What to do for Sant Jordi 2024 in Barcelona
Catalan capital will have 435 book and rose sellers on the street
Sant Jordi, St. George's Day in English, is a day of celebration for books and roses. The streets are covered in red flowers and full of people buying books for their loved ones.
Barcelona will have a record-breaking 435 stands selling books and roses, making a total of 3,356 meters of space reserved for this joyous day.
Many bookshops and libraries will host book signings and activities during Sant Jordi to celebrate love and literature, but much of the activity will take place on the streets of Barcelona.
Here is what to do and where to buy books and roses during Sant Jordi day in different districts of Barcelona, and also across Catalonia where thousands will enjoy the day.
Cuitat Vella district
In Ciutat Vella, La Rambla boulevard will be restored completely for the first time since the pandemic. The more than one-kilometer-long boulevard will be filled with stands selling books alongside the usual rose sellers.
At Passeig de Lluís Companys, the walkway in front of the Arc de Triomf monument, will also have books and rose stands. There will be a specific space reserved for comics, children's and youth literature.
Eixample district
The Eixample district will have the highest number of stands in all of Barcelona, 230 in total with 37 of them for roses.
Most of them are located on Passeig de Gràcia boulevard, Barcelona's famous shopping street, known for its beautiful monuments such as Casa Battló by Catalan modernist architect Antoni Gaudí.
Plaça Universitat square and Passeig de Sant Joan walkway will be both reserved for stands selling comics, graphic novels, and children's and youth literature.
The Sagrada Família, Barcelona's iconic basilica designed by Antoni Gaudí, will celebrate Sant Jordi with a digital art projection created by AI.
'Rosa, Rosae' will be displayed on a giant screen inside the basilica. The Sagrada Familia is also giving away 9 double tickets for a night tour of the basilica on the eve of Sant Jordi.
Gràcia district
The Gràcia district is known for having the highest number of bookshops per inhabitant. Besides those bookshops there will be 26 stands, five of them for roses on the part of the Passeig de Gràcia boulevard that is located in this area.
There will also be a circus show for families to enjoy on the Plaça de Laguna Lanao square, and a gathering of illustrators on the Plaça de Nicolas Salmeron square.
Les Corts district
This district will have nine bookstands in an effort to decentralize the celebrations and bring people towards more traditional places with local initiatives.
There will be many activities by local organizations and shops in the area of La Diagonal Avenue.
Sant Martí district
In the Poblenou area of Sant Martí there will be eight book stands on the Rambla del Poblenou boulevard, along with the already existing bookshops.
This year there will be three book stands and two rose vendors in front of the García Márquez library to celebrate the library having won the 'Best New Library in the World' award. The library will also be hosting activities.
Sant Andreu district
Plaça d'Orfila square is an epicenter for the inhabitants of the Sant Andreu and will be occupied on Sant Jordi by five book stands and one rose vendor. Authors will be signing their books at the book stands and at the district's library. There will be different literary activities organized throughout the district.