Christmas and New Year in Barcelona: what's open and how to get around
Barcelona at Christmas is lovely: lights over the streets, turrón in every shop window, a fair in front of the cathedral. But from 24 December to 6 January public transport runs on a holiday timetable, and the airport is not a pleasant place to find that out.
In short: on Christmas Eve the metro closes an hour earlier than usual, and on New Year's Eve it doesn't close at all. On both of those nights taxis add a surcharge to the meter. Nobody thinks about this when buying tickets: people look at the fare and the departure time and never connect the date with the metro timetable. They should.
To save you the digging, we've put together a table. TMB has not yet published the timetable for this year's holidays, so we used last year's. It barely changes from one year to the next, but do check the TMB website before you travel.
How the metro runs from 24 December to 6 January
| Date | Occasion | Metro |
|---|---|---|
| 24 December, Thu | Christmas Eve | until 23:00, TMB buses until 22:00 |
| 25 December, Fri | Christmas Day, public holiday | from 5:00 to 2:00 |
| 26 December, Sat | Sant Esteve, public holiday in Catalonia | in 2025 until 2:00, in 2024 until midnight |
| 31 December, Thu | New Year's Eve | all night, non-stop |
| 1 January, Fri | New Year's Day, public holiday | until midnight |
| 5 January, Tue | evening of the Three Kings parade | until 2:00 |
| 6 January, Wed | Three Kings' Day, public holiday | until midnight |
24 December: the evening almost all of Barcelona stays in
At Christmas Catalans gather at home with family, and on Christmas Eve many cafés and shops close earlier than usual. It's lovely, right up until you land hungry. On this day the metro runs until 23:00, and the last TMB buses leave their terminus stops at 22:00.
Now picture this: your plane lands late in the evening. Passport control, baggage reclaim, your suitcase is the last one off the belt: a classic. By then the metro has shut for the night. That leaves the Aerobús: it runs around the clock, every 20 minutes at night, but only as far as Plaça de Catalunya. It will get you to the centre, but not to your hotel.
On that night taxis add a €4.60 surcharge between 20:00 and 8:00. Carrier fares as of October 2026. Only three nights a year carry it: Christmas Eve, the night of Sant Joan and New Year's Eve.
31 December: the metro that never sleeps
On New Year's Eve the metro runs non-stop through the night and on until midnight on 1 January. Some FGC lines also run all night. After the fireworks you can head home whenever you like.
Taxis are another story. If you've been to Barcelona in summer, you might think you can always hail one within five minutes. On New Year's Eve, after midnight, finding a free taxi is almost impossible.
In 2025 the main celebration was held at the Montjuïc fountains, on Avinguda Reina Maria Cristina. The Magic Fountain show started at 22:00, and the main show, with fireworks and drones, ran from 23:50 to 00:10. The city council advised coming by metro: the nearest station is Espanya (lines L1 and L3), with Poble Sec, Hostafrancs, Tarragona and Rocafort also close by. After the show the crowds were let out along Avinguda Rius i Taulet, Avinguda Francesc Ferrer i Guàrdia and Avinguda Reina Maria Cristina, and buses had been diverted since early evening. The city council hasn't yet announced where it will be this year.
Flying out early on the morning of 1 January? Taxis are scarce at that hour too, so book a car to the airport in advance.
26 December: a holiday only Catalonia knows about
Sant Esteve. In the rest of Spain 26 December is an ordinary working day, but in Catalonia it is a public holiday and many shops are closed.
If you came for the shopping and found this out on arrival, you have our sympathy. Your brain will, of course, instantly persuade you that a stroll round the city beats shopping anyway. Still, the safer bet is to hit the shops before Christmas.
In 2026, 26 December falls on a Saturday. Check the metro timetable for that day on the TMB website.
5 January: kings, sweets and a closed-off centre
On the evening of 5 January the Three Kings parade, the Cavalcada de Reis, passes through the centre. Families with children line the streets, sweets fly from the floats into the crowd, and the kids are in heaven. Unless, of course, you're trying to drive across the centre at that moment: the streets along the route are closed and buses are diverted. The metro runs until 2:00. The city council will announce the 2027 route later.
