Barcelona: Where to find cheap concert tickets
By Regina W Bryan in Barcelona—
The good news for music lovers is that there is music every night somewhere in Barcelona. The bad news is that tickets can be spendy! But fear not. Here are a few ways to enjoy great music in Barcelona a Cheapo’s budget:
Atrapalo
Web site
The absolute first place I check for tickets, whether they be for music or theater or dance, is Atrapalo.com. You will need some Spanish to use this site, and you will need a printer. If you can access both of these necessities, then you can save some major euros.
Atrapalo lets you search by interest and date and then sells tickets for select shows at a discounted rate. Some shows can be up to 70% percent off. I’ve bought tickets for jazz concerts at Jamboree on Atrapalo, as well as theater tickets. You make your purchase and then print off the tickets. Most hotels and Internet Cafes in Barcelona have printers.
Oficina de Turismo de Barcelona
La Rambla 99 (near the Liceu Metro stop)
Another place to check out is the Oficina de Turismo de Barcelona: Eventos culturales en Barcelona office on La Rambla. There are many tourist information offices around the city, but this one is different because they also sell discounted tickets to cultural activities around town.
It works this way, more or less: You have an idea of what you might like to see, perhaps a concert at El Palau or a Spanish guitar show. You head over to the office about three hours before the show starts and see if they have any discount tickets left. There is usually a line if the concert is popular.
The problem with this system is that they may be sold out, they may not have tickets to the show you want to see (ask ahead of time) and you never know how much of a discount there will be. Still, it’s better than nothing. I’ve saved big buying from the tourist information office last minute.
Aside from these two bargain places to save on music, you could also opt for the following clubs which always have inexpensive or free live music:
Paraiguas Bar
C/ Pas de L’ensenyança, 2
Web site
Meaning “The Umbrellas,” this bar is a modernista gem in the Gothic Quarter. The Paraiguas Bar offer live music for free on weekends, although cocktails are not cheap.
Electric Bar
Travesera de Gràcia, 233
Open: 7 p.m. – 2 a.m. (open until 3 a.m. weekends)
Web site
A hole-in-in-the-wall if there ever was one, Electric has music seven nights a week. Entrance to the tiny venue is rarely more than €4 or €5.
Bar Ese Efe
C/ Carretes, 48 (Rava)
Open: Tue-Sun 7:30 p.m.-3:00 a.m.
This new Barcelona bar has some mid-week music and tunes on the weekend. There’s no cover and they’ve got craft brews from California on tap. See their very local line-up on Facebook.
About the author
Barcelona is a city full of life. Anyone going there is definitely going to have fun. I still remember the amazing concerts Bruce Springsteen had here.