Barcelona pays tribute to Carmen de Mairena with a plaque in Raval

Raval gains a new tribute to its diverse history. A plaque commemorates Carmen de Mairena on Sant Ramon Street. The event brought together municipal figures and figures from the LGTBI scene. The artist’s memory lives on in the neighbourhood.

This Sunday, 22 March, Raval officially unveiled the plaque in memory of Carmen de Mairena at number 6 Sant Ramon Street, the building where she lived for decades. The event was attended by the Councillor for Culture and Creative Industries, Xavier Marcé; the Commissioner for Children’s, Adolescents’, Youth and LGTBI Policies, Javier Rodríguez; and the Commissioner for the Pacte per Ciutat Vella, Ivan Pera, along with friends of the artist and LGTBI groups that had been calling for this recognition for years, with singer Adrián Amaya as the main driving force. After the plaque was unveiled, three drag queens from El Cangrejo brought music and sequins to the tribute, which continued with a party and free concerts in Plaça de la Filmoteca to recover the irreverent and festive spirit that Carmen championed in Raval.

The Raval neighbourhood woke up with a new symbol of its plural identity: a commemorative plaque dedicated to Carmen de Mairena, an iconic figure of Barcelona popular culture and a leading figure in the struggle for trans rights. The initiative, driven by friends of the artist, has turned the façade of number 6 Carrer de Sant Ramon, where she lived, into a place of remembrance for residents and visitors.

The inauguration event brought together municipal representatives such as Javier Rodríguez, Xavier Marcé and Ivan Pera, who highlighted the importance of recognising those who paved the way in defending diversity. The institutional presence underlined the value of Carmen de Mairena not only as an artist, but also as a symbol of resistance and visibility for those who lived on the margins for decades.

The day had a festive tone, with music and a performance by three ‘drag queens’ from El Cangrejo, the Raval venue that shaped the honouree’s career as a singer and female impersonator. The atmosphere recalled the irreverent and vital spirit that Carmen de Mairena brought to her time in the city.

The plaque installed on the building not only honours her artistic legacy, but also invites reflection on the social evolution of the neighbourhood and of Barcelona in matters of rights and freedoms.

Carmen de Mairena, born in 1933, became an indispensable figure of Barcelona nightlife and a reference point for generations that found in her an example of courage and authenticity. Her appearances on stages such as El Cangrejo and her activism in the 1980s placed her at the centre of Raval’s cultural and campaigning life, a neighbourhood that today recognises her mark with pride.