Updated Oct 24 2023
The Fira de Santa Llúcia is a Christmas market that is set up every year around Barcelona Cathedral. Although it’s not the only fair or Christmas market in the city, it’s certainly the oldest, so it’s a tradition for locals and tourists spending Christmas in Barcelona to have a wander through its lively stalls.
All about the Fira de Santa Llúcia in Barcelona
When it originated, it was a fair that was organised to celebrate the feast day of Santa Llúcia on 13th December, but it’s now developed into a Christmas market that runs for three weeks. Depending on the year and how the dates fall, it starts at the end of November or the beginning of December, and ends on 23rd December, the day before Christmas Eve.
Open: 24th November 2023 – 23rd December 2023.
Monday to Friday: from 10:00 until 21:00.
Saturdays, holidays and the eve of holidays: from 10:00 to 21:00.
The best tourist cards for your Christmas holidays
Barcelona Pass
Barcelona Winter Card
The first references found about Barcelona’s Fira de Santa Llúcia date back to 1786. In spite of the fact that the fair has of course changed a lot since then, in that first year there are already records of stalls next to the Cathedral, selling mangers and figurines made of clay and paper.
The parishioners visited the stalls on their way out of the cathedral following services. During the 19th century they started to add other types of stalls, with dolls and other items for children.
What can you find in the Santa Llúcia fair?
There are around 300 stalls making up the Fira de Santa Llúcia, and they loosely divide up into those that sell items relating specifically to Christmas (decorations, trees, nativity scenes) and those that offer all sorts of gifts, the majority of which are hand made (jewellery, scarves, puppets, etc).
Christmas trees
Moss
Mistletoe
Poinsettia
Christmas decorations
Pesebre
Crafts
Candies
We advise you wherever possible to walk through the stalls twice, once during the day and once at night. By doing this you’ll be able to enjoy the different atmosphere that the stalls have at different times of the day. Don’t forget to walk up to the neighbouring Plaça de Sant Jaume, where each year an original, and at times controversial, nativity scene is set up.
On one side of the Plaça Nova activities are usually organised for the youngest visitors, highlights of which include the Tió de Nadal (‘Christmas Log’), which involves the children hitting a log while they sing a traditional song, until the log releases presents for them.
Christmas Lights of Sant Pau
Includes the visit to the modernist site of Sant Pau
Until 14th January 2024
Photo gallery
Where is the Santa Llúcia Fair? Map and how to get there
Address
av. (avenue) de la Catedral and plaça (square) Nova, Barcelona.
Opening hours
The information can be found above.
Entry price
Free of charge.
How to get there?
Metro: Jaume I (line 4) and Liceu (line 3).
Buses: lines 47, 120, N8, N28, V15, V17 and hop-on hop-off bus tour Barcelona.
By foot: you can easily reach the Fira de Santa Llúcia by taking a short walk from anywhere within the Gothic Quarter.
Nearby places of interest
Barcelona Cathedral
Palau Moxó
Palau de la Generalitat
Plaça de Sant Jaume
Santa Caterina Market