If you are one of those people who are too lazy to walk from one stage to another, who don't want to have to make a sketch to not miss any concert or who lacks air in crowds, these are your festivals, small format proposals where they also take care of all the details.Ambush yourselfEmboscatfestival.cat28 and 29 August10 years ago, the organization of Embosca't was clear that the Clariana forest, in Anoia, would be the ideal space to locate the music festival they wanted to set up. A jewel with very small format concerts, where music and nature intertwine, as its slogan says. From 9 in the evening, unique musical proposals from artists selected with delicacy and sensitivity to live a unique experience that connects music, nature and art. In addition, you can taste artisan drinks and local gastronomy. They recommend bringing cash to avoid the card readers from crashing. Sant Pere de Rodes Music Festival Festivalsantpere.com8 to 29 AugustIt is difficult to find a better setting than the Benedictine monastery of Sant Pere de Rodes, with spectacular views of the bay of Port de la Selva. Atop the Serra de Verdera, the church of the medieval complex hosts the 26th edition of the festival, in which piano and chamber music are the main protagonists. The festival will kick off, on the 8th and 9th, with And the winner is..., film music for four-hand piano and orchestra. A true classic of the Empordà summer in which architecture and music merge perfectly. Festival 15 m²Festival15m2.catAugust 24-29Six days with a metallic structure in unique or unconventional spaces –a beech forest, a field, the beach or a wood– and a dozen micro-dance creations around a thematic axis in a specific location. This year it is memory and in Riudaura, in La Garrotxa. The 15 m² is a festival that values the territory, claims small-format and short-lived culture –between 15 and 20 minutes each piece–, in an intimate and reduced capacity, where the audience is practically on stage. A commitment to decentralize and expand scenic creation and cultural programming outside of large cities.Music in the farmhouses Musicamasos.cat/festivalVarious days from July 4 to 26In La Garrotxa, the Associació Música als Masos, formed by musicians, music lovers, and music students from the area, decided to expand the region's classical music offerings and turn farmhouses into concert venues. They call themselves the chamber music festival of La Garrotxa and invite us, on some July evenings, to enjoy small-format music in both the halls and gardens of the farmhouses. Olot, Besalú, la Vall de Bianya, Montagut, Oix, Sant Feliu de Pallerols, and la Vall d’en Bas will host concerts dedicated to Baroque female composers and Catalan popular themes, saxophone arrangements of works written for Baroque instruments, a Romantic repertoire with clarinet and piano duo, or Spanish early music with accordion, among others. The cherry on top will be the celebration of the Festival's 10th anniversary, with a commemorative concert at Mas Tarrús, the farmhouse where it all began, with a formation of musicians from the Association's Board.Itinera FestivalFestivalitinera.catFrom June 1stVery small villages, those with up to 1,000 inhabitants, also have their festival, Itinera, a clear commitment to the territory, culture, heritage, rurality, and diversity. Small-format music is the excuse to discover the cultural heritage of rural areas through musicians from all over and also with musicians from the micro-villages participating, who represent 20% of the programming. It is a festival that begins in spring and ends in autumn, from June 1 to November 30, with almost 200 free concerts of black music, roots music, classical music, and world music. The idea of the festival is to opt for different musical proposals, far from what is most common, and to give visibility to micro-villages, territories with peculiar realities often unknown to the vast majority. This 6th edition, on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the birth of Pau Casals, will feature three cellists awarded by the Pau Casals Foundation. DansàneuDansaneu.cat24 July to 2 AugustOrganized by the Cultural Council of the Valls d’Àneu in collaboration with various entities and institutions, the Pyrenean Cultures Festival highlights the heritage wealth –monumental, intangible, and natural– of the Valls d’Àneu. A hydroelectric power plant, churches, gardens, forests, main squares, small squares, and bridges are the settings for Dansàneu, where dance coexists with other artistic disciplines such as music, theater, literature, and audiovisual, keeping in mind the root culture. The 35th edition of this trans-Pyrenean project, which emphasizes cultural rights in rural environments, is 10 days with about thirty proposals, many of them free, organized into three slots: morning, afternoon, and evening-night. A consolidated proposal to connect with nature to the rhythm of culture, and where in 2026 dance has an important presence: they open with the company La Veronal, which presents the solo La protagonista, by Lorena Nogal, and close with La Venidera.

