The Best Parties in Barcelona

Where to mix it up, Monday to Sunday…

By James Sinclair

Monday mash ups, summer booze cruises, VIP club nights, Sunday day festivals and electronic music nights… we take a look at the best weekly parties and events in the Catalan capital. There’s always something great going on in Barcelona, and this guide will make sure you don’t miss the boat… sometimes literally!

So you’ve read all about the best party districts and places to go out on our Barcelona nightlife article, and you’ve checked out our drink section for some top bar and club reviews… but there’s still one vital piece of the knowledge jigsaw missing. When to turn up!

As the Barcelona Life team are something of nightlife connoisseurs ourselves, we know that ‘when’ can be even more important than ‘where’, and that’s why we’ve compiled a short list of suggestions of hot parties to check out on each separate night of the week. We hope this party calendar helps you keep on top of all the drinking and dancing action in the city, and as always we welcome – and encourage – your comments below. Salud amigos!

Barcelona Weekly Party Calendar

Whatever the night of the week it is, there’s always something going on in this town, from club nights and pub crawls, to a booze cruise on the high seas courtesy of the legendary Barcelona boat party! Check below for some guaranteed great nights out…

Monday Night

Monday is a tricky night for fiesta lovers, as locals start their working week or get back to their studies. During summer there’s enough party-loving tourists in town to keep Port Olimpic’s bevy of clubs full to bursting, so you can always head down to the marina, while year-round there’s always something going on in Plaza Real. If you’re travelling solo, or in a small group, a good way to meet people is on a pub crawl.

Another option is to drop by Belushi’s Bar for their Erasmus Student Network night and beer pong tournament.

Mondays = fun days!

BEST MONDAY NIGHT OPTION: Belushi’s Erasmus Night

Tuesday Night

Every day is the weekend for young backpackers and travellers, and bar-heavy districts like Gotico and Born should have a nice buzz about them even on a Tuesday. Check our Bars section for some recommendations of cool places.

While it’s not a party, a nice way to meet people is this Cocktail Masterclass with Tapas. For €50 you get four cocktails (which you learn how to make yourself!), with tapas. It’s become very popular recently, thanks to its 5-star reviews on Get Your Guide, where you can also book the activity. Currently running at 5pm, 7pm and 9pm each night.

cocktail class barcelona

Shake it up at a hip cocktail class

BEST TUESDAY NIGHT OPTION: Cocktail Masterclass with Tapas

Wednesday Night

Wednesdays is a popular night to go out with both local and Erasmus students, and one cool party that regularly attracts a good crowd is AURA Silent Disco. Tickets cost just €12 (early bird) or €15 and include headset rental, so you can tune into house, hip-swinging 90s, reggaeton and party hits. Being a silent disco, you won’t have to shout to talk to anyone – just remove the headphones. The party normally takes place at Space Cowboy, a lively bar-restaurant in El Born, but sometimes moves to the rooftop of Hotel Ciutat. You can buy tickets via Xceed.

Meanwhile, one of Barcelona’s most hedonistic lifestyle brands organises an unpretentious rooftop wine tasting session, smartly dubbed Wine Not? Guests try out a total of 7 sensational local wines (Catalonia has 12 wine regions!) in good company, with epic views over the city rooftops. The evening typically ends with plenty of party spirit and sexy-silly dance moves. Runs every Weds to Sunday, and you can book via Stoke Travel.

Getting sloshed on a rooftop… welcome to Wednesdays in BCN!

BEST WEDNESDAY NIGHT OPTION: Wine Not?

Thursday Night

Thursdays are the start of the weekends in Barcelona and you should note a marked increase in the number of locals propping up bars around the city. Head to our “drinking” section for some great recommendations. For upmarket clubbing you could also try Sutton Club, which is usually packed with good-looking locals dressed to the nines.

During summer, Thursday is also the first day of the week that the Barcelona Booze Cruise launches onto the Mediterranean for a sunset sail….. with DJs, an Ibiza-style crowd and a dangerous amount of beer and sangria on board! Book your tickets early as they fly fast!

