Updated Nov 05 2025
Do you feel like discovering the best free things to do and activities in Barcelona? Well, although our city is not exactly cheap, fortunately it is very rich when it comes to a wide variety of free activities.
So, whatever your tastes and whether you get out of bed on the wrong or the right side, you are sure to find your ideal plan to visit and/or experience Barcelona for free in the best possible way.
The best suggestions, ideas and plans to visit Barcelona for free
The purpose of this article about free Barcelona is simply to select for you the best activities available in the city that will allow you to enjoy it without spending a single euro, as well as to offer you a series of ideas along those lines.
Visit Barcelona’s museums for free on Sunday
When exactly? A good number of Barcelona’s museums that open on Sundays offer free entry. However, this is usually only from 3 p.m. onwards, except on the first Sunday of each month.
Which museums offer free entry? These are usually publicly managed museums rather than private ones. To get a complete list of the museums you can visit for free on Sundays, we encourage you to check out our dedicated section, where you’ll find all the detailed information.
Open days in Barcelona
Taking advantage of certain public holidays or special dates, museums, monuments, and cultural and artistic centres in Barcelona organise open days that allow visitors to explore their facilities and collections for free.
Below, we provide a list of some of these special days when it is possible to visit several places of interest in Barcelona without spending a single euro.
Sant Jordi
Festival of the Book and the Rose
Streets and squares of Barcelona
23rd April
Free visits in Barcelona during Sant Jordi (comming soon)
Ou com Balla
Traditional festival
Cloisters of various churches and other venues
From 4th to 7th June 2026
From 27th to 30th May 2027
Free visits during the La Mercè, Santa Eulalia, and Diada festivals
During the celebration of the La Mercè Festival (24th September) and the Santa Eulalia Festivals (12th February), considered the city’s Winter Main Festival, several museums and cultural centres in Barcelona open their doors for free.
Some of the museums participating in this initiative organise only a single open day on the public holiday of these celebrations, while others, depending on the calendar each year, take the opportunity to extend the initiative to one or more additional days.
La Mercè Festival
Barcelona’s Main Festival
Streets and squares of Barcelona, especially in the city centre
24th September
Free visits during La Mercè (comming soon)
Santa Eulalia Festival in Barcelona
Barcelona’s Winter Main Festival
Neighbourhoods of Barcelona (focused on the Ciutat Vella district)
12th February
Free museums and open days for Santa Eulalia (comming soon)
Catalonia Day
Comming soon
National Day of Catalonia
Various venues in Barcelona
11th September
Centres d’exposition gratuits à Barcelone
In Barcelona, there are cultural and artistic centres that, depending on their nature, organise temporary exhibitions on a variety of themes, and whose visits are free every day they are open.
Much of the charm of these centres lies in the fact that, by hosting temporary exhibitions, they change every few months, allowing them to be visited two or three times a year.
Beyond the interest of the exhibitions themselves, simply seeing the interior of the building where they are displayed makes the visit worthwhile. This is because these are usually places of great historical and cultural value in the city.
Palau de la Virreina: Centre of Image
Temporary contemporary art exhibitions
Palau Robert
It always features 2 or 3 exhibitions on different themes
Santa Mónica Arts Centre
A former convent that is now used as an interdisciplinary centre for contemporary art
Barcelona Photographic Archive
Temporary photographic exhibitions related to the city of Barcelona
La Capella
A historic space belonging to the Barcelona Institute of Culture that hosts exhibitions by emerging artists
Street markets, flea markets and fairs in Barcelona
Access to most of Barcelona’s street markets and fairs is free, with notable exceptions such as All Those Food Market, Festivalet, Palo Market Fest, and a few other markets.
The catch with visiting some of the markets held in the streets and squares of the city, as well as in a few of its iconic locations, is that it’s almost impossible to leave without buying something. So if you don’t want to spend any money, it might not be the best suggestion :P.
Free theatre and music performances thanks to Barcelona Districte Cultural
What it’s about: Barcelona Districte Cultural is a cultural initiative aimed at bringing theatre, music, and other performing arts to all neighbourhoods of Barcelona, completely free of charge.