There are four weeks left until it is officially summer, but in the Catalan capital the festival season has already begun, offering us nights full of music and other artistic manifestations, and a lot of fun. The most complicated part? Deciding which ones will be chosen because it is clear that there are many proposals and going to all of them is impossible.The most classicsIt's been 50 years since the city premiered its first summer festival, the Grec Festival of Barcelona. An event for performing arts and music, which began as self-managed by a collective of actors, actresses and theatre people, and has since become a benchmark for theatre in Southern Europe. The Grec will open on June 29th with The Threepenny Opera, by Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill, directed by Marta Pazos, and will conclude on July 31st. In total, there will be over 40 venues hosting 99 shows of theatre, music, dance, circus, cinema and performance by classic creators, local artists and major international artists. On July 8th, to mark the 50th anniversary, at the Grec Theatre and the Amargós rose garden, there will be a three-act celebration including a prologue with one of the protagonists of the 1976 Grec –Mario Gas–, the screening of four short films about the history of the Grec Festival Barcelona and a dance in the gardens of the Grec Theatre with music by Losinformalls DJ.Also in the last century, although a few years later, in 1994, one of the most groundbreaking festivals, Sónar, an commitment to electronic and experimental music that has not stopped growing, began. It started by occupying the Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (CCCB) and Sala Apolo, and this year, and for the first time in the history of Sónar, the day and night festival meet at Fira Gran Via. Three outdoor stages – the SonarVillage by Estrella Damm with DJ sets and live performances on the grass; the new generation of global club music at SonarPark; and contemporary techno and UK sounds at SonarLab – and three covered stages like SonarClub which will host great shows or SonarHall, which will be a concert hall and club floor. From June 18 to 20, big names from the international scene such as Prodigy, Skepta, Charlotte de Witte, Amelie Lens, STOOR Speedy J, and many more. And as always, for 13 years now, Sonar+D, the international congress of technology, creativity and art invites us to understand the present and imagine the future through conferences, concerts, talks and round tables coexisting with radical performances and interactive exhibitions.It is practically impossible to think of summer and not associate it with thousands of smiling people dancing to the rhythm of music at Parc del Fòrum with the sea as a backdrop. Yes, it is the Primavera Sound Barcelona, which in 2001 was born as an alternative festival for lovers of independent music and has evolved to offer an infinite number of sonic journeys. Last year it reached its historic record, 293,000 spectators for the more than 300 concerts offered. In 2026 there will be 17 stages between June 3 and 7 with Thursday, Friday, and Saturday as the main days, with essential names from the current scene, classic bands, and true gems worth discovering: Doja Cat, Gorillaz, Massive Attack, The xx, My Bloody Valentine, The Cure, Annahstasia, Florence Road or New York, among many others. This year, for the first time, Primavera Sound Barcelona can be followed worldwide thanks to the official streaming from Amazon Music.Also at Parc del Fórum, but from July 8 to 11, the Cruïlla Festival is held. Here, music is the main protagonist with an eclectic program featuring international headliners –Pixies, David Byrne, The Black Crowes, Two Door Cinema Club, Garbage or Suede– and a clear commitment to local talent –Rigoberta Bandini, Zahara, Alizzz, La La Love You, Sidonie or La Ludwig Band–, and emerging artists –Alosa, Greta, Svetlana or Rata. In addition to music, there is space for comedy with established comedians and new talents, urban art, dance, or light installations. Cruïlla is a festival with a strong social commitment, which strives to be more sustainable with each new edition, taking care of the environment and the social and cultural surroundings.

