Barcelona is getting ready to celebrate the most magical and family-filled time of the year. It all begins with the Christmas lights switch-on, a multidisciplinary show full of surprises that you won’t want to miss. From a light installation in Plaça de Sant Jaume and the Barcelona Christmas Festival in Plaça de Catalunya to New Year’s Eve and Three Kings’ Day, the city will shine brighter than ever.

The official switch-on, on 22 November, will transform the ten districts with festive light and colour (in the picture,an image from last year’s). This year’s event takes place on Passeig de Gràcia, where the streets will burst into light during a special show produced by Brava Arts and directed by Pep Anton Gómez. The twenty-minute performance combines music, light, visual effects and community participation to mark the moment when the city dresses for Christmas. It will feature the debut of Un cor que batega (“A Beating Heart”), Barcelona’s new Christmas carol, performed by a choir representing all ten districts.

Once the show concludes, a scenic mechanism will trigger the illumination of the avenue and connect, via screens, to other iconic streets where the “designer lights” will also turn on—Plaça de Catalunya, Via Laietana, Carrer d’Aragó, Gran Via and Passeig de Sant Joan. This year’s designs, by Ester Pujol (Nahtrang Studio), Marta Cerdà, ARTEC Light Studio, Antoni Pallejà Office, Estudi SMLXL + MA–MA, and Brosmind, include creations ranging from serene candle landscapes to flocks of birds forming glowing hearts.

A map on the city’s Christmas website will guide you through routes to enjoy the festive lights, including emblematic shops, illuminated fountains, creative façades, and storefronts designed by local art and design schools.

From there, the tradition continues in the heart of the city, at Plaça de Sant Jaume, the symbolic centre of the festivities. From 22 November to 5 January, the square will host a captivating light and sound dialogue between the Palau de la Generalitat and Barcelona City Hall, beneath a fifteen-metre Christmas tree donated by Mercabarna and decorated by Michaela Shmidt.

From 13 December, you can also visit the traditional Nativity scene created by the Barcelona Nativity Scene Association, installed in the City Hall’s coach houses. With rivers, valleys, and slate rooftops, it evokes the mountain villages of the Pyrenees and features scenes such as the Annunciation, the Nativity, the journey of the Magi, and the Flight into Egypt. The Monastery of Pedralbes will also display a Nativity scene with two new dioramas dedicated to the Nativity and the Adoration of the Magi, on view from 12 December to 2 February.

For those seeking festive performance and creativity, head to Plaça de Catalunya for the Barcelona Christmas Festival, curated by Sergi Ots, from 20 to 30 December. Mornings will feature family-friendly activities, afternoons will bring circus and dance, evenings will offer concerts, and nights will close with spectacular musical theatre shows by Cor de Teatre, directed by Jordi Duran. Twenty theatre and dance companies (six international) and nine music groups will present 357 performances, including twenty premieres. This year, the festival will extend its magic across the city, with pop-up performances in various districts.

Music will also fill the season. On 29 December, the Orfeó Català will give its traditional Christmas concert in Plaça de Sant Jaume, while the winter edition of Sons de Ciutat will bring 45 concerts to venues across Barcelona from 12 December to 4 January, featuring artists such as Sebastià Gris, Ju, Marejada Salsa Project, Naila, Rumba Heritage, Las Bajas Pasiones, Xicu, and many others.

Another highlight is Cantagran 2025, dedicated this year to A la ciutat (“To the City”), an ode to urban humanity. This large-scale choral concert, performed by volunteers aged over 60 from across Barcelona, will take place at L’Auditori on 22 December.

The celebrations will culminate with the New Year’s Eve party on Avinguda de la Reina Maria Cristina, one of the city’s biggest festive gatherings. The night will open at 10 pm with a special show at the Magic Fountain, leading up to the midnight countdown. The renowned French company Groupe F returns, combining music, drones, audiovisual technology and fireworks in a unified performance, with Marc Parrot as musical and visual director. His proposal blends traditional sounds with futuristic soundscapes.

And, of course, the magic continues into 2026, with the arrival of the Three Kings’ Parade on 5 January, once again following its traditional route from Avinguda del Marquès de l’Argentera to Plaça d’Espanya and the Magic Fountain of Montjuïc. The parade, designed by Ramon de los Heros, José Menchero and Carles Berga, will feature new stage designs and contributions from local and international artists, blending tradition, street arts and technology. There is no maximum capacity and there are dedicated spaces for people with certified impairments.

In the days before, Nou Barris will host the Royal Camp and a show dedicated to King Balthasar, while at Fabra i Coats in Sant Andreu, you can once again visit the Three Kings’ Toy Factory.

This year, Barcelona has presented its candidacy to become the European Capital of Christmas, recognising festive projects that promote European cultural values. The city’s proposal reinforces inclusivity, reaching every district and blending classical traditions with avant-garde installations and performances. The goal: to make Barcelona a luminous urban landscape that connects neighbourhoods, commerce and heritage during the festive season.

For full details on all Christmas activities, visit the Barcelona Christmas website

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