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Comic Barcelona, Matsuri and Nit dels Museus transform the city this weekend
Barcelona faces one of those weekends when it seems impossible to stay home. Between Friday and Sunday, the city combines Japanese culture, international comics, popular festivities and museums open late at night in an agenda stretching from Montjuïc to the seafront and northern neighbourhoods.
Fira de Montjuïc is once again filling with fans of manga, illustration and graphic novels for a new edition of Comic Barcelona. The event brings together more than a hundred international authors and this year focuses on the Asian scene, with guests from South Korea, Japan and Hong Kong. Among the most eagerly awaited names are Shintaro Kago, Pen So and Wooh Nayoung, alongside exhibitions devoted to classics such as The Lord of the Rings and Paracuellos. The venue is open on Friday and Saturday from 10:00 to 20:00 and on Sunday until 19:00.
Very close to the sea, Moll de la Fusta changes atmosphere completely with the Matsuri festival. On Saturday and Sunday, the space fills with Taiko drums, traditional concerts, Japanese food and cultural activities organised by Associació Cultural Matsuri. It feels like entering a small Japanese street festival beside the Mediterranean for a few hours.
The neighbourhoods also move into celebration mode. In the Gòtic there will be concerts, correfocs and popular activities spread across historic squares and Rambla de Santa Mònica. Nou Barris begins its celebrations with giants, an opening proclamation and a free electronic-music marathon promoted by AMEBA in Josep Maria Serra i Martí park. On Sunday, concerts continue with groups such as Siderland, Roger Padrós and Gibert.
Nit dels Museus once again becomes one of Saturday’s major plans. Dozens of cultural spaces will open free of charge until one in the morning, including MACBA, Museu Picasso, MNAC, MOCO and Museu de Ciències Naturals. Some spaces have prepared special activities, such as music sessions, guided tours and immersive offerings that completely change the usual museum experience.
There will also be an opportunity to enter less usual places free of charge, such as Castell de Montjuïc, Palau Güell and Sant Pau. In some cases, advance booking will be required, especially for the most sought-after spaces.
Barcelona thus enters one of those weekends when the boundaries between leisure, culture and neighbourhood life practically disappear. The city moves between popular traditions, international pop culture and night-time plans that turn squares, museums and streets into meeting points well into the early hours.