Women's Day, Gastro Fest, and Grease: what's on this weekend in Barcelona and Catalonia

From concerts to cultural festivals, events and nightlife, there are countless things to do in Barcelona and around Catalonia this weekend.

Here's a selection of some of the best plans and what's on this weekend.

International Women's Day | March 8 | Various marches and events | Across Catalonia

March 8 is International Women's Day, which this year falls on a Saturday. There will be rallies, marches, concerts and other events all across Catalonia, celebrating women and calling for gender equality. Assemblea 8M have called a rally for 6pm at Plaça Universitat, Barcelona, under the banner 'Care sustains life.' The march is expected to be the largest Women's Day protest in Catalonia and will move along Gran Via, Passeig de Gràcia, and Ronda Sant Pere before a manifesto is read at Arc de Triomf. Feministes de Catalunya are organizing a separate rally starting at Plaça Catalunya, also at 6pm. 

Grease, The Musical |  March 6 - April 6 | Musical theatre | Teatre Tívoli, Barcelona

Grease, The Musical will bid farewell to its three-year stint in Barcelona. The last show will be performed at Teatre Tívoli, located in the Eixample neighborhood. The musical will be only available for a limited time, from March 6 to April 6. Prices start at €20.  

Gastro Fest Km0 | March 8 - 9 | Food and drinks festival | Poble Espanyol, Barcelona 

Celebrating local cuisine, Gastro Fest Km0 is a sustainable festival with foods, live music, DJs, and more. This third edition offers 22 small dishes made with ingredients from Catalonia's main Protected Denominations of Origin (DOP) and Protected Geographic Indications (IGP), and a grand meal with chargrilled calçots for all. Entrance fee for Catalan residents is €6, or €25 for the calçotada.

The Champions Burger | March 7 - 15 | Burger competition | Fira Montjuïc, Barcelona

The Champions Burger brings together more than 15 burger joints at each event to compete for the title of the best burger in Spain. Doors at Fira Montjuïc open at 12 noon on Friday, and stay open Monday-Sunday from 12 midday to 12 midnight. Entry is free.

Mykki Blanco | March 8 | Concert | Sala Pumajero, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat

American rapper, performance artist, poet and activist Mykki Blanco brings her unique sound and style to L'Hospitalet, just outside Barcelona. Tickets start at €12.

ExpoDinos | February 22-April 21 | Family friendly | Poble Espanyol, Barcelona

At ExpoDinos you will discover secrets and curiosities about dinosaurs through more than 25 impressive replicas of different species, from giant herbivores to fearsome carnivores, in a space of more than 600m. As good explorers, you will learn to distinguish what is a dinosaur and what is not. In addition, through information panels, you will discover the characteristics of the species that lived in each era and you will learn the differences between the Ornithischi (such as the Stegosaurus, the Triceratops or the Iguanodon) and the Saurischi (such as the Dilophosaurus, the Tyrannosaurus Rex or the Velociraptor.)

Goya Universe. Between Light and Darkness’ | February 27 - April 30 | Immersive experience | Casa Amatller, Barcelona

The Centre d'Art Amatller in Barcelona presents the immersive exhibition Goya Universe. Between light and darkness, a fascinating journey through the life and works of the painter Francisco de Goya. The exhibition reveals the complexities of this genius from Aragon, from his personality, to his personal vicissitudes and his iconic paintings. Featuring digital resources such as virtual reality and video mapping, you can immerse yourself in the universe of Goya, experiencing his works and the historical context in which they were created.

Black Music Festival | February 14 – March 22 | Music | Girona

Now in its 22nd edition, the Black Music Festival started off as a pioneering idea in the Spanish musical landscape, grouping music from African-American roots in a thematic cycle of concerts, and which over the years has achieved undoubted prestige and consideration.

Fernando Botero. A Universal Master | From February 14 | Art exhibition | Palau Martorell

A little over a year after his death, the Palau Martorell is hosting the most comprehensive exhibition of paintings ever held in Spain, paying tribute to Fernando Botero (Medellín, Colombia, 1932 - Monaco, 2023), one of the most important artists of the 20th century who is already part of the History of Art. His original and innovative creative approach, through a language of monumental volumes and vibrant colour, gave rise to a style of his own, Boteroism, which has made his work immediately recognizable.

KBr exhibitions on the US-Mexico border | February 13 – May 18 | Photography | KBr Foundation, Barcelona

The first major exhibition of the work of José Guerrero covers plenty of years of the artist's career, throughout which he has explored the significance of the landscape, which he describes as an active, living and dynamic entity. The images of Felipe Romero Beltrán immerse the viewer in the complex landscape of northern Mexico that, since the 19th century, has seen many conflicts and tension, building up to an unsustainable situation in recent years.

Mercat de la Terra | Every Saturday until March 15 | Slow food market | Parc de les Tres Ximeneies, Barcelona

Mercat de la Terra is a city-wide leader in terms of responsible consumption, food sovereignty, short distribution chains, and sustainable food in Barcelona, ​​bringing together more than 40 producers, some permanently and others in rotation, who have the opportunity to sell seasonal, local and biodiverse products directly and without intermediaries, all obtained with traditional and regenerative processes, respecting the environment and working conditions, and at a fair price for those who buy them and those who produce them.

