August is the month of festivals in Barcelona; almost all the central districts of the city have their own. No matter which week you come to Barcelona, there will be a festival in one of the districts. But, festivals are not the only festivities that will liven up the city and make your stay filled with events in Barcelona.
Magic Fountain of Montjuic
All along the year, the Magic Fountain of Monjuic offers music and light shows some days of the week at night. Summer is the best moment to enjoy these shows thanks to the hot nights. Each week, there will be 20 min shows from Wednesday to Sunday and two sessions at 21:30 and 22:30. These shows attract 2.5 million visitors a year, music is different on each show so you can attend to several ones and still be surprised.
Tips: Head to the Magic fountain before sunset, find a good spot which is close to the fountain so that you can enjoy the sound system better.
Outdoor cinema at CCCB from the 6th to the 22nd August
Every Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays from the 6th to the 22nd August, the Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona opens its doors to everyone for free movies sessions. During 3 weeks, the CCB offers 9 movies sessions with short movies before them. Movies are coming from all over the world, from France, the United Kingdom, Kazakhstan, Germany, Greece, Japan, Spain, Ireland or the United States but there all are subtitled in Spanish. There are usually a lot of people so you should arrive in advance to be sure to have a seat.
Time: 22h
Sant Roc Festival from 11th to 16th of August
The Sant Roc Festival is the oldest one in the city, it is held since 1589, in honor to Saint Roch who is supposed to have protected the people of the neighborhood from the plague. It has been several years than the festival is organized by the Associació de Festes de la Plaça Nova. Most of the festivities take place on Plaça Nova with activities as the raising of the heraldic flag, the festival of the dog, the greasy pole which is an activity for children that exists since 1884, the Sardanas dances (Catalan circle dances), and last but not least, the meeting and dance of the Giants in the streets of the neighborhood.
Fiesta de Gracia 15th of August until 21th
One of the most important festivals of Barcelona, the Fiesta de Gràcia is awaited from both tourists and citizens of this wonderful city. It exists since 1817 but at the beginning, it was on 15th of May for Saint Isidore day in Gràcia that used to be a village of farmers. Today, during this festival, the streets of Gràcia district are decorated with the use of recycled elements. There will be artists playing live music in the streets until late at night and during the day, there will be street stalls selling food. Moreover, this festival is kids friendly as there will be activities organized for them as bumper cars for example. The week will be filled with activities as dance, sports, Castellers spectacles, theatre, expositions, Correfocs de diables, open-air cinema.
Fiesta Mayor de Sants 23rd to 30th of August
Just after the Fiesta de Gracia, the Sants district organizes its festival as well. Quite similar to the previous one, but not as impressive, this festival is very entertaining. It takes place around the 24th of August in honor of St. Bartholomew and lasts for more or less a week. Most of the festivities are during the weekend and you will be able to attend various activities like concerts, dance spectacles, or Correfocs de diables.
