Barcelona’s free Clàssica a la Platja festival is back on Sant Sebastià beach in Barceloneta, with large-scale open-air concerts staged beside the sea this week. After the Orquestra del Gran Teatre del Liceu opened the programme on Wednesday, the Orquestra Simfònica de Barcelona i Nacional de Catalunya, the OBC, takes over on Thursday at 9pm.

For residents, visitors and anyone trying to avoid the heat, the practical point is simple: the concerts are free and held on the beach, at Platja de Sant Sebastià near the Port de Barcelona. Thursday’s programme includes excerpts from Mar i Cel and Carmen, according to the Palau de la Música Catalana, rather than only unnamed orchestral favourites.

Thursday’s concert starts at 9pm on Sant Sebastià beach

The festival is organised by major Barcelona music institutions including L’Auditori, the city’s main public concert venue, the Gran Teatre del Liceu opera house and the Palau de la Música Catalana, together with the Port de Barcelona. The setting is Sant Sebastià beach, at the Barceloneta seafront.

  • Where: Platja de Sant Sebastià, Barceloneta
  • When: Thursday at 9pm
  • Admission: Free
  • Orchestra: Orquestra Simfònica de Barcelona i Nacional de Catalunya

The Gran Teatre del Liceu opened the 2025 edition on Wednesday. Nació Digital reported that the Liceu orchestra inaugurated the festival in front of the sea before handing over to the OBC for Thursday’s concert.

The OBC will perform excerpts from Mar i Cel and Carmen in this year’s edition of Clàssica a la Platja.

That programme detail appears in information published by the Palau de la Música Catalana, adding specific works to the festival line-up. The event listing from the Port de Barcelona also confirms the beach venue and public format.

What concertgoers need to know

Clàssica a la Platja is designed as an open-access concert series rather than a ticketed indoor event, bringing orchestral music to the city’s waterfront. The official festival page from the Gran Teatre del Liceu lists the 2025 edition as part of the joint summer programme.

People planning to attend should head to Sant Sebastià beach before the 9pm start, especially as the event is free and held in one of the city’s busiest seafront areas. Visitors can check the official organisers’ pages for any access or timetable updates on the day.

Reported by Source Text Link, Gran Teatre del Liceu, Bachtrack, Port de Barcelona, Palau de la Música Catalana, Turisme de Barcelona, Nació Digital.