More than 10 years ago, the Department of Culture presented the report Catalonia, country of festivals, with some of the most representative data of a sector that even then enjoyed very good health with more than 360 summer festivals. Since then, music and performing arts festivals have managed to consolidate, grow, and even new ones have appeared, to respond to an effervescent cultural scene that has a diverse audience throughout the Catalan territory.The most important classical music festival in CataloniaIt has been 46 years since Torroella de Montgrí decided to become a benchmark for classical music with the Torroella Festival, in unique spaces such as the Auditori Teatre Espai Ter, the Church of Sant Genís, the Convent dels Agustins, and the Ermita de Santa Caterina, among many others. From July 31 to August 21, memory, wound, and persistence will be the axes of a program where past and present coexist, and forms, eras, and geographies dialogue, between grand symphonic architecture, chamber intimacy, voice as a place of memory, baroque gesture, celebration, contemplation, and the threshold between night and dream. In parallel, theIn-Edit Empordà returns, the third edition of the Music Documentary Festival, which broadens its gaze towards audiovisual language. With sessions every Wednesday in July and August, the cycle will feature premieres and the presence of its directors. In addition to the audience award, the International Music Documentary Award is incorporated, consolidating the project as a reference space for contemporary reflection on music and its narratives. An opportunity to slow down with music.Dreamlike scenariosThere are festivals where the setting impresses as much or more than the content. This is what happens with the Peralada Festival, a clear commitment to the excellence of artistic proposals in opera and dance, which has its own productions, promotes new creators, supports composers, invites great artists and companies, and all this in an environment as incomparable as Peralada Castle. From July 17 to August 9, the 40th edition is celebrated in different spaces within the Peralada Castle complex, such as the Church of El Carme, the Castle's Mirador, and the Celler Perelada, as well as at the Palau de la Música Catalana. Big international names and current creators with proposals in opera, dance, chamber music, and contemporary creation.In Cap Roig, by the sea, more than a thousand botanical species from all over the world and sculptures by national and international artists, is what makes this natural landscape of the Costa Brava one of the most important botanical gardens in the Mediterranean. The gardens, next to the castle, are the open-air setting for the Cap Roig Festival, where there will be about twenty concerts such as Bryan Adams, Amaia, Rick Astley, Diana Krall, Miki Núñez, Antonio Orozco, Juan Diego Flórez or 31 FAM. This year, the festival expands the concert experience with the Aftershow by Mas Sorrer, where after each performance you can extend the evening in the castle square, with a drink and music by a DJ. Music aside, Cap Roig also has different gastronomic spaces for you to choose what suits you best: the Village for the hours before each concert; the Terrassa by Hermanos Torres, which offers an exclusive aperitif with sea views, or the Restaurant Hermanos Torres, with a menu created and designed exclusively for the festival restaurant.More than a festivalThis is not a festival is the slogan of the Vida Festival, a different approach, which has no intention of growing in capacity to continue taking care of the details and for everyone to enjoy the best music in such special spaces as la Masia d’en Cabanyes, the main venue of the festival, close to the sea. On July 2, 3 and 4, Vilanova i la Geltrú becomes one of the essential enclaves on the festival map thanks to a very complete lineup that includes major international and national draws –Fatboy Slim, Ralphie Choo, Guitarricadelafuente, Amaia or Saint Etienne–, a clear commitment to local talent with outstanding names from the Catalan scene –Maria Arnal, who will present her new project; La Ludwig Band; Maria Jaume; Triquell, or Ferran Palau– and the selection of artists that everyone will end up talking about. Processó Metafísica is the title of the inaugural concert by El Petit de Cal Eril, which will tour the historic forests and gardens of the festival's emblematic spaces, with more than a hundred participants including artists, musicians, and representatives of popular culture.Festivals full of music in CatalanThey have already sold out the tickets, but even so, it is worth dedicating a few lines to Canet Rock, the festival that since its return in 2014, after the 70s phase, has become this uninterrupted marathon of music in Catalan that on July 4 celebrates Catalan pop: Figa Flawas, 31 FAM, La Fúmiga, The Tyets, Buhos, Els Catarres, Els Amics de les Arts, Ginestà, Doctor Prats, Maria Jaume and La Ludwig Band will make 25,000 people dance and sing until sunrise.Another festival where the main star is Catalan music is the Cabró Rock. Vic hosts the summer version of the festival on June 12 and 13, which also includes the chestnut festival option in Montmeló on October 31. This summer's edition is the most massive, the venue will be expanded and the total capacity will be 60,000 people, 30,000 per day. The organization is convinced that they have the most ambitious lineup in the history of music from the Catalan Countries: they will feature 24 of the best artists from the Catalan Countries, such as La Fúmiga, Figa Flawas, Lax'n'Busto, The Tyets, Buhos, Suu, Els Amics de les Arts, Teràpia de Shock, and more. Cabró Rock is one of the only three festivals in Catalonia where La Gossa Sorda will perform on this comeback tour, and it is known that they have no intention of continuing. It also coincides with the premiere of the new album and tour of Immortals by Joan Dausà, and Oques Grasses' concert will be the last they perform before their final farewell at the Olympic Stadium with all tickets already sold out. You can still buy a day ticket or a pass for both days of Cabró Rock.