‘Extraterrestrials. Is there life beyond Earth?’ | February 26 - August 30, 2026 | Science exhibition | CosmoCaixa science museum

'Extraterrestrials - Is There Life Outside Earth?' delves into topics such as our place in the cosmos, the meaning of the concept of life, and how literature and cinema have shaped the collective imagination about what form alien life could take. Visitors begin by discovering Earth's place in the cosmos. The exhibition then explores, from a historical perspective, the great philosophical debate between those who argue that life is unique to our planet, and those who believe in the existence of other inhabited worlds.

Antoni Tàpies: The Imagination of the World | February 13 – January 25, 2026 | Art exhibition | Tàpies Museum

The solo exhibition The Imagination of the World proposes a revision of the work of Antoni Tàpies based on ideas found in his earliest period of production. With Tàpies as the centre of the project, the exhibition seeks to map out a network of relationships between active agents, discourses and practices, as related to two key areas: on the one hand, the complex assimilation of artistic tendencies—such as dada and surrealism—and currents of thought—psychoanalysis, Marxism—in Barcelona in that period; on the other hand, the dialogue of these movements with various forms of the vernacular tradition of popular culture.

Pantalla Barcelona | Cinema screenings | Until March 29 | Local cultural centres across Barcelona

Pantalla Barcelona is a cycle of cinema screenings taking place from October 2024 through to March 2025. The festival screens films for free in local cultural centres all over the Catalan capital. Among the titles showing are As Bestas, Robot Dreams, Nomadland, and plenty more. Check the full calendar of screenings here.

Ramón Masats. The silent photographer | Photography exhibition | January 16 – May 25 | Foto Colectania, Barcelona 

Ramón Masats stands as one of the most influential photographers of Spain’s 1960s generation. His reputation was built upon a unique combination of instinctive compositional talent, a sharp and ironic lens on post-war cultural clichés, and an unwavering commitment to photographing with absolute freedom. The exhibition focuses on the early creative period of Masats’ career, spanning from his beginnings in 1953 to 1965. The exhibition begins with his early experimental works, where he alternated between abstract photography and documentary reportage. 

Tradicionàrius International Folk Festival | Music festival | January 10 – April 11 | Centre Artesà Tradicionàrius, Barcelona

The  38th edition of the Tradicionàrius International Folk Festival promotes folk music in all its forms and fosters artistic and musical alliances among traditional folk artists. 

During the first months of 2025, there will be plenty of activities, featuring traditional folk music from all over the world.

Amazonia | Photo exhibition | December 4 – April 20 | Barcelona

Showcased in Barcelona in Drassanes Reials from December 4 to April 20, the exhibition 'Amazonia' derives from 9 years of work of the Brazilian photographer Sebastião Salgado. From large works of Amazon biodiversity to portraits of indigenous peoples, this exhibition has more than 200 photographs and seven films that will take visitors to the heart of Amazonia.

Cruïlla Hivern 2025 | Music festival | January 11 – March 15 | Across Barcelona

Maria Becerra, Flashy Ice Cream, Sidonie, Hard Gz, Shunk Anansie, Trueno, and Sexy Zebras are among the many artists playing at the Cruïlla Hivern 2025 music festival. Shows will take place across several sites in Barcelona, including the Heliogàbal bar, the La Paloma party hall, Razzmatazz, and even the Sala Apolo and Sant Jordi Club concert hall. Tickets are on sale online, and some artists have already sold out.

Picasso Museum's new exhibition | November 22 – March 30 | Barcelona

The Picasso Museum in Barcelona is hosting groundbreaking exhibition dedicated to Catalan artists who lived and worked in Paris during its artistic heyday in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The exhibition showcases 200 works by more than 80 artists, from the iconic Pablo Picasso to lesser-known talents.

Amazons. The Ancestral Future | November 2024 – May 2025 | Barcelona 

The new CCCB exhibition explores the challenges that the Amazon rainforest and its biodiversity are facing as the planet's temperature continues to rise. The exhibition seeks to break from the Western colonial understanding of the world and defends the profound knowledge that the indigenous people of the Amazon have of the nature that surrounds us all. 

Barcelona Jazz Festival | October 10 – March 23 | Music festival

The 56th edition of the festival brings in new talents on the jazz scene, as well as consolidated artists in a variation of concerts, lectures, meet ups and many other activities. 

Concerts with artists such as Judit Neddermann, the Liceu Big Band, Fred Hersch, and other artists will be in Barcelona up until March 2025. 

Interior Berlanga | July 17 – April 20 | Exhibition | CaixaForum, Barcelona

'Interior Berlanga' exhibition proposes to discover the work of this filmmaker and his international scene. Berlanga created his own universe that combines unexpected elements with satire, and caricatures. Tickets cost €6, but CaixaBank clients can access the exhibit for free.