The weather has been much calmer and sunnier this Wednesday, with lower temperatures and moderate heat. But this calm will not last long, as this Thursday the meteorological situation will become very complicated. The passage of an active front will reactivate instability, with a spell of showers and storms that will sweep across a large part of the country from northwest to southeast between Thursday afternoon and Friday morning. It will not rain in the morning, but there will be more and more clouds and a more variable or partly cloudy sky.

The tsunami that caused the 2008 financial crisis made hundreds of bank branches disappear and left many Catalan municipalities without these services. As a consequence of this process, in 2021 there were 502 Catalan towns with no access to banking services, 53% of the total, with a population of over 305,000 inhabitants, 3.94% of the total. At the end of 2024 – the latest available data – there were 38 municipalities, 4% of the total, with a population of 11,381 people, 0.14% of the total. The number of municipalities with no such services has been reduced by 92% in this period.

The heat has not been as intense during the weekend, although the atypical summer atmosphere has continued. During this first week of June, thermometers will continue to gradually drop, and by Wednesday we will have values more typical for this time of year. Little by little we have been leaving behind a heatwave that has broken the record for the highest maximum ever reached in Catalonia in a month of May, with 39.5 °C recorded in Vinebre (Ribera d'Ebre) on Friday (you will find the most outstanding data from this historic heatwave at the end of this article). The sun will continue to dominate these days, with high clouds and afternoon showers in the north of the country, as we have already seen during the weekend afternoons, with local but intense storms in some cases. All in all, however, awaiting a possible more extensive spell of showers before the weekend, which would open the door to a strong but brief cooling down.

The heat has not been as intense at the start of the weekend, although we remain with thermal values quite a bit higher than usual at the end of May. Little by little we will leave behind a heatwave that has broken the record for the highest maximum ever reached in Catalonia in the month of May, with 39.5 °C recorded in Vinebre (Ribera d'Ebre) on Friday (you will find the most outstanding data from this historic heatwave at the end of this information). The protagonism, however, will continue to be for the heat and also for a sun that will combine with high clouds and with showers in the north of the country, as we have already seen during Saturday afternoon.

L’ on the state of the Catalan economy has the quality one would expect from the group of economists who have produced it. It conveys a strong message, albeit full of nuances. The aspect that interested me most is the conclusion (in Annex 5) that Catalonia has a segment of its economy – including industry – which, in terms of productivity, is comparable, for example, to the corresponding segment in the Basque Country. It reaffirms me in the conviction that we still have a solid foundation on which, if we set our minds to it and Europe helps, we can build a first-class economy. I also believe that this requires the spearhead of our development policies to pivot on the impetus of the most advanced and productive sectors.The report observes that we also have a segment of the economy with low productivity that has induced, and absorbed, in a short time, exceptional demographic growth. As a consequence, the averages for productivity (of labor, per hour worked) and income per person have widened the gap compared to the European average. I note that this does not necessarily mean impoverishment, neither for the native population nor, obviously, for immigrants. I also agree that a country's income per person is more important than absolute income, but, even so, size matters. At least in Catalonia, it dilutes the weight of debt and increases political weight.

The historic heatwave we've been experiencing for days peaked this Friday in the southern interior of the country. Of note are the 39.5 °C recorded in Vinebre (Ribera d'Ebre). This is the highest maximum ever reached in a May in all of Catalonia, shattering the absolute record in force until now: the 38 °C registered in May 2022 in Castellbisbal (Vallès Occidental) and Anglès (Selva). This historic data joins the large number of records that have fallen between Thursday and Friday throughout the country (you will find the most outstanding data from this historic heatwave at the end of this information).

The Catalan population has gone from 6.2 million in 2000 to 8.2 in 2026. This is an extraordinary growth in the European context that has put access to housing and school under strain; in the first case due to increased demand, and in the second due to the sudden alteration of the student body's cultural composition. This is not a completely unforeseen change, as in 2002 Idescat published projections whose "medium-high" scenario has proven surprisingly accurate, but it is also true that this figure was between a "low scenario" of 6.7 million and a "high scenario" of 8.9.The latest projection by Idescat – published in 2024 – states that the Catalan population will be between 8.1 and 9.9 million in 2050. This is a very wide range, as it means that the population could either begin to decline or continue to grow very rapidly. In this context, the Proencat document, which guides decarbonization policy, predicts it will be 8.6 million, below Idescat's 'medium scenario'.Proencat, which guides decarbonization policy, predicts it will be 8.6 million, below Idescat's 'medium scenario'.However, and for whatever reasons, what has become popular is the prediction that Catalonia will reach 10 million inhabitants in 25 years. Minister Sílvia Paneque ("Catalonia will soon have 10 million") and deputy Elena Díaz ("The Catalonia of 10 million is not unviable") have repeatedly referred to it; President Illa has also done so, albeit more cautiously. Deputy David Cid, from Catalunya en Comú, has referred to it as a scenario that is not only probable but desirable ("We are 8 million, and if we are 10, better"). On the other hand, Oriol Junqueras has considered it a less attractive scenario ("The priority is not to be 10 million").It is clear that the most important thing that has happened in Catalonia in the last 25 years is demographic growth; much more than the independence process, for example. Obviously, if in 2050 Catalonia has around 10 million inhabitants, demographic growth will again be the most important thing that has happened. Consequently, preparing for it (as proposed by Illa, Paneque or Díaz) is more than justified.

