Who says culture can only be visited during the day? To prove the opposite, one of the most anticipated night events of the year returns to the spring schedule: the Night of the Museums 2023. The opportunity to enjoy some of the many interesting museums in Barcelona and their surrounding spaces, with more than 90 museums open, a total of 121 exhibitions and more than 80 scheduled activities, will be held this Saturday, May 13th, with six hours available to the public - from 7:00pm to 1:00am - in this thematic celebration that is already a tradition in the Catalan capital as well as in its surrounding cities - because the big night of the museums also goes beyond Barcelona city limits to include cultural premises in Badalona, Cornellà, Esplugues, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Sant Adrià, Sant Joan Despí and Santa Coloma de Gramenet.
What can you visit on the Night of the Museums 2023?
In the last edition of 2022, more than 100,000 people enjoyed this nocturnal event, with the National Art Museum of Catalonia (MNAC) on Montjuïc as the most visited place in the entire metropolitan area. A museum which, by the way, is open after hours again this year with concerts and an exclusive gastronomic offer along with some other of the most outstanding spaces: the Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona (MACBA), which will also host a musical session by DJ Pasaporteman, the Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (CCCB), the Picasso Museum and the Fundació Joan Miró, all places to visit some of the works of the most influential painters in our art. These major centres, and 85 more! And they are all free.
There are seven spaces that be opening for the first time on this Night of the Museums: the former headquarters of publisher Editorial Gustavo Gili; the former prison La Model — Memory Space; the viewpoint on Barcelona's famous cucumber, the Torre Glòries; the Moco Museum, visited famously recently by Barack and Michelle Obama; the MUHBA Bon Pastor and the MUHBA Santa Caterina; and the Spanish Civil War bomb shelter, in Gràcia's Plaça del Diamant. Other well-known museums that will open on May 13th are the CaixaForum Barcelona, the entre de les Arts Lliures — Fundació Joan Brossa, Cornellà Castle, the Tàpies Foundation, La Capella, the Chocolate Museum, the Design Museum and the Centre Santa Mònica at the bottom of the Rambla. All the museums that will be open to the public at night this Saturday can be consulted at this link.
In the cities surrounding Barcelona, you can make a Saturday night visit to the following cultural facilities: on the Besós side of town, there is the Museu de Badalona (two spaces), Santa Coloma’s Museu Torre Balldovina, and Sant Adrià’s Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona - Parc del Fòrum. In the municipalities close to the Llobregat, are Sant Joan Despí's Centre Jujol - Can Negre, as well as the Museus d’Esplugues de Llobregat (MEL), Museu de Ceràmica “La Rajoleta”, Castell de Cornellà de Llobregat, Museu Palau Mercader, Museu de l’Hospitalet (four spaces) and the Fundació Arranz-Bravo.
Bear in mind that some of the activities scheduled for the Night of the Museums 2023 have a limited capacity, prior bookings may be necessary for these, and in other popular options there tends to be some queueing. See the website. All the museums will open their doors from 7pm until 1am, and among the 86 planned activities there are options for all ages and tastes, from drawing to DJ sessions, theatrical performances and workshops.