It may seem that festivals designed for the whole family are a relatively recent invention, but in Viladecans it has been over 30 years since they decided to fill streets and squares with music, dance, circus, theatre, animation, or puppets. Since 1990, Al Carrerhas been growing to become a benchmark in the world of street arts. The first weekend of July,more than seventy performances by thirty companiesawait you in Viladecans.The first weekend of JuneThere are many more proposals with street performances like the Marrameu, the festival of stories and street performances in Torrelameu, in La Noguera. A cat in boots and knight is the protagonist of the poster for the tenth edition of this 100% family event, which on June 6 and 7 is celebrated with activities ranging from zero to three euros: installations, puppets, stories, parades, theatre, puppets, circus and songs. On the same days, but in Girona, comes the Festivalot, the festival for young and old, which since 2015 has programmed concerts at the Auditorium –Els Catarres, Alfred Garcia, Ginestà, Miki Núñez or The Tyets–, a lot of free activities such as workshops, readings, instrument tastings or signings and photos with the artists and children at the Palau de Fires. You can spend the day there, there is food and drink at the bar service and food trucks that are set up in Parc de la Devesa. Also that weekend, from June 5 to 7, in Sant Esteve de Palautordera they celebrate the Tast de Titelles, which in its 5th edition features free street performances and others for 3 to 5 € at the Theatre, the Annex, Espai de Txo and Espai Marduix, and always with puppets as the protagonists.From one end of the territory to the otherFor 19 years, the Town Hall ofEsterri d’Àneu has been organizingEsbaiola’t on the third weekend of July. The street performing arts festival is quality culture for children and families, which from July 16 to 19 will feature more than 80 activities over four days in 13 spaces. Esbaiola’t also has 11 inclusive and community theatre proposals, and a workshop for children, who, guided by local artisans, will learn to make masks, carpentry, textiles, and giant heads, a fantastic tool to place this idyllic setting on the country's cultural map.Almost 250 kilometers to the south, we stop in Vilanova i la Geltrú, which from July 23 to 25 celebrates the 18th edition of El Tingladu. The festival, organized by the cultural and festive entity Can Pistraus, is non-profit and has the collaboration of more than 300 volunteers. At Parc de la Torre d’Enveja, Clara Peya, La Fúmiga, Svetlana, Nacho Vegas, Els Pets, La Rauxa, Talco and Crim will perform, among many others. This Catalan music and culture festival has been held since 2008 in Vilanova i la Geltrú. You can buy a day ticket, with a reduced price if you are between 7 and 17 years old, or a season ticket. A trip through timeThe same organizers of the Festivalot, Pistatxo Produccions, from the music group Els Amics de les Arts, together with the Archaeology Museum of Catalonia - Empúries, have been organizing Familiaria for 10 years, the festival of family culture in Empúries. Familiaria, the festival of family culture in Empúries. July 25th is the day to explore antiquity in a fun and participatory way, with proposals for all ages at the Empúries archaeological site. General admission includes participation in three workshops out of the many available – Roman camp, percussion, archaeology, weaving, drachma, ointments, ceramics, anchovies or the family visit to the site –, in addition to activities without registration and the concert.Connecting with roots is what DeLlegendes offers us, the Festival de Llegendes de Catalunya, which fills the streets of Sant Martí de Tous, from July 2 to 5,  with contemporary creation shows rooted in popular culture. The weekend will also feature crafts and workshop proposals related to the spirit of the festival at the Mercat de la Bossa de Bou. This year, DeLlegendes is expanding to the municipalities of Bellprat and Argençola, where on June 27 and 28 two theatre and music shows will be held.Circus and magicPerhaps circus and magic have a less massive audience than tales, puppets, street arts, theatre, or music, but it is just as unconditional, and a festival that invites us to dream and believe that incredible realities are possible would never be missed. Circus lovers, take note: the 31st Fira de Circ al Carrer in la Bisbal d'Empordà from July 17 to 19, one of the most outstanding events of contemporary circus in Catalonia. Fifteen open-air stages host more than 40 performances by about twenty companies, who bring a wide variety of formats, disciplines, and languages to squares and streets. An intergenerational and festive meeting point for circus lovers.If you are more into magic, from June 4 to 7 the Fimag, the International Magic Festival of Torroella de Montgrí, returns. In this 14th edition, they combine popular magic, unique magic, close-up magic, and grand magic with large-format shows. You can also learn to do magic with workshops by Gneis, who will show tricks, how to create card tricks, and the secrets for illusions to work!, or the magic tricks and tips from Francis Zafrilla. One of this year's novelties is an exclusive dinner (€50) with close-up magic with Dani Daortiz, one of the best magicians in the world in his discipline.

