The best plans for January to welcome 2026

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With the end of Christmas comes the return to school and work and, yes, those New Year’s resolutions that we know are rarely fulfilled. But we make it easy for you: what we propose are leisure and cultural activities that are impossible to resist and are a great way to overcome the routine and the January slump.

Last-minute Christmas plans

Want to stretch out the Christmas season? You can do so until January 6, as some events, fairs, and shows related to this time of year are still going strong (and, of course, the parade). In this comprehensive guide, we bring you all the plans that are still available.

Geronimo Stilton LIVE – An immersive adventure

The most famous mouse in literature has a new show in Barcelona, a mix between theater and an immersive exhibition in which the little ones (with the help of their parents) will discover the most iconic spaces in the Stilton universe while solving small challenges and puzzles to save the Kingdom of Fantasy. With actors dressed as the characters and lots and lots of magic.

 Location: Westfield La Maquinista Shopping Center

Dates: Open every day except January 12, 19, and 26

Tickets: from €25

The Miró and the United States exhibition

This temporary exhibition reveals a lesser-known side of the great Joan Miró: the periods he spent in the US (between retrospectives in New York and visits around the country) that led him to connect with American artists, enriching his art and that of all his contemporaries.

The exhibition does this through more than 130 works by both Miró and other artists, with a special emphasis on female art: between the ages of 40 and 60, Miró shared art and thoughts with Mark Rothko and Jason Pollock, but also with Louise Bourgeois, Helen Frankenthaler, Lee Krasner, and Alice Trumbull Mason. All of them were prominent artists who were great references for other creators or protagonists of such innovative trends as gestural painting, abstraction, and action painting.

📍 Location: Fundació Joan Miró. Parc de Montjuïc, s/n
Dates: Until February 22, open every day except Mondays
💸 Tickets: general admission €18 / reduced €12 / free for certain groups

LUMINISCENCE

The beautiful Gothic basilica hosts LUMINISCENCE, which combines classical music with technology to tell us the story of this unique building while we enjoy a show where ceilings and walls become art. In addition, during the weekend sessions, this breathtaking event is enhanced by a live choir, Francesc Valls, one of the best in terms of performing religious classics.

 Location: Basilica of Santa Maria del Pi. Plaça del Pi, 7

Dates: Open every day except Tuesdays

Tickets: from €18

IKONO

IKONO is something of a non-museum: although it is full of art, unlike traditional galleries , here it is not only not forbidden to touch, but it is essential to enjoy the experience. Each of its rooms pays homage to very particular worlds or geographies. In some, you can alter the space, and in others, you can literally play with its elements.

 Location: Arenas Shopping Center. Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, 385 (3rd floor)

Dates: Open every day

Tickets: from €15.90

The Maid premieres in theaters (January 1)

2026 is off to a great start:the most viral book of the year, which has been a huge sales success, is being adapted for the big screen. The wait is over. Fans ofThe Maidwillfinallybe able to enjoy FreidaMcFadden’s bestselleron the big screen. Directed by Paul Feig(Ghostbusters, Jackpot)and featuring a top-notch cast—Sydney Sweeney (The White Lotus) and Amanda Seyfried (Mamma Mia!)—this psychological thriller takes us into the luxurious Winchester home and the life of their maid. What begins as a professional opportunity ends up being a real nightmare. A great movie plan from Diamond Films!

🍿In the best theaters

🗓️Starting January 1

SENSAS Barcelona

Editorial credit: SENSAS

In Barcelona, you can start the year with an experience that enhances your senses and spirit of solidarity. At SENSAS Barcelona, sensory workshops help you disconnect so you can reconnect and discover essential skills you never knew you had. It’s the perfect way to start the year with purpose: enjoy a little adventure in the city while supporting the local association AURA, which is dedicated to people with functional diversity. New year, new experiences, and the opportunity to make a difference from day one.

📍 Location: c/ Entença 91-93, Bajos

Dates: Open every day, Monday to Sunday.

