The Barcelona Marathon 1st March The Barcelona Marathon (or Marato Barcelona) takes place on the 1st March, and is a typical 26 mile/42 kilometre course. It runs through the heart of this beautiful city and the course winds through several of the city’s districts, making it a sightseeing experience in itself. It has been running since 1978. Compared the many other European marathons, the number of participants in Barcelona is relatively small, around 8,000. Hotels near the Barcelona Marathon The Vintage Car Rally The Vintage Car Rally (Internacional de Coches de Epoca) has been running yearly since 1959, and takes place from the 7th to 9th of March this year. It runs between Barcelona and Sitges. Original vehicles dating back from the early 1900s are used, and the winner of the competition isn’t based on who can travel the route the fastest, but instead those who have the most authenticity. I.e. using the most original cars, wearing appropriate clothing etc. This event, in short, is for car aficionados who appreciate the history of cars. Barcelona hotels near the Vintage Car Rally Palm Sunday Palm Sunday is on March 16th and marks the beginning of Lent. It is one of the most important dates in Spain’s Christian calendar. There is a sombre procession from the cathedral ‘La Seu’. There is a mass held in churches and often palm leaves are given out. There are often sculptures on show, some of which are many feet high, embellished with braids, tassels and the like. Barcelona hotels for Palm Sunday Antiquaris Barcelona (21st – 29th March) More than 8,000 unique pieces of modern art will be showcased at Antiquaris Barcelona. Over 20,000 visitors are expected to attend and there will be a huge range of art from up and coming artists from around the world. The event takes place annually and is currently in its 33rd year. Art in many forms will be on display, whether it be paintings to sculptures or even furniture to collectors’ items. Barcelona hotels near the Antiquaris Barcelona vs Malaga Football (22nd March) On Sunday the 22nd of March, Barcelona FC will play at home against Malaga for what is likely to be a very popular match. The match will be broadcast on live TV and tickets will go quickly, so for any football enthusiast, this is the place to be in March, in Barcelona. Barcelona hotels near the football

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Novalima in Concert April 2nd Peruvian band Novalima comes to perform in Barcelona at Apolo 2 on April 2nd. Their music attempts to maintain traditional Afro-Peruvian music styles, whilst adding modern DJ influences, thus allowing for a mix of the old and the new. Since the four friends created the group in 2001, they have had increasing success and will be touring many other cities throughout Europe. Barcelona hotels near the city centre Semana Santa5th - 12th April Semana Santa, or Easter Holy Week, is probably the most important event in the religious calendar. It starts on Palm Sunday (5th April 2009) and goes on until Resurrection Sunday (12th). For those less religious, it is still highly recommended because it is such a largely celebrated event in Spain. Processions and concerts are held throughout the country, and although in Barcelona the celebrations are more quietly celebrated than in other Spanish cities, it is often a very relaxed week. Barcelona hotels near the Semana Santa La Dia de Sant Jordi23rd of April The 23rd of April is La Dia de Sant Jordi, also known as St George’s Day, which is well celebrated in Barcelona because St George is the patron saint of Catalonia (which is the area that Barcelona is located in). The day is based on the old story of St. George slaying the dragon to save the princess and then giving her a rose to show her his true love for her. In some ways it is Catalonia’s own Valentine’s Day and has taken place since the Middle Ages. On this day, presents are given out, mainly men give women roses and men are given books. Barcelona hotels near the La Dia de Sant Jordi Feria de Abril 23rd April to 3rd May Celebrated at the area around Forum Park, the Feria de Abril will take place this year from 23rd April to 3rd May. It is essentially a festival of fun, broken down into two main sections. Firstly one area which is like an amusement park, with a ferris wheel, shooting galleries, candy floss and the like. The second area is often seen as much more important. A huge group of individual marquee tents called casetas (or little houses) which are full of dancing, drinking, partying and singing. They are often open till the late hours of the morning and are there for all ages. Normally there are around 80 casetas, belonging to various groups and organisations. It is typical to see people wearing traditional dress and dancing the traditional “Sevillanas” dance of Andalucia. Barcelona hotels near the Feria de Abril Barcelona Guitar Festival The Barcelona Guitar Festival (Festival de Guitarra de Barcelona) is perfect not just for all guitar lovers, but for music lovers too. Starting at the end of March, and continuing throughout April and most of June, the guitar festival will be celebrating its 20th year. Flamenco is the main type of guitar music available, but there are other styles too and it is possible to find professionals from all over the world. Barcelona hotels near the Barcelona Guitar Festival Remember these events

