With September comes the end of summer vacation for most people; it’s back-to-school time, and, in general, it’s the month when we get back into our regular routines. But it’s also a time when the heat is more bearable, making it perfect for getting out of the house and enjoying what the city has to offer. Check out the best leisure and cultural activities for this month.
For many, La Mercè is Barcelona’s most important festival. The city fills with people, music, and all kinds of activities that turn it into an (almost) endless celebration for a few days. This year there will be many concerts and a wide range of events for all ages. Artists such as Nacho Vegas, Miki Núñez, Leire Martínez, and Els Catarras, among many others, will perform; and there will be no shortage of iconic activities like the Piromusical, which is moving to a new location this year.
Catalan Book Week
The most eagerly awaited event for book lovers: this year, more than 300 exhibitors are expected to fill the Paseo Lluís Companys, allowing us to enjoy new releases, timeless classics, and the chance to meet our favorite authors. In addition, the fair will feature music and other cultural activities.
This virtual reality experience takes us inside the International Space Station so we can discover what NASA astronauts’ expeditions are like, seeing everything from a first-person perspective, as if we were part of the crew. An ideal experience for all of us who love the secrets of the cosmos.
In Barcelona, we’re lucky to have many movie theaters, but one stands out above the rest: the Sala Phenomena Experience, which last year was recognized as the best movie theater in Europe by the Associazione Nazionale Autori Cinematografici (ANAC)—an award presented at the Venice Film Festival. It reopened a few months ago with new facilities that offer even better picture and sound quality and greater comfort than before. While we’re still waiting for the list of new releases, keep an eye out for some classics and cult films screening in September: *Call Me by Your Name*, *Eraserhead*, *Chungking Express*, *The Shining*, and *Spirited Away*.
Before summer comes to an end, the iconic Candlelight’s outdoor series still has a few surprises in store for us. Surrounded by thousands of candles, these are the final concerts in September, before these shows return to (equally iconic) indoor venues:
They say tiramisu is the new cheesecake, and indeed, this dessert originally from Italy is starting to gain traction in Barcelona, with several spots where it’s masterfully prepared. Let yourself be tempted by this sweet treat (in its classic version or in more modern adaptations) before everyone else starts talking about it.
Embers and Fire
You only pay for what you drink
This now-iconic Barcelona festival returns, 100% dedicated to Argentine barbecue. In addition to delicious grilled meat, you’ll find all the country’s specialties, such as dulce de leche, wines, alfajores, Argentine ice cream, sweets, yerba mate, mate cups, and much more. The festival features DJs and live music and is pet-friendly.
The Roman city of Pompeii is universally famous for the eruption of Vesuvius that destroyed it. This immersive exhibition recounts this event in great detail with a massive 360° film and a VR multiverse experience, but it also explores the city’s history, offering an engaging history lesson through its exhibits, which include authentic Roman artifacts.
“La repesca! 2026” Film Series
This month, “Filmo” features major film series dedicated to specific genres or directors, but if we had to choose just one, we’d go with “La repesca! 2026,” which revisits great films from the last season, some of which have won major awards. In September, we’ll be able to enjoy the iconic film *Weapons*, the documentary *Flores para Antonio*, and *Hard Truths*, Mike Leigh’s latest film.
If you’re the type who binges on all the True Crime documentaries and always figures out who the killer is before the movie ends, your time to shine has arrived. The Jury Experience invites you to serve as a juror in a high-profile fictional case. In this specific case, “The 20 Million Heist,” a driver is accused of stealing an extremely expensive piece of jewelry from a superstar… but no one is telling the truth. You’ll have to listen to testimonies, analyze the evidence, and vote in real time using your cell phone. Guilty or not guilty?
Korean Film Festival
Korean cinema is one of the most interesting film traditions in Asia, and in Barcelona we have a festival entirely dedicated to it. Five days to enjoy recently released South Korean films, such as *The King’s Garden * or *The Ugly*, as well as contemporary classics like Kim Jee-woon’s *I Saw the Devil* ( 2010) and various gems from the filmography of the great Park Chan-wook. In addition, the festival will feature parallel activities such as workshops and exhibitions.
L’Hora del Jazz, dedicated to our most internationally renowned pianist, is now in its 36th edition, bringing jazz to audiences of all kinds. With a decentralized program (in addition to Barcelona, you can enjoy concerts in other towns such as Sitges, Granollers, and Vilafranca del Penedés), the good news is that all of its free activities will take place in Barcelona. Thus, at this year’s festival, in Vila de Gràcia we’ll be able to enjoy performances by the Rai Castells Quintet, the Christopher Pérez Quartet, and other groups, as well as a special tribute to John Coltrane.
