La Nit dels Museus

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Workshops, guided tours, live music and, of course, the city’s best exhibitions—on May 20th, La Nit dels Museus returns, with more than 80 museums across the city opening their doors for free from 7pm until midnight. From Montjuïc to Tibidabo and everywhere in between, culture vultures can create their own itinerary or take one of the six routes organised for the evening. Here’s our pick of the top spots to get your culture fix on the night.

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    Av. de Francesc Ferrer i Guàrdia 6-8, 08038 Barcelona
    Website

    The CaixaForum has organised a jam-packed programme of activities to get in the spirit of La Nit dels Museus. Visitors can expect short film screenings, live funk and soul music from the Afrocatalan Soul Band and interactive workshops using games to teach the whole family about art and history.

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    Carretera de Montjuïc 66, 08038 Barcelona
    Website

    Spend your night under the stars at this hilltop castle, dating as far back as 1073. From 7pm, enjoy the choreographed spectacle ‘Tortuga’ by the Catalan performance artist Ariadna Guiteras. And after checking out the castle’s visitor centre and temporary exhibition, visitors can enjoy some gourmet food from one of the food trucks on site for the occasion.

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    Carrer del Doctor Font i Quer 2, 08038 Barcelona
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    As the sun sets over Barcelona, the city’s botanical gardens are set to come alive as they are transformed into a spectacle of shadows and light. Take a guided tour through the gardens and witness a dance performance by the dance troupe Dans Invitro, all while sipping on a drink from the garden’s very-own bar.

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    Parc de Montjuïc s/n, 08038 Barcelona
    Website

    This year, La Nit dels Museus coincides with Barcelona Architecture Week. To mark the occasion, this foundation, home to the Catalan artist Joan Miró’s private collection, will hold a workshop called ‘Folded Architecture’ led by the architecture firm El globus vermell. Participants will learn the technique of origami and work together to create a model of a city built entirely from paper.

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    Palau Nacional, Parc de Montjüic, 08038 Barcelona

    Get your dancing shoes on at the MNAC. Saphie Wells & The Swing Cats will perform their jazzy sound throughout the night, and at 9.30pm, museum-goers can take part in a free swing class organised by Swingmaniacs.

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    Carrer Lepant 150, 08013 Barcelona
    Website

    Head to l’Auditori’s very-own museum for a special concert organised in association with L’Ateneu Popular 9 Barris. Organist Txema Riera will perform classical greats by the likes of Bach, Ortiz and more, against the backdrop of one of the museum’s most emblematic pieces—a Baroque organ built in 1719. And for something more upbeat, the museum’s second offering combines juggling with the sound of swing to entertain crowds in the guitar room.

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    Carrer Jonqueres 15, 08003 Barcelona
    Website

    Stop by one of the city’s more unusual museums, the Teatre Museu El Rei de la Màgia, for an evening of magic. Visitors can wander around the museum’s various exhibitions exploring the history of magic in Barcelona, and can marvel at the mini magic shows organised for the night.