Street artCulture is cooked in the street perfectly explains the Festus. Since 1998 Torelló has had this festival that was born to attract young audiences and has been expanding its range with programming for all audiences. It is the Street Arts Festival that turns the town into a great stage for small shows, which in this 29th edition, on May 29 and 30, focuses on the idea ofcommunity, understood from diverse and open perspectives. Through culture, they collectively think and rethink the way of living and building community. There will be 18 proposals of theatre, dance, circus, music, and visual arts that will fill the streets and squares of Torelló. Most shows are free without prior reservation, although some require reservation or have a cost. Festusfestival.catFeminismIt wasn't long ago that women were the great absentees at music festivals. Nothing to do with the Tetafest lineup, which, under the slogan More voices, more rhythm, more future, on May 29 and 30, celebrates at Camp de Mart in Tarragona the feminist festival where women are the main protagonists. Lia Kali and Vanesa Martín, who are the headliners, are accompanied by consolidated names and emerging proposals such as Queralt Lahoz, Alosa, Marisa Valle Roso, Poncelam, Maria Fort or Sandra Monfort. There are also activities in the gardens of the venue such as Señora DJ's set at vermouth time and the free concert by Les que Faltaband. In addition to music, Tetafest gives visibility to projects and entities led by women at Espai Aliances. You can buy a daily ticket or a pass for both days. Tetafest.comContemporary clownA festival where laughter is the protagonist? Yes, it exists, it is the Pixa’t de Riure, International Humor Festival, and it is celebrated in Alpens (Lluçanès), on June 5 and 6. The town is transformed into a stage space dedicated to humor, clowning, contemporary circus, and street arts with national and international companies. The 5th edition of this commitment to the decentralization of the scenic offer with quality programming in rural environments, in addition to street performances, family proposals, and more intimate formats, offers a free family clown workshop, play areas in nature, and a gastronomic area. Instagram.com/pixatderiureDissident culturesThe organizers assure that La Rica is not just a festival, it is a meeting space where culture becomes a tool for thought, community, and transformation, with a program that combines critical thinking, humor, music, performance, and queer culture. On June 5th the LGTBI Center of Barcelona will host the round table Is an accessible and anti-racist culture possible through queer and transfeminist practice?, with Elena Prous, Hac Vinent, Norma Pérez and Salima Jirari, moderated by Lucrecia Masson. On June 6th they will go to Sala Paral·lel 62, where Nerea Pérez de las Heras, Bob Pop, Las Bajas Pasiones, Muerte a la Norma or Megane Mercury, among others, will shake up imaginaries and show that this space did not exist and was needed. Instagram.com/laricafestPoetry Alella, Arenys de Mar, Caldes d'Estrac, Dosrius, Mataró, Sant Pol de Mar, Vilassar de Mar and Teià are poetry. For more than 20 years now, in summer, Poesia i + fills the Maresme with poetry, combining emerging voices and established poets. Faithful to tradition and at the same time seeking new ethical and aesthetic languages, from July 1 to 12, the word is the main protagonist, and there is also space for the word hybridized with other disciplines. Singer Júlia Colom, choreographer Marcos Morau, poets Albert Roig, Ángela Segovia and Júlia Sentís... and up to thirty names among poets, artists and musicians in unique spaces such as libraries, theaters, squares, gardens and open-air settings. Poesiaimes.catSolidarity The desire to enjoy culture together following covid was the driving force behind this festival, which was born in the summer of 2020 in Mataró. Community, sustainability, and culture are the pillars of Nosaltres, which from July 7 to August 20 focuses on local culture, with almost 70% of the shows being zero-kilometer and rooted in Maresme. Parity is also ensured: 50% of the artistic projects are led by women. There will be four large-format days at the Jardins de l'Escorxador, a family afternoon at the Pati del Cafè Nou, and seven small-format musical shows at +Nosaltres in Tarannà Parc Forestal. Nosaltresfest.cat/el-festivalPerforming arts Little by little and good theater is the slogan for 2026 of the Festival Z, the festival in Girona and Salt that, from July 8 to 11, bets on companies and artists under thirty years of age, especially creators from the Girona region, with the aim of making them known and contributing to their professionalization. Up to twenty proposals for theater, street performance, circus, dance, installations, and puppetry, from works in progress to scenic embryos and finished shows. In addition to the artistic programming, the 6th edition of the Festival Z reaffirms its role as a meeting point for young scenic creation with the professional sector. Festivalz.orgCirc It is impossible to say circus and not automatically think of Circ Cric, the space for the creation and production of circus shows, in Sant Esteve de Palautordera, which is reaching the end of its 16th Circ Cric Festival. On May 24th they are celebrating the Fair of Shows and Activities, with circus shows, workshops, games, and music. And music will be the main protagonist, on May 31st, at the concert by El Pony Menut – the version for families of the group El Pony Pisador – which will take us on a journey through the sound traditions of everywhere. Circcric.comThe top figures of the great world circuses will also be in Catalonia this summer with Nits de Circ. The 6th edition of the festival remains faithful to the Jardins de Besalú – from August 12 to 15 – and the Ciutadella de Roses – from August 18 to 23 –, and grows by incorporating Plaça Sarquella in Palamós and Sant Joan from August 26 to 29. All of them with a complete circus but without a roof, where aerial acrobats fly under the stars. 16,000 people will be able to enjoy 14 performances among jugglers, trapeze artists, tightrope walkers, clowns, and acrobats… 29 artists from eight nationalities, and numbers as spectacular as Flying Caballero, the first in the world capable of performing three quadruple somersaults. Nitsdecirc.comSound, Visual, and Digital-Performative ArtsThe Terres de l’Ebre have the Eufònic, the festival of installations, live sets, talks, performances, sound actions and audiovisual pieces, where space is another artistic element. From July 16 to 18, Amposta hosts the main performative activities, but the 15th edition of the festival goes further, filling various towns –Miravet, Paüls, Roquetes, Sant Jaume d’Enveja, Xerta, la Sénia, Tortosa or Ulldecona– with sound and visual experiences, rooted in the landscape and environment. Eufònic is much more than a festival, it also features Eufònic Pro, the professional meeting with programmers, curators and cultural managers; the Campus, a meeting space between more experienced creators and beginners, or the BotCamp which installs digital art in Tivissa from July 2 to 5. Eufonic.net

