What to do in November in Barcelona?
Finally, cooler weather is arriving to Barcelona. But as with every other month, there is still plenty to do and see around the city! It is a time for warmer drinks, sweaters and a wide range of festivities. With the amazing celebrations of Castanyada and Halloween, we move into November. This means that it is time for Cursa Jean Bouin, Black Friday, and various local festivities.
Our tips for activities and events in November in Barcelona
Holidays in November in Barcelona
Dia de Todos los Santos (All Saints’ Day)
The first day of November is famously known as All Saints’ Day, or Dia de Todos Los Santos. As a national public holiday, All Saints’ Day has its roots in Christian tradition and is known as the official day to honour the dead, and is closely tied to La Castanyada. In Spain, people put flowers on the graves of the loved ones that have passed and attend a church service in their honour. As a national public holiday, most shops will be closed. For those that are interested in knowing more about this day, one can visit the cemetery museum at Montjuïc to see the collection of funeral carriages.
Work in Barcelona! Job Fair
For those new to Barcelona or just looking for work, it is also worth checking out the Work In Barcelona! Job Fair, an excellent opportunity for job-seekers to network and connect with hiring companies.
Neighborhood Festivities in November in Barcelona
Festa Major del Clot - Camp de l’Arpa
This festivity organized by the neighbourhood ‘Clot’ and Camp de l’Arpa is celebrated in honour of Sant Martí. Sant Martí was one of the most loved saints during the Middle Ages. Numerous villages have been named after this Saint, which goes to show the level of popularity of this Saint in Catalonia. As with many other neighbourhood festivities around Barcelona, there will be human towers (castellers), a parade of giants (cercaviles) and a traditional fire run (correfoc).
Festa Major de la Verneda i Sant Martí
Taking place over the span of two weekends, the neighbourhood of La Verneda celebrates Festa Major de la Verneda I Sant Martí. Celebrations include the giants’ procession (cercavila gegantera), the human tower shows of the Castellers de Barcelona, the music procession and the final singing of Havaneres (cantada d’havaneres). The La Verneda neighbourhood is part of a village that dates back all the way to the 11th century. Up until the 1950’s, this was a rural neighbourhood. It transformed to the neighbourhood we know today through various town planning initiatives.
Festa Major de la Sagrera
The Sagrera neighbourhood originally was linked to the old village of Sant Martí de Provençals like La Verneda. However, today it is seen as part of the Sant Andreu district. The neighbourhood experienced a rapid transformation throughout the 20th century due to industrialization.
The reason for the celebration is the Christ the King festival (Festa del Crist Rei), which marks the end of the liturgical calendar and the beginning of the most important celebration in the Catholic Church – Advent. The celebration is therefore dedicated to Christ the King. Similar to other the festivities in the other neighbourhoods, the parish of Sagrera includes the procession of the giants (cercavila gegantera), a dance festival, and the fire run (correfoc) by the local devils’ group known as the ‘Colla del Drac I Diables de la Sagrera’.
Festa Major de Sant Andreu de Palomar
Finally, there’s the Festa Major de Sant Andreu de Palomar. Sant Andreu de Palomar is known as the historical centre of the Sant Andreu district. The neighbourhood stands out through its wide variety of hundred-year-old associations. The majority of these associations are very involved in the process of planning the cultural, recreational and sporting events of the Festa Major. The festivities start off with a festive ‘’explosion’’ that showcases the neighbourhood’s rich culture.
Included in this festive ‘’explosion’’ are the parade of the giants (cercavila gegantera), the group of trabucaires with their blunderbusses, the demons (diables), the dancers of the Esbart Maragall and the fire run (correfoc). On the first day, there is a procession around the neighbourhood (cercavila), which is followed by a parade with lights (passada lluïment) and traditional dances.
This festivity, similar to those in other neighbourhoods, is one that represents the rich culture of Catalonia. Therefore, one cannot miss out on joining in on these kinds of festivities!
