Halloween in Barcelona – a mixture of Catalan tradition and parties!

Halloween in Barcelona gets bigger every year. Lots of locals throw parties at home or attend one of the many Halloween-themed nights in the city’s bars and clubs. Dressing up for the occasion is almost compulsory – for one night the city is transformed as the streets of Barcelona are riddled with ghosts, witches and zombies.

You are pretty much guaranteed to have a great time if you choose to spend Halloween weekend in the Catalan capital. Here’s a sneaky peak at a few of the spookily exciting events that have been organised for this special occasion.

Don’t turn into a pumpkin when the clock strikes 12…

For those after a sophisticated evening, Halloween weekend offers the perfect opportunity to party with the VIPs as many of Barcelona’s most famous hotels host fabulous top-class parties.

On the other hand, if you’re looking to party into the early hours of the morning then you won’t be short of clubs and bars either. Shôko and Opium Mar are two clubs that are known to go all out for their Halloween beach parties.

If you fancy a more down-to-earth scene, why not try exploring areas popular with the locals? The vibrant neighbourhood of Gràcia is littered with small, quirky bars, and the dark narrow streets will be sure to add to the Halloween atmosphere. Whatever you choose this is the chance to have one of the best Halloween nights of your life!

Nocturna Halloween Festival 2013

The Nocturna Festival is a huge music festival that takes place every Halloween in the suburb of L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, on the outskirts of Barcelona. A ticket costs 20 euros and gives you entry to the entire festival, where you can see dozens of concerts. Nocturna Festival takes place on Thursday 31 October from 8pm to 6am the next morning. You can find out more information about the festival, (including programme details) and buy tickets from the official website.

Port Aventura

For you thrill seekers out there, Port Aventura, a large theme park just a few kilometres from Barcelona, goes out of its way to embrace the Halloween spirit. The park is decorated with an incredible 12,000 pumpkins and special Halloween shows are put on. If you’re in Barcelona with your kids that weekend, this would be a good option. For more information and to check out their special Halloween discounts visit their website.

Celebrating the Day of the Dead

The Mexican holiday the Day of the Dead’ (el Día de los Muertos) takes place two days after Halloween – on 2 November. Traditionally it’s a day dedicated to visiting the graves of families and friends. To keep the Mexican tradition alive in Barcelona, the Mexican committee of ‘Ruta de Altares’ organises a special route of different bars, shops and galleries where you can celebrate the evening Mexican-style. Huge Mexican meals are enjoyed with friends and family and it is a great way to celebrate Halloween in Barcelona while discovering more about this country’s culture. For more information check out the association’s blog.

Pan de Muerto

The Day of the Dead is also the only day of the year when you will be able to find Pan de Muerto (literally ‘bread of death’). It’s a type of brioche sprinkled with sugar and often flavoured with orange or sesame seeds.

If you’re not lucky enough to be in Barcelona (or Mexico!) on 2 November, you don’t have to miss out on this delicious delight – you can try making your own Pan de Muerto from wherever you are in the world!

La Castanyada

The Catalan tradition of La Castanyada, the ‘Chestnut Festival’ also takes place on 1 November. All over Catalonia you will find people gathering in the streets and buying hot chestnuts. Many confectioners organise tombolas where you can win sweetened fruit and Panellets, a Catalan specialty made from marzipan.

Get ready!

A) Fancy dress

Halloween wouldn’t be Halloween without fancy dress! If you’ve left your Dracula costume at home or you can no longer fit into your Batman suit, don’t panic – there are plenty of costume shops in Barcelona. The specialist shop Party Fiesta (2. C.C. La Maquinista Barcelona, 08030) is the perfect place to find an outfit or pick up a few accessories for your Halloween night out.

B) Make-up

Gòtic Maquillatges (Torrent de L’Olla 50 Barcelona, 08012) is a fantastic shop which has been decorating the faces of Barcelona since 1932. Their shelves are crammed full of powders, paints, masks, eyelashes and tattoos, to name a few – everything you’ll need to finesse your Halloween look. The friendly shop assistants are always happy to help and even give you a few pointers on how best to achieve your desired look!

C) Decorations

You can’t throw a Halloween party without some spooky decorations! Impress your friends with some fake spider webs or glowing pumpkins – Festa a Mida (Pintor Serra Santa, 8. Castelldefels, 08860) has it all. Just have a think about what kind of party you want and Festa a Mida will take care of it all – special decorations, personalised cakes, games…basically, everything you need to transform your flat into a real house of horror!

We hope you have a super Halloween in Barcelona! If you have any other good plans that you want to share or any questions about what’s going on in the city, jump in and leave us a comment below.

Have a frightfully good evening!