Looking for things to do in Barcelona at night?
Barcelona is one of those cities that truly comes alive at night. Whether you’re a barfly, a cultural connoisseur, or just like to dance the night away, there’s something for everyone here. This article is a comprehensive breakdown of things to do in Barcelona at night.
Table of Contents
Getting Down with Barcelona Nightlife
We’ll start with bars and clubs and move on to events, activities, and unique places to check out. So, stick with us until the end to find out exactly what goes down in this city after dark so you can explore some of the best things that Barcelona nightlife has to offer.
Great Nightlife Bars in Barcelona
When it comes to things to do in Barcelona at night, hitting the bars is probably your first port of call. So, after you are done with your late dinner (and all dinners in Barcelona are late dinners) hit up one of these bars. There are many great ones to choose from, but these ones are our favorites.
23 Robadors
23 Robadors is a bit of a hidden gem. It’s a lively, unknown, gritty, unique Flamenco bar hiding away in the heart of El Raval. From the outside, it looks like a place you should maybe avoid but, trust us, it’s totally worth visiting for one of the Flamenco shows they put on there.
Unlike the more touristy Flamenco shows in the city it doesn’t cost a fortune and, in our opinion, is so much more enjoyable. You get right up close and personal with the performers and you can really feel the passion they have for their art.
Craft Barcelona
Discover amazingly talented local musicians at their weekly open mic night. Upstairs is a typical bar (stocked with an exhaustive selection of craft beer, obviously) and downstairs in a windowless basement with a concave ceiling that resembles a wine cellar, you’ll find a small stage surrounded by tables and chairs. Craft Barcelona is everything you’d expect in a basement-style live music club.
They also host a weekly comedy open mic night if that’s more your style. Both events are great and get pretty busy early on in the evening so keep that in mind if you want a seat!
Pipa Club
A jazz club for purists, Pipa Club would please even the most hardcore jazz fan. It’s not your average bar, its speakeasy vibe makes it stand out from most other bars in Barcelona and what’s more, it’s actually a private members club which just adds to the experience.
Becoming a member is easy and can be done at the door. Once inside, you’ll come across chillout rooms and a live music area. We highly recommend you order something from their exotic cocktail list, you won’t regret it! If you’re looking for things to do in Barcelona at night and want to experience something different, Pipa Club is the place for you.
Creps al Born
You can’t talk about cocktails in Barcelona without mentioning Creps al Born, they make some of the best cocktails. It’s a small bar with a very friendly, kinda hipster, atmosphere.
The bar staff wear old-school leather aprons and make sure everyone is having a great time. They have a quirky tradition of swinging the big hanging ceiling lights above the bar backward and forwards when they get a tip and they’ll often shout something when they do it, it’s just one of the things that makes this bar so much fun.
Try the Solero cocktail!
Paradiso
Probably the most unique bar in Barcelona, and that’s saying something. This speakeasy-style bar at first glance appears to be nothing but a pastrami deli. However, walk inside, open the fridge (yes the refrigerator) and you’ll find a hidden door leading into a very stylish cocktail bar.
First-time visitors to Paradiso are always shocked when the hidden bar is revealed inside a fridge. It’s a little pricey, but we think it’s worth stopping by even if it’s just for one drink.
Nevermind.
Nevermind. (yes there is a period at the end of the name) is an alternative bar for an alternative crowd. It has a working skate bowl inside where you can take your drinks and sit around the edge watching people skate while listening to rock music being played over the speakers.
It’s found in the heart of El Raval and as soon as you see it from the outside, you’ll get a feel for what you’re about to find inside. The door is covered in layers upon layers of graffiti and stickers.
Inside the bar, it’s very grungy and just what you’d expect from a rock bar. We love it because it’s so different, although we haven’t plucked up the courage to have a go down the skate ramp just yet…
La Sureña Maremagnum
€4 for 5 bottles of beer in a bucket of ice, right at the water’s edge looking out towards the luxury yacht port, need we say anymore?
