Barcelona Beer Fest, MNAC Open House, flea markets: what's on this weekend

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.

Barcelona Beer Festival | April 11-13 | Beer fair | Fira Montjuïc

Taste hundreds of different styles of artisanal beers at one of southern Europe's largest gatherings for the global craft beer community. Under the one roof, taste countless brews from the finest breweries from our shores and beyond. Plenty of food options will be available, and the weekend will also feature various musical performances and talks and other activities.

Olot Craft Beer Fair | April 12 | Beer fair | Olot

Those who can't make it to Barcelona will have a chance to taste some of Catalonia's most innovative and tasty brews in the northern city of Olot. The packed programme will also feature plenty of musical performances, local gastronomy, and workshops.

MNAC Open House Day | April 12 | Museum | National Art Musuem of Catalonia, Barcelona

This weekend, Catalonia's most splendid collection of art, MNAC, invites you to explore its halls and collections completely free. As well as visits, the museum is organizing various creative workshops, including photography, cyanotype, music and dance, and play areas for kids too.   

Fango Club | April 12 | Live music | Plaça Monumental 

Looking to dance? In a family-friendly environment? Fango club returns for another year, with the first session of the season fusing rumba and electronica to pay homage to the new spring air. Kids are welcome all day, but the Fango Kids party starts at 12, while the main event, Fango Club, kicks off at 3 pm and lasts until 11 at night.  

The Enchanted Forest | April 12-13 | Free family-friendly cinema | CCCB, Barcelona

The Enchanted Forest is a magical programme where shapes and colours intertwine with trees, leaves crunch underfoot and all manner of wild animals scurry around, inviting us to observe their mysteries and marvels. We will see a varied selection of films by artists that take us into the depths of the forest. We’ll learn about biodiversity, ecosystem balance and the importance of looking after our surroundings, and the teachings of ancestral cultures that invite us to live in harmony with the earth and to recognise our deep-seated connection with nature. 

Flea markets | April 11-13 | Markets | Various locations

This weekend sees a variable feast of markets to find your treasure in another man's trash. April 11-13 there's the Sarrià Market in Torre Amat; April 12 Viva Vintage, in Carrer Buenaventura Muñoz, 6; April 12-13 La Petite Parade, Carrer Corretger, 5; April 13 Tot a 5 Euros, Carrer Llull, 68; April 13 Sants Flea, Las Cotxeres de Sants.

Record Store Day | April 12 | Music shopping | Various stores

The annual event celebrating independent record store culture and the art of vinyl returns this Saturday. Every year, hundreds of artists and record labels join the cause by releasing albums in exclusive editions for the occasion. Check out all the stores participating in Barcelona, in Girona, in Tarragona, and in Lleida in the links provided.

Mercat del Ram | April 11-13 | Market | Vic

The Mercat del Ram de Vic is one of the most emblematic and traditional events in the city of Vic and the Osona region. More than a fair, it is the meeting point where tradition and innovation combine to project the future of the primary sector. A total of 18 different pizzerias will offer their pies in the Tarraco Arena. 

Pizza Combat | April 13 | Food fair | Tarragona

The ultimate pizza battle in southern Catalonia will see one pizzeria proclaimed as the people's favourite. The event reaches its conclusion this weekend in Tarragona before continuing its tour through more than 15 cities. 

'Chris Ware. Drawing is Thinking' | April 3-November 9 | Exhibition | CCCB, Barcelona

Chris Ware will be present at the Comic Barcelona as he was in the city this week for the launch of the new exhibition on his work at the CCCB. The retrospective reviews the work and reflections of an author whose work has the power to move so many people as they touch on themes of human existence in great depth.

'Uncertain Times. Interwar Germany' | April 2-July 20 | Exhibition | CaixaForum Barcelona

To understand how the Second World War happened, one has to consider the Weimar Republic, the German state that existed in the interwar years. A new exhibition in the CaixaForum in Barcelona transports visitors to that fervent period of history, explaining the cultural and intellectual boom of the time, and how it foreshadowed one of the darkest periods of human history. 

 

Sean Scully exhibition | March 14 - July 6 | Art exhibition | La Pedrera, Casa Milà 

Antoni Gaudí's 'La Pedrera' building on Passeig de Gràcia is hosting “Sean Scully”, the most complete retrospective exhibition of works by one of the most important contemporary exponents of abstract art. Featuring over 60 pieces, this exhibition gives visitors a unique view of the Dublin-born US-based artist’s career, from his more figurative beginnings to his more recent creations. It explores his paintings, sculptures, drawings and photos, in which colour blocks, lines and textures convey deep emotions and forge unique bonds with the viewer.

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.

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.

Essència Palau | March 22 - June 22 | Guided Tour | Palau de la Música Catalana

The Palau de la Música Catalana music hall invites visitors to rediscover its architectural splendor through a unique guided tour: Essència Palau.  The tour engages sight, touch, but most importantly smell. Developed in collaboration with Eurofragance, the tour features a collection of fragrances that resemble the ambiance of the early 20th century, allowing visitors to connect with the building's history and symbolism on another level. 

‘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.

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.

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. 

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.