Barcelona City Museum The City History Museum (MHCB) is made up of the Monumental Ensemble of the Plaça del Rei, the Museum-Monastery of Pedralbes, the Verdaguer Museum-House, and the Centre for Interpretation to Park Güell: a rich heritage that is more than two thousand years old. The objective of the City History Museum of Barcelona (MHCB) is the reassessment of the historic heritage of Barcelona, whether the items are movable or immovable. In other words, the museum is responsible for the conservation, research, and dissemination of the objects and buildings that are significant for our collective history and that exemplify the city's past. We, in the City History Museum, are convinced that the best city museum is the city itself, and that it is in its streets, squares, and buildings where we can interpret the passage of time and the interaction of the men and women that have made, throughout the centuries, today's Barcelona possible. Practical inforamtion For more info Click here Catalan National Art Museum The MNAC embraces all the arts (sculpture, painting, objets d'art, drawing, engraving, posters, photography and coinage) and has the task of explaining the general history of Catalan art from the Romanesque period to the mid-twentieth century. In the case of the Romanesque and Gothic collections, this discourse is characterized by the Catalan provenance of most of the pieces, although, particularly in the Gothic, comparisons are made with art from other provenances. With regard to the Renaissance and Baroque collections, the works included lead to a more international discourse, with the work of great painters, such as El Greco, Zurbarán, Velázquez, Cranach, Rubens... The MNAC art collections from the end of the nineteenth century and the early decades of the twentieth century are once again mostly made up of the work of Catalan artists, forming a discourse which explains Modernisme, Noucentisme and the Avant-garde, always taking into account all the arts. Practical information For more info Click here Foundation Gala - Salvador Dali The Gala-Salvador Dalí Foundation is a private cultural institution with the mission, as stated in its bylaws, to promote, boost, divulge, lend prestige to, protect and defend in Spain and in any other country the artistic, cultural and intellectual oeuvre of the painter, his goods and rights of any nature; his life experience, his thoughts, his projects and ideas and artistic, intellectual and cultural works; his memory and the universal recognition of the genius of his contribution to the Fine Arts, culture and contemporary thought. It was created on 23 December 1983 at Púbol Castle at the express wish of Salvador Dalí Domènech. Right from the outset, Dalí presided over and directed the Foundation in person. His death on 23 January 1989 opened up a period of transition until, in 1991, the Board of the Gala-Salvador Dalí Foundation appointed Ramon Boixadós Malé President of the institution. Last March 2006, he was ratified on his position during the meeting of the Board of Trustees. Since that time the Foundation has updated its operational structure in view of the need to create a dynamic and effective organisation able to generate new projects in order to carry out the task entrusted to it by Salvador Dalí. Practical information For more info Click here Frederic Mares Foundation A passion for collecting: This is the trait that best defines the Frederic Marès Museum, and obviously, its founder, the sculptor, historian, teacher, and defender of the artistic heritage whose name the museum bears, Frederic Marès. And it is also why visitors to the museum are surprised and amazed at the numerous and very heterogeneous collections that have been brought together and put on display. This is undoubtedly because the Frederic Marès Museum is a collector’s museum, and it conserves the most important collection of Hispanic sculpture from the twelfth to the nineteenth centuries in Spain. Marès made a generous donation to Barcelona, and this is the reason why the museum belongs to the city and all its inhabitants. Practical information Museu Frederic Marès Plaça de Sant Iu, 5-6 08002 Barcelona Phone: 93 256 35 00 Fax: 93 319 41 16 E-mail: museumares@bcn.cat For more info Click here Joan Miro Foundation Miró's works are to be found today in the world's principal museums and cultural institutions. Many, however, have remained in Catalonia, mostly in the Joan Miró Foundation in Barcelona. The Library at the Foundation specialises in Joan Miró and modern and contemporary art in general. It contains approximately 25,000 books and exhibition catalogues, 350 audiovisual items and 120 different journals. Josep Lluís Sert Room is the annex to the Library and contains around 3,200 professional and personal documents relating to Josep Lluís Sert, a close friend of Miró’s and the architect who designed the Foundation building. It also houses the Foundation’s books, exhibition catalogues and reviews on architecture, town planning and design that were previously in the main Library. Practical information For more info Click here MACBA Barcelona Contemporary Art