Museum night, LGBTI Party and Tapas tour: what's on this weekend in Barcelona and Catalonia

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.

Museum Night | May 18 | Open day | Various museums in Barcelona 

There’s a new edition of Museum Night on Saturday, 18 May, an evening with over 170 free activities at 87 museum spaces in Barcelona and the metropolitan municipalities are open outside their usual hours, most of them from 7 pm to 1 am, and offer the chance of visiting their exhibitions for free, along with extra activities such as workshops, concerts, recitals, mapping and guided tours. 

Michael's Legacy | May 15-26 | Music show | Teatre Poliorama, Barcelona 

Michael's Legacy is a large-format show for people of all ages that offers the show concept that Michael Jackson, 'the King of Pop', possessed on his tours, with live music and vocals. The show features exact replicas of original songs, eight dancers and four musicians transmitting the messages Michael Jackson conveyed in each of his performances. 

LGBTI Centre Party | May 18 | Celebration | Plaça Catalunya square, Barcelona 

The Barcelona LGBTI Centre is holding their annual party on Saturday May 18 for their fifth anniversary and as part of the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia. The program contains music, art and the assertion of rights and demands. 

The program begins in the morning at the LGBTI Centre in Carrer Comte Borrell street for families and others, in the afternoon the festivities move to Plaça Catalunya square, with a large stage hosting musical performances. 

Hotel Tapa Tour | May 16-26 | Tapas tour | Barcelona 

From May 16-26, the gastronomic festival, Hotel Tapa Tour, invites people to enjoy a bite to eat in fancy settings, sampling innovative and high quality tapas inspired by the most iconic dishes served at the participating hotels. 

Without a reservation, people can walk in and pay between €9 to €14 for a tapa with a drink accompanying the food in 12 hotels in Barcelona. 

The Champions Burger | May 15-26 | Food festival | Fira de Barcelona 

The best burgers in Spain will compete at the Fira de Barcelona exhibition hall during the 5th edition of The Champions Burger from May 15 to 26. For 12 days, visitors have the opportunity to choose their top two burgers from more than 25 restaurants, who will offer a variety of original and innovative proposals. 

The event brings together the best burger food trucks, letting visitors taste different types of gourmet burgers without having to travel to the restaurants located throughout the territory. From caramelized peanuts to chips as toppings, there is something for everyone to enjoy at the food festival. 

BCN Sup World Fest | May 17-19 | Paddle surf competition | Port Olímpic Barcelona 

A new international competition lands in Barcelona, celebrating the passion for the aquatic sport Stand Up Paddle. The competition is for professionals, kids, beginners and enthusiasts of the sport. 

56th Barcelona Polo Challenge – Negrita Cup | May 17-26 | Polo competition | Reial Club de Polo Barcelona 

One of the most important polo events in Spain returns for its 56th edition: the Barcelona Polo Challenge – Negrita Cup, taking place from May 17-26. Six teams will battle for the title over two weekends with three matches each day. The final will be held at 2:30pm on Sunday May 26. 

Nou Barris Festa Major | May 16-19 | Popular festivals | Nou Barris district, Barcelona 

The Festa Major in the Nou Barris district of Barcelona returns from May 16-19. There will be plenty of activities like dances, children's activities, sports, concerts, a gathering of giants, castellers human towers and free trips on the panoramic bus tours.

Miquel Guarro dessert | Until June 2 | Pop-up | Barcelona Mandarin Oriental hotel

Pastry baker Miquel Guarro presents his innovative cakes collection in an exclusive pop-up at Barcelona's Mandarin Oriental hotel until June 2. Guarro will offer his sweet creativity in what is his first solo-project after working on emblematic restaurants such as Dos Cielos or Hofmann.

Suu, Stay Homas and Els Amics de les Arts concerts | Until May 26 | Local festivities | Badalona

The Festes de Maig are the biggest event of the year in Badalona, just north of Barcelona, during the month of May different events and activities are scheduled, where the "Cremada del Dimoni" is the most anticipated moment for all citizens where a falla planted in the beach after a pyromusical festival. There will also be concerts by Catalan artists such as Suu, Stay Homas, and Els Amics de les Arts. 

On Saturday at 10 pm, there will be a drone and fireworks display show visible from the Pescadors beach in Badalona.

Bubble Planet | April 19 – August 31 | Immersive experience | Espai Immersa, La Plata quarter, Barcelona 

Bubble is an immersive experience where visitors will be surrounded by bubbles. The experience includes virtual reality technology, 11 themed rooms, fantastical landscapes and a hot air balloon flight simulator.  

With oversized bubbles, balloons, soap and more, visitors will have the opportunity to see the worlds in a different way in this bubbly universe. 

Suzanne Valadon. A modern epic | April 19-September 1 | Exhibition | MNAC, Barcelona 

Catalonia's National Art Museum (MNAC) is presenting French painter Suzanna Valadon's work and story for the first time in Spain. Starting on April 19 until September 1 visitors can see the exhibition, organized in collaboration with the Centre Pompidou-Metz and the Musée d'Arts de Nantes. The exhibition features a total of 109 works by Valadon and painters close to her, around 30 of which are exclusive to the Barcelona show. 