Reservation required: Although the tickets are free, it is essential to reserve them online in advance. In some cases, tickets sell out quickly, so don’t waste any time.
At various venues: Almost all the performances participating in Barcelona Districte Cultural can usually be seen at different venues (athenaeums, auditoriums, Barcelona Civic Centres, etc.), so we invite you to choose the one that best fits your preferred date and/or location.
Also for children: Several theatre performances are aimed at entertaining and delighting the little ones, making this an excellent plan for a family day out.
Concerts, leisure, culture, and traditions during Barcelona’s Main Festivals
During the main festivals of Barcelona’s various neighbourhoods, numerous free activities are organised, especially focusing on tradition and popular culture.
Thus, during the main festivals, it is possible to enjoy dances, concerts, “correfocs”, “gegants i capgrossos”, “diables”, and more.
Historically and architecturally significant buildings for free during 48H Open House Barcelona
Undoubtedly, 48H Open House Barcelona is one of the most anticipated and successful events of the year. It is the city’s architecture festival, and during the October weekend in which it takes place, several buildings and monuments of historical, cultural, and/or architectural interest are opened to the public for free through guided tours.
Many of the buildings participating in the event can only be accessed thanks to 48H Open House Barcelona, making it a unique opportunity to visit their interiors.
In many cases, the guided tours of these buildings are led by architects, allowing visitors to gain valuable insights at the end of each tour. In the case of relatively modern buildings, the architect who designed it is often the one conducting the tour, an aspect that undoubtedly adds significant value to the experience.
Several events that allow you to enjoy Barcelona for free
Museu Endins
Enjoying the parks and gardens of Barcelona
Tibidabo and Montjuïc
Both Montjuïc and Tibidabo are mountains in the city of Barcelona that host a number of points of interest, offering a perfect little getaway to escape the city’s noise without actually leaving it.
In addition to several parks and gardens, particularly abundant on Montjuïc, it is also possible to enjoy stunning viewpoints with breathtaking city views, various trails for hiking, museums (free on Sundays and/or on other specific days), and more.
Horta Labyrinth Park
Although access to Horta Labyrinth Park is ticketed, the entrance fee is almost negligible, as it is very affordable. Furthermore, to make it even more appealing to locals and tourists, visits are free on both Wednesdays and Sundays.
Other parks and gardens in Barcelona: If you feel like visiting one of the parks and gardens scattered across the city, we invite you to take a look at our two dedicated sections, where you’ll find both the most spectacular parks and the most beautiful gardens in Barcelona.
Free things to do in Barcelona with kids and as a family
Throughout this article, we have discussed numerous free activities that are ideal for doing with children. Still, if you are interested in more suggestions for enjoying a family day out, in our dedicated section on “things to do in Barcelona with kids“, you will find many more. Keep in mind, however, that several of them are paid activities.
Curious, charming, and/or surprising places in Barcelona for free
Prat Airport Plane Viewing Point
Historic Building of the University of Barcelona and its gardens
Free guided tours of historic buildings in Barcelona
One of the greatest charms of visiting a historic building or site in Barcelona is being able to do so through a guided tour. In several cases, it is even possible to do this for free.
It is therefore one of the best ways to learn about Barcelona’s history through the story of a building, as guided tour explanations usually provide context on the city’s historical and cultural period during its construction and subsequent changes in use.
Barcelona, an open-air museum
Barcelona, like any city with a long and rich history, is as close as one can get to an open-air museum.
For this reason, an excellent way to experience and discover the city completely for free is to explore it through a series of walks along its most iconic and historic streets and squares.
During these walks, we encourage you to look up and admire the beautiful façades with architectural and sculptural details that you may have overlooked before, and to get closer to the numerous urban sculptures that populate the entire city.
Streets and squares of interest in Barcelona
The best walks in Barcelona
If you enjoy walking, below we provide information on some of the best walks you can take through the different neighbourhoods and areas of the city.
It’s a great plan for not spending money, or at least not too much, since when you go for a walk you’re exposed to certain temptations—whether it’s the shops you pass by or the bars and cafés that will probably entice you to stop for a drink.
Other paid attractions in Barcelona that can sometimes be visited for free
Coming soon online