Christmas lights switched on in Barcelona

The yuletide season has well and truly arrived in Barcelona with the switching on of the Christmas lights on Wednesday evening, despite the torrential rain threatening to dampen the festive spirit.

The switch-on ceremony in Plaça Catalunya was pushed back two hours because of the bad weather, with the streets eventually being lit up at 8.30pm, following a musical circus show from the Ponten Pie street theatre troupe.

The 2021 lights would be "bigger and better" than ever, Barcelona deputy mayor Jaume Collboni had announced last week, jumping from 62km in 2010 to 100km now, "equivalent to the distance between Barcelona and Tarragona." In 2020, the decorations already stretched 99.8km.

After a decade with the same lights, three key commercial locations have got new designs, all of which use LED technology. Plaça Catalunya, Aragó Street (between Bailèn and Aribau) and Gran Via (between Bailèn and Muntaner) are now lit up with new creations from Toni Arola, famous for his original lamp designs.

The city has increased its budget for the Christmas 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 have been lit up for the first time, and the lights on Balmes Street have been expanded between Diagonal and Ronda Universitat. The façades of the 39 municipal markets are lit up for a second year.

From November 25, the Christmas lights will be on from 5.30pm to 11.00pm Sunday to Thursday, and until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. On New Year's Eve and on the eve of the Epiphany they will stay on until 2am.

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 will 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.