Carnival is set to fill the city with a hundred highly varied and fun activities from 27 February (Fat Thursday) to 5 March (Ash Wednesday), from flamboyant Carnival parades to fancy dress competitions, mask dances, concerts and workshops for all the family.

The city’s zaniest and most transgressive festival comes with an important new feature this year: the traditional Arribo de la Reina Belluga, which opens the festivities, moves to Sants, combining two iconic events: the main ‘Arribo’ for the city, directed by Sergi Ots, and the Arribo de Sants, known for its satire and for its representation of King Carnestoltes in the form of a small figure inspired by current characters and this year performed by the Robert Gobern company.

The Arribo ceremony adopts a galactic theme under the slogan “Cosmic Carnival” and will be presented by this year’s King Carnestoltes figure: Elon Muska Collonera, in a space mission that marks the official start of Carnival in the city. The event concludes with the ‘Taronjada’, the explosion of orange confetti that symbolises the eruption of carnival revelry in Barcelona.

On Ash Wednesday it’s time to say farewell to Carnival with the burial of the sardine and the start of Lent.

The full programme is available on the website for Barcelona Carnival 2025.