Museum Through the Collection and the exhibition/activities calendar, the MACBA hopes to construct a critical memory of Art of the latter half of the 20th century, with two objectives: to oppose rhetoric and hegemonic forces which tend to mythologize the local-national while exploiting cultural institutions as active agents of tertiary economics in urban centres; and to present alternatives for the insufficiencies of the dominant museum model, which is generally based on the universalist myth of the original work presented as spectacle. Working from the concept that there is no “public;” only “publics” consisting of specific and differentiated groups, the museum ceases to be a mere producer of exhibitions and becomes a purveyor of different services for different subjects. The exhibition is then an experience on a par with that of workshops, conferences, audiovisual activities, publications, etc. All of these experiences are defined by a series of discursive lines which lend thematic coherence. Practical information For more info Click here Museum of Modern Art Founded in 1929 as an educational institution, The Museum of Modern Art is dedicated to being the foremost museum of modern art in the world. Through the leadership of its Trustees and staff, The Museum of Modern Art manifests this commitment by establishing, preserving, and documenting a permanent collection of the highest order that reflects the vitality, complexity and unfolding patterns of modern and contemporary art; by presenting exhibitions and educational programs of unparalleled significance; by sustaining a library, archives, and conservation laboratory that are recognized as international centers of research; and by supporting scholarship and publications of preeminent intellectual merit. Central to The Museum of Modern Art’s mission is the encouragement of an ever-deeper understanding and enjoyment of modern and contemporary art by the diverse local, national, and international audiences that it serves. Practical information For more info Click here Maritime Museum Since 1929, the Museu Marítim de Barcelona (Barcelona Maritime Museum) has built up a major group of collections that are illustrative of the Catalan seafaring culture and which make it easier to understand the factors that have given rise to and the nature of the country’s maritime history. The main circumstance leading to the existence of the Museu Marítim de Barcelona was the creation of the Junta de Patronat de l’Institut Nàutic de la Mediterrània (Board of Management of the Mediterranean Nautical Institute) in 1929. As of 1931, it pressed for the establishment of a naval museum and a specialised library. At the same time, although in an unconnected manner, the city of Barcelona recovered the royal shipyards, a complex that the soldiers occupying them had been obliged to vacate on a permanent basis in 1935. Despite the two occurrences being unrelated, the idea of setting up a maritime museum in the recovered Gothic enclosure had already been raised. Practical information For more info Click here Mies Van der Roche Pavillion The Fundació Mies van der Rohe was set up in 1983 by the Barcelona City Hall with the initial purpose of reconstructing the German Pavilion, designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (1886-1969) for the 1929 Barcelona International Exhibition. Besides conserving and disseminating knowledge about the Mies van der Rohe Pavilion, the Fundació today also fosters debate on and awareness of themes related to contemporary architecture and urban planning, as well as encouraging studies on the work of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and on the Modern Movement. In accordance with these objectives, the Fundació organises awards, congresses, conferences, exhibitions, workshops and installations. Practical information For more info Click here Museum of the History if Catalonia The aim of the Museum of the History of Catalonia is to put the history of Catalonia on display and make people aware of their shared heritage, and so help them identify with their national history. Therefore, the museum has been conceived in such a way that it narrates a story. To help it do so, it collects and preserve objects that are relevant to Catalan history and promotes and organizes activities that will further public understanding of Catalan history and academic knowledge of it, as well as cooperating with other bodies with similar aims. Practical information For more info Click here Picasso Museum The Picasso Museum in Barcelona is indispensable for understanding the formative years of Pablo Ruiz Picasso. The genius of the young artist is revealed through more than 3,500 works that make up the permanent collection. However, the Picasso Museum also reveals his relationship with Barcelona: an intimate, solid relationship that was shaped in his adolescence and youth, and continued until his death. Thanks to the wishes of Picasso and his friend Jaume Sabartés, Barcelona now has the youthful work of one of the twentieth century’s most significant artists. Pracitcal information For more info Click here Textile Museum The Museu Tèxtil i d’Indumentària of Barcelona is located in Barcelona’s old Ribera neighbourhood, an area renowned for