Sandwiched between a beach and the peak of Tibidabo, a hill which, for some reason, boasts both a monastery and a theme park, Barcelona is a tourism beacon.
It’s likely you already know the city’s major attractions: the colourful, cartoonish architecture of Gaudí, clamorous market stalls snaking down La Rambla, and the characterful buildings in the Gothic Quarter. There’s also the annual Primavera Sound festival, which is to liberal arts students what Aiya Napa is to school-leavers.
If you are going to Barca, we beg you to switch up your itinerary. Ditch the TikTok recs and old school travel guides and listen to us. Not only will we look after you, we’ll make sure you have a gay (or LGBTQIA+) old time.
LGBTQIA+ Barcelona:
Anyone who values GAY TIMES travel tips is likely of the queer and/or trans persuasion. (Any allies reading this, have a gold star). If you’re heading to Barcelona, there will be plenty of options to keep you entertained.
Beyond the typical petty crime you can experience in any major city (hold on tight to your wallet) it’s a pretty safe spot for queer folks and you’ll see lots of couples holding hands on the streets. Have a scan of any street and you can easily spot queer-friendly venues: they often sport Pride and trans flags in their windows.
There’s also plenty of gay-centric bars, clubs and sex shops in the city’s Eixample (affectionately known as Gaixample) area – which mixes the fabulously seedy energy of London’s Soho with just a touch of Berlin bohemia.
Beyond the annual Pride parade in July, the city boasts a Matinée Easter Gay Weekend in April and a Circuit Festival (which we can only presume is for circuit gays) in August. There’s also an annual Barcelona Queer Film Festival, next taking place in its full format in November 2025, which also organises smaller events and screenings throughout the year.
Fancy heading out on a day trip? Seaside town Sitges is a short train ride away and is brimming with gay beaches. There’s also Girona, a picture-perfect town with stunning architecture, quaint shops and, if you happen to stay the night, a very cute lesbian-owned B&B.
View this post on Instagram
Where to eat:
Barcelona’s food scene is so much more than paella (which, by the way, actually originates from Valencia).
Catalan cuisine is fresh, rustic and notably different from the tapas and burgers plied by overpriced tourist traps. For a more authentic Catalan food experience, in a space that feels modern and queer-friendly, we recommend 7 Portes.
If you’re looking for a specifically queer spot, try Poble Sec’s La Raposa, a feminist bookshop and vegan cafe co-op. Proudly intersectional, trans-inclusive and LGBTQIA+ friendly, it’s a great spot for queer and FLINTA folks to plot the revolution over gluten-free baked goods.
In the queer neighbourhood Eixample, you can head to Funky Eatery (which adjoins Funky Deli). By day, it’s an airy cafe great for brunch or a light lunch. By night, it serves orange wine by candlelight, serving up eclectic small plates which combine a modern European sensibility with Turkish inspiration.
There’s also Soma, which gives a speakeasy feel thanks to its olive green interior, dark wood furnishings and well-stocked bar. The foodie fabulations include delicate cheese buñuelos, a beautifully presented mini caponata stacked with bread crips, and fresh fish and meat options.
If you’re hankering for well-made classics, head to Bar Cañete, which serves elite tapas and fresh fish from Catalan markets. Be warned, however, booking is essential. You can queue up right before service begins for a coveted countertop space but the line is long and waiting cap-in-hand may be too much to stomach for some.
View this post on Instagram
Where to go out:
If you’re on holiday, you’ll want to go to the club.
Our number one rec? Dykey, FLINTA party MARICAS. Founded in 2018 by Eloisa Blitzer, Gina Gausch and ISAbella, the party has booked the likes of D.Tiffany, JASSS, Slim Soledad and Roza Terenzi and continues to push the scene forward. This sexy, silly collective believes that the dancefloor is a healing space, with a suitably robust safer space policy to support their aim.
If you’re less of a club rat and more into scrappy, experimental queer performance, head to Candy Darling. Named after Warhol’s trans muse, the bar hosts cabaret, drag and even a regular queer flamenco night. There’s also El Raval’s Madame Jasmine, a self-described “GENDERFUCK HOUSE” (where do we sign up?).
Looking for something different? Try The House of ERIKA LUST: a first of its kind, immersive erotic experience from the world’s most famous feminist porn director. Utilising the director’s expansive back catalogue, visitors can enjoy a variety of large-scale erotic screenings and even a VR experience taking you into a virtual porn mansion.
Finally, the city’s reputable het clubbing haunts include Razzmatazz and Club Nitsa, spots similar to London’s Fabric which attract the major names in techno, house, trance and Latincore.
View this post on Instagram
What to visit:
There’s a lot to do and see in Barca, so please don’t resort to heading to the theme park or hopping on a cable car.
Art mavens can check out the side-by-side cultural institutions Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona (MACBA) and Centro de Cultura Contemporánea de Barcelona (CCCB), both of which boast diverse programming and nuanced curation.
In terms of LGBTQIA+ specific happenings, there’s plenty to keep you entertained. You can head to Odd Kiosk, a queer-owned magazine spot that brings together the best in print culture – from queer zines, to art prints, to esoteric European fashion mags.
If you fancy getting ~active~ and plunging into the local queer scene, you can head to a meeting of Queer Pong Club – a queer (but lesbian leaning) ping-pong meetup which takes place in Poble Sec the first Monday of most months.
View this post on Instagram
Where to stay:
There are plenty of cute hotels in Barca, but none as luxe as The Barcelona EDITION. Well-situated in the Poble Nou area – right next to the massive Mercat de Santa Caterina food hall – the hotel is just a short taxi ride from the queer haunts of Eixample.
Part of the wider The EDITION group – who’ve been known to help GAY TIMES celebrate Pride in style – the atmosphere is friendly, open and queer-friendly.
Inside, the decor is a kind of chic, modern minimalism and the public areas are flooded with a bespoke Le Labo fragrance that smells of opulence. Rooms boast fluffy duvets, powdery white bedding and the kind of power shower that can cure any hangover.
There’s lots of amenities, too. For dinner, the ground floor restaurant La Veraz offers fresh, seasonally inspired dishes (including good vegetarian options). If you’re more partial to a liquid dinner, try the first floor cocktail bar The Punch – while it has its own menu of mixological delights, the bartenders can also whip up the classics, including an ice cold Cosmopolitan.
In the summers, you can re-enact SATC S6 E3 (you know, the one with Annabelle Bronstein…) thanks to the hotel’s in-demand rooftop pool, the best place in the city to cool down from the heat.
View this post on Instagram
Responsible tourism
Let’s address the obvious: Barcelona has an overtourism problem. The Catalan capital is home to just 1.5 million inhabitants but receives 32 million visitors a year.
The consequences of this situation are far-reaching: rabid gentrification, near-constant construction, a major housing crisis, and unbearable overcrowding during the summer months. In response, a grassroots anti-tourism movement – which is responsible, somewhat comically, for targeting visitors with water pistols – has emerged.
All that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t visit Barcelona. However, you’ll probably have a much more enjoyable time – and feel better about yourself, too – if you visit the city away from the peak season.
Avoid big, international shopping and food chains and instead opt for local, small businesses (like our recs above). Whatever you do, do not stay in an AirBnB – holiday lets have a hugely disruptive impact on local residents, driving up rents and swallowing up available housing.
While you’re at it, try learning some words in Catalan rather than relying on English – the effort will go a long way.