It is impossible to say 2026 and not automatically think of architecture, Antoni Gaudí or Pau Casals, and it is that this is the year in which Barcelona has been named by UNESCO and the International Union of Architects World Capital of Architecture. It is also when the 100th anniversary of the death of Antoni Gaudí, the 150th of the birth of Pau Casals or the 700th of the founding of the monastery of Pedralbes in Barcelona are commemorated.The Catalan capital is being the world epicenter of architecture with more than 1,500 planned activities with the aim of reconnecting citizens with this discipline, valuing it and showing the urban diversity of the city. One of the great protagonists of the capital is the architect Antoni Gaudí, and one of the events of the summer will be the world premiere of the choral symphonic work Set Somnis de Gaudí, composed by Olivia Pérez-Collellmir and libretto by Anna Gual. On June 10, coinciding with the day of Gaudí's death, Marin Alsop will conduct more than 200 musicians from the London Philharmonic and three choirs from the Orfeó Català at the Palau de la Música. And the next day, a free concert in Plaça Catalunya in Barcelona with the premiere of 84 Bells of Gaudí. Based on the study by Galdric Santana, director of the Gaudí Chair, the 84 bells will ring – one for each key on the standard piano register –, which Gaudí designed to hang on the 18 towers of the Sagrada Família.2026 is also the Casals Year, to highlight the figure and legacy of the cellist, composer, conductor, and defender of peace. The Pau Casals Foundation, awarded the Creu de Sant Jordi 2026, is promoting this year and in 2027 a broad program of exhibitions, concerts, educational and participatory activities, both national and international. On June 9, the Casals Quartet accompanied by pianist Alexander Melnikov will celebrate Pau Casals Day at the Palau de la Música.The Royal Monastery of Santa Maria de Pedralbes is one of the best models of Catalan Gothic architecture, with one of the largest Gothic cloisters in the world and the gateway to a journey through time full of calm and tranquility. With the aim of disseminating its heritage, they have programmed a series of activities, from courses to visits, workshops, conferences, family proposals, and concerts. In addition, from June 3 to September 19, on Tuesday and Friday afternoons, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., it can be visited for free.

When Maria (19 years old) started her first year of high school, she dropped all her extracurricular activities: “I was so stressed that just thinking about the hours I would have to dedicate to them made it clear to me, but it was a terrible decision; before the end of the course, I started to feel anxious, I spent the day studying”, she recalls. Now that she is finishing her first year of physiotherapy studies, she admits that she would do it very differently. In fact, when he started second year of high school, he picked up an extracurricular activity again, and little by little he found the balance between studying, leisure, spending time with friends, and taking care of himself. “I dedicated fewer hours to studying but I was more productive and happier”, she states. The false time thieves

What happened to Maria is common: adolescence arrives and the number of hours dedicated to extracurricular activities plummets. “Often the changes start with the type of extracurriculars they do in secondary school, which tend to be more geared towards training”, comments Òscar Bretau, emotional counselor and coach at Escola IPSE in Barcelona. In general, English and sports practice are the most widespread, although girls dedicate fewer hours to physical activity. During high school, when students tend to feel the pressure to achieve good academic results, it is recommended to “find a certain balance between studies and extracurriculars.” We must stop believing that “tivities done outside of class time are a waste of time,” points out Bretau. But he also adds that we cannot lose sight of the fact that a brain that is too busy and stressed does not perform adequately. “If all free time is used to achieve goals, performance will decrease and they will self-sabotage.” Besides recommending extracurriculars that can be a breath of fresh air, Bretau recalls the importance of doing nothing and sleeping a minimum of eight hours: “It is impossible for them to perform if they have not rested enough.” Fewer group activities and more 'scrolling'

Joan Carles Folia, educational advisor and coach, explains that it is common for young people to stop doing extracurricular activities upon reaching adolescence: “Around 11 or 12 years old, social bonds change, there is a hormonal explosion, and their interests begin to change”. Bretau also believes that there are significant differences between this generation of adolescents and previous ones: “Now they have the infinite scroll at their fingertips, which is very harmful to all brains but especially to the adolescent brain”. Technology, which is now presented as an alternative for non-class hours, attracts more attention from adolescents than any other sports, cultural, or leisure activity.