its museums, fashionable boutiques and its intense tourist and night life. The Museu Tèxtil i d’Indumentària of Barcelona is both a museum, in the traditional sense of the word, and a platform for new ideas in the world of fashion and Costume, as well as a vehicle for communication: The museum seeks to offer a theoretical exploration of the cultural and social role of the body and fashion, and combines research and exhibitions with widening and preserving its valuable heritage of textiles and Costume. The patrimonial holdings of the museum consist of objects related to the ornamentation of the human body, such as dresses, jewellery, accoutrements and accessories, as well as an abundant collection of textiles, running from Coptic fabrics all the way up to industrial textiles. These include important collections of lacework, embroidery, liturgical vestments and tapestries. Practical information For more info Click here

Bcn Producció 08" is at La Capella From 19 March 2008 to 04 May 2008 Carlos Albalá and Ignasi López, Efrén Álvarez, Ana García-Pineda, Rubén Grilo and Job Ramos are the artists whose work is included in "Bcn Producció 08", which.... apart from offering a space to exhibit, also offers help with production and in assessing the development of a project. The work on display includes photography, video installations, documentary compilations and drawings on such subjects as the family, the public sphere and city outskirts, among others. Practical information Address: C Hospital, 56 District: Ciutat Vella Telephone: 934427171 Los carniceros de Milwaukee From 20 March 2008 to 13 April 2008 This comedy, about a ridiculous robbery carried out by a couple of dim-witted skinheads is now on at the Guasch Theatre. The pair are given the task of burgling a house to get money for their gang but two mysterious, constantly changing characters frustrate their plans. What are two skinheads, a transvestite and a serial murderer doing on the same job? Practical information Guasch Teatre Address: C Aragó, 140 District: Eixample Telephone: 934513462 For more info Click here Tannhäuser From 19 March 2008 to 22 April 2008 The Liceu is staging this Richard Wagner opera under the musical direction of Sebastian Weigle and stage direction of Robert Carsen. The opera, which opened in 1845 at the Königlisches Sächsisches Hoftheater in Dresden and was seen at the Liceu in 1887, is an opera in three acts, set in Wartburg Castle and its surroundings, in Thuringia, at the start of the thirteenth century. Wagner continued working on the score throughout his life in an attempt to improve it. Practical information Gran Teatre del Liceu Address: C la Rambla, 51 District: Ciutat Vella Telephone: 934859900 Opera and flamenco From 16 March 2008 to 30 March 2008 Opera and Flamenco, now on at the Poliorama, combines the beauty of operatic singing, gypsy dance and Spanish music. It offers us the most popular songs from Spanish flamenco and zarzuela, a spectacular fusion of opera and flamenco now in its fourth season and already seen by over 80.000 people. Tradition and modernity await you! Practical information Teatre Poliorama Address: la Rambla, 115 District: Ciutat Vella Telephone: 933177599 Sarcophagus of Ancient Egypt' at Barcelona Museu Egipci Thirty sarcophagi, a mummy other funeral objects from five generations of priests in the temple gardens of Amun are in the Sarcòfags de l'antic Egipte exhibition, at the Museu Egipci in Barcelona. The pieces were discovered in 1903 but his is the first time they have been put on exhibition. The sarcophagi were for members of the family who served the god Karnak, 650BC, in the gardens of Amun. Practical information Fundació Arqueològica Clos - Museu Egipci de Barcelona Address: C València, 284 District: Eixample Telephone: 934880188 Concert Luz Casal 26 March 2008 Now totally recovered from the breast cancer that kept her away from the stage for a period, a very optimistic Luz Casal is coming to the Gran Teatre del Liceu with renewed energy to present her latest album, 'Vida tóxica'. Tracks like Sé Feliz and Lo mejor de lo peor reveal her more poetic side, while the album as a whole, with eleven songs, reflects different styles that combine perfectly with her unique voice. Practical information Gran Teatre del Liceu Address: C la Rambla, 51 District: Ciutat Vella

UEFA Champions League Barcelon V Schalke 04 FC Schalke 04, who got past FC Porto on penalties to make the last eight for the first time.... will have home advantage for the first leg of their tie against FC Barcelona, winners of this tournament in 1992 and 2006. The winners of this Quarter final will play either AS Roma or Manchester United in the Semi Final. Practical information Address: Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain For more info Click here Bike Show BCN From 11 April 2008 to 13 April 2008 Bike Show BCN is the Active Bicycle Fair and will occupy most of the Montjuïc Olympic Ring, a space measuring more than 80,000 m2 that includes the Palau Sant Jordi (two halls) the adjacent asphalted car park, Minici Natal road and Europa square. This show caters for all ages and abilities. You can put your skills to the test or simply wonder around the trade stands at the indoor expo. Practical information