Events in Barcelona
In October 2026, Barcelona fills its calendar with city festivals, big gigs and new exhibitions. The Biennial of Thought runs from 13 to 18 October, Mercat de Mercats takes over Plaça de les Glòries from 16 to 18 October and 48H Open House opens more than 250 buildings on 24 and 25 October. The Strokes play the Palau Sant Jordi on 20 October and Niall Horan follows on 25 October, while candlelight concerts and flamenco shows keep the evenings busy. In the museums, Anselm Kiefer arrives at La Pedrera and MACBA keeps Prisoners of Love open until 17 January 2027.
Barcelona events this October from the official listing
The events below are the ones on Barcelona's official events calendar for the coming weeks, and each card links straight to the organiser's own listing with the dates and venues. For the sights that are open all year round, start with tourist attractions in Barcelona.
Biennial of Thought
When: 13 to 18 October
Where: Plaça Joan Coromines, Pati de les Dones and other venues across Barcelona
A week of debates, readings and performances on the theme Unleashing the Present, with writers and thinkers such as Alessandro Baricco and Angélica Liddell.
Mercat de Mercats
When: 16 to 18 October
Where: Plaça de les Glòries
The city's market fair returns for its 15th edition with fresh produce, free barbecues for cooking on the spot and the South Korean province of Jeonbuk as guest.
48H Open House Barcelona
When: 24 and 25 October
Where: Buildings across Barcelona and its metropolitan area
The city's leading architecture festival opens more than 250 buildings to the public with guided visits and routes, free of charge.
MozFest 2026
When: 28 to 30 October
Where: Recinte Fabra i Coats, Sant Andreu
The Mozilla Festival brings people working on open and ethical technology to a former industrial complex, as part of Barcelona Open Tech Week.
L'Alternativa
When: 12 to 22 November
Where: CCCB
The 33rd Barcelona Independent Film Festival screens Spanish and international feature films and shorts, with a free programme in the CCCB Hall.
Barcelona gigs and festivals
Vida Records & Friends: Gazella
Vida Records & Friends: Gazella plays La 2 de Apolo on 8 October at 21:00.
El Tri
El Tri plays Sala Razzmatazz 1 on 12 October at 20:00.
Gonzalo Alhambra
Gonzalo Alhambra plays New Fizz on 16 October at 21:00.
The Strokes - Reality Awaits
The Strokes - Reality Awaits plays Palau Sant Jordi on 20 October at 20:30.
Vivaldi's Four Seasons
Vivaldi's Four Seasons comes to the Basílica de la Mercè on 21 October at 20:30.
Candlelight Ed Sheeran and Coldplay
Candlelight Ed Sheeran and Coldplay comes to Reial Cercle Artístic de Barcelona on 24 October at 17:00.
Niall Horan: Dinner Party Live On Tour
Niall Horan: Dinner Party Live On Tour plays Palau Sant Jordi on 25 October at 21:15.
Simple Plan
Simple Plan plays Sant Jordi Club on 26 October.
Lido Pimienta
Lido Pimienta plays Sala Upload - Poble Espanyol on 2 November at 21:00.
Chameleons
Chameleons plays Sala Razzmatazz 2 on 8 November at 20:30.
Vida Records & Friends: Carlangas
Vida Records & Friends: Carlangas plays Sala Apolo on 12 November at 21:00.
Candlelight Hans Zimmer tribute
Candlelight Hans Zimmer tribute comes to Petit Palau - Palau de la Música Catalana on 15 November at 21:00.
Events and shows in Barcelona
Magic and comedy at Bosc de les Fades
Magic and comedy at Bosc de les Fades on 15 October at 20:30.
Improv comedy in English at Barcelona Improv Group
Improv comedy in English at Barcelona Improv Group on 17 October at 22:00.
Opera Hits at Casa Museo Nuria Pla
Opera Hits at Casa Museo Nuria Pla on 17 October at 20:00.
