Barcelona's cultural agenda reaches peak intensity this weekend as the city celebrates Sant Jordi with three overlapping festivals spanning cinema, electronic music, and cocktail culture.

The tenth edition of the Barcelona Film Festival (BCN Film Fest) runs across multiple venues with 90 films screening at Cines Verdi, the Ateneu Barcelonès, and Filmoteca de Catalunya. The festival coincides with the centenary of Cines Verdi, the neighbourhood's most popular cinema in Gràcia. Notable attendees include Oscar-nominated director Fatih Akin, who will discuss La isla de Amrum at 16:30 on Saturday at Verdi 32, and American actor Willem Dafoe, who stars in El Anfitrión and will be present at its screening on Friday at 21:30. On Sunday at 18:30, director Damian Michieletto will attend a screening of Primavera. To mark Cines Verdi's 100th anniversary, a restored 1921 silent film, Els naufragés du sort, will screen on Saturday at 17:00, exactly 100 years after its original premiere at the same venue.

Electronic music moves to Poble Espanyol

The Barcelona Electronic Music Association (AMEBA) relocates its inaugural festival from the Raval to the Poble Espanyol this weekend. Founded over a decade ago, AMEBA operates without commercial sponsorship, relying on member contributions. The festival runs 16:00 to 23:00 on Saturday and 15:00 to 22:00 on Sunday in a marquee at Poble Espanyol. Local artists including Monocrom!, B1n0, Marc Piñol, and Sonic Wave Collective will blend electronic production with classical instruments, creating melodic techno and indie electronic ambient music. Daytime programming includes a picnic area, whilst the outdoor Terrazza club operates until 06:00, featuring DJs Arildo with Feder Zerdan, NiZ, and Basso Mata. Festival passes cost EUR 41 for the full weekend or EUR 21 for a single day.

Separately, Monumental Club, housed in a converted 19th-century bullring on Carrer Marina, hosts Indie Is Not Dead on Saturday from 18:30. Musician Joe Crepúsculo will headline, followed by DJs Legoteque and Siamiss from Razzmatazz. Expected setlist includes tracks from Arctic Monkeys, The Strokes, Interpol, Sidonie, and Los Planetas.

World-class cocktail artisans gather at Palo Alto

For five consecutive years, Paradiso Cocktail Bar transforms Palo Alto's gardens into the global centre of mixology during Sant Jordi weekend. This Saturday and Sunday from 12:00 to 21:00, ten of the world's top cocktail bars participate, including Alquímico (Cartagena), Lady Bee (Lima), Himkok (Oslo), and Locale Firenze (Florence). Food vendors Antonia's and Warike Project will serve hamburgers and Peruvian cuisine respectively.