Phone:+34 9380 66000 Fax:+34 9380 66030 bikeshowbcn@ocisport.net For more info Click here Formula One Spanish Grand Prix From 24 April 2008 to 27 April 2008 The Spanish Grand Prix is held at the Circuit de Catalunya located just outside Barcelona. The best drivers in the world compete in one.... of the most important races in the calendar. The Circuit has seventeen grandstands, three of which are under cover, and offers plenty of services for an unforgettable stay. Come and enjoy comfortably and in live the Formula One, you cannot miss it! Race Date: 27 Apr 2008 Number of Laps: 66 Circuit Length: 4.655 km Race Distance: 307.104 km Lap Record: 1:22.680 - F Massa (2007) For more info Click here Open Seat Godo - Tennis From 26 April 2008 to 04 May 2008 The "Trofeo Conde de Godó" celebrated 50 years in 2002, as the most important event for Spanish tennis, and as one of the most prestigious clay court tournaments over the world. Carlos Godó Valls, the Conde De Godó gave the trophy, and it was first played in 1953. Its history is joined to the oldest Spanish tennis club, the Real Club de Tenis Barcelona-1899, as owner and venue. Since 1968, the tournament is considered as the International Championships of Spain. The tournament has become a symbol for the city of Barcelona, not only as the most transcendent sport event every year, but an important social event too. Practical information Bus: Lines 64 – 22 – 75 up to plaza Pedralbes, Lines 63 – 78 by plaza Pedralbes until the Bosch i Gimpera crossing. By Underground: Line 3 Tel.:93.203.78.52 Fore more info < a href="http://www.opensabadellatlantico.com"> Click here Asian Film Festival From 25 April 2008 to 05 May 2008 The Barcelona Asian Film Festival/BAFF brings a selection of the most recent films produced on the Asian continent to Barcelona audiences. On the eve of its 10th anniversary, BAFF brings together some of the most disquieting cinema currently being made in Asia, with special emphasis on debut films and those made by the most innovative directors, making the festival a tool for discovering up and coming talent from Asia. Practical information By Metro: lines 1, 2 and 3 (Plaça Catalunya and Plaça Universitat). By Bus: routes 7, 9, 14, 16, 17, 18, 24, 38, 41, 50, 54, 55, 58, 59, 66, 91, 141, L90, Tombús and Airbús. Contact Details: Centre de Cultura Contemporànea de Barcelona (CCCB) Phone:+34 93 306 4100 Fax:+34 93 306 4101 For more info Click here For more info Click here Barcelona Guitar Festival From 03 April 2008 to 07 June 2008 The Barcelona Guitar Festival 2008 is now in it 19th edition and features the full spectrum of guitar music from classical to jazz, world music and traditional. Held at intimate club venues including Luz de Gaz and Bikini as well as in grand concert halls such as the Palau de la Musica Catalana and the Auditori, the festival opens with Academy-award winning Uruguayan musician Jorge Drexler presenting “Cara B” (3 April) and concludes with a performance by virtuoso young Chinese classical guitarist Xuefei Yang (7 June). Other highlights include a concert by veteran Paul Anka “Rock Swings” (13 April), award-winning Argentinean composer Fito Páez (23 April) and bossa-nova specialists Milton Nascimento and Jobim Trio (29 April). Practical information C/ Palau de la Música, 4-6 08003 BARCELONA Tel: 902 442 882 Fax: 93 295 7208 E-mail: taquilles@palaumusica.org For more info Click here

Barcelona Poetry Week Each yeaar for a week in May Barcelona Celebrates the rich diversity of poetry, with poets from around the world. Visitors to the festival can enjoy international poetry, and enjoy the amazing variety from a continent as big as Asia. The Week includes poetry readings, lectures, conferences, workshops, tributes to writers and poetry days. MotOh BCN 2008 From 08 May 2008 to 11 May 2008 The Great Motorcycle Week is coming back to Barcelona for the second time, between 8 and 11 May 2008. This is the most important event in Spain for two-wheeled vehicles. Bringing together the leading companies, offering the biggest product range and organizing spectacular activities, in an event that embraces the whole world of motorcycling. The Spanish motorcycle market is the second largest in Europe. MotOh! BCN 2008 its the most outstanding commercial and promotional platform. Practical information The Exhibition Centre is on Montjuic. By Metro: España (L3 and L1). For more info Click here Sont Ponc 11 May 2008 Sont Ponc is the patron saint of beekeepers and herbalists and on the 11 May each year Barcelona's Calle Hospital is lined with market stalls. This is a great chance for you to purchase some amzing natural products such as honey, perfume, herbal wine and candied fruit. Practical information Calle Hospital, Barcelona, Spain By Metro: green line 3 to Liceu. Primavera Sound Festival From May 2008 to June 2008 Primavera Sound Festival is held between May to June near the Parc del Forum, by the sea. The Festival features the very best.... of alternative acts and electronic DJ's. Full line up details can be found on the festivals own website. Practical information For more info Click here The Magic Fountain of Montjuiic From May 2008 to September 2008 When work on the Great Universal Exhibition of 1929 was well under way, the organizers felt that it needed that “something” special to make it a cut above the rest. That was when Carles Buigas submitted his project for a “colossal, daring and costly piece of work” In the summer months, every Thursday to Sunday the magic fountain comes to life. The fountain includes 4760 lights which provide 8 main colours, these coulours then light up the dancing water which is also accompanied by music to create a truly magical sight. Practical information Address: Font Màgica - Fonts de Montjuïc, Pl Carles Buïgas, 1, Sants-Montjuïc, Montjuic, 08038, Barcelona For more info Click here