💸 Tickets: general admission €22 (minimum 4 tickets)

Two incredible virtual reality experiences, one about Petra, the other about Mozart

The ground floor of the Reial Cercle Artístic currently hosts the immersive experiences of Dream Vortex. All you have to do is sit in a comfortable chair, put on a pair of glasses, and let yourself be carried away. If you want to enjoy a trip through ancient Petra , your choice will be Petra: The Glory of the Nabataeans. Would you rather travel to 18th-century Vienna, at the height of the great W.A. Mozart’s career? Then let’s go to Vienna and Mozart: a magical journey through music. But why choose? The two experiences share the same space, and if you buy tickets for both, you’ll get a great discount.

📍 Location: Reial Cercle Artístic. c/ dels Arcs, 5

Dates: Open every day except January 1

💸 Tickets: combined for €19.04, here or here

Paradox Museum

In this museum, anything is possible: through more than 70 installations, we will discover the concept of paradox, which tricks our brain and makes us see magic where there are only optical illusions. The result is maximum fun, with a zero-gravity room, a room where we become small, a table that makes our body disappear, and much more, allowing us to take the most entertaining photos. By the way, there are Christmas activities at the museum until January 6: we’ll tell you all about them here.

 Location: Pl. Urquinaona, 3

Dates: Open every day

Tickets: from €16

Eat the best escudella (without forgetting your grandmother’s)

Editorial credit: nito via Shutterstock

Saying goodbye to Christmas without a good plate of escudella is… strange, to say the least. Escudella de galets is a traditional Catalan dish, especially associated with Christmas celebrations. Choosing to enjoy it in a legendary restaurant in Barcelona undoubtedly adds a special touch to the experience. If you’re in Barcelona and looking for places to try a good escudella, here’s a list.

📍 Various locations

Leonardo Versus Michelangelo: the immersive challenge

In a hypothetical duel between the artists Leonardo and Michelangelo, who would win? You decide the outcome in this immersive experience that combines digital art, an exhibition of objects, and immersive and interactive elements, such as a metaverse where we discover the works of the two geniuses on a large scale. Don’t worry, if you have any doubts, the exhibition will give you enough reasons to choose one of the two artists (or it will make it even more difficult for you to choose, who knows).

 Location: IDEAL Barcelona. C/ del Doctor Trueta, 196-198

Dates: Open every day except Tuesdays

Tickets: from €9.50

Stroll and breathe fresh air in Can Batlló Park

Barcelona has had a new green space for just over a year now: Can Batlló, a 29,000 m² park located in Sants. The city’s temperate climate means that even in the middle of winter it is pleasant to take a walk outdoors, which you can do to your heart’s content in this new green space, as well as playing sports or simply sitting and enjoying the sun on your face and the fresh air provided by its more than 600 trees and 9,000 plants.

Don’t delay your visit to the Sagrada Familia any longer

Photo: Mistervlad via Shutterstock.

Starting in 2026, Barcelona residents will be rewarded: the city wants us to visit one of our greatest treasures and is offering a 50% discount on visits to Gaudí’s Sagrada Familia. So if you’ve walked past it a thousand times and never gone inside, this year is the time. Here’s everything you need to know about this monumental offer.

Size doesn’t matter

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For three days, Barcelona surrenders to the art of short films. Thirty-eight shorts will compete for the award, and we will also be able to enjoy a retrospective dedicated to Bernhard Hetzenauer (a director with an extensive career in short films) and the Vivim el Barrisection, which will screen the shorts created by young people from the Raval neighborhood who signed up for the workshop of the same name in June 2025.

 Location: Various venues

Dates: January 29 , 30, and 31

Tickets: Free!

Tradicionàrius

This festival dedicated to grassroots culture and tradition, without forgetting fusion, is back. It will all begin with an opening ceremony, the Crui show, at the Palau de la Música, which will kick off three months of concerts (the final program is yet to be announced).

