Barcelona Christmas lights to switch on November 24

The 2021 Christmas lights in Barcelona will be switched on next week, on November 24 at 6 pm, and this year they will be "bigger and better" as deputy mayor Jaume Collboni announced on Wednesday.

The Catalan capital will see its festive street illumination jump from 62 km in 2010 to 100 km now, "the equivalent of the distance between Barcelona and Tarragona," Collboni said. In 2020, there were 99.8 km of such decorations.

After a decade with the same lights, three key commercial locations will get new designs, all of which using LED technology. Plaça Catalunya square, Aragó street (between Bailèn and Aribau) and Gran Via avenue (between Bailèn and Muntaner) will be lit up with new creations from Toni Arola, famous for his original lamps. Indeed, the new decorations are expected to be innovative and far from traditional models. 

The city has increased its budget for the lights by 32.4%, up to €2.14 million.

As announced in May, streets like Ronda Sant Pere from Passeig Sant Joan to Urquinaona square will be lit for the first time, and Balmes street will see its illumination expanded in the section between Diagonal avenue and Ronda Universitat. The façades of the 39 municipal markets will be lit for a second year. 

The inauguration will be held on November 24, a 6 pm in Plaça Catalunya, with a spectacle that will also include street arts. Collboni said that the iconic square has been chosen in order to boost commercial areas, "which are among the sectors that have suffered more from the pandemic." 

From November 25, they will be on from 5.30 pm to 11.00 pm from Sunday to Thursday, and until midnight on Friday and Saturday. On New Year's Eve and on the eve of the Three Kings Day they will be on until 2 am. 

Christmas Garden at Sant Pau

A new addition to Barcelona's winter offering is The Lights of Sant Pau Christmas Garden, known in Catalan as Els Llums de Sant Pau.

From November 22 until January 9 the grounds of the art nouveau Recinte Modernista de Sant Pau will be transformed into "an illuminated fairy-tale scenario with Christmassy plays of light, impressively staged architecture and fanciful illuminations."

The UNESCO World Heritage site with be lit up with a 1.5km trail with "millions of points of light," from 6pm to 10.30pm each night.

Tickets are required to enter the Christmas Garden, priced at €12 (Monday to Thursday) and €14 (Friday to Sunday and holidays), with discounts available for students, families etc.