Barcelona Bridal Week June 08 The most prestigious national and international firms will be present at Barcelona Bridal Week - Noviaespaña, the most relevant exhibition of its sector. The conquest of new markets and an extensive international promotion campaign will be central objectives for the 2008 event of BARCELONA BRIDAL WEEK-NOVIAESPAÑA. The show is moving to a new location in order to adapt to the needs of a sector which finds in Barcelona its finest scenario for international image. Practical information Address: Pabellón 8 - Gran Via Precinct Fira Barcelona. For more info Click here Corpus Christi From 07 June 2008 to 10 June 2008 This festival has been celebrated in the city since the Middle Ages. Barcelona is celebrating the Feast of Corpus Christi, one of the oldest and most spectacular festivals in the city's history, and one with two very popular traditions: the dancing egg and the procession. The dancing egg has its origin in the 15th century. The Barcelona Cathedral ledger has an entry referring to eggs that had to be placed on the fountain in the cloister on the day of the festival. The tradition consists of an egg that spins on the jet of water rising out of the fountain, the base of which is decorated with flowers, symbolising the passage of time and the cycle of life. It is also linked to the geese that were used to guard religious sites because, if a stranger appeared, they would wake the guard with the noise they made. Anyone who wants to can admire this old tradition at the fountain of Sant Jordi in the Cathedral cloister, in the parish church of Santa Anna, at the Museu Marès and Ca l'Ardiaca, among other places, from 7 to 10 June. Practical information Address: Barcelona Cathedral, Barcelona, Spain Phone: +34 93 315 15 54 Catalonian Moto Gp 08 June 2008 Moto GP otherwise knowen as the motor bike world championship is hosted at the Circuit de Catalunya, just outside Barcelona. The Circuit opened in 1991 and has the capacity for 100,00 visitiors to watch one of the fastest sports in the world today. From 19 June 2008 to 21 June 2008 Simultaneous and uninterrupted concerts and DJ's at the Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (CCCB) and the MACBA. A meeting point for artists, professionals and public. Nights at SÓNAR are of a distinctive nature, an enormous cosmopolitan celebration, similar to other great European events but with a Mediterranean feeling, giving it a unique festive atmosphere. Sónar by Night has 3 locations occupied by distinguished national and international names from the world of electronic music. Each night DJs, VDJs and concerts from the broadest spectrum of dance music appear simultaneously in the 4 areas. Sónar by Night occupies an area of more than 10,000 meters, divided between covered and open-air spaces. Practical information E-mail: sonar@sonar.es Phone:+34 93 342 62 31 For more info Click here Red Bull Air Race - World Series June 2008 The Red Bull Air Race World Series features the world’s best pilots in a motor sports competition based on speed, precision and skill. Using the fastest, most agile and lightweight racing planes, pilots navigate a low-level aerial race track made up of air-filled pylons, reaching speeds of 400 kilometres per hour while withstanding forces of up to 10 Gs. Practical information For more info Click here Barcelona Summer Festival/ Grec Festival June 2008 The most important cultural event of the season held in various location. Quality, classical and contemporary theatre, innovative dance and music mixed with film are the defining traits of the latest Grec Festival. The programme includes a large number of local productions, which will give audiences the chance to sound out the state of Catalan theatre. Among them there is Alex Rigola's adaptation of the Roberto Bolaño novel 2666 at the Teatre Lliure. Practical inforamtion Central Box Office Phone:+34 93 318 85 99

