How is Carnival celebrated in Barcelona?

The celebration of carnival is a very popular festival in some cities around the world, but what not everyone knows is that in Barcelona and its surroundings it is also an event that is celebrated with great enthusiasm every year.

This year 2023, the carnival starts on Thursday 16 February and ends on Wednesday 22 February, with the weekend being the two most popular days of the celebration.

The event begins on Thursday with the Arrival of the Carnival King, with his traditional entrance in an emblematic part of the city, historically the Passeig del Born. With his arrival, the first masked balls and masked balls began. he Barcelona Carnival King is always accompanied by his seven ambassadors, who symbolise the seven historic towns of the city: Horta, Sant Andreu, Sarrià, Gràcia, Sants, Les Corts and Sant Martí.

The beginning of Carnival, in turn, is known as Larder Thursday, or Fat Thursday in Catalonia, a day that revolves around gastronomy. Where, by tradition, fatty foods predominate. All Barcelonians, by tradition, include a tortilla sandwich and egg sausage in their menu on this day. If you want to celebrate Carnival well, it’s essential that you start by eating a typical butifarra!

Carnival is a very popular festival with children, so every Friday of Carnival, all the schools organise parades where pupils and teachers parade around in their best and funniest costumes, concluding with a small party and competition.

On Saturday afternoon in Barcelona there are all the costume parades, which are typical in the city’s neighbourhoods, as mentioned above, as ambassadors of the King of Carnival.

If you want to experience a different carnival and get to know the traditions of the famous city of Barcelona, visit Grums Hotel&Spa! Thanks to its excellent location you will be able to enjoy all the carnival events in Barcelona.