Flamenco at Teatro Flamenco Barcelona
Flamenco at Teatro Flamenco Barcelona on 19 October at 17:00.
Tablao flamenco at El Paraigua
Tablao flamenco at El Paraigua on 21 October at 21:00.
DroneArt Show Harry Potter at Parc del Fòrum
DroneArt Show Harry Potter at Parc del Fòrum on 23 October at 21:00.
Art exhibitions and museum shows in Barcelona
Space Explorers, The ISS Experience
Until: 8 November
Where: Eclipso Barcelona
A virtual reality experience filmed aboard the International Space Station, shown in timed entry sessions at an immersive venue.
Opening the Archive 08. Le gros orteil
Until: 29 November
Where: Fundació Joan Miró
An archive display at the Miró foundation built around Untitled from 1930, a recent gift to the collection.
Sim Acquisition, Drawing and War
Until: 31 December
Where: Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya
Drawings by the artist known as Sim, one of the visual chroniclers of the Spanish Civil War, drawn from the museum's 2024 acquisition.
Basel Abbas and Ruanne Abou-Rahme, Prisoners of Love
Until: 17 January 2027
Where: MACBA
An audiovisual installation by the Palestinian artists, exploring the resilience of former Palestinian prisoners through song and poetry.
Dana Lixenberg, American Images
Until: 17 January 2027
Where: KBr Photography Center
A photography show by Dana Lixenberg, including her long-running Imperial Courts series made in a Los Angeles housing complex.
The Secret Life of Plants, Anselm Kiefer in the Grothe Collection
Until: 24 January 2027
Where: La Pedrera
The first major show in Barcelona devoted to Anselm Kiefer, with around forty works from the private Grothe collection.
Barcelona tickets and tours
Keep the city and national holiday calendar in mind
Public holidays change the rhythm of a visit more than most travellers expect. Many shops and museums move to holiday timetables, public transport can run a reduced service and a day built around a market or a municipal museum can fall flat. Barcelona keeps 14 paid holidays in 2026: the 8 that apply across the whole of Spain, 4 more that only Catalonia observes and 2 that the city council adds for itself. The Catalan and city days are the ones that catch visitors out, because they are ordinary working days in the rest of the country.
National holidays in Spain 2026
- 1 January New Year's Day (Cap d'Any)
- 6 January Epiphany (Reis)
- 3 April Good Friday (Divendres Sant)
- 1 May Labour Day (Festa del Treball)
- 15 August Assumption of Mary (l'Assumpció)
- 12 October National Day of Spain (Dia Nacional d'Espanya)
- 8 December Feast of the Immaculate Conception (La Immaculada)
- 25 December Christmas Day (Nadal)
Local holidays in Barcelona 2026
- 6 April Easter Monday (Dilluns de Pasqua Florida), regional
- 25 May Whit Monday (Dilluns de Pasqua Granada), local
- 24 June Midsummer (Sant Joan), regional
- 11 September Catalan National Day (Diada Nacional de Catalunya), regional
- 24 September Feast of La Mercè (Mare de Déu de la Mercè), local
- 26 December Saint Stephen's Day (Sant Esteve), regional
The Catalonia tourist office at Palau de Mar closes on 25 and 26 December and on 1 and 6 January, and it shortens its hours on 24 and 31 December and 5 January. Turisme de Barcelona does not publish a holiday closing list, and the hours of each of its points sit on that point's own page, so a visit on one of these dates is worth checking there first.
Before you go to Barcelona
Tourist attractions in Barcelona
The Barcelona guide on Tourist Office gathers a first day itinerary, the landmarks worth booking ahead and what the city offers for free.
Tourist office in Barcelona
Where Barcelona's official tourist information points are, when they open and which public holidays change their opening hours.
Spain highlights
The Spain guide looks beyond the city to the country's great cities, landmarks and coast, with the sights worth planning a longer trip around.