Bread and Butter From 02 July 2008 to 04 July 2008 As an international specialist trade fair for Street and Urban Wear, BREAD & BUTTER BARCELONA represents a marketing and communication platform for brands, labels and designers from the areas of Denim, Sportswear, Street Fashion, Function Wear and Casual Dressed Up, as well as for suppliers from the preliminary stage of the textile industry. With a unique brand portfolio, BREAD & BUTTER confirms its position as the leading international trade fair and trademark – it is the meeting point for buyers, traders and representatives from the textile industry press. Almost 100,000 visitors from over 100 countries and 1,000 exhibiting brands in January 2008 speak for themselves. Practical information Address: FIRA BARCELONA, Avenida Reina Mª Cristina s/n, 08004 Barcelona For more info Click here Mostra Lamdba Gay and Lesbian Film Festival July 2008 Among the objectives established by the founders of this association, one of top priorities is the socialisation of the homosexual reality. All the activities of the Casal are aimed at this end.. This is why, twelve years ago, the Casal resolved to organise a Gay Film Festival, to show a reality that commercial cinema distorted or did not show at all. During these years a number of legal landmarks have been attained, which, by the way, were not even dreamed of by the founders of the Casal 30 years ago. However, we still are very far away from a society willing to see a reality which very often, is for hard some sectors of society to accept and to clearly get the message. Movies are vehicles which carry the messages. A year ago, when director Ang Lee was among the Academy Award nominees for a film about love between two cowboys, he made it possible for all the media to speak about a homosexual reality that, very often, remains hidden or is pushed into the background in films. So far this seems to be an isolated case of commercial cinema developing a story based on homosexual love. Therefore, it is essential to continue the effort that we started 12 years ago. The Mostra shows the works by artists who, very often, are ignored by the main distribution networks, despite the quality of their works, simply because distributors believe the contents of these gay films will not be appreciated by large audiences Practical information Address: Casa Lambda, c/Verdaguer i Callís 10, 08003 Barcelona. T. +34 609 196 058 E-mail: alaforet@wowtimemedia.com For more info Click here Summercase From 18 July 2008 to 19 July 2008 The Summercase Festival is held in both Barcelona and Madrid at the same time, over two days. Parc del Forum is the location fro Barcelona. The line-up of over 50 top acts will play in one location for the first day and then swap to the second location on the next day, creating a fantastic double festival. Practical information Address: Parc del Fòrum, Rambla Prim 2-4. 08019 By train: Rodalies R.E.N.F.E. from Aeroport to Sants Estació, Passeig de Gràcia or Arc de Triomf. By subway: Line 4 to La Pau or L1 to Marina and there link with tram to Fórum station. By bus: Lines 41, 43, 7, 36 and 141, and Night Bus N6 By tram: Trambesós line T4, to Fòrum For more info Click here Barcelona EuroGames From 24 July 2008 to 28 July 2008 EuroGames, the European Championship for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community, that will be held in Barcelona the next month of July. This Championship will mobilize plenty of athletes and spectators from all around Europe. Barcelona will be the European capital of sport during these days of celebration, where 28 different sportive disciplines will be practiced and where everybody will be able to enjoy a wide variety of cultural events, as well. Practical information E-mail: info@panteresgrogues.org For more info Click here

National Day of Catalonia 11 September 2008 Catalonia commemorates the 1714 Siege of Barcelona defeat during the war of the Spanish succession. The day consists of political demonstrations, concerts and celebration events. Citizens wave either senyeres or estelades and hang them on their balconies. Hipnotik September 2008 Hipnotik is held for the 5th time at Barcelona's contemporary culture centre. The Festival shows all areasof the Hip Hop cultures from DJ's to Graffiti and is once again set to break the same old cliches of the Hip Hop culture. Practical information For more info Click here Mecal From 15 September to the 23 September Mecal, the International Short Film Festival of Barcelona, reaches its tenth edition. Once again within La Mercè Festivities, the festival wants to celebrate its first decade of life expanding to new locations in order to receive a larger amount of people. That is why the BAM’s stages will become one of the new emplacements to see short films from more than 35 countries. Again this year, the exhibit will be held in the Sala Apolo, where the festival has at its disposition the Sala-1 and the Sala-2. Finally, the Residència d’Investigadors will also be another of the locations where you could enjoy the festival. Practical information Sala Apolo Email: prensa@mecalbcn.org Phone:+34 932 470 353 For more info Click here Fiesta of La Merce September 2008 The largest street festival is held in the day and at night in various locations which are mainly free. The festival is celebrated by all types of entertainment including Sardana Dancing Groups, Orchestra and DJ's. Most Museums and some ot Barcelona's major buildings take part by opening their doors to the public for free. There will be almost 100 different concerts on 13 different stages around the city and hundreds of other activities. The most popular are Correfoc - Fire Run, Castellers - Human Towers and Gigantes - Giant Parade. Practical information Phone:+34 93 301 7775 It is recommended not to hire a car to travel to Barcelona during this time. BAM Festival September 2008 BAM Festival has been running for 15 years and opened up the path for all others, such as Sonar and Primavera. It is a leading influence in Barcelona's musical revolution, becoming a European reference for the national music scene. From a musical point of view people expect big name groups but what defines this festival is the long list of gigs by groups which may not be known to the wider audience. The Whole event takes place on different stages through out the city, either free of charge or at accessible prices. Practical information For more info Click here Catalan Wine and Cava Show September 2008 The show consists of more than 400 wine producers and merchants will offer a taste of their wares. The show coincides with the grape harvest. Practical inforamtion Address: MaremagnumFull Name:Maremagnum, Barcelona, Spain Phone: +34 93 317 6135

