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Last Sunday of open shops in the centre of Barcelona before the end of the ZGAT
This Sunday, 13 September, will be the last of the year when shops in much of the centre of Barcelona can take advantage of the special summer opening hours of the Zona de Gran Afluencia Turística. Shops included in this scheme can open from 12:00 to 20:00, although each establishment ultimately decides whether or not to open.
The exception is in effect from 15 May to 15 September, both dates included. Since this year the 15th falls on a Tuesday, Sunday the 13th is the last Sunday within that period. After that, this specific authorisation disappears until the next season.
The affected area is much larger than just the commercial streets of the historic centre. It includes all of Ciutat Vella and much of L'Eixample, as well as specific areas of Sants-Montjuïc, Les Corts, Sarrià-Sant Gervasi, Gràcia, Horta-Guinardó and Sant Martí.
In Ciutat Vella, this covers neighbourhoods such as the Raval, the Gòtic, Sant Pere, Santa Caterina i la Ribera, and the Barceloneta. In L'Eixample, it includes, among others, Dreta y l'Esquerra de l'Eixample, Sant Antoni, Fort Pienc, and Sagrada Família. The area also covers Vila de Gràcia, parts of the Putxet, Poblenou, Vila Olímpica y Diagonal Mar.
The measure is especially relevant for medium and large establishments and for shopping centres. Shops under 300 square metres that do not belong to large companies can already enjoy greater flexibility in opening hours in certain cases, so the end of the ZGAT does not mean that absolutely all shops in Barcelona must close on Sundays.
The current extension of the tourist zone was approved in 2022. With it, Barcelona went from having five Sundays of commercial opening linked to tourism to nearly twenty days during the period from mid-May to mid-September.
The change also does not mean that all extraordinary openings disappear until 2027. Barcelona's commercial calendar still includes several authorised days this year. After the summer, shops will be able to open on 12 October and 29 November, as well as on 6, 8, 13, 20, and 27 December.
The difference is that these dates belong to the general calendar of authorised openings and not to the summer tourist regime. This Sunday will therefore be the last opportunity in 2026 to find medium and large establishments generally open on a Sunday in areas such as Passeig de Gràcia, the Gòtic, or much of L'Eixample under the ZGAT exception.