December arrives and with it, Christmas. We leave it to you to decide if that’s good or bad news and, therefore, we bring you plans that breathe that festive atmosphere and others that have nothing to do with these holidays and that, in fact, are a great way to escape from the overdose of Christmas cards, Santa Claus or Christmas carols. Here are the best plans to enjoy this December in Barcelona.
AMAZÔNIA, by Sebastião Salgado
One of the most successful exhibitions of the present time comes, at last, to Barcelona. AMAZÔNIA is a tribute to the Amazon rainforest, a tour of more than 200 photographs taken by one of the great masters of world photojournalism, Sebastião Salgado. The visit is complemented by a BSO created for the occasion by another master, Jean-Michel Jarre, which makes this experience an immersion in the “lungs of the planet”.
📍 Location: Les Drassanes Reials. Avinguda de les Drassanes, s/n
Dates: from December 4th; all month except 24th, 25th and 31st.
Tickets: From 10,50€.
Saying goodbye to Pixar World
A perfect plan from 0 to +99 years and is that, who does not have fun and excited with Pixar movies? The official exhibition of this dream factory is a great opportunity to get inside the best films of the studio, from Andy’s room (Toy Story) to Carl’s floating house in Up, through the sea world of the Nemo saga or the room of emotions of Inside Out.
Location: Westfield La Maquinista Shopping Center. C/ de Potosí, 2
Dates: All month
Tickets: from 16€.
Paradox Museum
Paradox Museum is a very interactive museum and ideal for all ages. Through the concept of paradox, we will be able to play with more than 70 exhibits that are ideal for taking the best photos for social networks: a zero gravity room, a room in which we become small, a table that makes our body disappear… A plan that, in addition to being fun, is deeply educational for the little ones.
Location: Pl. Urquinaona, 3
Dates: all month
Tickets: from 16€.
Bubble Planet
A world of fantasy, bubbles and zero worries. This is Bubble Planet, the immersive experience in Poblenou and although, a priori, it seems made for the little ones, adults will have a great time with its interactive areas and all the spaces it has to take the funniest pictures. Who will not like a giant ball pool?
Location: Espacio Inmersa. Carrer de Llull, 119
Dates: all month (from Wednesday to Sunday, and from the 23rd, every day)
Dalí Challenge
Dalí is an artist who fascinates people of all generations, and in Barcelona we have an exhibition to match: Dalí Challenge is an opportunity to get to know the master from Figueres from several perspectives. Obviously the artistic one is the main one, but we will also delve into his personal life, his relationship with Gala (key to his work) and his flirtation with other disciplines beyond painting. For this, the exhibition has digital work, virtual and augmented reality, audio-relay, among other installations.
Location: Reial Cercle Artístic de Barcelona. C/ dels Arcs, 5
Dates: all month
Tickets: from 10€.
Sorolla: a new dimension
Last weeks to enjoy the exhibition of the Sorolla Year, an interactive installation to discover the master of light in a very complete way. In addition to the usual in these experiences, such as digital artwork and immersive virtual reality, Una nova dimensió has several interactive activities in which we can literally enter the works of the painter as well as a room with original paintings by the artist.
Location: Centre d’Art Amatller. Pg. de Gràcia, 41
Dates: every day
Tickets: from 9,5€.
Jamboree, clubbing for urban music lovers
In the evening, a reference club for jazz in Barcelona; at midnight, a dance floor to give free rein to our passion for hip-hop and other urban rhythms with Afro-American roots. This is Jamboree, the legendary venue in Plaza Real, a good option if we want to warm up the cold December nights with good music.
Location: Pl. Reial, 17
Dates: every day
Tickets: 10€.
Alfa 5
The former Alfa5 gym, an institution in Poblenou, has been completely refurbished to host this leisure experience, new in Barcelona, focused on XR Sports. This modality, which mixes sports with advanced technologies, makes playing tennis or soccer an activity that feels like new and we can perform impossible feats, such as flying.
Location: c/ Almogàvers, 169
Dates: from December 17
Tickets: from 17€.
