Gay Barcelona Travel Guide & Map 2020

Upcoming Events in Barcelona

|  23 April 2021
Sant Jordi's Day: an important feast in Catalonia with men giving women roses and women giving men books. This goes back to the legend of Saint George (Sant Jordi in Catalan) and to the Spanish writer Cervantes who had died on a 23rd of April. Hence, this day is also known as The Day of the Rose and The Day of the Book and the streets in Barcelona are filled with countless stalls selling roses and books.
|  17 – 19 June 2021
Sónar 2021: international festival of advanced music and new media art – one of the most important annual festivals for pioneering electronic dance music.
-›  sonar.es
-›  facebook.com/SonarFestival
|  23 – 24 June 2021
Sant Joan: the Saint John's Day is one of the most popular feast days in Catalonia, with bonfires and lots of firecrackers, music, dancing and food in the streets and along the beaches in the night before the 24th of June.
|  28 June – 1 July 2021
MWC Barcelona 2021: huge annual gathering and showcase of the mobile industry, with fair, conference and many special events. (Formerly Mobile World Congress.)
Not surprisingly, also some of the gayest days in Barcelona each year.
-›  mwcbarcelona.com
|  11 September 2021
Diada Nacional de Catalunya 2021: National Day of Catalonia with concerts, demonstrations and celebration events in Barcelona.
-›  Historical background
|  17 – 19 September 2021
Panteresports 2021: annual international multi-sport tournament for gays, lesbians and friends. Hosted by the Barcelona sports club Panteres Grogues.
-›  panteresports.panteresgrogues.org
-›  facebook.com/panteresports.bcn

Accommodation Tip

Barcelona, Ako Suites Hotel
Hotel. ****, from 90 €
Stylish hotel with modern apartments for up to 4 persons. Located in the heart of the Eixample, only 5 minutes to most gay bars.
@ C. de la Diputació 195
Barcelona 08011
Metro, Bus: Universitat

About Barcelona and its gay life

For gay travellers Barcelona has been one of the favourite destinations in Europe for the last twenty years. The city has this perfect combination of a warm Mediterranean climate, beaches within and close to the city, mountains in the hinterland and the culture, nightlife, sights and infrastructure of an European metropolis.

Among the things that make Barcelona unique are the many fine examples of Catalan Art Nouveau architecture (Modernisme Català). Barcelona is also a good place to enjoy the modern design that had bloomed after the death of dictator Franco.

As you can see on our gay maps, the center of Barcelona's gay scene is in the Eixample district (sometimes called the ›Gayxample‹ neighborhood, or ›Gaixample‹ in Catalan) with most of the gay bars, hotels, restaurants and shops in Barcelona.

Annual highlights and queer events in Barcelona are the bears meeting over Easter, Barcelona Gay Pride in June/July and the Circuit Festival party weeks in August.

Barcelona gay couple at the beach

For a day at the beach you can go by car or train from Barcelona to the nearby town of Sitges which is quite popular with gay men, especially in August.

But there are also some beaches within Barcelona: Platja de Sant Sebastià at the end of the Barceloneta quarter with a popular, mixed and clothing-optional beach at its right side and a bit further north Platja de la Mar Bella with a clothing-optional section that is also quite popular with gays.