The special costumes, the typical disguises and wizards make this carnival so worth seeing. Children will love the carnival in Barcelona, also.

If you tend to dislike carnivals and would like to take refuge from the clownish goings, we can relieve your mind. In Barcelona, El Carnaval is not as ubiquitous as in Mainz at the carnival or the Swabian-Alemannic Fasnet.

The carnival begins in Spain with «Dirty Thursday», in Barcelona this day is called Jueves Ladero – Greasy Thursday, or Dijous Gras in Catalan. This day is dedicated to the «Greasy» and «Vice» and celebrated with many festivals in which vast amounts are eaten.

The weekend belongs to the Carnival Guilds. The popular Big Parade Gran Rua does not exist anymore. But there are many local events and local carnival parades all over Barcelona throughout the carnival weekend. We recommend the carnival parades in the Ribera/Born area of Barcelona old city. The highlight is «La Taronjada» on Sunday – a colourful battle of orange balloons and confetti at the end of a parade in the Ribera/Born district.

On Ash Wednesday the carnival comes to an end with the funeral of the sardine. The King of Carnival dies and is buried in his grave in a funeral cortège, accompanied by his widow and companions – the colourful costumes are appropriately exchanged to black mourning clothes.
Traditionally, on this day fish is eaten.

Between the 16th and early 17th centuries, Barcelona’s Carnival was one of the tops in all of Europe – more for its wild reputation than for its roots in tradition – but all that disappeared under Franco. When the city started celebrating again, it was with bits borrowed from Brazil, all leggy and sequinned, as if Barcelona had forgotten that Brazil initially imported Carnival from here, and not the other way round.

Seven years ago, Barcelona decided to bring back its historical and traditional Carnival, with all its glorious satire, dancing and costumes, and especially encouraging the participation of all. With that in mind the Ajuntament (City Hall) brought back the taronjada, an innocent ‘battle’ between the Carnival players and the public of orange balloons and confetti, recalling the actual oranges that were once thrown as far back as the 14th century; the Arrival of Carnival (16th, 5.30pm), when His Majesty officially gets the party started; and the King’s ambassadors, who represent the seven historical villas of the city: Magòria, Sol de Baix, Tres Torres, Camp d’en Grassot, the Horta laundries, Sant Genís dels Agudells, Fabra i Coats and Clot de la Mel.