WeBarcelona Newsletter

New Year's Eve, The Chimes of New YearThis year there will be no show in Monjtuïc, but there will be fireworks throughout the city. Coinciding with the twelve chimes, which can be heard from everywhere, twelve glowing palm trees will be thrown in each of the ten districts of Barcelona. These decentralized bells and the launching of the palm trees will be the prelude to a great fireworks show that will be visible from most of the city. Fireworks will be launched for 15 minutes at a rhythm and height sufficient for the audience to enjoy a spectacular view even from afar. So this year, go out to your balcony or terrace, look out the window or go up to the roof of your building. If you can't do any of that, remember that the show will be broadcast live on television.

After a long confinement, a de-escalation and a return to a certain normality that was baptized as the new normal, we reached selective confinements, curfews, temporary (and unfortunately permanent) closures of bars, restaurants and other businesses. By decree of a virus that has arrived with force at the gates of December, we will have a Christmas on probation. It is surprising for this reason, as throughout all these months of closings, openings, escalations, de-escalations, cancellations and postponements, numerous events have been held. The Internet and the virtual world have helped a lot, of course, but we are convinced that even without the digital, event organizers would have managed to keep a flame burning, that's what it was all about. We have tried to put this on the record, often fighting discouragement but not being carried away by it. This is how it will continue to be this Christmas, that of 2020, which will begin tomorrow in Barcelona with the lighting of lights.

Posidonia Green FestivalPosidonia Green Festival has been organized in various areas of the Mediterranean since 2008. Its objectives are to promote environmental protection, culture focused on sustainability and also artistic expression that helps achieve the first two objectives. On the days that the festival is held, you can attend talks, workshops, concerts, screenings and exhibitions, although this year 2020 the event will be completely online and free.

SUNCINE (International Environment Film Festival)SUNCINE, The International Environmental Film Festival, was born with the intention of being a pioneering festival and a world reference in environmental film. And they have succeeded, there are already 27 editions through which thousands of films and documentaries from many countries have passed. The great novelty this year is that most of the films can be viewed for free by installing an app, although screenings in cinemas will be maintained, as long as the situation allows.

Asian Film Festival Barcelona - AFFBCNEighth edition of the festival specializing in cinema from the Asia-Pacific region organized by Casa Asia, that this edition will be held in a mixed format, in person and online. The festival will include 118 feature films from 25 countries in its program, of which 70% will be screened in the cinemas and the remaining 30% can be seen on FILMIN. In this edition, the cinema of Southeast Asia has a greater role (Philippines, Myanmar, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand). The Philippines presents 10 films, including "Mindanao" (2019) and "The Halt" (2019), by Brillante Mendoza and Lav Díaz. Also noteworthy is the film project “Mekong 2030” a film composed of 5 shorts about the future of the Mekong River.

Bill Brandt - Paul StrandThe MAPFRE Foundation in Barcelona is on the move: it leaves what had been its headquarters for four years (Casa Garriga Nogués) and opens a new cultural exhibition center dedicated exclusively to photography. This new showroom is located in the Vela building in the Mapfre Tower and has been named KBr Fundación MAPFRE - Barcelona Photo Center. KBr Fundación MAPFRE begins its journey by organizing a double exhibition with two of the masters of 20th century photography: Bill Brandt and Paul Strand.

Voll-Damm Barcelona Jazz FestivalThe 52nd edition of the Barcelona Jazz Festival arrives in Barcelona in the centenary year of Charlie Parker overcoming many difficulties. The festival will be inaugurated on October 24 at the Palau de la Música by the famous French soprano Natalie Dessay, who together with the group of double bass player Pierre Boussaguet will offer a recital dedicated to the music of the composer Michel Legrand. The Gold Medal will go to Brad Mehldau this year, who will perform alone and who admits feeling very moved by this recognition of the festival. In this year's edition, women will be the protagonists, it will be a year of celebrations and farewells, the Conservatori del Liceu will continue with the unique project in the world of master classes, and three new venues will be added to the festival.

MIRA.mov: Exploring Visual LanguagesThe Ideal Digital Arts Center, the first center in southern Europe dedicated to the production and exhibition of digital arts, offers us a monthly cycle of immersive screenings that aims to create a new creative circuit of new digital trends. In it you will see the works of emerging and established artists who work with moving images conceived through techniques such as CGI (computer-generated image), audiovisual immersion, video game engines or 3D digital animation.

Sitges International Film FestivalThis year's edition of the Sitges Festival will take place in a hybrid format: between face-to-face and virtual. The festival will open its 53rd edition on October 8 with "Malnazidos", a zombie action film directed by Javier Ruiz Caldera and Alberto de Toro set in the Spanish Civil War. This year's poster pays tribute to the first great fantasy genre film in the history of cinema: "Das Cabinet Des Dr. Caligari" (Dr. Caligari's Cabinet), which celebrates its 100th anniversary, and has influenced many filmmakers of the genre. The Grand Honorary Prize of the Sitges Festival will be received this year by David Lynch in recognition of an inimitable personality in the history of cinema.

La Mercè - Barcelona's FestivalThis year 2020 edition of La Mercè will not be, as expected, like previous editions. The activities and events will be held during the day (from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.), there will be no mass events and, to participate in the events, you will have to register. Neither will activities as classic of the Fiesta as the correfoc or the castellers be held, but, on the other hand, La Mercè will be much more present in the program of betevé (official media of the party), and will extend to more points of the city, for so, close to home, you can enjoy dance, music, circus, popular culture or theater proposals on the street. Yes, it will be held, but not to be seen from the street. This year they have designed a pyromusical so that it can be seen from the buildings (balconies, windows and roofs). Maybe not from all the buildings, but from almost all of them. For this, the fireworks will be launched from four districts (Sants-Montjuïc, Nou Barris, Les Corts and Sant Martí) and will rise higher and be more powerful.