America’s Cup Experience
Although the America’s Cup is over, we can still enjoy its exhibition: America’s Cup Experience. In it we can live an interactive and immersive experience in a large 128 m² LED screen with videos that project the history of the competition and that broadcasts live races. But there is more: two AC75 foils in match racing, a life-size replica of the America’s Cup trophy, interactive totems, content projected on different media, a film in the old IMAX and models with audiovisuals. Although the jewel of the exhibition is the VR simulator to live a regatta in first person.
Location: Moll d’Espanya
Dates: Every day, except December 25 and 26
Tickets: from 12€.
Flamenco in Tarantos
Whether you are a lover of the genre or you are just discovering it, Tarantos is a very good option to enjoy every day of flamenco. The Plaza Real venue offers daily shows so that we can enjoy intense sessions of singing, guitar playing and dancing. A good leisure option that does not rest even on the most important dates.
Location: Pl. Reial, 17
Dates: every day
Tickets: from 25€.
Festival of Sant Andreu de Palomar
A good way to start December is to enjoy something as nostrat as a Festa Major. One of the most traditional neighborhoods in Barcelona is one of the last of the year, where dozens of free activities are offered to enjoy in community: markets, concerts, theater, popular culture, an unmissable “botifarrada”…
Location: neighborhood of Sant Andreu de Palomar
Dates: until December 8
Design Market Barcelona by FAD
Design lovers can enjoy this fair just before Christmas, a perfect opportunity to meet local brands of fashion and accessories, household items, jewelry, crafts, toys, artwork and much more… An alternative, original and sustainable way to buy Christmas gifts or to give yourself a present.
Location: Fira de Barcelona. Avda. Maria Cristina s/n
Dates: December 13 to 15
Tickets: 4€.
SENSAS Barcelona
Each workshop at SENSAS offers a transformative experience. From traversing a room of lasers as if you were a movie spy to identifying unfamiliar scents in complete darkness, the tests are designed to awaken sensory skills that often go unnoticed.
This is all due to its social component. The prizes obtained in each challenge are converted into donations destined for the AURA association, an organization that works to improve the quality of life of people with functional diversity. For this reason, each challenge overcome in SENSAS is not only a personal achievement, but also an act of solidarity that generates a positive impact on the community.
The experience is designed to be enjoyed in a group. Whether with friends, family or co-workers, the dynamics of each workshop only work with collaboration, communication and trust between everyone. Isn’t it an ideal plan for a company dinner? I say.
📍 Location: Carrer d’Entença, 91-93, Bajos 2 (Eixample)
💸 Tickets: from 22 €.
Children’s Festival
The fair par excellence for the little ones is back, where they will be able to unload all that accumulated energy now that they are not spending it at school. A huge space for workshops in company, where they can draw, make up, build objects, get on inflatables and much more… Although the playful component is the one that is prioritized, all activities are designed to be educational and safe for children.
Location: Fira de Barcelona. Avda. Maria Cristina s/n
Dates: from 27 to 31 December
Tickets: from 6,5€.
Lights of Sant Pau
After three successful editions, Els llums de Sant Pau return to Barcelona to bring colorful notes to Christmas. It is a family initiative but generally enjoyed by people of all ages. It is held outdoors in the beautiful modernist site of Sant Pau. There, the lights are the protagonists making the visitor travel through a sensory experience.
Along the route, the public can enjoy an amazing videomapping and the spectacle of the 16-meter Christmas tree, with more than 50,000 lights that will move to the rhythm of Christmas carols and a musical choir.
Location: Recinte Modernista de Sant Pau. c/ Sant Antoni Maria Claret, 167
Dates: from November 21 to January 21
Tickets: 12€ normal / 10€ reduced price
Festivalet – Crafts and Design Fair
Since 2009, Festivalet brings together at Fabra i Coats a selection of the best national and international designers and craftsmen. An initiative that promotes Christmas shopping by promoting the circular economy and local products.
In addition, there will be an area with gastronomy where you can have breakfast, vermouth, lunch and snack local and homemade food. There will also be vegetarian and vegan options.
