Life & Style

Its largest public exhibition ever to feature original material from the set

Maria Fontanellas’ firm picks up national prize for emerging design while jewelry designer Estaun gets best collection award

Five-time number 1 holder Ferran Adrià states that internet and TV have changed cuisine dramatically

Children’s clothing brand Bóboli and Little Creative Factory open catwalk of fair’s 20th Edition

Bonfires and firecrackers are the most characteristic elements of the June 23 celebration, in which the Catalan language also plays an important role

Well-known foreign residents in the Catalan capital explain their experience during the presentation of newly founded association BCitizeN

The Barcelona street art scene has been active for 30 years. Thanks to its diversity Barcelona street art distinguishes itself from other cities around the world. During recent years street art has become more popular, which has resulted in more art on the streets, a commercial focus and more legal walls around town. According to the street artist Debens, it was hard for artists in the 90s to find places to make street art because of strict conditions. But such authority also had a positive impact on the street artists in the beginning since it produced a “rebel spirit that is very important for them to create”, Debens states. 

The wedding fashion industry has reached a benchmark at a global scale. In terms of exports, Spain is only behind China, making 755,000 wedding dresses and earning 507 million euros per year. The bridal business has a total turnover of nearly 13% of the whole Spanish textile sector and the most important part of this comes from Catalonia, which concentrates more than 40% of production. One of the reasons for this is that Catalonia is the home of huge firms such as Pronovias or Rosa Clará, as well as the already established Jesús Peiró or YolanCris brands.

From May 13th to May 21st Girona will host the 62º edition of Temps de Flors, an annual flower festival in which the streets and monuments are decorated with floral displays. This year, the event has grown and now adds 22 new areas. One of the novelties will be some floral arrangements and mirrors placed in the bomb shelter of the Jardins de la Infància (Childhood Gardens). In addition, a green itinerary of 3 km will allow to discover unusual views of the Cathedral of Sant Pere.

The Barcelona Bridal Fashion Week (BBFW) has completed its most international edition ever. Between April 25–30 more than 25 leading national and international firms presented their collections on the catwalk, and more than 300 brands from 25 countries offered their wedding designs to more than 800 key buyers from 70 countries during the professional trade fair. Renowned Catalan designer Rosa Clara was chosen to open the catwalks of the 27th edition of BBFW at the Barcelona’s Fira exhibition center.

Girona’s El Celler de Can Rocahas been voted the world’s third-best restaurant by ‘Restaurant’ magazine. After topping the list in 2013 and 2015, the establishment run by the three Roca brothers ceded its crown to Eleven Madison Park, in New York. However, it received a special distinction during the event: it was awarded the Ferrari Trento Art of Hospitality award for its “outstanding service”. Indeed, El Celler de Can Rocahas been among Restaurant’s best 50 gastronomic establishments in the world for the last 12 years and hasn’t fallen out of the top five in the ranking since 2009. Another Catalan restaurant, Disfrutarfrom three El Bulli alumni received the Miele One to Watch Award, for its innovative offering.

Barcelona’s Passeig de Gràcia, one of the most iconic streets in the Catalan capital, filled with grand pianos for any passer-by to play them. This initiative sets the fire gun for the International Maria Canals Music Contest, which celebrates its 63th Edition in 2017. The festival, which is on at the Palau de la Música Catalana from March 25 to April 7, features 81 young pianists from 30 countries. Thanks to their 'El Passeig de Gràcia Porta Cua' initiative, in which the Friends of Passeig de Gràcia Association also collaborates, this emblematic Barcelona street sees ten grand pianos dotted along it for anyone who wants to step up to the bench and play. Universal classics, together with TV theme songs and famous soundtracks such as ‘Titanic’, ‘Amélie’ or HBO series ‘Game of Thrones’ have echoed in Barcelona’s centre.

French designer Pierre Cardin’s musical show ‘Dorian Gray, beauty knows no mercy’ opened on Monday the 19th edition of 080 Barcelona Fashion, which will run until the 3rd of February. This year the Catalan fashion fair has chosen the National Theatre of Catalonia (TNC) as its special location in an attempt to boost the synergies between fashion and theatre. Cardin’s exceptional musical was one of the main events of the opening day, during which the French designer, an exceptional patron of 080 Barcelona Fashion, was awarded a special prize by Catalan President, Carles Puigdemont. The first to open the catwalk were childrenswear brands such as Boboli and CND by Cóndor, which were followed by last year’s winners Blame and Miquel Suay, and by TCN.

Catalan gastronomy got reinforced and gained even more prestige in the presentation of the Spain and Portugal Michelin Guide 2017, one of the most important events on the world’s gastronomic calendar. There are now 67 restaurants awarded with a Michelin star in Catalonia. The most important ‘star’ went to ‘Lasarte’ Barcelona, which joins the select group of those outlets which have three ‘macarons’ in Catalonia, together with ‘El Celler de Can Roca’, which was named best restaurant in the world in 2013 and 2015, and ‘Sant Pau’, by Carme Ruscalleda. Moreover, ‘Lasarte’, led by Italian chef Paolo Casagrande, who was a disciple of renowned Basque chef Martín Berasategui, is not only the first three-Michelin star restaurant located in the Catalan capital but the only restaurant on the Iberian Peninsula which this year obtained its third ‘star’. 

A total of 2.7 million cruise travellers will have passed through the Port of Barcelona by the end of 2016, a figure that represents an increase of about 9-10% over 2015 and marks a new record. This was announced on Monday by the president of the Port of Barcelona, ??Sixte Cambra, who explained that until now the record stood at 2.6 million cruise passengers and was achieved in 2011. It is estimated that cruises this year will generate a turnover of almost €1,000 million, while the contribution to the Catalan GDP could reach €500 million. According to Cambra, these good results are primarily due “to the boost of activity as a home port, which grew 10% compared to last year”.