Docupolis Film Festival October 2008 Docupolis is a documentary film festival held at the Centre for Contemporary Culture in Barcelona, every year. The open space for presentation, debate and learning brings together new talents and recognised authors. Practical information E-mail: info@docupolis.org Phone:+34 93 306 41 00 For more info Click here Record Collector's Fair October 2008 The Record Collector's Fair is otherwise known as Fira Del Disc De Colleccionista and is held at Palau Sant Jordi. The event sells over 2 million records, CD's and books every year. Practical information Phone:+34 609 gb244 642 Phone:+34 971 667 508 Fax:+34 971 874 108 Email:firadeldisc@arrakis.es For more info Click here Barcelona Gay and Lesbian Film Festival From 16 October 2008 to 25 October 2008 Barcelona's Gay and Lesbian Film Festival has been running every year since 1995 and has become a truly international festival. This year the event expands to the Catalan cities of Lleida, Girona and Tarragona. The event began due to a frustration of few opportunities in Barcelona to see movies that had a non commercial format. The programme usually consists of 5 different sections with awards for best short film, best feature film and the audience also get to vote for their favorites. Practical information Held in various locations Phone:+34 93 319 55 50 Fax:+34 93 310 30 35 Email:info@lambdaweb.org For more info Click here World Press Photo October 2008 The annual World Press Photo Exhibition is the best known of World Press Photo's activities and a leading event in the organization's calendar. Every year following the World Press Photo Contest, the winning images go on show in a touring exhibition. The exhibition is a showcase for creativity in photojournalism and a platform for developments in the profession, part of World Press Photo's aim of encouraging and stimulating the work of press photographers around the world. The show also attracts a broader public, and because of the wide-ranging focus of the contest forms an eyewitness record of world events of the previous year. Practical information For more info Click here Barcelona Interntational Film Festival From 20 October 2008 from 01 December 2008 The musicians Sonny Rollins, Ornette Coleman, Bugge Wesseltoft, Paolo Count and Harry Connick Jr., among others, will star in the programming of the 39th edition of the Voll-Damm International Festival of Jazz in Barcelona with a total of 38 concerts. As news in this edition emphasizes the opening of the festival to other settings situated beyond Barcelona city, like l´Hospitalet, Viladecans and Sant Cugat of the Vallès, where will concentrate artists as I Drink Valdés, Michel Camilo and Seashell Buika. Other news for this year is the concert of Robin McKelle Quartet, that will be accompanied the popular Catalonian cook Isma Fields. Practical information Phone:+34 93 481 7040 Fax:+34 93 481 70 41 Email: theproject@theproject.es For more infor Click here Barcelona Festival of New Opera From 24 October 2008 to 01 December 2008 The Festival of New and Pocket Opera was created in 1993 at the Malic Theatre in Barcelona. From the beginning it has had three major objectives: to produce new operas, to produce classical operas in chamber format.... and also to present new European productions of chamber or medium format. During all these years the Festival has done its best to show the public what opera is capable of producing from its most secret and unusual pockets. Practical information Phone:+34 93 301 84 85 Fax:+34 93 342 91 68 Email:info@festivaloperabutxaca.org For more info Click here

Barcelona International Festival of Contemporary Art BAC! (Barcelona Internationl Festival of Contemporary Art) is in its 7th year at the Centre de Cultura Contemporania de Barcelona (CCCB). CCCB will host the main exhibition , showing the works of 50 international artists. BAC! is also featured in different locations across the city, galleries, satellite exhibitions and venues open their doors. For more info Click here

Sedish Rock Days Festical December 2008 Held in Madrid and Barcelona over two days. The festival is a great chance for you to discover huge Swedish acts that you would not normally hear about. Practical information For mor info Click here Fira de Santa Llucia Mid December Fira de Santa Llucia is a large open air market filled with approximately 300 stalls, all centered around the main cathedral. Thousands of people come to buy handicrafts, decorations, trees and figurines of their nativity dioramas.