The thermometers have taken a new step forward in recent hours. We wake up after a night that has registered more tropical lows, especially on the central coast, highlighting the extraordinary 23.4 ºC low at the Fabra observatory. But a separate case is the north of Alt Empordà, where due to the reheated tramuntana wind, torrid lows have been locally recorded, with values above 25 ºC. The 28 ºC low in Portbou stands out, a record for nocturnal heat in a May in Catalonia.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has become the center of business debate. For this reason, the BBVA board of directors has met in Barcelona to analyze its opportunities and the strategy linked to it, and has also gathered a hundred client companies from all over Spain during corporate banking days.

The mass of warm air over the Iberian Peninsula and all of Western Europe has for days been leaving us with an atmosphere more typical of early July than May, with heat records in Spain, France or the United Kingdom. An exceptional episode that gives no respite, and in the coming days will reach its peak, with a warm peak that will leave values approaching 38 °C in Ponent and will transport us directly to the summer heatwave. In some cases there will be values more than 10 degrees above average. All this, moreover, with many hours of very intense sun that will only be disturbed by the presence of some harmless afternoon clouds in the Pyrenees. At the end of this information you will find a summary of this heatwave and a comparison with the usual temperature at the end of May, far from current records.

The mass of warm air over the Iberian Peninsula continues to generate an atmosphere more typical of early July than May. This weekend, temperatures once again neared 35 °C in the Lleida plain and the Girona regions, and exceeded 32 °C in the pre-coastal areas. On the coast, the lack of ventilation and intense radiation caused the mercury to climb to 31 °C in Roses. Models indicate that this warm spell will extend for much of the week, with values between 6 and 8 degrees above average in some cases. Thermometers will reach their peak between Thursday and Friday, with a warm surge that will bring values close to 38 °C in western Catalonia.

The anticyclone will keep storms away from our latitudes and the existing pocket of warm air over the Iberian Peninsula is still generating temperatures more typical of early July than May. Yesterday, they again brushed 35 °C in the Lleida plain, as, for example, in Alfarràs and in the Girona regions they reached up to 30 °C. On the other hand, on the coast, the presence of fog banks contributed to the thermometer not exceeding 24 °C or 25 °C in some parts of the Costa Brava.

Yes, May is ending, the month of abundant flowers, of bubbling energies, of animals in heat, of fertility and reproduction. The world moves forward, it doesn't stop. The winter snows are melting and the rivers are full and the reservoirs even more so. Quantity of everything. Less of sense and peace and tranquility. The problem is that we get used to misfortunes. War and destruction. The war in Ukraine continues with no horizon of peace in sight, Gaza has been annihilated by Israel. Trump threatens Cuba and wants to make it his own, just as he did with Venezuela. Greenland, for now, seems to have forgotten it. Trump is a big, capricious child. They say his mother, when he was little, once said: "My son is an idiot, I hope he never goes into politics." Mothers' wishes! The Chinese talk to one and talk to the other, but it is clear that they want world hegemony and, as a bonus, Taiwan. Poor Zelensky only wants to survive and I wish he could. We must fight against the imperialisms that want to eat us all. 

Catalonia reached or exceeded 35 °C yesterday for the first time this year, and even 36 °C was recorded in very localized areas, with 36.1 °C standing out in Seròs (Segrià). Several municipalities in Ponent and the southern interior surpassed this mark of 35 °C, such as Torroja del Priorat, Albesa (Noguera) or Alcarràs, Alfarràs and Gimenells (Segrià). A premature heatwave that has caused, once again, the full summer atmosphere to arrive several weeks early. A weekend with a fully summery atmosphere awaits us, with highs around 35 °C in the warmest areas of the country and the first tropical nights. On the coast, the mercury will be clearly more restrained, and some fog or low clouds will appear, but it will be more muggy.

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.

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.