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Holy Week processions, Cirque Du Soleil show, CCCB exhibition: what's on this weekend in Barcelona and Catalonia

From concerts, exhibitions, festivals, and family-friendly events, there are always plenty of things to do in Barcelona and its surroundings

Good Friday procession in Barcelona
Good Friday procession in Barcelona / Moldes, Aleix
Catalan News

Catalan News | @catalannews | Barcelona

November 4, 2022 04:35 PM

March 28, 2024 01:49 PM

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.

Holy Week processions | Festivities | March 29 – April 1 | Across Catalonia 

With Easter weekend come many traditions, such as the Holy processions. One of the most famous is the Dance of the Death, which is held on Maundy Thursday in the northern town of Verges, near the Costa Brava. Most processions take place on Good Friday, March 29, in various towns and neighbourhoods in the cities, such as Barcelona's Cuitat Vella. The celebrations are closed by eating the traditional 'Mona de Pasqua' on April 1. 

Palm Sunday procession in Barcelona
Palm Sunday procession in Barcelona / Paula Mateu

Cirque du Soleil's Alegria | Circus show | March 20 – May 19 | Hospitalet de Llobregat 

Cirque du Soleil, the world's largest producer of contemporary circus, has returned to Barcelona with its acclaimed show 'Alegria', following its previous successes in the city over a decade ago. After a makeover to attract new audiences while maintaining the essence of the original production, the two hours long show 'Alegria will premiere in Barcelona on March 21 and run for 80 performances until May 19. 'Alegria' premiered globally 30 years ago and has captivated more than 14 million viewers during its original 19-year tour.

Stunts in Cirque du Soleil's Alegria
Stunts in Cirque du Soleil's Alegria / Jordi Pujolar

Suburbia. Building the American Dream | Exhibition | March 20 – September 8 | CCCB (Barcelona) 

The museum CCCB in Barcelona presents the exhibition "Suburbia. Building the American Dream". It explores the cultural history of the American Dream by inviting visitors into the imaginary of the idyllic family home and analyses the model's controversies, such as the social, ethnic and gender segregation. Another part of the exhibition shows how the idea of the American Dream impacted Catalonia. The exhibition will run until September 8. 

Images of the exhibition 'Suburbia. Building the American Dream' at CCCB
Images of the exhibition 'Suburbia. Building the American Dream' at CCCB / Guillem Roset

Tim Burton's Labyrinth | Immersive exhibition | March 8 - June 16 | Barcelona

A new immersive exhibition into the mind of legendary American filmmaker Tim Burton has just landed in Barcelona. Famous for films such as Edward Scissorhands and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Burton's creative universe will be on display at the Palau de Victòria Eugènia in Montjuïc from March 8. The immersive experience consists of an hour-long labyrinth-like route that allows visitors to choose their own path through themed rooms filled with lights, music, projections, sculptures and meticulous details that bring Burton's cinematic gems to life. 

One of the figures featured in Tim Burton's Labyrinth, exhibited in Brussels
One of the figures featured in Tim Burton's Labyrinth, exhibited in Brussels / Eli Don

From the Border | Exhibition | March 13 - June 24 | Barcelona

As the world watches wars in Ukraine and Gaza, and with other less-reported but equally deadly conflicts in places like Myanmar and Sudan, borders have become more relevant than ever. A new exhibition, 'From the Border', which opens today at Barcelona's CaixaForum, explores the complexities of borders. The show features eight contemporary artworks that aim to demonstrate that we live in a world with more borders than ever: some physical, others invisible through politics, technology, or social discourse.

Caixa Forum Q

BarnaSants 2024 | Music Festival | January 26 - May 19 | Across Catalonia

Barnasants 2024, Barcelona's international singer-songwriter festival, will take place from January 26 to May 19. Since its creation in 1996, the festival has become the most important event of the genre. Featuring established icons and emerging talents alike, Barnasants invites you to experience the essence of singer-songwriter magic in various locations throughout Catalonia.

