Barcelona

The year in Barcelona fiestas

Barcelona rarely pauses for breath. Year round the city rushes from one party to the next, from international music festivals to traditional street parties. Whether live music, fireworks, parades or alfresco dancing is your bag, its worth checking the calendar before booking your flights.

Dia dels Reis/Kings' Day (January)

The big event of the festive season is Epiphany, known here as Kings' Day, in which a lengthy cavalcade of floats drifts around the city, spreading bonhomie and boiled sweets in equal measure. Children hand in their wishlists to the elves and, if all goes well, wake up to a stack of presents on January 6, a public holiday.

Setmana Santa (Holy Week – March/April)

On Palm Sunday you can see people lining up to have their palm branches blessed outside the cathedral, while on Good Friday you can follow the floats and hooded penitents in processions from the Església de Sant Agustí, reminiscent of southern Spain's festivities.

Primavera Sound (May)

The city's indie festival par excellence, with four days of big-name acts that in 2015 include Patti Smith, OMD, The Strokes, Ride, Alt-J, The Black Keys and dozens more. There are also associated concerts around the city, some of them free outdoors – at the Parc de la Ciutadella and the Passeig Lluís.