11 Things to Do in Barcelona in July

It is possible to start the summer in a metropolis where you can have your feet in the sea and, just a few metres away, be in a unique bar, in the best museums with great stories or at all kinds of musical, cultural and gastronomic festivals. This is Barcelona, one of the most important cities in Spain and one that has an exciting summer.

If you decided to go to Barcelona in July, you have made a fantastic decision. This multicultural and open city will welcome you to enjoy all kinds of activities, because there is so much to see and do. This month is full of music festivals for all tastes, but you can also go to the beach, see a play, enjoy the city's architecture or stroll through its neighbourhoods to learn about its traditions.

Summer in Spain is phenomenal, but summer in Barcelona, being on the coast, is even more magical. In this article I suggest a series of events that you shouldn't miss if you visit this wonderful city in July. Are you up for it?

For many years, Barcelona turned its back on the sea, but that's no longer the case. If you visit the city in July, you'll be able to enjoy the magnificent beaches and look out over the metropolis!

This contrast is one of Barcelona's best features, and no wonder. Lying on the sand or taking a dip in the sea are two activities that you can do in July and enjoy the summer to the full.

But that's not all. The beach in July offers you different festivals, which you can enjoy with your feet in the sand. The most important is the Barcelona Beach Festival, an electronic music festival held every July. Are you going to miss it?

If there is one festival that represents Barcelona, it is El Grec. This performing arts festival showcases the best that Barcelona and all Catalan theatre has to offer. If you go in July, you should not miss the experience of going to one of the plays on show here.

As well as theatre, the festival also includes dance and circus shows, as well as some musical events. Most of the events take place in the Teatre Grec, which is a beautiful open-air amphitheatre where you can see the best performers as night falls.

El Grec is a must-see if you're in Barcelona in July and is a starting point for a huge range of cultural and leisure activities.

Have you seen a picture of Barcelona from above? The layout of its streets is impressive and some people like to look down from a little higher up. But what about having a drink from a rooftop to appreciate the city?

This is highly recommended in hot, busy months like July, so if it catches your eye, don't miss it. There are bars like the one on the rooftop of the Palau de Mar, the building that houses the Museu d'Història de Catalunya, that you're sure to love.

Barcelona is full of terraces and many of them are located on different rooftops, so you can visit many of them in July, at night and with the best weather of all. Several of them are even in museums, so you can make a cultural, gastronomic and sightseeing visit.

Neighbourhood by neighbourhood, Barcelona is a charming city. Summer brings out the best in every neighbourhood in the city, and one of the ones that will captivate you, especially during its main festival, is Poble Sec. Located in the south of the city, this neighbourhood was formed in the 19th century and was designed for workers, but today it can be a tourist paradise.

It is precisely in July that the Poble Sec main festival is held, an event that brings tourists and locals alike to this working-class neighbourhood in the south of the city. As with local festivals, there are plenty of celebrations in the streets, but here the main attraction is the open-air concerts.

But wait: what about the food? Yes, food is a must at this fair. From pinchos to tapas: at the Poble Sec festival you can fill your stomach with all the best food.

Summertime brings a whole new twist to Europe's coastal cities, and the Share Festival is one such showcase. If you're going to Barcelona in July and you're passionate about urban music, reggaeton and similar genres, missing this festival would be madness.

Share Festival has hosted great artists such as Anuel, Lola Indigo and Natalia Lacunza. If you go to this festival, you can be there for a week of concerts in the middle of July, and enjoy all the other wonders the city has to offer during the day.

Most tourists pass through the Raval and don't even know they're there. If you go to Barcelona in July, that will be complicated, because the neighbourhood has its main festival, concentrated especially in the Rambla del Raval.

Although originally these festivities were dedicated to the Virgen del Carmen, the Raval's main festival is nowadays an event for tourists like you to have a different time.

Here you can see one of the best examples of art in Catalonia: the castells (human towers). These are groups of people who climb on top of each other to form a large circular tower. The challenge is not to fall off and it is worth admiring them for a few minutes.

Do you like getting up early? Then there's a perfect plan for you: go and watch the sunrise at Barceloneta beach. As it's already summer, you won't have to fight against the cold and you'll be able to be on the sand of the sea from very early in the morning, watching the sun rise from the east.