In 2026 the Three Kings arrived by schooner at Portal de la Pau at 16:30, and the parade set off at around 18:00 from Ciutadella Park. It went along Passeig de Colom and Paral·lel, past Sant Antoni Market, down Sepúlveda, and finished at the Magic Fountain at around 21:10. From 16:00 to 21:30 buses ran with restrictions or on diversions.
Landing on the evening of 5 January and staying in the centre? Allow more time for the journey. The driver knows which streets are closed and will drop you off as close to your hotel as possible.
What's open on 25 December and other holidays
On 25 December Sagrada Família is open from 9:00 to 14:00. Casa Batlló opens every day of the year. La Pedrera, the National Art Museum of Catalonia (MNAC), the Picasso Museum and CosmoCaixa are closed.
On 26 December Sagrada Família is open from 9:00 to 14:00, and La Pedrera from 9:00 to 20:30.
On 1 January Sagrada Família is open from 9:00 to 14:00, and La Pedrera from 11:00. MNAC, the Picasso Museum and CosmoCaixa are closed.
On 6 January Sagrada Família is open from 9:00 to 14:00, while CosmoCaixa is closed.
Venues can change their hours at the last minute, so check the website before you head out and buy your ticket in advance.
Christmas markets
The oldest, Santa Llúcia by the cathedral, was first recorded in 1786; we cover it in our article on Catalan Christmas. The market at Sagrada Família has been running since 1962: in 2025 it was open from 22 November to 23 December, daily from 10:00 to 21:00. On Gran Via, between Muntaner and Rocafort, the Sant Tomàs i Reis market ran from 18 December to 6 January, with 243 stalls. The city council says it will announce the 2026 dates in November.
What's closed
On 25 and 26 December and on 1 and 6 January most shops are closed. Not every museum opens, and many keep shorter hours, so check opening times on their websites. The Barcelona Bus Turístic takes 25 December and 1 January off, like everyone else. On 31 December shops are open but close earlier than usual.
Getting from the airport
On holiday nights the easiest option is to book a car in advance. A transfer to central Barcelona costs from €32 per car. The price is fixed when you book, so on Christmas Eve you pay the same as on an ordinary Tuesday in March.
Spending the holidays by the sea or in the mountains? We also do airport transfers to Sitges and to Andorra.
Frequently asked questions
What time does the Barcelona metro close on 24 December?
On 24 December the Barcelona metro runs until 23:00. The last TMB buses leave their terminus stops at 22:00. The Aerobús from the airport runs around the clock.
Does the Barcelona metro run on New Year's Eve?
Yes, the Barcelona metro runs non-stop through New Year's Eve night and on until midnight on 1 January. Some FGC lines also run all night.
Do Barcelona taxis charge a holiday surcharge?
Yes, on the night of 24 to 25 December and on New Year's Eve €4.60 is added to the metered fare. A transfer has no holiday surcharges: the price is fixed when you book.
Are shops open in Barcelona on 26 December?
Many shops are closed: 26 December, Sant Esteve, is a public holiday in Catalonia, although in the rest of Spain it is an ordinary day.
What's open in Barcelona on 25 December?
Sagrada Família, from 9:00 to 14:00, and Casa Batlló, which opens every day of the year. La Pedrera, MNAC, the Picasso Museum and CosmoCaixa are closed that day, as are most shops. The metro runs from 5:00 to 2:00, and the Aerobús around the clock.
Where is the New Year's Eve celebration in Barcelona, and how do I get back after the fireworks?
In 2025 the main celebration was held on Avinguda Reina Maria Cristina, by the Montjuïc fountains, with fireworks from 23:50 to 00:10. The easiest way back is the metro: the nearest station is Espanya, and the metro runs all night. The city council hasn't yet announced where the 2026 celebration will be.
When is the Three Kings parade in Barcelona?
The parade takes place on the evening of 5 January. The streets along the route are closed, buses are diverted, and the metro runs until 2:00 that evening.
You can book in the Let's GO app or on the website: enter the pick-up address and the destination, and the price appears straight away, before you confirm.