Barcelona City Council has expanded its 'Let's Play in the Squares' programme, which started last year in areas with high tourist traffic. From 16 May to 15 November, the council will organise 108 activities in Plaça de la Sagrada Família, Plaça Reial, Plaça de la Gardunya, and Plaça Nova.
The programme, aimed at local residents, promotes play activities to enhance public spaces. It seeks to generate new social and community uses in areas with a strong tourist presence, offering an alternative for locals.
Last year, the 'Let's Play in the Squares' programme in tourist areas ran from late August to February, with 61 events in three locations: Plaça de la Sagrada Família, Plaça Reial, and the Voltes d'en Cirés gardens. These activities 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, across four locations in the Eixample and Ciutat Vella districts.
Activities will now run on both Saturday and Sunday, in the mornings and afternoons, with a budget of €113,000. This marks a 57% increase from the previous year. The expansion means 'Let's Play in the Squares' will be present in more tourist areas, for more days, and for longer hours. The programme's implementation in these high-traffic areas is funded by the Tourist Accommodation Tax (IEET) and its municipal surcharge, aligning with the council's goal for tourist taxation to benefit the wider population.
Funding Community Activities
José Antonio Donaire, Commissioner for Sustainable Tourism Management, said: "Tourist taxation must be visible on the ground. 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: "'Let's Play in the Squares' is the operational translation of a conviction. Squares that tourism tends to monopolise are being reclaimed with specific, programmed, and funded neighbourhood uses."
The programme uses an itinerant setup, centred around a vehicle that serves as an identifier and logistical hub. From this point, various play zones are organised for all ages, combining large-format games, board games, free construction areas, and a specific zone for young children. In its first year, the programme in tourist areas attracted around 3,800 participants, showing a positive reception, with strong attendance from families, young people, adults, and the elderly.
Activity Schedule and Locations
On Saturdays, activities will be held at Sagrada Família from 11am to 2pm. At Plaça Reial, they will run from 5pm to 8pm during term time and from 6pm to 9pm during the summer.
On Sundays, Plaça de la Gardunya will host activities from 11am to 2pm. Plaça Nova, near Barcelona Cathedral, will have activities from 5pm to 8pm during term time and from 6pm to 9pm during the summer. For the first weekend, due to the Gothic Quarter festivities, Saturday afternoon and Sunday activities will be concentrated in Plaça de la Gardunya.
Managing Tourism in High-Traffic Areas
This initiative is part of the actions outlined in the Government Measure for Tourist Management 2024-2027. This municipal tool established the creation of High Tourist Traffic Areas (EGA) and prioritises managing tourist activity to improve the balance with residents' daily lives. It also aims to keep Barcelona an international reference in the management, regulation, financing, and social return of tourist activity.
This year, the City Council has doubled the number of civic agents present in the EGA compared to previous years. It has also approved an increase in the tourist tax surcharge and confirmed that all licences for the city's more than 10,000 tourist use homes (HUT) will expire by 2028.
The council's goal with the EGA deployment, which includes over thirty specific actions for each area, is to preserve neighbourhood uses in parts of the city where tourism is most present. Similarly, a specific chapter of aid for businesses under the 'We Boost What You Do' programme has been created, reserved for shops located in the EGA.
In 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 on one Saturday each month, and a scientific storytelling series for children on one Thursday each month, aimed at promoting scientific vocations with a feminist perspective.
