hand, the dialogue of these movements with various forms of the vernacular tradition of popular culture.