Carnival in Barcelona - Program and Dates 2019

Carnestoltes is the word in Catalan that means carnival. A week of costumes, music and charangas, that begins with the dijous gras or llarder – “Fat  Thursday” (“Jueves lardero in Spanish) - and ends with the “Ash Wednesday”.

The dates for this year 2019 will be from February, 28th to March, 6th.

Carnival in Barcelona - Program and Dates 2019

Carnestoltes is the word in Catalan that means carnival. A week of costumes, music and charangas, that begins with the dijous gras or llarder – “Fat  Thursday” (“Jueves lardero in Spanish) - and ends with the “Ash Wednesday”.

The dates for this year 2019 will be from February, 28th to March, 6th.

The program of Carnival 2019 in Barcelona

One of the advantages of celebrating Carnival in a city like Barcelona is that the festivities are multiplied and distributed throughout the different neighborhoods of the city, each one with its own program of activities.

Consequently, although the epicenter has been consolidated in El Born, the acts will take place simultaneously in Sants, Gracia, Eixample ...

These are the most important acts of the program:

• L'arribo, or the arrival” in English, is the official presentation of the King of Carnival that aims to spread his desire to party to all attendees. The act will take place in the Paseo del Born and will serve to kick-start 7 days of wildness.

• The street parades and costume balls will be held on Saturday afternoon in each of the historic neighborhoods of Barcelona: Horta, Sant Andreu, Sarrià, Gràcia, Sants, Les Corts and Sant Martí.

• On the Tuesday of Carnival, the King will be judged for his reprehensible behavior and, unfortunately, condemned to die burned.

• The next day, on Ash Wednesday, will take place the satirical funeral celebrations known as “El entierro de la Sardina” (The Burial of the Sardine in Spanish). To celebrate it, many neighborhood associations organize a popular sardine feast ending the celebrations and giving way to Lent.

Carnival of Sitges 2019

Despite the importance of the carnival of Barcelona, the one in Sitges is one of the most important in the area by fame and tradition.

The good news is that you can reach comfortably by public transport in just over 30 minutes and spend a very pleasant day with sea views.

What is Sitges?

For the beauty of its beaches, the authenticity of the old town and its streets full of shops and restaurants, Sitges is one of the most famous tourist destinations around Barcelona.

It is also well-known for being a gay friendly city.

How to get there

To get to Sitges from Barcelona, ​​the best option is usually the train that goes through Passeig de Gracia and Estació Sants (you can also take it in Estació de França but the frequency is less).

The journey lasts a bit more than 30 minutes and the price of the single ticket is 4,10 euros. You can use the trains in the direction of Sitges, Vilanova and La Geltrú or Sant Vicenç de Calders, which leave approximately every 20 or 25 minutes.

There are also buses that connect Barcelona with Sitges from Ronda Universitat and Plaza España. During the day, the trip is usually long, but at night the journey is direct and is a very good option for those who want to extend a bit the party.

What you have to know about the Sitges Carnival

• Before the holidays begin there is a flea market to get the most original costumes at the best price. The provisional date of 2019 for this particular flea market is Saturday, February 28th.

• The dates of the Sitges Carnival for 2019 are from February 28th to March 6th.

• One of the busiest days is usually the “Rua del Exterminaio”, on Tuesday, March 5th at 9:00 p.m.

• Those who can only go on the weekend cannot miss the Rua de la Disbauxa on Sunday, March 3rd at 7:30 p.m.

• And for those who have children, the children's street parades are on Sunday, March 3rd at 12 pm and Tuesday, March 5th at 3 pm.

• The “Calle del Pecado” is the street that concentrates most of the nightlife with a wide variety of bars and nightclubs.

Where to stay in Carnival

At Fisa Rentals Apartmentswe invite you to celebrate Carnival with the comfort of feeling at home. We have 70 apartments in Barcelona, ​​in such central areas as Gran Vía, Pelayo or Rambla Cataluña, here you can see all our holiday rentals.