Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
MUSIC FESTIVALS
AsidefromheadlineconcertsduringtheGeneralitat'ssummer-long
FestivaldeBarcelona
Grec
, the biggest annual music festivals are the techno, rock and indie showcase that is
Primavera Sound
(May) and the
Sónar
(June) electro bleep-fest. Singer-songwriters are
showcased every year at
BarnaSants
(Jan-March), while for jazz fans the main event is
the
Festival de Jazz
(Nov-Dec), as well as the jazz, blues and Latin-tinged
Festival de
Guitarra
(April-May). There's also Gràcia's experimental and electronic music festiv-
al, known as
LEM
(Oct). For more on all these music bashes, turn to the
“Festivals and
events”
chapter.
ESSENTIALS
What's on
Local listings magazines
Guía del Ocio
(
guiadelociobcn.com
) and
Time Out
Barcelona
(
timeout.cat
)
cover current openings, hours and club nights, and most bars,
cafés, boutiques and music stores carry flyers and free magazines containing news and re-
views.FortheBarcelona musicscene,checkoutthewebsites
atiza.com
and
conciertos-
barcelona.es
.
ForthelowdownongayandlesbiannightlifeinBarcelona,see
Gayandlesbian
Tickets
Ticketsformajorgigsareavailablefromthemain
ticketagencies
;
inaddition,there's
a concert ticket desk in the Pl. Catalunya FNAC store ( Catalunya), while the music shops
along c/dels Tallers (just off the Ramblas; Catalunya) also sell gig tickets.
Opening hours
Most bars stay open until 2am, or 3am at weekends, while clubs tend not to
openmuchbeforemidnightandstayopenuntil5am,orevenlateratweekends-fairenough,
as they've often barely got started by 3am. Unlike restaurants, bars and clubs generally stay
open throughout August.
Admission charges
Some clubs are free before a certain time, usually around midnight.
Otherwise, expect to pay €10-20 for club admission, though this usually includes your first
drink(ifthereisfreeentry,don'tbesurprisedtofindthatthere'saminimumdrinkschargeof
anything up to €10). Tickets for gigs run from €20 to €50, depending on the act, though there
arecheapergigs(€5-20)almosteverynightoftheyearatavarietyofsmaller clubsandbars.
THE RAMBLAS
BARS
Boadas Cocktails
c/dels Tallers 1 933 189 592,
boadascocktails.com
;
Catalunya;
drinksforawell-dressedcrowdagainstanArtDecobackground.It'satimelessplacethat'sa