Location: Fabra i Coats. Sant Adrià, 20
Dates: December 14 and 15
Tickets: 3€.
The best nativity scenes of Barcelona and rodalies
One of the most traditional Christmas traditions are the nativity scenes. In Barcelona and surroundings we have a few, of the most varied: some are the most traditional and others, such as Món Sant Benet, which include a living nativity scene and even projections. In our selection you will discover the best ones.
Location: several places around Catalonia
Phantasma2024 Festival: IX Weekend of Horror
The Phenomena theater celebrates for the 9th consecutive year its small horror film festival, a feast of blood, scares and intrigue for horror fans. Among this year’s program we can find authentic gems of great directors, such as The Land of the Living Dead ( George A. Romero), The Cat of Nine Tails (Dario Argento) or Society (Brian Yuzna), classics of the nineties thriller as The Hand that Rocks the Cradle or recent outstanding films such as Infernal Possession ( 2013).
Location: Phenomena Experience. C/ de St. Antoni Maria Claret, 168
Dates: December 5 to 8
Tickets: 9€.
Taste the best panettone in the world(made in Barcelona)
Barcelona is the queen of panettone. So believes the jury of the Coppa del Mondo del Panettone held in Milan, where the panettone of the Cortés bakery , Suca’l Cloudstreet Bakery has won the first prize. What better plan for Christmas (or any time of the year) that delight with the king of panettones?
Bonus track: if one of them is not enough for you, you should know that very recently two other of these sweets have been awarded the prize for the best in the country. On the one hand, the best classic panettone in Spain (by Mernier Canal) and the best chocolate panettone (Madeleine by Ferrieres Barcelona).
Location: Suca’l Cloudstreet Bakery. c / Rosselló, 112
Candlelight Christmas Concerts
Candlelight‘ s candlelight concerts continue their usual program in December, with tributes and tributes to the best classical and contemporary music, but obviously they can’t resist the Christmas season: this year we can enjoy the special Candlelight Christmas: Christmas Soundtracks, where you can listen to all those classics of today and always, from classic carols to pop songs, such as the catchy Last Christmas.
Location: Reial Cercle Artístic de Barcelona. C/ dels Arcs, 5
Dates: December 21 and 22
Tickets: from 28,50€.
Natalis: Christmas at Poble Espanyol
This iconic corner of Barcelona is decked out this December to celebrate Christmas. For this, five spaces have been set up, five magical worlds to enjoy with the family, either enjoying the classic traditions of our holidays, doing Christmas workshops or interacting with the typical characters of these holidays.
Location: Poble Espanyol. Av. de Francesc Ferrer i Guàrdia, 13,
Dates: November 30; December: 1, from 6 to 8, 14 and 15, from 20 to 29 (except 25 and 26); January: from 2 to 5
.
Tickets: 12€.
Eat the best ramen in Barcelona
Now that the cold weather has arrived, few things are more appealing than a good hot broth. Whether it’s escudella, vegetable soup or… ramen!
Ramen is one of the titans of Asian gastronomy (in Japan you can have it on every corner) and one of the best ways to warm up when the cold weather hits. Today’s ramen is heir to a tradition that has taken care of its gastronomy to the maximum and here are some samples from the city of Barcelona.
Location: Several locations
30 Manga Barcelona 3
The formerly known as Salón del Manga reaches its 30th edition. We are facing a macro event that is a feast for lovers of Asian culture: in addition to the usual stands, there will be several contests with juicy prizes, exhibitions, workshops and of course, meetings with the best mangakas. In this year’s edition we will meet no less than Naoki Urasawa(Yawara, MONSTER or 20th Century Boys) and Yumiko Higareashi(Candy Candy, Georgie!).
Location: Fira de Barcelona Gran Via
Dates: December 5 to 8
Tickets: from 15€.
Sagrada Família Christmas Fair
The Sagrada Família Christmas Fair is the most established Christmas market in L’Eixample. With more than 150 stalls, you can buy everything you need for your Christmas decorations such as fir trees, ornaments, nativity scenes, gifts, crafts, clothing and jewelry or also nougat, cheese, sausages, sweets, chestnuts and churros. This year, the Sagrada Família square will have light installations that represent the arrival of the Three Wise Men, allowing visitors to walk among them and observe them from different perspectives.
