Llum BCN to light up the streets of Poble Nou once more from Nov 5-7

Llum BCN, the Catalan capital’s spectacular festival of lights, returns to brighten up the streets of Poble Nou from November 5-7. 

This year, Llum, which translates from Catalan to ‘Light,’ celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. Postponed from February due to the pandemic, the festival can go ahead in November thanks to the improved Covid-19 situation.

As part of the safety measures in place to curb the spread of Covid-19, Llum BCN has a limited capacity this year and it's recommended that visitors book tickets to the exhibitions and installations in advance. They can be acquired on the event website from October 27.  

With over 30 activities scheduled including public installations and exhibitions, one of the city’s most acclaimed art festivals will make its triumphant return ahead of reverting to its regular February schedule in 2022. 

As has been the case in past editions, the facade of the Barcelona Design Hub and the Torre Glòries buildings will form part of the festival with different light shows.

There will also be exhibitions and installations available to view at IDEAL digital arts museum, the Can Framis Museum courtyard, the Hangar Visual Arts Research and Production Centre, and the Mar Bella beach, among other sites. 

The festival seeks to offer “a chance to ask questions, to challenge our preconceived notions of what urban space can be and to create new models of participation and social interaction in public spaces,” according to its website.

It achieves this by the work of various different artists whose pieces transform the landscape of the neighbourhood after the sun goes down. Typically, these artworks play with the surrounding architecture, different backgrounds using darkness and light, lighting design, interactive environment design, and enhanced media experiences.