La Sureña is actually a chain found all over Spain, and they have several bars in Barcelona, but it’s the one behind the Maremagnum shopping center that we love the most. Their terrace is right by the water so you can drink cheap, cold beer on a hot day and watch the boats sail into the port. If you’re feeling peckish, try the ‘lagrimas de pollo’, they’re not typically Spanish but we love them to snack on over a bucket of ice-cold beers.
Carabela
Carabela attracts a young crowd, is always busy and has good vibes. The bar basically consists of one large terrace so it’s easy to meet new people and make new friends there. It can be difficult to find somewhere to sit, especially in summer, but they have recently expanded into the premises next door so that does make it a little easier.
They have an excellent selection of cocktails and all the usual beers and wines, but one of our favorite things to order is the nachos. They come in a basket piled high with cheese, salsa, guacamole and jalapeños, seriously good after a few too many beers.
Belushi’s
If you’re looking for a good time on a budget, then Belushi’s is the place for you. A party hostel bar with cheap drinks, it’s another great place to meet people and make new friends. They often run special offers on drinks like happy hour, 2-for-1s and also have a discount loyalty card for regulars.
It’s often the starting point for bar crawls, so you know what you’re getting in a place like Belushi’s. They have a huge projector screen as well as multiple TVs placed around the bar, so it’s often packed out when major football games are being played (read: anytime Barcelona are playing).
Having a pool table also makes it stand out from other bars in the city since they aren’t as common as you would think.
Great Clubs in Barcelona
After you pre-game, it’s time to visit one of these clubs if you want to dance the night away. Keep in mind that Barcelona’s clubs don’t really get going till 1am or later, so plan on being out all night long.
Input
Input is a club for techno lovers located outside of the city center in Poble Espanyol. They are known for bringing big-name international techno DJs who lead the dance floor all night long.
Input probably has the best sound system of any club in Barcelona, so if heavy techno beats played by the best DJs on the best sound system sounds like fun to you, Input is the club you should be hitting.
The club is spread over 2 floors but no matter where you are you’ll have a direct line of sight to the DJ at all times. The whole club is designed to showcase the DJ, and it doesn’t disappoint.
Pacha
You’ll find more commercial music at Pacha than you would at Input, we understand that not everybody is into techno. Pacha is an excellent club with a great international reputation, it’s located right on the beach and if you walk out of the back exit you’ll find yourself on the sand.
Thanks to its location and reputation, it gets jam-packed and if you don’t arrive early expect to wait in a line that stretches all the way down the Passeig Maritim and can take hours to go down on a busy summer’s night.
Macarena
Macarena is a tiny club no bigger than a one bedroom apartment hidden in the alleyways of El Gótico. You could easily walk right past it without realizing it’s a club. It’s a simple setup inside, you have the DJ booth at one end, a bar at the other, a dance floor in the middle and the bathrooms upstairs.
It is one of the smallest clubs we’ve ever been to, but that’s what makes it so unique. It’s intimate and hot, but if you pick a night when they are hosting DJs you like, you won’t forget it in a hurry.
Opium
Opium is one of Pacha’s next-door neighbors and is everyone’s favorite, you can’t really go wrong suggesting Opium to people who are asking about things to do in Barcelona at night. It’s a great club, they play more commercial music which caters to all kinds of tastes.
Not only is it a club at night, but during the day they have a restaurant that serves really delicious food and has stunning views out over the beach and towards the sea. Try their sushi!
Otto Zutz
Otto Zutz is a massive club with 3 different dance floors. They play a variety of music, and each floor has a different theme. The club is particularly popular with tourists and has a very international clientele. It’s the kind of club worth visiting if you are with a large group and want to book a VIP table.
Sala Apolo
Every night of the week there is a different themed event in Sala Apolo from live bands to DJs. It’s a big venue that hosts club nights, concerts, comedy shows and everything in between. It’s located on the edge of the Poble Sec neighborhood, right on the corner of the main road called Avinguda del Paral·lel and a smaller street called Nou de la Rambla.
Be sure to check their website because you never know what kinds of events you’ll find happening here. On nights when a huge act is performing expect queues around the block.