Location: Plaça Sagrada Família
Dates: November 28th to December 23rd
Dart 2024
Dart always comes as a small but great breath of fresh air: it brings us proposals that contribute their bit to local culture from a different perspective, away from those offered by movie theaters. This documentary film festival on contemporary art will program more than 30 activities including screenings, workshops and conferences.
The venues where the documentaries will be shown are Cinema Maldà, Cinemes Girona, Zumzeig, DHub and The Social Hub. On the other hand, Filmin will host a special online selection of titles until December 31,where we will be able to see, among others, Jeff Koons, A Private Portrait; FRIDA, Artefacto 71 or some documentaries dedicated to the artist Antoni Tàpies.
Location: several venues in Barcelona
Dates: From November 27 to December 31
Tickets: from 8,2€ per session
Santa Llúcia Fair
The Santa Llúcia Fair is the oldest fair of cribs and Christmas ornamentation in Barcelona, will be present again throughout the month of December in the Cathedral Avenue. With more than 160 stalls dedicated exclusively to Christmas products, such as cribs, figurines, moss, Christmas trees and home accessories. In addition, more than thirty spaces are dedicated to crafts and gift items, including textiles, ceramics, jewelry, jewelry or leather.
Location: Around the Cathedral of Barcelona.
Dates: November 24th to December 23rd
Soundit closing party
On Saturday, December 14, from 14:00 to 22:00, the last Soundit session of the year will be held at La Monumental. This festival, which fuses national and international DJ proposals with gastronomic offerings, presents Palms Trax, Job Jobse, Sama Yax and Senda Fatal on the closing lineup.
Location: Plaza Monumental. Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, 749.
Dates: December 14th
Tickets: 28€.
To toast to the holidays with the best cava in the country.
In any Catalan party you can not miss a good cava of our land, and more at Christmas. This year we also have the privilege of toasting with what has been considered the best cava in the state: the Cuvée 1887 Brut Nature Organic from Cavas Hill, a wine produced less than an hour from Barcelona (in the Alt Penedés). The sparkling wine has won the prestigious Gran Baccus de Oro award.
The best part? That you won’t have to go into debt to get one of its bottles, as it has a very reasonable price: 7.25€.
Going up to the snow (now that it’s finally the season)
How many times have you heard that “I’ve done a quick up and down to the snow”? It’s very much us Barcelonians. Like any son of a neighbor, we may sometimes complain about our habitat, but the truth is that we have the privilege of having everything nearby: sea, mountains and snow. Now that the cold season is starting to appear, we want to tell you about these 5 places where you can enjoy skiing or just spending a day in the snow with your colleagues.
Location: Various locations
All the Christmas plans you can’t miss out on
In this article we have mentioned some plans related to Christmas… but there are so many that you can compile your own, so take a look at our special article to discover everything that awaits you this Christmas in Barcelona: nativity scenes, ice rinks, markets throughout Catalonia, routes through the most Christmas villages…
Location: all over Barcelona
Dates: all month long
And for a getaway…
‘Salta Conmigo’: the Musical Show that covers four decades of Spanish pop rock (until December 22)
Why not escape to Madrid to enjoy its lights and musicals? The iconic SEAT Ibiza now has its own musical on Madrid’s Broadway, a journey through time through the best songs that marked several generations. A tribute to the most representative voices of the last four decades: Alaska, Tequila, Radio Futura, Los Ronaldos, Los Secretos or Nacha Pop, and many more! A great plan to live this Christmas with family, friends, even to encourage you to go out to karaoke. And if that’s not enough, you can enjoy a menu of unique tapas created by the catering of chef Ramón Freixa and an aftershow with DJ on weekends. See you at the Callao Cinemas! Get your tickets now at Fever before they sell out.
📍 Cines Callao, Plaza Callao 3, Madrid
💸 Tickets at Fever