EVENT CALENDAR

For a week in May, Barcelona celebrates the written word with a series of events and workshops dedicated to poetry. Bus windows and tube carriages are covered in verse, while poetry readings, lectures and workshops take place across the city.

Mesmerising strums and plucks ripple through Barcelona's large concert halls and intimate bars during the city's annual Guitar Festival. The programme never disappoints, with its mix of master musicians and groups from both Spain and abroad.

The 2012 festival features concerts by an eclectic line-up of artists ranging from Judy Collins, Jorge Drexler and The Waterboys to The Mothers of Invention and Marky Ramone.

Barcelona's Parc del Fòrum hosts the massive five-day, open-air Primavera Sound Festival, where top rock bands, DJs and leftfield acts get everyone's hands in the air. There's no camping, so festival-goers retreat to hotels when they're all danced out.

Topping the bill in 2011 are The Flaming Lips, Sufjan Stevens and Animal Collective. This year the main event is bookended on Wednesday and Sunday by shows at Poble Espanyol featuring Echo & the Bunnymen and Mercury Rev.

Bike Show BCN encompasses all kinds of pedal power from dirt track racing and BMX Freestyling, to less conventional one-wheeled monocycles and four-wheeled cyclekarts. Bike enthusiasts gather in Barcelona's Parc del Fòrum for two days of competitions, exhibitions and shows.

SÓNAR is Barcelona's wildly popular International Festival of Advanced Music and Multimedia. Music lovers descend on the Catalonian capital to see exhibitions at the MACBA and CCCB by day, and rave at dance parties in Calle Botánica by night. SÓNAR started in 1993 and is a highlight on the calendar of dance music conferences, the perfect place for industry professionals to meet, greet and party. No soggy tents, no muddy fields, no portable toilets - SÓNAR is a thoroughly urban festival.

Sónar by Day is held in the Centre of Contemporary Culture, CCCB, and the Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona (MACBA). A plethora of concerts, audio-visual screenings, exhibitions and conferences include SonarVillage, SonarLab, SonarComplex and Sonarama - showcases from the worlds of electro, hip-hop, electronic pop, post rock, digital concretism and experimental jazz music.

Sónar by Night is when the party really gets going, in the event's pub, club and park, all situated in Calle Botánica. As dawn breaks over the city, with the last of the evening's anthems ringing in your ears, head for the beach, where little groups of tired-but-happy clubbers wind down as the sun comes up, before heading home for a few hours' sleep.

Every year St John's Day (Sant Joan) is celebrated throughout Spain with an explosion of bonfires, fireworks, concerts and dances. Catalonians celebrate in their idiosyncratic way and Barcelona is one of the most spectacular places to join in the fun.

The fiesta takes place the night before Saint John's Day, which coincides with the summer solstice. Old furniture is bundled onto bonfires in the villages and towns throughout Catalonia, the fire acting as a purifier and curative element. At first, this was a rite celebrated in main village squares, bringing everyone together round the fire. Nowadays fireworks are also an integral part, particularly in the various city districts of Barcelona.

For the past 50 years or so in Catalonia, the flama del Canigó (Canigó flame - an emblematic mountain in the Pyrenees) has been part of the celebration. From the top of this mountain, the flames spread throughout the region as fires are lit in each community. The flame has contributed to a new vision of the celebration and signifies Catalan unity and identity.

The most enjoyable part of the Noche de Sant Joan are the verbenas (open-air celebrations) that last from sunset on 23 June to sunrise on 24 June.

Bike Show BCN encompasses all kinds of pedal power from dirt track racing and BMX Freestyling, to less conventional one-wheeled monocycles and four-wheeled cyclekarts. Bike enthusiasts gather in Barcelona's Parc del Fòrum for two days of competitions, exhibitions and shows.

The Dies de Danza Festival brings its dance presentations and workshops to the streets of Barcelona. During the event public buildings, parks, streets and squares are transformed into performance spaces for professional acts.

The festival is an important thread of Barcelona's summer arts extravaganza, the Barcelona Grec Festival. The programme features performances by local Catalonian talent and acts from around the world. There is also a parallel series of workshops, where budding dancers can learn from professional choreographers.

The Grec Barcelona Festival, commonly known as just the "Grec Festival", is Barcelona's summer arts extravaganza and the season's most important cultural event. City venues, including the Teatre Grec and the Fundació Joan Miró, host theatre, dance and music performances.

Following hot on the heels of the Sant Joan (St John's Day) Festival, the event injects theatre, dance and music into Barcelona life, with a strong focus on contemporary culture.

Grec started in 1976, when a group of thespians staged shows at the Greek amphitheatre on Mount Montjuic. Their initiative triggered the birth of a new theatre festival, which is now as inextricably linked to Barcelona's summers as the scorching heat.

The Barcelona neighbourhood of Gràcia hits the streets on 15 August to celebrate the Feast of the Assumption. The streets are filled with rainbow-coloured decorations and floral art. Live music and street entertainment kick-off the week-long Gràcia Festa Major celebrations.

The Spanish term coined to describe the flower decorations is arte festivo éfimero, which refers to the art's ephemeral quality. The people of Gràcia are particularly noted for their efforts and you won't see a better example anywhere in Catalonia.

As well as street garlands, there are orchestras, games, theatre, music, dance and other activities, which turn the district into one big party.