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Meetings with children's tutors are the opportunity to know what their life is like in the microcosm where they spend a large part of the day, at least from the age of six to sixteen. If there are no major problems, one or two meetings per academic year are usually scheduled, with meetings lasting around an hour. Although lately, teachers and families also communicate throughout the year, via email, when they deem it appropriate.Both Montse Jiménez, a secondary school teacher at Fundació Vedruna Catalunya Educació, and Núria Sabaté, a primary school teacher at Escola Marià Fortuny in Reus, recommend asking, in addition to academic questions, about your children's personal development. There is life beyond notes

Jiménez considers that most families are mainly concerned about grades, focusing on results even though the reports are qualitative and include tutor observations that assess transversal skills: “It still weighs heavily on 'How is my child doing?', and they refer to how they are doing in terms of results”. Along the same lines, Sabaté recommends that families ask questions to ensure they understand the tutors' perception of how their children are in class, if they participate, are happy, integrated, and get along well with their classmates: “To begin with, families should become aware of how their children are doing at school, and if there is anything that concerns the family, this is the time to discuss it”. In these meetings, parents can be interested in their children's overall development, progress and process, their achievements, and if they are improving. “Knowing their strengths, the difficulties they might have, their level, or if they are happy at school”, suggests the teacher. Therefore, it is the perfect opportunity to learn more about your children, beyond the reports. The use of technology

One of the recurring questions that have been arising lately from families is the use of technology in the center, for what, with which applications or platforms and with what supervision. “It is an issue that increasingly occupies families. These meetings can be a space to discuss it,” says the teacher. Meetings with families are also an opportunity for the center to ask – not to scrutinize, they say – about the uses of technologies and screens. “Sometimes we find primary school children who fall asleep in class or have trouble keeping up with the pace,” says the teacher, and she comments that they usually take the opportunity to share good uses of digital devices with families. Bond of trust

The teachers insist on the importance of weaving a bond of trust between the family and the school, “each of us wants the best for our children and students, we need to find points of convergence, focus more on the possible solution than on the problem”, proposes Jiménez. These spaces are perfect for complicity between the school and the family, for families to ask what they can do at home so that their children improve with what they need, and that these are not always shortcomings related to academic matters, they can also be personal or social skills. “The more fluid the communication, the better. It is worth setting common goals, because when the family and the school work together, the children perceive it quickly and it encourages them to improve. This is what we all want, for children and young people to achieve the best of themselves”, explains Sabaté. The two teachers recall the importance of asking about the person in all their dimensions, “they may have good academic results, but they need to improve personal aspects”, says Jiménez. “In such an individualistic society, it is necessary to form empathetic citizens, capable of weaving complicities, and who work for the common good. All together we must worry about what each student does and how they are”, she concludes.

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For young people, it is positive and necessary to have role models to follow, it helps them to build their identity, imagine different possibilities, find motivations, and know where to go. “The most important thing would be to have several role models, and for them to be human and imperfect, so they become a guide to look up to and not a pressure to imitate”, proposes Sylvie Pérez Lima, a registered psychologist and professor at the UOC. But what are young people's idols like in the digital age? From the 1960s to the 2000s, teenagers' bedrooms were transformed with posters of their youth idols hanging on the walls. “They were young people a bit older than them whom they looked up to, and they idealized their image and identity,” explains Carles Feixa, a professor of social anthropology at the UPF and coordinator of the Youth in Spain Report (INJUVE 2024). In the 1960s, teenagers appropriated their bedrooms for the first time and displayed their idols, especially musical ones, rock’n’roll and rock evolutions. In the 70s, they were revolutionary political idols –Mao Tse Tung, Che, or Fidel Castro–, who, with the crisis at the end of the 70s, ceased to have continuity. Then, consumer idols returned with more commercial music, not so much protest-oriented, and sports idols, especially in football and tennis, who were models of success. It is from the 2000s onwards that digitalization began and more artificial idols emerged, youtubers and influencers, who would go on to occupy an even more intimate space, social media. Lucía (15 years old) does have posters hanging in her room, a couple from one of the Spiderman movies and several of Sadie Sink (@sadiesink_), an actress from Stranger Things: “I follow her on social media and watch all the interviews she does, she's my crush”. What she watches most on TikTok and Instagram are reels of series, music, and especially humor, accounts that make her laugh –“many silly things, falls, and slips”–, Manu Rivas (@manurivasr) or Pablo Vera's (@pablovr11) dances, news channels, and people who explain things like Javi Hoyos's (@javihoyosmartinez) gossip.