La Terrrazza
Like Input, La Terrrazza is another great techno club located in Poble Espanyol. Poble Espanyol just seems to attract techno clubs for some reason. Unlike Input though, La Terrrazza is open-air and, as a result, has a totally different vibe. As opposed to being completely closed in with just the music to focus on, you can feel the breeze and see the stars from the dance floor.
They have designed and decorated the club well to make it feel as if you’re a million miles away from a busy city like Barcelona. It feels more as if you’re partying somewhere out in nature.
City Hall
City Hall is an underground club next to Plaza Catalunya. They have different DJs every night but always focus on house music. It’s less known to tourists and you’ll find mainly locals parting there. The club itself is actually in the location of the old city hall of Barcelona. When you walk in you’ll go down some stairs into the old basement where the club is.
There’s nothing fancy about City Hall as a club but it’s reasonably priced compared to other clubs in Barcelona, plays good music and is a great chance to make some new local friends.
Events and Activities at Night in Barcelona
For those of you looking to do something more relaxed in Barcelona at night, have a look at the following.
Magic Fountain of Montjuic
The magic fountain in Barcelona attracts a whopping 2.5 million people every year. The show makes use of lights, music and jets of water that puts other multimedia shows to shame. It is located next to Plaza España, just at the bottom of the stairs that lead up to the National Art Museum of Catalonia.
On days when the fountain show is running there usually are two time slots, but these change a lot depending on what time of year it is. You can check their website for an up-to-date timetable or you can book a tour for a small group tour on a luxury open top bus here.
Sala Montjuic
For one month every summer the Sala Montjuic team organizes a series of open-air movies that are shown in the grounds of the beautiful Montjuic Castle. This outdoor cinema is one of the best outdoor cinemas there is, the screen is enormous and, while you’re waiting for it to get dark, there is a live music concert.
You are welcome to take your own food and drinks, but if you’d prefer there are always several food trucks offering everything from burgers to vegan pizza. In recent years Ben and Jerry’s have sponsored some of the movie nights and given out free ice cream.
What more could you want?
Casa Batlló Magic Nights
During the summer months, Casa Batlló host open air concerts at night on the roof terrace of one of Barcelona’s most famous landmarks. You’ll get to enjoy a drink, listen to great music and take in the atmosphere of one of Gaudi’s most spectacular creations.
The event features a selection of different musicians each magic night from Spanish guitar players to tasteful pop and R&B music. It’s particularly great for families who are looking for things to do in Barcelona at night after an early dinner, children under 7 even go free.
Sunset Cruise
Ok, so this isn’t strictly a nighttime activity, but what better way to begin your night than on a boat cruising the coast and watching the sun go down?
There are plenty of options to choose from that range from private tours to more budget-friendly options, but whatever you choose will surely be an unforgettable experience.
Bunkers del Carmel
Watch the city lights from the best vantage point in Barcelona. The Bunkers del Carmel, or simply ‘the bunkers’, are where anti-aircraft guns were stationed during the Spanish Civil War, perfectly positioned with a view right over the city towards the sea.
It’s a fantastic place to go to watch the sunset, share a bottle of wine and watch as Barcelona slowly turns into a maze of bright lights, glowing tower blocks and brake lights.
It’s a popular place among locals and people in the know, not too many tourists get to hear about this magic spot.
Check out the Sagrada Familia
The Sagrada Familia is extremely impressive at night. The building is lit up beautifully from all angles emphasizing its unique and ornate design. You won’t be able to go inside, but just walking around the building and admiring Gaudi’s brilliance is one of our favorite things to do in Barcelona at night, especially when we are showing first-timers around the city.
Another advantage of visiting the Sagrada Familia at night is you’ll avoid the crowds and, as probably the biggest attraction in the city, that’s not something you get to do very often.
For something a bit unusual check out this nighttime guided vespa tour of Barcelona!
Final Thoughts on Barcelona Nightlife
The nightlife in this city is so varied that there’s something for everyone here. If you’re looking for things to do in Barcelona at night then hopefully this article has helped you out. There are so many more things to do than what we’ve just talked about. So much so that, even if you have lived here your entire life, you probably wouldn’t know about everything.
If you know about any more awesome things to do in Barcelona at night, then let us know by leaving us a comment below!
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