Barcelona is starting to make room for Christmas. The lighting of the Christmas lights is getting closer and closer, the Fira de Santa Llúcia is getting ready to return in front of the Cathedral, and there’s still one unresolved issue: what to give that person who never knows what to ask for. For that person, Candlelight Barcelona offers an alternative to the usual gifts: candlelit Christmas concerts in Barcelona, featuring three musical programs and three spectacular venues.
The concerts take place at the Petit Palau, inside the Palau de la Música Catalana, and the Reial Cercle Artístic de Barcelona, next to the Cathedral, before ringing in the New Year at the Parish Church of San Francisco de Sales on Passeig de Sant Joan. At each venue, a string quartet plays for an hour by candlelight, with a repertoire ranging from traditional Christmas carols to the waltzes of the Vienna Concert.
Christmas Classics: From Los peces en el río to The Nutcracker
For those who’ve been singing Christmas carols since November. The program features “Los peces en el río,” “Campana sobre campana,” “El tamborilero,” and “Noche de paz,” along with Winter from *The Four Seasons* and the Waltz of the Flowers from *The Nutcracker*. A fun fact for Christmas Eve dinner? “Silent Night” premiered on Christmas Eve 1818 in Oberndorf, near Salzburg, accompanied by a guitar. Two centuries later, it’s played on four strings.
📍 Petit Palau – Palau de la Música Catalana (Carrer de Sant Pere Més Alt, 3)
🎟️ Tickets starting at €18.50
19 December 2026 17:00 + more dates
Petit Palau – Palau de la Música Catalana
Christmas carols to bring back memories of the songs we hear every December
This one’s for anyone who knows English Christmas carols almost better than the local ones. The program features some twenty pieces arranged for string quartet, including “Joy to the World,” “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” “In the Bleak Midwinter,” and “Carol of the Bells.” What few people know about the latter is that it originated as “Shchedryk,” a Ukrainian New Year’s song about a swallow. Not a single bell in sight.
📍 Reial Cercle Artístic de Barcelona (Carrer dels Arcs, 5)
🎟️ Tickets starting at €28.50
26 December 2026 17:00 + more dates
Reial Cercle Artístic de Barcelona
Christmas and New Year’s Concert Featuring Viennese Waltzes
On the same day that Vienna celebrates its traditional New Year’s Concert, Barcelona also has a date with waltzes and polkas—this time by candlelight. The quartet performs pieces such as “The Blue Danube,” “Voices of Spring,” “Wiener Blut,” the “Pizzicato Polka,” and the Radetzky March—the one the audience claps along to every January 1st.
📍 San Francisco de Sales Parish (Passeig de Sant Joan, 90)
🎟️ Tickets starting at €31.50
1 January 2027 19:00
Parroquia de San Francisco de Sales
Christmas Gift Ideas: The Candlelight Gift Card
Choosing is part of the gift, too. With the Candlelight gift card, the recipient decides which concert they want to attend, where, and when. It’s valid for any Candlelight concert in Spain for one year from the date of purchase and is delivered by email, complete with a code and a printable version. Just in case you want to leave something by their shoes on the night of January 5th.
👉 Buy your Candlelight gift card here
A concert to give as a gift and enjoy together
Because some experiences are even better when shared. You can give two tickets as a gift and keep one for yourself—whether it’s for a date with your partner, an afternoon with a family member, or that friend you’ve been meaning to catch up with. After all, the best part about giving the gift of an experience is that you get to be a part of it, too.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where are the Candlelight Christmas concerts in Barcelona?
The concerts are spread across three venues in Barcelona: the Petit Palau, inside the Palau de la Música Catalana, hosts Christmas Classics; the Reial Cercle Artístic de Barcelona, Christmas Carols; and the Parish Church of San Francisco de Sales, the Christmas and New Year’s Concert on January 1.
How long does a Candlelight concert last?
About 60 minutes. Doors open 30 to 45 minutes before the concert, and admission is not permitted once the concert has begun.
What should you wear?
There’s no dress code. Most of the audience dresses up but keeps it casual.
Is there a minimum age requirement?
Yes: the concerts are for ages 8 and up.
How does the Candlelight gift card work?
When you purchase the Candlelight gift card, you’ll receive an email with a code that you can share with the person you’d like to give it to, along with a printable version. To redeem it, they’ll simply need to open the Fever app, go to Profile → Coupons → Add Coupon, and then select it during the ticket purchase process.
