Best Things To Do In Barcelona in June
ULTIMATE GUIDE FOR A GREAT JUNE IN BARCELONA
June is a fun time to travel to Barcelona. The weather is nice, but usually not as extremely hot as it can be in July and August (expect for the occasional heat wave). It’s lovely to be outside and enjoy the beach. There’s crowds, yes, but it’s like this most of the year and there’s ways to avoid them. There’s lots of events going on, and the city feels full of Summer vibes.
This post will show you was is special about Barcelona in June. This is not one more list about what you need to see, that applies to any month of the year (we have another post about the top Barcelona sites if that’s what you need). We’ve gathered the best ideas for what to do in Barcelona in June so you are inspired to add something special to your trip, either an event that only happens in June, a concert of one of your favorite artists that happens to be precisely during your stay in the city, or something seasonal that locals do this time of the year. And we’ll also give you a few additional tips specific for visiting Barcelona in June.
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The weather in Barcelona in June
The daytime temperatures in Barcelona are lovely, ranging from an average of 22.5ºC / 73F at the beginning of the month and around 26ºC / 79F towards the end of June. The warmest hours are noon to 8PM. At night, though, it's still coolish, between 25ºC/59F and 18.5ºC/65F. But as the heat increases, so does the humidity in the air, that grows from a barely noticeable 6% at the beginning of June to a 33% at the end of June, when being outside starts meaning being sweaty and sticky.
The sun rises around 6.20AM, and sets around 9.20PM – meaning some 15 hours of sunlight: a long day that allows for a lot of sightseeing and things to do! The sky is mostly clear, what allows for great pictures. And the chances of rain are minimal: 15 to 11%, the less as the month progresses.
As for the water temperature in Barcelona in June, it’s starting to warm up, going from 19ºC/66F in early June to 22ºC/72F by the end of the month. Most locals will wait until end of June to bathe, but you’ll see tourists entering the water earlier than that.
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What to pack for June in Barcelona
Pack Summer clothes: short sleeves and tank tops, Summer dresses, shorts… But bring also a light jacket and some long pants just in case it’s fresher at some point or at night. And remember that many churches require covered shoulders and pants or skirts no shorter than knee height. A shawl that you can tie to your handbag can fix the shoulders issue, but the knee length is trickier to fix on the spot.
Bring a swim suit and a beach towel if you consider the temperature the water of Barcelona in June it won’t be too cold for you. A hat, sun lotion and a refillable water bottle will be your best friends for sightseeing. And a fan can become useful when you are outdoors and there’s little shade. Sandals that are comfortable for walking are the best choice for your feet. If possible, try to find something that can double for beach, sightseeing and eating out. It’s important to pack light for travel!
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Public Holidays of June in Barcelona (Spain)
Unexpected public holidays can ruin a trip, specially if you are spending a short time in a city and were counting on doing things that can only be done on week days such as shopping, going to a bank, visiting certain sites or eating at certain restaurants. There are two June holydays that you need to take into account if you are planning to travel to Barcelona that month:
Whit Monday (Pentecost)
This unexpected Monday of closed shops always comes as a surprise, since it’s a local holyday that is only observed in Barcelona but not in the rest of Spain or even Catalonia. And because other countries such as Great Britain celebrate it on Sunday, not on Monday. Plus it’s a mobile day – meaning every year it falls on a different day because it depends on when Easter falls. Pentecost, celebrates when the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles 50 days after Jesus resurrected. It’s a holy day of obligation, and the Cathedral of Saint Eulalia and other smaller churches may restrict visiting hours depending on when they celebrate mass.
June 24th (Saint John’s Day)
Saint John’s day (Sant Joan) is a public holyday in Catalonia and Barcelona in June, but not in the rest of Spain. Shops and banks will be closed, and so is the Picasso Museum, but the rest of the sites open as usual. When it falls on a Friday or Monday, many locals will take the opportunity of a long weekend to travel, so you are likely to see less locals during those days.
Barcelona June Traditions
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Corpus Christi and the Dancing Egg
But what makes it special is that in Barcelona in June for Corpus Christi, many patios of the Gothic Quarter (and a few in other districts) celebrate a curious tradition: the Dancing Egg (L’Ou com Balla). On top of the central jet of a water fountain is placed an egg, that due to the water pressure keeps going up and down without falling, like it’s “dancing”. We explain more things about the Dancing Egg tradition and where to see it in our blog.
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Saint John's Eve
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Festa Major de Sant Pere, Santa Caterina and La Ribera
Barcelona June events for sport lovers
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MotoGP Grand Prix
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Are there any soccer matches?