Cirque du Soleil's Alegria | Circus show | March 20 – May 19 | Hospitalet de Llobregat 

Cirque du Soleil, the world's largest producer of contemporary circus, has returned to Barcelona with its acclaimed show 'Alegria', following its previous successes in the city over a decade ago. After a makeover to attract new audiences while maintaining the essence of the original production, the two hours long show 'Alegria will premiere in Barcelona on March 21 and run for 80 performances until May 19. 'Alegria' premiered globally 30 years ago and has captivated more than 14 million viewers during its original 19-year tour.

Suburbia. Building the American Dream | Exhibition | March 20 – September 8 | CCCB (Barcelona) 

The museum CCCB in Barcelona presents the exhibition "Suburbia. Building the American Dream". It explores the cultural history of the American Dream by inviting visitors into the imaginary of the idyllic family home and analyses the model's controversies, such as the social, ethnic and gender segregation. Another part of the exhibition shows how the idea of the American Dream impacted Catalonia. The exhibition will run until September 8. 

Tim Burton's Labyrinth | Immersive exhibition | March 8 - June 16 | Barcelona

A new immersive exhibition into the mind of legendary American filmmaker Tim Burton has just landed in Barcelona. Famous for films such as Edward Scissorhands and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Burton's creative universe will be on display at the Palau de Victòria Eugènia in Montjuïc from March 8. The immersive experience consists of an hour-long labyrinth-like route that allows visitors to choose their own path through themed rooms filled with lights, music, projections, sculptures and meticulous details that bring Burton's cinematic gems to life. 

From the Border | Exhibition | March 13 - June 24 | Barcelona

As the world watches wars in Ukraine and Gaza, and with other less-reported but equally deadly conflicts in places like Myanmar and Sudan, borders have become more relevant than ever. A new exhibition, 'From the Border', which opens today at Barcelona's CaixaForum, explores the complexities of borders. The show features eight contemporary artworks that aim to demonstrate that we live in a world with more borders than ever: some physical, others invisible through politics, technology, or social discourse.

BarnaSants 2024 | Music Festival | January 26 - May 19 | Across Catalonia

Barnasants 2024, Barcelona's international singer-songwriter festival, will take place from January 26 to May 19. Since its creation in 1996, the festival has become the most important event of the genre. Featuring established icons and emerging talents alike, Barnasants invites you to experience the essence of singer-songwriter magic in various locations throughout Catalonia.

The Lost Mirror - Jews and "Conversos" in the Middle Ages | Exhibition | February 23 – May 26 | MNAC (Barcelona) 

A look at the relationship between Christians, Jews, and converts in the Middle Ages. The construction of identity, the definition of otherness, intolerance, and the power of images are the central themes. The exhibition portrays the view that Christians had of Jews and converts between 1285 and 1492 through almost seventy works of art.  

Revered and Feared: Feminine Power in Art and Beliefs | Exhibition | February 21 – June 16 | CaixaForum (Barcelona) 

Through sculptures, sacred objects, and works from all the world's continents, the exhibition takes museumgoers on a 5,000-year journey through different cultural expressions of female spiritual power around the world. The exhibition invites the visitor to reflect on the stereotypes of feminine power and femininity through more than 150 pieces, including the iconic figure of the ancient Egyptian deity Sekhmet, as well as works by Marina Abramović, Anna Mendieta, and Niki de Saint Phalle. 

Tàpies Year | Until December 2024 | Exhibition | Antoni Tàpies Foundation, Barcelona 

The Antoni Tàpies Foundation kicked off its Tàpies Year on December 13, marking the centenary of the celebrated Catalan artist's birth. Two new exhibitions opened at the museum in Barcelona. 'Tàpies: The Zen Imprint,' curated by Núria Homs, looks at how the artist incorporated Zen Buddhism into his work, while 'A=A, B=B,' curated by Pep Vidal, is based on a book of lectures on science and philosophy, 'A New Vision of the World,' that provided inspiration for many of Tàpies' works.

'Dinosaurs of Patagonia' | October 26 - June 2, 2024 | Exhibition | CosmoCaixa Science museum

From the gigantic 38-meter-long Patagotitan mayorum to the diminutive Manidens condorensis weighing just 1kg, dinosaurs from Patagonia have descended on Barcelona's CosmoCaixa science museum. 

Running until June 2, 2024, 'Dinosaurs of Patagonia' is a journey back in time from the Mesozoic Era to modern-day Patagonia in South America.  The star of the show is the 38-meter-long reproduction of the Patagotitan mayorum, the largest dinosaur known. Visitors will be able to walk between the dinosaur's legs and imagine what it would have been like to witness this giant reptile up close, one that could weigh up to 77 tonnes, equal to 14 African elephants. 

The remains of this titanosaur were found just 11 years ago in the Argentine province of Chubut, one of the most significant paleontological discoveries made in Patagonia this century.