 Location: Centre Artesà Tradicionàrius (CAT). Travessia de Sant Antoni, 6-8.

Dates: January 16 to March 27

Tickets: various prices

A visit to the new metro store

Are you as big a fan of the Barcelona Metro as we are? Then you can now buy official merchandise at the store that has just opened. Why wear a T-shirt with a brand logo when you can wear one with the lines that bring us so much joy and frustration?

The best Candlelight tributes

Candlelight concert in the auditorium of the University of Barcelona

Candlelight’s concerts by candlelight are extremely varied this January: from tributes to legendary artists ranging from Ed Sheeran to Adele, Queen, and Metallica, to an edition dedicated to Bridgerton and other specials on classical composers such as Vivaldi. In short, concerts for all tastes in some of the city’s most beautiful locations, such as the Seminari Conciliar and the Auditorium of the University of Barcelona.

📍Location: Various locations
💸 Tickets: From €14.00

Tristan und Isolde at the Liceu

Tristan und Isolde is one of the most famous operas in history, both for its emotional plot and for Richard Wagner’s unsurpassed music. This year, a new adaptation of the opera, directed by Bárbara Lluch, comes to the Liceu, in what will be the 179th (and subsequent) performance of this work in the Catalan musical temple.

 Location: Gran Teatre del Liceu. La Rambla, 59

Dates: January 12 to 31

Tickets: from €10.50

House of ERIKALUST – Come Again

The only immersive experience in Barcelona for adults over 18, a unique event where we will discover Erika Lust’s film universe up close. We will do so through highly erotic confessions, a hot interactive metaverse, and a large-scale immersive film that projects the most iconic scenes from this filmmaker’s adult cinema.

 Location: c/ del Taulat, 53

Dates: Open Thursday to Saturday in the evening

Tickets: from €25

“La Gran Plantada” – Winter Circus at the Ateneu Popular Nou Barris

The 30th edition of the Winter Circus is a circus show that celebrates tradition amid the evolution of the world. Designed for all audiences, it features outstanding artists performing on the Chinese pole, fixed trapeze, Washington trapeze, handstands, and acrodance. An event that blends the classic with the innovative to offer a captivating experience for all audiences.

 Location: Fàbrica de Creació Ateneu Popular 9 Barris (Carrer Portlligat, 11-15)

Dates: until January 18

Tickets: €12 adults / €6 children under 14
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Act X Palestine special concert

The international Act X Palestine campaign will come to a grand close this January with nothing less than a concert at the Palau Sant Jordi featuring performances by artists as diverse as Bad Gyal, Oques Grasses, Amai, Lluís LLach, and Fermín Muguruza, among others. This is a unique opportunity to see artists who always sell out their shows and, above all, a chance to do your bit for a humanitarian cause.

 Location: Palau Sant Jordi

Dates: January 29

Tickets: from €25

Film series in tribute to Néstor Almendros

Our most international director of photography (Oscar winner for Days of Heaven) receives a well-deserved tribute at the “filmo,” where we can enjoy a retrospective that combines both his best-known work (Kramer vs. Kramer, Sophie’s Choice, and Pauline at the Beach) and his extensive experience in documentary and experimental cinema.

 Location: Filmoteca de Catalunya (Plaça de Salvador Seguí, 1)

Dates: January 1 to February 7

Tickets: from €3

Ice skating

Source: Shutterstock

Ice skating is possibly one of the most fun things you can do in winter. And that’s for three reasons: because even if you don’t know how to skate, you’ll still have a great time; because it’s as intuitive as breading croquettes; and because once you learn, you’ll spend the rest of your life looking for indoor skating rinks . In these cases, the proposal is promoted by merchants and are good outdoor options to get started with this undoubtedly Christmas-themed activity.

  Several locations

Balkan Erotic Epic

This unique experimental theater production comes to Barcelona, exploring the link between body, eroticism, and identity based on Balkan traditions. At the helm of this unique experience is a unique artist, Serbian Marina Abramović.