Barcelona Hotel Bar Week
cocktail prices
Cocktail lovers have a date at some of Barcelona’s most famous hotels, where a six-day celebration of mixology will take place on their terraces. From classics to signature cocktails, the event invites you to discover them on a bar crawl.
Barcelona Gallery Weekend
Now in its eleventh year, this initiative aims to bring art to all audiences by offering a diverse program at the city’s alternative galleries—beyond the museums we all know. Thanks to this, we can enjoy a wealth of modern and contemporary artworks—including paintings, photographs, illustrations, and sculptures— created by more than 30 artists, as well as complementary activities such as talks, guided tours, and performances.
Dinner Under the Stars at the Fabra Observatory
The Fabra Observatory, located on Tibidabo, offers a great way to enjoy Barcelona’s evenings: a delicious dinner, accompanied by a half-hour scientific lecture where you can ask questions. The event concludes with the opportunity to observe distant constellations, stars, and much of the solar system through one of Europe’s largest and oldest telescopes still in operation.
Wodcelona
Wodcelona isn’t just a CrossFit competition—it’s a nonprofit festival where anyone can participate, whether in the individual category, as part of a team , or in one of the 15 adaptive categories designed for people with different abilities. For three days, the event celebrates effort, community, and solidarity in a festive atmosphere, all for charitable causes.
SENSAS invites you to experience a group adventure, suitable for all ages, where you’ll put your five senses to the test: sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. Along the way, you’ll tackle fun challenges that combine the excitement of an escape room with immersive experiences full of surprises and a festive atmosphere. Three hours of fun that also leave room for excitement and solidarity.
Friday Blues
Art and great music to kick off the weekend on the right foot. This is what the MEAM has to offer every Friday this month—a series where you can enjoy the blues and related genres performed by four bands of proven quality. The concert includes a beer, and before or after the show, with the same ticket, you can visit the museum, which is filled with modern and contemporary artworks from the 20th and 21st centuries.
Barcelona has museums of all kinds, and then there’s IKONO. Although art abounds there (works by various contemporary artists are on display), it breaks away from the traditional concept of an art gallery because its installations are highly interactive: you can touch them, take all kinds of photos of them, and even step inside some of them. It’s a different and fun way to experience art if conventional museums bore you.
PoblenouFestival
After Gràcia and Sants, it’s the turn of Barcelona’s seaside neighborhood to celebrate its big festival. While the full program hasn’t been released yet, we can be sure the festival will be packed with fun activities, great concerts, exhibitions, and the much-anticipated folk culture events. We’ll keep an eye out to bring you the full program as soon as it’s released.
This exhibition, created with more than 600,000 balloons, shows what can be achieved with patience and talent. From a space rocket to the jungle, the ocean floor, or famous cities, Balloon Story creates a “wow” effect at every venue it visits and is perfect for visiting with young children, who will also have a blast in its two ball pits.
September is also an ideal month for camping—quieter than the summer months and without that stifling heat. Unwinding in nature doesn’t have to mean spending a lot of money. That’s why we want to tell you about several campgrounds where you can relax while enjoying the views in various parts of Catalonia.
Paradox Museum is a museum where anything is possible. Thanks to the concept of paradox , you can defy gravity, change size, or disappear… Obviously, there’s a trick to it all, but fun and great photos for Instagram or epic videos for TikTok are guaranteed.
San Miguel Biergarten
Once again this year, Poble Espanyol is hosting the city’s liveliest beer festival—the perfect opportunity to raise a glass with friends. There will be all kinds of beers, German cuisine, tasting workshops, music, and contests (like the classic hot dog-eating contest). It all takes place in the unique atmosphere of the Plaça Major at Poble Espanyol.
Extreme Barcelona
Extreme Barcelona transforms the Parc del Fòrum into an urban festival where BMX, trampolining, and street art blend with the sea in the background. The best national riders will compete in the Spanish BMX Park Championship (men’s, women’s, and junior categories), while international elite riders will vie for Olympic points in the UCI C1 competitions. And to top it all off, the World Freestyle Trampoline Championship returns for the third consecutive year.
Although the season for major festivals has passed (Primavera Sound, Cruïlla, and so many others), during these months Barcelona hosts various small- and medium-scale events that are just as interesting as the mega-festivals. Rock, alternative, and urban music are some of the genres taking center stage in the city this month.
With summer winding down but the weather still great (in fact, better than August’s stifling heat), it’s the perfect time to take a little getaway into nature. This month , we recommend Setcases, a tiny medieval village in the Ripollès region (Girona) at an elevation of 1,200 meters. The interesting thing is that it even has a river beach along the Ter River. Here’s everything you need to know to plan this getaway.
