The 1 January in Barcelona, or rather New Year’s Day, is surely one of those days when most people take the opportunity to spend time with family, at least as far as the traditional New Year’s meal is concerned. It’s equally true that many of those attending these family gatherings can’t wait for the celebration to end so they can escape, but… what can you actually do in Barcelona on 1 January?.
In this section of the website, we aim to offer interesting suggestions for everyone: for the people described in the first paragraph, for those who want to extend the family day and do something different, entertaining and/or fun, as well as for all the tourists who have managed to overcome their New Year’s Eve hangover and are eager to keep discovering the city.
The best ideas for enjoying New Year’s Day in Barcelona that are linked to the Christmas season
Christmas garden experience in Barcelona
Great Christmas light show
Recinte Modernista de Sant Pau
Open on 1 January
Ticket sales starting in November
Barcelona Three Kings Fair
Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes | section c/ Calabria (street) – c/ Muntaner (street)
Late-afternoon stroll to enjoy the Christmas atmosphere
Enjoy a stroll from 6:00 p.m. onwards (when the lights are switched on), whether in the city centre or in other neighbourhoods, to take in the Christmas lights and festive atmosphere.
Port Vell Christmas Fair in Barcelona
Christmas market that is less traditional than others in the city
See some of the most beautiful nativity scenes in Barcelona
Some places in Barcelona set up their own nativity scenes. A good idea for a day like 1 January is, as long as these places are open, to take a walk around Barcelona under the pretext of visiting some of these nativity scenes.
Exhibitions and cultural or leisure events to do on 1 January in Barcelona
Leonardo Versus Michelangelo
Immersive exhibition to enjoy a duel between two of the greatest Renaissance artists
8 rooms, including an immersive room, a virtual reality room in 360º VR format, and a virtual reality room in a virtual metaverse format.
Ideal Barcelona – Centre d’arts digitals
Antarctica Experience
Immersive experience to discover and live the Antarctic continent firsthand.
Created by Academy Award-winning director Luc Jacquet.
Arenas Shopping Center
Are museums and cultural or tourist attractions in Barcelona open on 1 January?
Many places closed: Most museums, exhibition and cultural centres, and tourist attractions in the city are closed on 1 January. In some cases, they open later than usual.
Tip: Before going to any museum or site you intend to visit, make sure it is open and, if so, whether it has altered its usual visiting hours.
Other suggestions for things to do on 1 January in Barcelona
Pop by one of Barcelona’s street churro shops
Visit the Bunkers del Carmel and enjoy the views of Barcelona
The Bunkers del Carmel always offer a spectacular view of Barcelona. A great way to start the year might be to climb to the top of Turó de la Rovira to appreciate the magnificence and beauty of this, our city.
Prat de Llobregat plane-spotting viewpoint
If you manage not to get up too late and the first day of the year dawns sunny, it can be very enjoyable to spend the morning of 1 January walking along the Delta del Llobregat canal, stopping to admire the impressive sight of planes landing, and continuing on until you reach the beach.
Take a walk through Ciutadella Park
A very enjoyable walk to take while waiting for the family meal is to stroll through Ciutadella Park, where you can also sail on the small pond with the little boats available.
How is New Year’s Day celebrated in Barcelona?
Morning of 1 January: The morning of the first day of the year in Barcelona, as well as in the rest of Catalonia and Spain, is very quiet, as people generally rest after staying up until at least midnight to celebrate the arrival of the new year. In fact, this is something that occurs in the vast majority of countries that follow the calendar or that have, in some way, adopted it for major festivities of this scale.
The first swim of the year: The bravest take part in the curious—and rather chilly—tradition of having the first swim of the year at 12:00 pm at San Sebastián Beach in Barcelona, an event that usually brings together hundreds of people eager to enjoy a fun dip. It is a tradition celebrated in many cities around the world and, in Barcelona, has been organised for over 20 years by the Club Natació Atlètic-Barceloneta.
New Year’s Day family meal: It is traditional for families to get together for a meal in order to celebrate the arrival of the new year with relatives they may not have been able to celebrate with on New Year’s Eve. In the past, this large meal was always held at a family member’s home, although nowadays it is very common for families who can afford it to celebrate in a restaurant.
Vienna New Year’s Concert: Watching the Vienna Philharmonic’s New Year’s Concert, held in the Golden Hall of the Musikverein, is a deeply rooted tradition. Even today, many people still do so, especially if they are having their New Year’s Day meal at home. Otherwise, many watch it later when they get back home.
New Year’s Concert in Barcelona In Barcelona, some venues and concert halls organise what is known as a New Year’s Concert, but it is not usually held on 1 January. In the case of the Gran Teatre del Liceu, in 2027 the New Year’s Concert will take place on 3 January.
A stroll around the Gran Via Three Kings’ Fair: After the family meal, many people take the opportunity to meet up with friends and/or go for a walk around the city centre. It is very common to wander among the stalls of the Barcelona Three Kings’ Fair and end up buying a few gifts ahead of the imminent celebration of Three Kings’ Day, which takes place on Epiphany (6 January).