 Location: Gran Teatre del Liceu. La Rambla, 59

Dates: January 24 to 31

Tickets: from €15

Head for the snow (now that it’s finally the season)

How many times have you heard someone say, “I’ve made a quick trip to the snow”? It’s very typical of us Barcelonians. Like everyone else, we may sometimes complain about where we live, but the truth is that we are privileged to have everything close by: the sea, the mountains, and even snow. Now that the cold season is approaching, we want to tell you about these five places where you can enjoy skiing or simply spend a day in the snow with your friends.

 Various locations

Sant Antoni Festival

The first local festival in Barcelona is always held around Els Tres Tombs (January 17). Although the final program has yet to be announced, we know that the traditional parade, the correfoc (fire run), and the popular race, among other activities, will be included.

 Location: Sant Antoni neighborhood

Dates: January 16-25

Cruïlla Hivern 2026

The Cruïlla festival returns with its winter edition to offer us more concerts. The cycle will begin on January 18 with Quimi Portet and will continue with a good selection of artists until March 25. Be aware that some concerts (such as the legendary Suede) are already sold out, so don’t wait too long to get your tickets.

 Various locations

Dates: January 18 to March 25

Tickets: from €15

The Magic Fountain show

The light and color show at the Font Màgica. Photo: Armando Reques / Flickr

In 2025, we will bring back the water and light show at the Font Màgica de Montjüic, after years of absence due to drought. In 2026, we hope to be able to enjoy this unique show every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., with music and color sessions at 8:00 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.

 Location: Plaça de Carles Buïgas, 1

Dates: Every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday in January

Desktop publishing workshops at Fabra i Coats

Once every two weeks, this renovated factory offers free desktop publishing workshops at its facilities. There, we can draw, layout, write, and do whatever else comes to mind, with the idea of making our own fanzine or book, or simply spending the afternoon with other creative minds like ours.

 Location: Fabra i Coats – Fàbrica de Creació. c/ Sant Adrià, 20

Dates: January 14 and 28

Tickets: Free!

La Porkada del Clot

Photo via Facebook courtesy of La Porkada

The combination of two things as local as fire and food is now in its 12th year. This celebration includes a parade, children’s workshops, a community meal (obviously with pork delicacies as the main dish) and music. The highlight of the event is the meal that will be held at 2:00 p.m. and, for €12, includes escudella with meatballs, 1/2 slow-cooked pork knuckle with warm potatoes, pork rind coca, wine, and water.

 Location: Various venues in the Clot neighborhood

Dates: January 24

Start the year at a Michelin-starred restaurant

Source: Kamikaze

How about starting 2026 by treating yourself to a good restaurant? The latest Michelin Gala, held in December, has awarded many Catalan restaurants this year. Some are getting their first star, others their second, and others even three. Here is the complete list, which includes old favorites and surprises (and a wide range of prices).

Find bargains in the sales at shopping centers

January is the month of the famous “cuesta” (the financial slump after the holidays), but it’s also when one of the biggest sales periods of the year begins. Barcelona and its surroundings have several shopping malls full of stores that will be packed with bargains, as well as places where you can eat with your family, go to the movies, and enjoy other leisure activities. Here you’ll find all the information you need to plan a trip to these places.

The best concerts of the month

Although we’ve already brought you some musical suggestions, we have even more: throughout January, great artists will be visiting the city. Here are five suggestions, but there are many more: Rukowsky, Fito & Fitipaldis, Hinds, Maria Iskariot, and Alcalá Norte.

Bonus track: A getaway to the south in record time

Photo: Pexels

It’s now possible to travel from Barcelona to Seville in less than 6 hours: you no longer have to go through Madrid-Atocha to travel south with any of the high-speed train operators. I don’t know about you, but if city life isn’t enough for you, we can’t think of a better place to go in winter.