The Lost Mirror - Jews and "Conversos" in the Middle Ages | Exhibition | February 23 – May 26 | MNAC (Barcelona) 

A look at the relationship between Christians, Jews, and converts in the Middle Ages. The construction of identity, the definition of otherness, intolerance, and the power of images are the central themes. The exhibition portrays the view that Christians had of Jews and converts between 1285 and 1492 through almost seventy works of art.  

Some pieces on display at the exhibition 'The Lost Mirror. Jews and "Conversos" in the Middle Ages' at the MNAC
'The Lost Mirror. Jews and "Conversos" in the Middle Ages' at the MNAC / Pere Francesch

Revered and Feared: Feminine Power in Art and Beliefs | Exhibition | February 21 – June 16 | CaixaForum (Barcelona) 

Through sculptures, sacred objects, and works from all the world's continents, the exhibition takes museumgoers on a 5,000-year journey through different cultural expressions of female spiritual power around the world. The exhibition invites the visitor to reflect on the stereotypes of feminine power and femininity through more than 150 pieces, including the iconic figure of the ancient Egyptian deity Sekhmet, as well as works by Marina Abramović, Anna Mendieta, and Niki de Saint Phalle. 

The 'Revered and Feared. Feminine Power in Art and Beliefs' exhibition at Caixaforum
'Revered and Feared. Feminine Power in Art and Beliefs' at CaixaForum / Guillem Roset

Tàpies Year | Until December 2024 | Exhibition | Antoni Tàpies Foundation, Barcelona 

The Antoni Tàpies Foundation kicked off its Tàpies Year on December 13, marking the centenary of the celebrated Catalan artist's birth. Two new exhibitions opened at the museum in Barcelona. 'Tàpies: The Zen Imprint,' curated by Núria Homs, looks at how the artist incorporated Zen Buddhism into his work, while 'A=A, B=B,' curated by Pep Vidal, is based on a book of lectures on science and philosophy, 'A New Vision of the World,' that provided inspiration for many of Tàpies' works.

One of the works in the 'Tàpies: The Zen Imprint' exhibition at the Antoni Tàpies Foundation in Barcelona
One of the works in the 'Tàpies: The Zen Imprint' exhibition at the Antoni Tàpies Foundation in Barcelona / Eli Don
 

Harry Potter: The Exhibition | November 17 - April 7, 2024 | Exhibition | Port Vell, Barcelona 

'Harry Potter: The Exhibition' recently opened its doors for the very first time in the Port Vell harbor area of Barcelona. Visitors will be able to immerse themselves in the world of Harry Potter and its prequel Fantastic Beasts, and take part in an immersive tour that takes around 60-90 minutes.

Attendees will be met by captivating interactive narration and music from the movies and treated to behind-the-scenes moments. 

Tickets are available online and range from €19 to €59.

 

'Dinosaurs of Patagonia' | October 26 - June 2, 2024 | Exhibition | CosmoCaixa Science museum

From the gigantic 38-meter-long Patagotitan mayorum to the diminutive Manidens condorensis weighing just 1kg, dinosaurs from Patagonia have descended on Barcelona's CosmoCaixa science museum

Running until June 2, 2024, 'Dinosaurs of Patagonia' is a journey back in time from the Mesozoic Era to modern-day Patagonia in South America.  The star of the show is the 38-meter-long reproduction of the Patagotitan mayorum, the largest dinosaur known. Visitors will be able to walk between the dinosaur's legs and imagine what it would have been like to witness this giant reptile up close, one that could weigh up to 77 tonnes, equal to 14 African elephants. 

Patagotitan mayorum, part of the Dinosaurs of Patagonia exhibition at CosmoCaixa science museum
Patagotitan mayorum

The remains of this titanosaur were found just 11 years ago in the Argentine province of Chubut, one of the most significant paleontological discoveries made in Patagonia this century.