The Sants Festa Major takes place on and around the Carrer de Sants street in Barelona's Montjuïc district. Twelve main streets host parties and activities. When night falls, the celebrations feature music, parades and a "dance of the giants".

Festivals & Heritage

Catalonians celebrate their National Day with concerts, demonstrations and parades throughout Barcelona. Locals proudly hang red-and-yellow-striped Catalonian flags from their balconies and floral offerings are laid by the Rafael Casanova and Josep Moragues monuments in Ciutadella Park.

The BAM Festival (Barcelona Acciò Musical) of music is an important part of the city's lively Mercé celebrations. A mixed programme of European bands and dance acts perform at mostly outdoor locations throughout the Catalan capital.

Catalonian vintners exhibit their finest cavas and wines at the Catalan Wine and Cava Show, held in front of the Maremagnum building in the port area of Barcelona. Savour the Alt Penedés rosés and red wines from the Priorat area.

Barcelona's September fiesta honours the city's patroness, La Mercè (Virgin of Mercy). La Mercè Festival, dating back to 1902, bids farewell to summer and ushers in autumn with concerts, open-air dancing, fireworks, human towers, parades and spectacular costumes.
Events take place day and night. Particularly spectacular is the Carrefoc, a midnight train of dragons, eagles and devils accompanied by fireworks. During the day, crowds pour into the streets of the Old Quarter to witness the red-and-blue costumed teams of castellers, who try to build the tallest human tower possible.

Throughout the week catch street theatre, circus acts and the Sardana, Catalonia's idiosyncratic traditional dance. Be sure not to miss out on this splendid array of Catalan culture.

The annual Asia Festival showcases Asian culture with a variety of performances around Barcelona. Concerts, exhibitions, demonstrations and street theatre represent the diversity of the continent at venues including the Plaça Reial, Plaça des Àngels and the Biblioteca de Catalunya.

During Barcelona's Book Fair, stalls sell antique and second-hand books along the exquisite Passeig de Gràcia. Who knows, this could be the place to find that sought-after edition of Cervantes' Don Quixote. Foreign titles, comics and prints are also on sale.

Spain's major digital festival, ArtFutura delves into the world of new media, videogames and animation. The event annually brings cutting-edge design projects to major Spanish cities. The Barcelona leg is held at the Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona.

The festival spreads its tentacles across the country and internationally, with events also taking place on these dates in destinations including Bilbao, Bogotá, Buenos Aires, Madrid, Palma, Santiago de Chile, Tenerife and Valladolid.

In-Edit Beefeater is Barcelona's International Music Documentary and Film Festival. Films in the Official Selection give fans an insider's peek into the life of music legends. Prizes are awarded to the best national and international documentaries and the audience's favourite.

In 2011 the screenings take place at the Aribau Multicines cinema on Calle Aribau, next to the University of Barcelona.

The Barcelona International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival presents a programme of full-length features, shorts and documentaries, all addressing issues relating to today's homosexual community. Screenings take place at the Filmoteca de Catalunya.

The meetings, incentives, conferences and events (MICE) industry convenes at Fira Gran Via, Barcelona, for the EIBTM. Visitors can get advice from expert panellists, discuss industry trends, make and renew contacts and learn how to drive their business forward.

The Barcelona International Jazz Festival annually presents an eclectic line-up of performers at at venues across the city, including the Palau de la Musica Catalana and L'Auditori. Big band, bebop, gospel and Latin-jazz all feature on the programme.

In 2011, artists on the bill include the Neil Cowley Trio, the Pat Metheny Trio and Dave Holland & Pepe Habichuela.

The Contemporary Culture Centre of Barcelona takes its turn at hosting the World Press Photo exhibition. Regarded as the world's most important display of photojournalism, the award-winning shots appear at galleries and art centres in some 100 cities worldwide.
Each year an independent international jury selects winners from photographs submitted by photojournalists, agencies, newspapers and photographers from all over the world. A variety of competitive categories include news events, current affairs, sport, arts and entertainment, portraits and nature.

Expect the photos to make shocking and poignant political statements, as well as offer up unexpected moments of beauty.

Dating from 1786, the Fira de Santa Llucia is a Christmas fair held every December outside Barcelona Cathedral. Around 300 market stalls sell seasonal goodies, while nativity scenes, musical parades and exhibitions add to the fun.

< A much-loved feature of this festival is the giant caga tió, a huge, smiley-faced "log". Much like a Mexican piñata, the caga tió drops out, or 'caga' ('craps'), presents when kids beat it with a stick.

The caga tió is a character in Catalan mythology relating to Christmas tradition and many families keep one in their homes during the festive season (small versions are on sale at the Fira de Santa Llucia's market).

The Cabalgata los Reyes Magos, or Procession of the Three Kings, is a popular Hispanic Christmas tradition. In Barcelona, crowds gather at the harbour steps of the Moll de Fusta to witness the glorious arrival of the regal trio.

The first sightings of the kings' boat are met with fireworks and a riotous cacophony of fog horns from a flotilla gathered in the port, while a 21-gun salute welcomes them to dry land. Then the colourful Procession of the Three Kings, led by the mayor and the metropolitan guard, heads towards the city centre past some of the city's major monuments, culminating at the floodlit fountain of Montjuïc.