New Year’s Eve in Barcelona

It’s the planet’s biggest party night and you can rest assured that Barcelona doesn’t disappoint when it comes to celebrating Noche Vieja (Spanish) or Cap d’Any (Catalan) in style.

Of course, this being Catalonia, we do it in our own special way. Keep reading, and by the end of the article you’ll be well on your way to having an unforgettable night!

Gathering near the Magic Fountain. (Photo credit Barcelona Turisme).

New Year’s Eve Traditions

Just as Catalonia has some of the weirdest Christmas customs in the world, we’ve also got several quirky regional traditions that make celebrating New Year’s Eve in Barcelona completely unique.

Grapes & Red Pants

The most famous is the eating of 12 grapes on the 12 strokes leading up to midnight, a practice popular throughout Spain. That’s one a second and harder than it sounds. They say if you can successfully cram all 12 pieces of fruit in your mouth in time with the chimes, and without spilling any, then you’re going to have a great upcoming year.

They say if you can successfully cram all 12 pieces of fruit in your mouth in time with the chimes, and without spilling any, then you’re going to have a great upcoming year.

Another tradition is that of wearing red underwear on the night… the origins of this one are unknown to us at Barcelona Life, but again it’s supposed to be lucky, and a good excuse to enquire about the intimate garments of any sexy-looking chic@s you meet on the night.

The only other essential tradition to abide by is to drink lots and lots of Cava… aka Spanish champagne.

A Family Affair

Another thing that is a bit different in Catalonia is that NYE is a bit more orientated towards the family than in many other parts of the world, at least up until midnight. Many locals will eat dinner first with their families and toast the New Year with Cava at midnight, before heading out to meet friends at bars and clubs in the early hours. That means many some late night spots start their parties after midnight, as the locals won’t be joining until a bit later. This is Barcelona remember so nothing will be shutting early and there’s no need to hurry!

Public Fireworks

Since 2013, the city has followed in the footsteps of mega-metropolises like London, Sydney and New York by throwing a massive public celebration, replete with music, midnight countdown, fireworks display, and even spectacular displays of Catalan cultural traditions like the amazing castellers (human towers). The action takes place by the Magic Fountain, just near Plaça Espanya and is always packed. It usually starts at 11pm, finishing at around 12:30am.

Two vloggers capture the public fireworks back in 2020.

Of course if you don’t fancy hanging out in the cold, or if you are not easily impressed by pyrotechnics, there will be plenty of pubs, bars and clubs throwing epic bashes that you can join (hint: you’ll find a list of the best below on this very page!), where many of the great Catalan New Year’s Eve traditions will be upheld.

Even if some locals don’t join in until later, the large number of resident foreigners, expats and travellers means every major venue will be heaving all night long.

New Year’s Eve Parties 2023/2024

Now you know the traditions, it’s time to track down the action… here are some of the best options to check out on the night. We’ve split them up into “shows” (which include both a meal and party), “dinners” (meals, which often then turn into a party!) and “parties” (classic booze-ups and dancing at a bar or a club). Here they are, in no particular order…

The metro runs all night, so don’t worry about staying out late.

New Year’s Eve Shows

Travellers hoping to experience an authentic slice of Spanish culture on the 31st, might consider this VIP flamenco show:

1. New Year’s Eve Dinner and Flamenco Show

SOLD OUT. However tickets are available for shows at Palau Dalmases.
For an evening of tradition and culture, there are few better ways to spend the 31st December than at a flamenco concert. Tablao Cordobes is arguably the best tablao in the city, and will throw open its doors for a night of Spanish passion and duende. Tickets are €220, and that price includes an extended flamenco show, unlimited drinks and a luxury menu that includes foie gras, oysters, Iberian ham, and roasted suckling pig. The party starts at 8:30pm and continues until 3am. Tickets are available via Get Your Guide! (If they have sold out, then you could try one of Barcelona’s other great flamenco venues, such as at Palau Dalmases).

BOOK FLAMENCO SHOW AT PALAU DALMASES

2. La Whiskeria

Start 2024 in timeless style, in this elegant whiskey bar which is throwing a glitzy, glamorous night full of surprises. A welcome cocktail, midnight Cava, delicious catering from their kitchen, and sexy Burlesque show are all included in the ticket price of €50, with a special couples package of just €85 for two. Click on the Events tab of their website, to reserve your tickets.

– New Year’s Eve Dinners

If taking advantage of Barcelona’s delicious dining scene is part of your NYE agenda, find a few tantalising options below, some of which are as much a party as a festive meal. For even more options, check out our full restaurant recommendations.

