Image courtesy of Sala Montjuïc.
Barcelona hosts an array of annual film festivals, all of which aim to nurture local and international filmmaking talent. The city’s summer film festivals invite viewers to spend a balmy evening on the beach or in a courtyard watching an assortment of classic and contemporary flicks. They provide the perfect excuse to spend an afternoon out of the heat or a night enjoying a film under the stars.
Open-Air Cinema at the Palace
June 3 to September 29, 2024, Hotel Palace Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes 668, 08010 Barcelona
The outdoor cinema returns to the rooftop of El Palace Barcelona, offering movies every night of the week. As the sun sets over the Barcelona skyline, guests can enjoy a selection of movies that will change each month. Admission includes popcorn and a Grey Goose cocktail for €36 per person in a deck chair or €60 for two people in a double seat, as well as Aura Silent Disco headphones that allow movie-goers to choose between Spanish and English. hotelpalacebarcelona.com
Sala Montjuïc
June 28 to August 2, 2024 (Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays), Castell de Montjuïc, Carretera de Montjuïc 66, 08038 Barcelona
Sala Montjuïc is one of the city’s favorite summertime festivals. A range of classic and contemporary films are showcased in the former moat of Montjuïc castle, preceded by live music and a short film screening.
This year's lineup includes Oppenheimer, Cristopher Nolan (USA, 2023), Barbie, Greta Gerwig (USA, 2023), The Shining, Stanley Kubrick (USA, 1980), Anatomy of a Fall, Justine Triet (France, 2023), The Holdovers, Alexander Payne (USA, 2023), The Grand Budapest Hotel, Wes Anderson (USA, 2014), Back to the Future, Robert Zemeckis (USA, 1985) to name but a few.
Showings are on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. All films are projected in original version, with Spanish subtitles. Doors open at 20:30 and the music starts at 20:45 to get your evening grooving. Standard tickets are available for €8, tickets with deck chairs are €11. Tickets must be purchased in advance via the website. You are welcome to bring your own picnic and there is a bar on site as well. salamontjuic.org
Pantalla Pavelló Film Series
Pantalla Pavelló Film Series
July 1, August 5, September 2, 2024, Pavelló Mies van der Rohe, Avenida de Francesc Ferrer i Guàrdia 7, 08038 Barcelona
Pantalla Pavelló delves into the relationship between the built environment, its limits and its borders, the people who inhabit it, and how this relationship is accentuated and revealed in its maximum expression. Directly projected on the travertine wall of the beautiful Mies van der Rohe Pavilion, this annual summer cinema series features films and documentaries that challenge the way we think about architecture and promote critical thinking. They are inspiring and engaging, and seek to raise public awareness of how architecture and urbanism shape our lives and the world, and vice versa: how our cultures, ideologies and immaterial practices affect space. Tickets are only €2 per session and must be reserved on the foundatoin's website. miesbcn.com
CosmoNits at CosmoCaixa.
CosmoNits at CosmoCaixa
July 11, 25, August 1, 8, 2024 (Thursdays), CosmoCaixa, Carrer de Isaac Newton 26, 08022 Barcelona
Science and film have gone hand-in-hand since the inception of the seventh art. Throughout history, thousands of films have been made using science as a plot point, creating extraordinary fictional universes. CosmoCaixa's summer film series CosmoNits features classic blockbuster science fiction films and newer releases too.
This year's roster features WALL-E, Andrew Stanton (USA, 2008), Dune, Denis Villeneuve (USA, 2021), Apollo 13, Ron Howard (USA, 1995) and Contact, Robert Zemeckis, (USA, 1997).
Tickets for the CosmoNits film sessions are €12 and include the Big Van Science monologue, open-air movie, access to the museum, the temporary exhibition and special activities open from 20:30 to 23:30 for adult audiences. Films will be screened in original version with Spanish subtitles. We recommend that you get your tickets in advance because they sell out fast! Tickets are available for purchase on the website at cosmocaixa.org.
Museo Can Framis.
Mecal Air
July 12-September 13, 2024 (Fridays), Museo Can Framis, Carrer Roc Boronat 116-126, 08018 Barcelona
The arrival of summer means the kids get their long-awaited holidays, the tourists wear flip-flops even when it is raining and Mecal Air returns to screen a selection of the best recently-released short films. It's a wonderful way to kick-off the weekend and enjoy a summer evening to the fullest.
Mecal Air has been organizing outdoor summer film screenings for over ten years and it's back again this year with a striking compilation of short films. Friday nights will dazzle with evenings devoted to universal themes such as comedy, horror, sci-fi and animation, to name a few. Films are screened at the Can Framis Museum; make sure you get there in plenty of time to get a good spot!
Admission is free. Doors open at 20:00; films start at 21:30. No food or beverages can be brought in, but there will be a designated area with bar service. mecalbcn.org
Cinema Lliure a la Platja, photo by Antonio Lajusticia Bueno courtesy of Ajuntament de Barcelona (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0).
Cinema Lliure a la Platja
July 18-August 8, 2024 (Thursdays), Platja de Sant Sebastià, Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 2, 08003 Barcelona
Cinema Lliure a la Platja is an independent film festival offering free film screenings on the beach. Now in its 13th year, the festival offers screenings in Barcelona, Sitges, Tarragona, Salou, Palamós and Tossa de Mar. Hundreds of film aficionados gather at sunset to enjoy a selection of alternative and avant-garde films not available at conventional cinemas, reflecting the urban and contemporary spirit of the festival. Before each feature film, a short film selected by FILMETS Badalona Film Festival will be shown. Films are usually screened in original language with Spanish subtitles.
Films on the roster this year include Creatura by Elena Martín Gimeno, (Spain, 2023), Past Lives by Celine Song (USA, 2023), Robot Dreams by Pablo Berger (Spain, France, 2023) and 20.000 especies de abejas, Estibaliz Urresola (Spain, 2023).
In Barcelona, screenings are held every Thursday on San Sebastián Beach. Keep in mind that food and chairs will not be provided, so make sure to pack something tasty and a blanket for a lovely beach picnic under the stars. You are encouraged to arrive early for a good seat closest to the screen! Admission is free, films start after sunset, some time between 21:30 and 22:00. cinemalliure.com
Open Air Cinema at L’illa Diagonal
2024 Dates to be announced. L'illa Diagonal, Avinguda Diagonal 557, 08029 Barcelona
Summer brings with it “Cinema a la Fresca” at L’illa Diagonal! On Thursday nights the L'illa Diagonal shopping center transforms its Jardins de Sant Joan de Déu into an outdoor movie theater. What better plan for a summer night than to watch a movie in the open air?
This year's schedule has not been announced, but last year films screened included Living, Argentina 1985, Cinco lobitos, Licorice Pizza and Palm Springs.
Pack your own picnic to enjoy during the showing, or if you're short on time you can pick up take-away at one of L'illa restaurants and settle in for a summer evening with family and friends. Tickets must be purchased in advance online at the L'illa website. All films are projected in original version, with Spanish subtitles. General admission is €4.00 and if you would like a lawn chair it's an additional €2.00.
Updated June 22, 2024.