The legendary Barcelona boat party runs Thursday to Saturday during summer…

BEST THURSDAY NIGHT OPTION: The Original Boat Party (summer)

Friday Night

The weekend starts in earnest and every den in the Catalan capital will be heaving. Almost every bar in town will be open until 2 or 3am and serving drinks. After that it’s time to move your feet, and on Friday night every nightclub in the city will boast a packed dancefloor from 2am to sunrise.

It’s impossible to list them all here, but the likes of RazzmatazzPacha and La Terrazza will be bringing out the big guns when it comes to international DJ acts, whilst you might find live music at more sophisticated venues like Slow Barcelona, which also features DJs spinning more eclectic sounds.

The VIP Nightlife tour runs every Fri and Sat during summer

For a guaranteed great night out check out this Barcelona Life-endorsed VIP night tour, which runs every Friday and Saturday from April ’til October and finishes in the upmarket Opium Club on the beach at the Port Olimpic.

BEST FRIDAY NIGHT OPTION: VIP Party Tour

Saturday Night

Ditto Friday night. Everywhere around Plaza Real and the Port Olimpic will be heaving. Best to get to clubs a little before the locals to be in with a better chance of getting in, as the queues get nasty around 1am generally, depending on the venue. That’s another reason why we recommend the VIP Nightlife Tour, because it makes getting into Opium (arguably the best nightspot!) a breeze, and also includes several awesome venues for warming up, like Belushi’s Bar and Garage 442.

Cava and dance moves on the VIP Nightlife Tour

VIP Tables. If you don’t fancy signing up for the VIP Party Tour, but want to be sure of getting into your preferred club on a busy Saturday night, we can also help you reserve a VIP table at Opium, Pacha, CDLC, Shoko, Sutton or Bling Bling. Just send an email to info@barcelona-life.com with your dates, group size and preferred venue and we’ll get back to you with a quote. Typically each VIP table fits 5 people and requires a minimum spend of €300.

Chilling out in the VIP zone…

BEST SATURDAY NIGHT OPTION: VIP Party Tour

Sunday Night

The music never stops in Barcelona, and whilst parties on Sundays can be clandestine affairs, there are certainly a few big events to check out. The aforementioned Pacha and Opium will both be open at night time, and always draw a large crowd of tourists and internationals. Electronic music lovers meanwhile will enjoy the vibe at open air weekly festival Brunch In The Park which takes place on Montjuic mountain during the day during summer, and in Poble Espanyol during winter.

The Catamaran BBQ Party runs every Sunday, spring through to autumn

Finally, there’s also a chilled BBQ boat party for those that want to finish the weekend with a some sausages and beers in the sun, and a dip in the Mediterranean. It’s also a great way to mingle and meet new people.

BEST SUNDAY OPTIONS: BBQ Boat Party

Getting On The Guestlist

A lot of the more popular club nights operate a strict door policy – if your name ain’t down you ain’t coming in! Read our article about guestlists and free entry to Barcelona nightclubs to ensure your big night out doesn’t come to a premature end.

As we mentioned, a good option on Friday and Saturday nights is to sign up for the Barcelona Party Nights tour, which includes free VIP entry to Opium and takes the hassle out of having a great night, as well as introducing you to some like-minded hedonists!

VIP Tables. Or for more independence you can make a VIP table reservation at Opium, Pacha, CDLC, Shoko, Sutton or Bling Bling. Each club has a slightly different policy, but typical costs are from €250 to €350 per table for five people, with drinks included.

Just email us on info@barcelona-life.com with your dates, group size and preferred venue and we’ll get back to you with a quote.

Electronic Music: Party Promoters

Underground clubbers and/or electronic music lovers have plenty of options in Barcelona, and clubs like The Loft at Sala Razzmatazz (ie. the top floor of this five room club), Sala Apolo, Moog, and City Hall have beeps and blips aplenty. Some of the best parties however are thrown by passionate independent promoters keen to expose Barcelona to the most exciting trends in house, techno and electronica.

Other Great Events

Epic booze ups on a nightly basis are not the only things going on in the Catalan capital, so if you’re broadminded about your nocturnal entertainment you might want to keep an eye on our monthly event listings, whilst our list of top festivals and our guide to the city’s live music bars should also be of interest.

And if you fancy something a little more cultural how about checking out a flamenco concert? We’ve got the lowdown and can help you get affordable tickets.

Finally we list the 23 best things to do in Barcelona after dark right here.

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