Festivals and events
Almost any month you visit Barcelona you’ll coincide with a festival, event or holiday. The best are picked out below, but for a full list check out the Ajuntament (city hall) website 
bcn.cat/cultura.
Festes de Santa Eulàlia
Mid-February bcn.cat/santaeulalia
Winter festival around February 12 in honour of the young Barcelona girl who suffered a beastly martyrdom at the hands of the Romans. There are parades, concerts, fireworks and sardana dancing.
Carnaval/Carnestoltes
Week before Lent (Feb or March)
Costumed parades and other carnival events across every city neighbourhood. Sitges, down the coast, has the most outrageous celebrations.
Dia de Sant Jordi
April 23
St George’s Day celebrates Catalunya’s patron saint, with hundreds of book and flower stalls down the Ramblas and elsewhere.
Primavera Sound
Usually late May
The city’s hottest music festival attracts top names in the rock, indie and electronica world.
Sónar
June sonar.es
Europe’s biggest, most cutting-edge electronic music, multimedia and urban art festival presents three days of brilliant noise and spectacle.
Verbena/Dia de Sant Joan
June 23/24
The “eve” and “day” of St John herald a “night of fire”, involving bonfires and fireworks (particularly on Montjuïc) and watching the sun come up on the beach.
Festival de Barcelona Grec
From end June to August grec.bcn.cat
This is the city’s main performing arts festival, with many events staged at Montjuïc’s Teatre Grec.
Festes de la Mercè
End September bcn.cat/merce
The city’s main festival is celebrated for a week around September 24, with costumed giants, firework displays and human tower competitions.
Festival Internacional de Jazz
October/November barcelonajazzfestival.com
The annual jazz festival attracts big-name artists to the clubs, as well as smaller-scale street concerts.