We have barely put away the panellets and the costume of the Castanyada (or Halloween, for tastes), and Barcelona has already turned on the “polvorón” mode. With the All Saints’ Day holiday, which this year fell on a Saturday, the unofficial kickoff to the Christmas shopping season was given. And as always, with the Christmas lights coming up, the big question returns: can we go shopping on a Sunday?
The short answer is yes, and not just one. If you are one of those who hurry until the last minute to find the perfect gift or simply want to avoid the crowds on Saturdays, take the agenda because Barcelona puts on the Santa Claus cape and gives commercial truce, allowing to open the following Sundays.
The December shopping marathon
Although the Catalan regulations are quite strict and keep the lock on Sundays, Barcelona plays in another league. Thanks to the agreement signed in 2022 between the City Council, the major commercial hubs (such as Barcelona Oberta or Fundació Barcelona Comerç) and the trade unions, the city has a much more flexible calendar in its areas of high tourist influx.
This 2025, the agreement means that, after the opening holiday on November 1, we will have a real shopping marathon that starts at the end of this month. The next day you will be able to go shopping in peace and quiet will be Sunday, November 30. But the final blow comes in December, where there will be practically no weekend off.
Write down the dates: calendar of open holidays
So that you can get organized and not find yourself with the shutters down (or the other way around), this is the official calendar of authorized openings that awaits us until the end of the year:
- Sunday, November 30
- Saturday, December 6 (Constitution Day)
- Sunday, December 7
- Monday, December 8 (Immaculate Conception Day)
- Sunday, December 14
- Sunday, December 21
- Sunday, December 28 (Ideal for those New Year’s Eve panic purchases or if you forgot something for Epiphany).