Other Events in November in Barcelona
All Those Food Market
On the weekend of November 11 to 12th, the All Those Food Market will take place at Teatre Nacional de Catalunya! If you are a foodie, or if you’re just looking for something fun to do that November weekend, it is an amazing festival absolutely worth checking out. The festival highlights the best local and artisan foods in an atmosphere accompanied by fun music, and craft beers and wines. It is an excellent opportunity to not only taste some of the most delicious foods, but also meet food entrepreneurs and learn about street food proposals from some of Barcelona’s coolest restaurants.
This year, there are over 60 projects featured by local entrepreneurs. For example, there are the Japanese tapas from Brugarol, iconic dishes from Dos Pebrots, and unique raw dishes from La Tartarería. There are classics to check out as well, such as Bar Algería with original Barcelona-style tapas. There are also local artisans with ceramics, wooden cutting boards, and more. Of course, children are welcome to the festival as well, and there are a variety of fun activities for kids. With over 20,000 people coming last year, this year’s edition is highly anticipated to be an excellent weekend of food and fun!
Barcelona Jazz festival
The Barcelona Jazz Festival is the oldest musical event in the city with over 50 editions. This festival lights up the city’s sparkle with live music everywhere for several months! This year the festival is going through the end of December, so don’t miss out on attending one of the most astounding musical events! Musicians from all over the world join in on the festival and share many different types of jazz music. Aside from live performances, there are also lectures and master classes to attend. Some of the notable November concerts include, but are not limited to: the Joshua Redman group on November 2nd, and the Aaron Parks Quartet on November 13th.
Cursa Jean Bouin
The annual Jean Bouin run will take place on November 26th. As the oldest running race in Barcelona, this year is extra special, as it celebrates the 100th edition of the race, where around 15,000 runners will come together. The race is open to people of nearly all ages and experience levels, as there are a variety of race lengths and categories to choose from. One can register as a participant in the 6-8 weeks before the run online.
The race is named after the French athlete, Jean Bouin, who held various world records between 1911 and 1913 and was the runner-up in the Stockholm Olympics of 1912. The first edition of the race took place in 1920. The Jean Bouin run was initiated by three journalists and sports promoters, passionate about athletics. Runners will run past some of Barcelona’s most beautiful locations, such as Parc de la Ciutadella, Arc de Triomf, the harbour and plaza Espanya.
World Press Photo
The 2023 World Press Photo Exhibition is on its worldwide tour, showcasing this year’s most impressionable and telling photographs. These photographs are selected by an independent jury that has reviewed over 60,448 photographs from 3,752 photographers. This amazing exhibition showcases the world we live in today through the most impressive photographs and is recommended to anyone interested in photography or simply the world around us. This year, the exhibition can be found from November 10th to through December 17th.
Other things to do in november in barcelona
Go Shopping On Black Friday
As in many other cities and countries nowadays, many Barcelona stores also participate in the traditionally American concept of “Black Friday,” the day after USA Thanksgiving marked by heavily discounted shopping. This year, that day falls on November 24th, and is the time of year is when most retailers start to see the most profit. Therefore, they possibly go from being ‘’in the red’’ to being ‘’in the black’’. The retail sector uses the term to indicate that prices of products will be reduced and that there will be good deals. For many people, ‘Black Friday’ is the day to go shopping for presents for all the upcoming festivities, including Christmas.
This day originates from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The police in Philadelphia started using the term ‘Black Friday’ as a way to refer to the heavy traffic the day after Thanksgiving. Twenty years later the phrase became more common and was used to represent the point of the year after Thanksgiving, when Christmas sales start.
Explore famous "tourism spots"
With November being a low season for tourism, now is one of the best times to visit some of Barcelona’s famous sites if you haven’t already – and without the burden of tourism crowds! While there are a million cool things to see and do in Barcelona, some of the city’s famous highlights include: popular museums, like the Picasso Museum, Antoni Gaudi’s Casa Batlló, Casa Mila (La Pedrera), Casa Vicens, Park Güell, and of course La Sagrada Familia.
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