Barcelona City Council has expanded its 'Let's Play in the Squares' programme, which started last year in areas with high tourist traffic. This initiative aims to create new social and community uses in places often dominated by tourism, offering alternative activities for local residents.
The programme began in late August last year and ran until February, organising 61 events across three city locations: Plaça de la Sagrada Família, Plaça Reial, and Jardins de les Voltes d'en Cirés. These events took place on Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings or afternoons, with a budget of approximately €72,000.
This year, the programme starts on 16 May and will run for 108 sessions until 15 November. It will expand to four locations in the Eixample and Ciutat Vella districts: Plaça de la Sagrada Família, Plaça Reial, Plaça de la Gardunya, and Plaça Nova. Activities will now run on both Saturday and Sunday, mornings and afternoons, with a planned budget of €113,000, a 57% increase from the previous year.
Tourist Tax Funds Local Activities
The expansion means 'Let's Play in the Squares' will be present in more tourist areas, for more days, and longer hours. The programme in these high-traffic zones is funded by the Tourist Accommodation Tax (IEET) and its municipal surcharge. This aligns with the City Council's goal of ensuring tourist taxation benefits the entire population.
José Antonio Donaire, Commissioner for Sustainable Tourism Management, stated: "Tourist taxation must be visible at street level. This programme is fully financed by the tourist tax and its surcharge. Those who pay the tax should know where it goes, and those who live in Barcelona should see its return in their neighbourhood." He added that the programme is the "operational translation of a conviction," recovering squares often monopolised by tourism for specific, planned, and funded local uses.
Programme Details and Impact
The programme operates as a mobile unit, centred around a vehicle that serves as an identification point and logistical hub. From this point, various play zones are set up for all ages, combining large-format games, board games, free construction areas, and a specific zone for young children.
During its first year in tourist areas, the 'Let's Play in the Squares' programme attracted around 3,800 participants. This shows a positive reception, with a strong presence of families and significant participation from young people, adults, and the elderly.
Broader Tourism Management Strategy
The initiative is part of the 2024-2027 Tourism Management Government Measure, a municipal tool that established the high-traffic tourist areas. This measure prioritises managing tourist activity to improve balance with residents' daily lives and maintain Barcelona's international standing in tourism management, regulation, funding, and social return.
This year, the City Council has doubled the number of civic agents in these areas compared to previous years. It has also approved an increase in the tourist tax surcharge and reiterated that all licences for over 10,000 tourist flats in the city will expire by 2028. The Council's goal for these high-traffic zones, each with over thirty specific actions planned, is to preserve local uses in areas with high tourist presence.
In a similar effort, a specific chapter of aid for businesses under the 'We Boost What You Do' programme has been created, reserved for shops located in these high-traffic tourist areas. For the Sagrada Família area, the Council has also organised monthly community activities linked to the local library and civic centre. These include a film forum series for adults and a scientific storytelling series for children, aimed at fostering scientific vocations with a feminist perspective.