1. Gigi Von Tapas

Located near the impressive Monumental bullring, Gigi Von Tapas is a charming and innovative restaurant run by an experienced international team. On NYE, they will be serving up a four course menu, party pack, grapes and welcome cocktail included in the price of €83. More info on their website.

2. Firebug

Occupying a prime spot on the Passeig de Sant Joan, Firebug is a convivial two floor space famous for its cocktails and creative tapas. On the 31st, they will be dishing up a four course menu, together with party pack, grapes and welcome cocktail, for the price of €83. More info on their website.

3. Milk

The older sister of Gigi Von Tapas and Firebug, Milk has been a staple of the Barcelona dining and nightlife scene for as long as we can remember. To celebrate New Year’s they will also serve a four course menu, with party pack, grapes and welcome cocktail. More info on their website.

4. Cinderella New Year’s Eve Ball Drop

A recently-opened hotspot in the left of Eixample, Cinderella is throwing a ball this New Year’s and bringing a touch of New York glamour to Barcelona in the process. Three DJs, non-stop pica pica platters (a cool alternative to a sit down meal!), open top shelf bar (including premium spirits), seasonal cocktails / shooters, and midnight cava and grapes are all included in the €100 ticket. Amongst the appetising hors d’oeuvres being served are fried chicken and waffle bites, tuna poke and salmon tartare tacos, mini southwestern steak sandwiches and much more. Check out their website for full event details!

– NYE Parties

If none of the shows or dinners we recommended tickle your fancy, you can skip straight to the boozing and dancing with these epic events…

1. Poble Espanyol

The biggest New Year’s fiesta in Barcelona, Poble Espanyol’s El Fin del Año will welcome thousands of party-goers to celebrate the end of the year in three different zones of the wonderful Spanish Village on Montjuic hill, just 10 minutes walk from Plaça Espanya (in fact, as an added bonus you will be able to see the fireworks from where you are!).

Poble Espanyol’s Plaza Mayor (main square) will be fitted out with a large transparent glasshouse so people can party outdoors while still keeping warm, the grand Marquee will have a second stage set up, and for those that buy VIP tickets will also be able to enter the VIP zone, which will be set up in one of the top nightclubs that are situated in Poble Espanyol. Resident DJs will pump out party tunes from 10:30pm until 6am, and the price of €50 a ticket is very reasonable if you consider that you get 4 free drinks included in the price, as well as grapes and party pack. More info on their official website, where you can also buy tickets – best to grab them before prices go up!

VIP OPTIONS: VIP Tickets have everything included in the standard ticket – 4 free drinks, grapes, party pack etc – plus access to the VIP Zone and a complimentary cloakroom ticket. Cost €70 p.p., rising to €100 on the day. Buy your tickets on the official website.

2. Flaherty’s Irish Bar

For a full-on introduction to 2024, head down to Barcelona’s favourite Irish pub. It’s free to get in before 11pm, and for €10 you can buy party pack with cava and the traditional 12 midnight grapes. A good craic any time of year, for sure merry punters will be swilling Guinness and singing along to Auld Lang Syne! Head to their website for more info.

3. SLOW Barcelona

One of the city’s slickest cocktail bars, with a boutique club upstairs, Slow is a great bet for anyone looking for somewhere upmarket yet unpretentious to spend nochevieja . They will be throwing on an eclectic electronic music selection hosted by Glamour Freaks, together with Slow’s own resident DJs, until 7am in the morning (yep, they like to party at Slow!). They start “after the grapes” at 12:30, so this party is perfect for those who plan on eating out first, or seeing the fireworks. Tickets are available on their website and cost €25 with two mixed drinks, or four beers, included in the price (not bad!).

4. The Old Irish Pub

For a guaranteed good party in a fun-loving international pub, head down to The Old Irish Pub on the 31st. Their doors open at 9pm, and their DJ will be heating up the dancefloor with all the best music from 2023, as we head into 2024. Expect the drinks to flow and confetti to cover the dancefloor as the party rocks until 4am. You can buy tickets on the door for €20 and, if you arrive before 11:30pm, your ticket includes a free drink. To be sure of getting in, book your table in advance via their website.

5. Ice Barcelona and Furia Cocktail Bar

This year the world’s only Ice Bar on the beach is joining forces with Furia, one of the city’s best cocktail bars, to deliver a special nochevieja across two venues. DJing at Ice Bar are Hannaluyah and Simon Boulin, playing classic house, while at Furia you can boogie to world hits spun by Diego Medina. Tickets will go on sale soon on the Summerrockz website.