Sunsets are also beautiful in Barcelona, but the coast of Barcelona faces east, which is where the sun rises. Therefore, there is nothing more sublime than watching the sun rise from the sea and being in front of Barceloneta is one of the best views of the city.

Besides, you can also go at any time to sit on the beach of Barceloneta to enjoy the sea, the promenade and the food. In July everything will be active and open for you.

Traveller Tip

It's summer, so even if you have to get up early, dawn is the time when you'll be able to enjoy the best weather. If you like walking or jogging, it wouldn't hurt to have the company of the sunrise.

A former royal residence with a beautiful garden adapted to host major concerts. The Jardins de Pedralbes festival is another of your leisure options if you go to Barcelona in July and is one of those that best shows all the facets of the city: nature, history and art.

The Pedralbes palace is a beautiful classical building where you can take great pictures, but when you are there, you will enjoy a great festival that you will love. Pablo Alborán, Naty Peluso, Aitana, Raphael, Il Divo and many more have performed here, so any genre of music is valid on this stage.

Also, if you don't like crowded concerts, then this festival is for you, as it's not as crowded and combines the best of music with the heat of summer.

Do you like clubbing and partying? Well, July is one of the best months to do that in Barcelona: you won't have to carry winter clothes, the sun sets very late and it's not as crowded as in August.

If there's one thing that's wonderful about having this temperature, it's that the nightlife can start outdoors, in amazing places like El Bunkers del Carmel, where people gather to drink and share. But if you want to go to bars and clubs, the Ciutat Vella district is probably where you should start.

In Ciutat Vella there are plenty of bars that, especially in summer, work late into the early hours of the morning. The temperature and the good mood will accompany you... what are you waiting for to experience it?

Summer? You can't miss out on boat trips around Barcelona, especially if it's on a catamaran. Yes, yes, we know that the sea is there all year round, but if there is a time to enjoy it, it is the summer, and particularly in July, when temperatures are more pleasant, especially closer to the shore. In Barcelona, the beautiful coastline has many boats that come and go while doing services for tourists.

The most famous ones are the catamarans, which do tours from north to south and from where you will be able to see all the great buildings of the city. If you like panoramic photos, this is an opportunity you can't miss at any time.

But if you're more into small, fast boats, then renting one for several hours might be the most pleasant thing to do. Just be prepared to get splashed. Whatever the case, if you go to Barcelona in July, you can't forget to take a trip out to sea.

Gradually consolidated as an emblem of Barcelona's summer, the Cruïlla Festival is an event not to be missed if you're a true music lover on holiday in the Catalan capital. You're going to love it, as this festival is held in the beautiful Parc del Forum, located right on the coast, and brings together the biggest of the big names in music.

If your time in Barcelona coincides with the Cruïlla Festival in July, you're sure to hear many locals and tourists talking about it. Are you going to miss out on the chance to do something different with the greats of music?

Many people shy away from summer because of the heat and dehydration, but that doesn't have to be the case and even less so if you go to Barcelona in July. In this month, the temperature is a little lower than at the beginning of August and so it's practically your last chance to enjoy a summer without the heat being a problem.

Generally, temperatures in Barcelona in July range between 23 and 29 °C, which is an average temperature in this part of Europe. Rainfall in summer tends to be very low and it gets much cooler in the late afternoon.

However, you should bear in mind that there can be peaks of heat that can reach at least 34°C. In that case, it's best to stay indoors. In that case, it is best to be prepared, with good hydration and sunscreen.

Book in advance or arrive in the city to look for the best deals? It's always better to plan ahead. July is a busy month for the hotel industry in Barcelona and even more so for seasonal flat rentals. There are many tourists, Spanish and European, who come to Barcelona to have a different kind of respite in the summer.

There are small hotels that fill up months in advance, so it's better to be safe than sorry, especially if you're going with your family. But you can also look for bookings with less time in advance and take advantage of last-minute sales. It also depends on whether you're only going to spend a couple of days in the city or if it's going to be a longer stay.

The range of hotels, hostels and flats in Barcelona is huge, and you have plenty of options to choose from. Being a city with great public transport, you can stay in a place far away from the areas you'll be visiting and get to where you want to go in good time. Often, it's possible to find sales near the summer after last minute cancellations and that's where you can make the most of it. Fancy giving it a go?