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"There are no more urban tribes, and there won't be any, at least not with the presence and strength they had in the second half of the 20th century," states José Mansilla, an urban anthropologist in the Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB). "In Spain, they emerged with great force in the 1980s as a result of a period of realignment in Spanish society. Now, only a few nostalgics will remain," he asserts.

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According to the latest PISA report on financial literacy According to a 2022 OECD report, fifteen-year-old students in Spain are below the European average in financial literacy, and 17% do not even reach the basic level of financial competence. Financial literacy levels among adults are also low. Laura Mascaró, author of the book Where does he keep the money?She recommends that adults be aware of their relationship with money and whether they have bad habits: "Children learn from what they see at home; they are influenced by their parents' perception and management of money," she says.

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In 2022, Daniel A. Abrams, professor of psychiatry at Stanford University, published in The Journal of Neuroscience Research on what happens in the brains of boys and girls at age thirteen shows that the neural centers involved in feelings of reward stop activating when they hear their mother's voice. Conversely, when they hear unfamiliar voices, the neural networks associated with pleasant sensations are activated. Therefore, when parents believe their children aren't listening to them, it's not just a guess; science has shown that they most likely aren't.

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The Baccalaureate is one of the options for accessing university, two years in which students often feel pressured to achieve the necessary grade to study their desired degree. The access grade is determined by the average of the Baccalaureate grade, which represents 60%, and the university entrance exam grade, the remaining 40%.

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As a result of Sectoral territorial plan for housing From the Catalan Government and with the aim of reflecting on the relationship between the economy and the housing crisis in our country, ARA, in collaboration with the Government of Catalonia, has organized a series of debates on housing. On December 19th, journalist Laura López moderated the last panel, entitled Housing and EconomyWith Agustí Sala, a journalist specializing in economics and deputy director of ARA, and Fernando Trias de Bes, an economist who has contributed to the newspaper for over 15 years.

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The difficulty in accessing and maintaining decent and affordable housing is one of the factors contributing to inequality in Catalonia. Therefore, with the aim of facilitating access to housing, the Catalan government has created the 50,000 Homes PlanTo create 50,000 new public and affordable housing units by 2030 using public land and in collaboration with local councils, reserving 25% for young people with direct aid and emancipation funds.

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At the end of 2024, the Catalan Sectoral Territorial Housing Plan (PTSH) was approved, the instrument of the Government of Catalonia for long-term planning and programming of housing policies. To learn more about the proposal, ARA, in collaboration with the Government of Catalonia, has organized a series of roundtables focused on housing. With the aim of assessing the proposed measures and future challenges, on December 17th, under the title "Housing Aid Currently Offered by the Government of Catalonia," journalist Laura López joined Luisa Fernanda Pinto, a lawyer specializing in urban planning law and housing expert for the Barcelona Metropolitan Strategic Plan (PEMB), and Karen Ortega, a researcher in the Housing and Demography group at the Center for Demographic Studies affiliated with the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB).

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With coworkers

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We associate Christmas with consumption. "We take advantage of most holidays to consume. We have the excuse of gifts, gastronomy, or books," says Albert Vinyals, professor of consumer psychology at the UAB and ESIC and author ofThe Deranged Consumer: A Diagnostic Manual of Consumer Pathologies(2020).

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Christmas is the quintessential holiday, a time for family gatherings and reunions, celebrations with friends, where both believers and non-believers prepare for the festivities. But why is it Christmas? Celebrating the birth of Jesus on that date perfectly coincided with the winter solstice. It has many similarities to the rebirth of life; light begins to predominate and the days grow longer. "The processes of assimilating a culture are usually long, but they occur without too much fanfare; it's a modernization, as is happening now when we adapt to the needs of the moment," explains Amadeu Carbó, folklorist and writer, author ofWe celebrate Christmas: When, how and why of the biggest holiday(Morera Editions, 2016).

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One of the most characteristic features of Christmas gatherings is the endless after-dinner conversation, a lunch that flows into afternoon tea, and then, while we're at it, we grab a few things and have dinner. To round off these after-dinner moments, beyond the conversations, a good board game always helps. There are games for all tastes and ages; you just need to consider who will be playing, what they like, and how much time they want to dedicate to it: "It's best if they are relatively short games, especially in families that aren't used to board games; 15 or 20-minute games work well," suggests Imma Marín, president of theGaming Institute.

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