Unfortunately, the Spanish League is likely to be over when you visit Barcelona in June (depending on the year there might be still one match left at the beginning of the month, though). Because June is usually when the players take a month long break, until friendly matches start in July. The good news are that if you want some soccer-related things to do in Barcelona in June, you can still visit Camp Nou, the FC Barcelona Stadium.
Concerts and Festivals in Barcelona in June
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Primavera Sound
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Sonar
In Barcelona in June the music never stops! And when Primavera Sound is over… starts the Sonar! A vibrant music festival specialized in electronic music and digital arts. It has a daytime and a nightime program, each celebrated in a different area of the city (and only the daytime one open to all ages – the night concerts are only for people over 16yo). There’s food trucks and merchandise vendors, only payable via the rechargeable bracelet you are given at the entrance.
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Off-Sonar
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Guitar BCN Festival
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Festival Jardins De Pedralbes
Fun activities for a June night
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Rooftop Terraces
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Tourist sites open at night
Also in Barcelona in June many tourists sites also take advantage of the good weather and start offering night visits, too, that usually also include a glass of sparkling and some live music or something else unique to the place. It’s worth taking into account because sometimes there isn’t enough time to visit everything in your list during daytime, and night tours allow you to check off some more of them. For instance, if you are visiting La Pedrera during daytime, it’ll be more fun to visit Casa Batllo at night: you’ll get a bigger contrast than doing both during the day.
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Fun dinner activities
And you don’t always have to have dinner at a restaurant… There’s other fun things to do while you eat, and the opportunities multiply when the Summer starts. You can have dinner at an Astronomical Observatory, or in a medieval mansion, or after an opera show in the patio of a palace…
What to do in the sea and the beaches in Barcelona in June
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The beaches in June
I recommend you check our Barcelona Beach Guide to choose the best for you. And make sure to read our beach safety recommendations as well to protect yourself from pickpockets. And if you want a beach day out of town, check out our beach day trips:
Montserrat And Sitges Tour
Sitges Tour
Tarragona And Sitges Day Trip From Barcelona
Private Girona Costa Brava Tour From Barcelona
Private Costa Brava Tour From Barcelona
Cadaques Tour from Barcelona
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Sailing in June
With the warm weather the wind slows down, and the waves of the Mediterranean get less rough. That’s why in Barcelona in June many sailing companies go back to operating, or if they were operating year around, they add more options and more exciting. A ride around the port to learn about its different landmarks? Check! An outing along the cost to see the city skyline from the sea? Check! A sunset sail? Some tapas on board? A historical boat? A fancy yacht? Live music? Check, check, check! Your Barcelona June trip needs a sailing activity!
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The eating by the beach
And now that the weather is so lovely, lunch by the sea is another must (and a great way to check off the waterfront from your already packed sightseeing list if you are not planning to go to the beach). Don’t miss our selection of favorite Barcelona beach restaurants. Just take into account that eating outside means no air conditioning, and that in Spain it’s still allowed to eat in restaurant terraces but not indoors. What means there’s a chance you’ll get a smoker in the table next to yours… Need more ideas for eating oudoors in Barcelona in June? We have a post about restaurants with a garden and how to organize a picnic in Barcelona!
What to eat in June in Barcelona
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Savoury dishes
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Sweet Specialties
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What to drink
There’s Summer non-alcoholic beverages that you need to try, too: orxata and granizados. Orchata is a plant-based drink made with tigernut, sugar and water. It looks like milk but it tastes like a totally different thing: either you love it or you hate it – there’s no intermediate point. Granizados are slushes. The most common flavors are lemon and orange, but you can see also coffee and other flavors occasionally. And talking about coffee: in the Summer locals switch their cafe solo (expresso) by cafe con hielo (expresso with ice cubs).
Other Barcelona events in June worth checking
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Barcelona Design Week
Do you need more things to do? The Barcelona Design Week is organized by Barcelona Centre de Disseny to discuss design and creativity projects and how they transform the world in many different levels. It consists of an official program of activities, and a parallel OFF BDW festival with exhibits, open door days, workshops and conferences around the city. Despite its name, it lasts more than just a week, but around the first couple of weeks of June.
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Gay Pride
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Palo Market Festival
And if you are visiting Barcelona in June, make sure to check if your visit hits the Palo Market festival that happens every month in the artists hub of PaloAlto in the Poblenou district. Live music, local designers market, food trucks and cultural activities for kids and adults make it a fun thing to do to spend some time mixing up with cool locals and exploring an area of the city that is sort of off the beaten path.
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Check out the pavement of Sant Felip Neri covered in yellow flowers
Will you travel to Barcelona in June?
Marta
Marta is the founder of ForeverBarcelona. She is a passionate tour guide that loves Barcelona and loves writing too. She is the main author of our Blog, and is committed to sharing her knowledge about Barcelona and her best tips with our readers.
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