Traditionally the Spanish see the new year in at home with their family. As the clock strikes midnight everyone eats 12 grapes and toasts the new year with cava.
If you’ve visited Barcelona before, you will know that midnight is pretty much considered early evening here! Once the family celebration is over most people meet up with friends and carry on partying in the city’s many bars and nightclubs.
Unlike Madrid where the New Year is traditionally celebrated “en masse” at the Puerta del Sol Barcelona didn’t used to have an official event.
All that changed in 2013 when Barcelona joined cities such as Sydney, Rio, Dubai, New York & London and staged a firework display to celebrate the New Year.
The firework display takes place at the Magic Fountain and is normally attended by an estimated 70,000 people. Activities start at 11:30pm on new year’s eve and finish at around 12:30am on new year’s day.
The focal point of the display is the 15m high “Hom del Mil.leni” and the pyrotechnics which accompany the chimes. Check out this video from the town hall’s YouTube channel.
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Montjuic, Barcelona
