Celebrating New Year’s Eve in Barcelona 2013

Barcelona, the ultimate party city, certainly leaves no stone unturned when it comes to New Year’s Eve. There are loads of options available if you want to enjoy the last day of the year in style. Whether you celebrate in the streets, at a party, in a beach club, or at a gala dinner, Barcelona is a fantastic place to start your new year with a bang!

New Year’s Eve Parties

Night-owls by nature, it’s no wonder that the Spanish tend to head out after midnight on New Year’s Eve. There are so many famous clubs in the city, all offering something unique, so have a look around and maybe think about getting your tickets in advance to avoid disappointment. Even better – the metro is open 24 hours on New Year’s Eve so there’ll be no problem getting home safely. Here are a few of our recommendations.

Razzmatazz – Barcelona’s one and only super club, this 5-room extravaganza goes all out for New Year’s. As well as entry to the club, you get two drinks, a t-shirt, grapes, a glass of champagne and a party bag – all for €45.

Otto Zutz – the place for hip-hop in Barcelona, Otto Zutz can compete with the best of them and this New Year’s Eve is no exception. Exact details of the event aren’t out yet but there’s no doubt that it’ll be filled to rafters when the big night comes.

Celebrating New Year’s Eve in Barcelona 2013

Sala Bikini - this popular and exclusive venue pulls out all the stops on New Year’s Eve. Party-goers dance the night away to a selection of the best Latino music as well as enjoy the live shows and surprises that the club puts on.

Other places to try once you’ve downed your New Year’s grapes are the ever-cool Jamboree, upscale Sutton Club or even the home of the ravers, Moog. A popular hotspot is also Poble Espanyol’s New Year’s Party – a huge university bash housed in three indoor tents in the mock-medieval Spanish village. It plays a large repertoire of music, ranging from the 70s to what’s in the charts right now – all for 35€.

New Year’s Eve Gala dinners

Shôko – one of the coolest restaurant cum clubs in Barcelona, it’s no surprise that the all-inclusive ticket will set you back €190. It includes a lavish dinner complete with flamenco and guitar performances. Luckily there are cheaper tickets for €50 which includes the entry charge and two drinks. They celebrate the New Year four times throughout the night as the theme changes from New York, London, Rio de Janeiro and Seville!

Celebrating New Year’s Eve in Barcelona 2013

Rita Blue – located in the up-and-coming Raval, Rita Blue teems with Barcelona’s trendy 20-somethings on New Year’s Eve. As well as serving a selection of Mexican fusion food, it also opts for the traditional Spanish campanadas and cava – grapes and sparkling wine at midnight. There’s also a lively DJ set and with the reasonable prices and a great atmosphere it’s a night to remember in a more relaxed setting.

New Years out in the Streets

The streets in the centre of Barcelona fill up with revellers on New Year’s Eve, as tourists and locals mill around on the hunt for the celebrations. The most popular spots are Las Ramblas, Plaça Catalunya and Plaça Reial and they get pretty busy as midnight draws near. There’s no official firework display in Barcelona on New Year’s Eve but the Torre Agbar does have a light show at midnight and sometimes the hotels on the beachfront put on fireworks of their own.

A typical tradition on New Year’s Eve in Barcelona is to eat 12 grapes at midnight, one on each chime of the clock. In Barcelona, thousands of people head to Plaça Catalunya to do this in unison and soak up the atmosphere. Make sure you eat all 12 in time and make a wish – it’s considered bad luck not to! And yes there are seeds!

Celebrating New Year’s Eve in Barcelona 2013

Barcelona beach clubs

The ‘street’ offers many possibilities, but don’t forget that Barcelona is also famous for the beach. So if none of the above takes your fancy, make sure you head along to one of Barcelona’s beach clubs and see what’s going on. The busiest area is Vila Olímpica, with a great atmosphere as the party gets into full swing at about 2am. The waterfront is buzzing and people spill out of the cool bars and beach clubs like Opium Mar, Catwalk, Sotavento and Carpe Diem.

Down by the beach is also Barcelona’s newest five-star hotel, the W Hotel. It boasts the 26th-floor Eclipse Bar complete with beautiful people and spectacular views over the Mediterranean coastline. Cocktails aren’t cheap but for an unrivaled view of Barcelona by night it’s definitely worth splashing the cash this New Year’s Eve.

Barcelona’s calling…

New Year’s Eve in Barcelona 2013 has something for everyone – for those who want to spend time with the family, for couples who want a romantic evening, for people who love street parties as well as for those wishing to dance the night away in a club. We hope we’ve provided you with some useful information so you can get planning your Barcelona New Year’s Eve 2013 experience.