New Year's Eve
Barcelona's New Year's Eve is not a ticketed spectacle: it is a large, self-organised street party, with the biggest gathering at the top of the Rambla.
The twelve grapes
The Spanish tradition: one grape per chime at midnight, eaten fast enough to keep up. Buy seedless ones in advance, because the shops near the square sell out.
Plaça de Catalunya
The default meeting point, packed by eleven and noisy well past one. Bring your own cava and plastic cups, and expect to lose whoever you arrived with.
Dinner first
Families eat a long dinner at home and come out afterwards, which is why the square only fills properly in the final hour. Restaurants book up weeks ahead.