6. NYE Sparkle Party at the George Payne

Always a reliable choice for the big occasion, the George Payne is a behemoth of a boozer that always attracts an up-for-it crowd, and with DJs spinning party anthems until the early morning, this is a great place to see in the New Year with a pint of Guinness, or your whatever your preferred poison is. The party starts at 8pm, has free entry, giveaways and grapes. More details on their website.

7. NYE Big Bash at Belushi’s Bar

This fun-lovin’ bar throws opens its door to all comers on the 31st, and is a favourite with travellers, international students and party animals. With live entertainment, including DJs spinning the best of the year’s tunes, and grapes and cotillones for midnight, you’ve got everything you need to welcome in 2024. Plus entry is free! The party lasts until 2am, after which you can do the sensible thing… or head deeper into the night elsewhere. Get in touch with Belushi’s if you fancy a VIP package!

8. CocoVail Beer Hall

Barcelona’s only American-style beer hall will be throwing open its doors to New Year’s revellers, without any of the seasonal mark up that often accompanies the occasion. With no door fee, their concept is just to have a casual evening, like a house party vibe with friends. You can’t say fairer than that really, just be sure to get down early to ensure there’s room at the inn. The beers flow until 3am. More details on their website.

9. Pacha

The global clubbing superbrand opened in Barcelona a few years back, and occupies an enviable location on the Port Olimpic, right next to Opium and Ice Barcelona (see above). An awesome interior, beach terrace and lots of wild pretty things bumping and grinding on the dancefloor make Pacha one of the city’s most sought-after locales for NYE 2023 / 2024. DJs play funky house, r’n’b and hip hop, so get ready to shake your hips.

10. Opium

If glitz and glamour is what you’re looking for on the 31st then look no further than Barcelona’s most famous club, Opium, a trendy temple of hedonism overlooking Barceloneta beach. A huge dancefloor, awesome terrace and several VIP areas, this is the place to party with the city’s beautiful people, with DJs spinning sexy and soulful R’n’B and hip hop until 6am.

11. Razzmatazz

Big dirty and industrial, if getting messy with the city’s hipsters and students is how you want to spend your night then rock up to – and rock out in – Razzmatazz. This former factory is the biggest club in the city, five rooms of pandemonium. The crowd is younger (30 year olds will feel old here) and more hedonistic, the beats a mix of rock, pop and electronic. For an unpretentious mash up of a night, this is a top choice.

BONUS: New Year’s Eve Pub Crawl

After the success of previous years, one of Europe’s largest travel operators is back in 2023-24, hosting a NYE pub crawl for the biggest night of the year. Tickets are €69, and include a 90 minute open bar, complimentary Cava, traditional grapes at midnight and then a tour of several of the city’s best bars and clubs. The best part will be the chance to meet and mingle with fellow fun-loving party-goers as you paint the town red. Tickets are available via Get Your Guide.

More Events

For more places to enjoy festive meals, parties and celebrations check out all our restaurant recommendations and our pubs and nightclubs section.

Drink responsibly, dance wildly and love freely! The Barcelona Life team wish you all an amazing night!

Organising Private Parties

If you’re planning on organising your own private event for NYE then check out this list of venues for hire.

New Year’s Day

How to survive the following day…

Recovery Brunch

No need to spend the first day of 2024 sobbing in bed with a glass of Alka Seltzer, as Milk, and Firebug will all be open for their famous recovery brunches! So nip down for some bacon, pancakes and smoothies to blast the cobwebs of the night before away. More brunch options here… just check opening hours first.

First Swim of the Year

Still feeling the pain after breakfast? Here’s something that will definitely take the edge off your hangover. A January dip in the wintery waters of the Mediterranean. Hundreds, if not thousands, of locals make their way on the 1st to San Sebastian beach (which is the section of Barceloneta beach near the W-hotel) for el primer bany de l’any . If you’re keen to join them head along at midday. Just one of the great things to do in January that we recommend doing!

New Year’s Sailing

If you fancy staying on top of the water, not in it, then take a boat trip out from Barcelona’s Port and see the city from the sea. Sailing Experience have a range of sailing activities suitable for any budget, such as their Sailing & Vermouth, or their Sailing & Brunch…. or you can even head out for the sunset! Keep reading for a full range of boat tours and yacht hire.

Keep Partying?

If the best solution to staving off the hangover seems to be to keep drinking then Ice Barcelona will be open all day on the 1st January, with Jonny Loves House manning the decks, and nearby Furia Cocktail Club opens from 10pm with resident DJ Diego Medina playing a smorgasbord of crowd pleasing world hits. Check out our Barcelona bars and clubs section for more suggestions. Just check their opening hours first.

The Rest of Your Stay

If you’re looking for inspiration for the rest of your Barcelona stay, then check out our list of sensational things to do in the city.