Things to Do in Barcelona: Art, Padel, and Christmas Cheer

Welcome listeners to Things to do in Barcelona with your globe‑trotting sports nut, Oly Bennet, coming to you on Thursday, December 11, 2025. Barcelona’s waking up under cool, crisp winter skies, that perfect “jacket but sunglasses” combo, and the city’s buzzing with pre‑Christmas energy, street lights twinkling over every plaza.

Let’s kick off with today’s vibe-setters. Down at Port Vell, the massive FUNBOX Barcelona experience is opening its doors, turning the waterfront into a family‑friendly playground of immersive light installations and festive attractions, according to ticket platform Vivaticket. Over in the sporting arena, padel fans are in heaven: the Qatar Airways Premier Padel Finals quarter‑finals start today at 1 pm, bringing the world’s best players to Barcelona, as confirmed by the International Padel Federation. If your sport is more “gallery sprint,” local event guide Public Service by Bitas lists the opening days of performances like “I’d rather die than losing my friend’s Mercedes Benz car key” at Malpaís and “Manual per a éssers vius” at Fundació Joan Brossa, mixing experimental art with proper Barcelona weirdness. And for a strictly Christmas mood, hotel group HCC Hoteles highlights the Fira de Santa Llúcia by the Cathedral, the city’s oldest Christmas fair, packed with nativity figures, decorations, and that delightfully bizarre Catalan icon, the caganer.

On the news side, Travel and Tour World reports that Barcelona is front and center in Europe’s debate on overtourism, with protests and new measures, including a plan to phase out short‑term tourist rentals by 2028. That means as listeners you’re not just visitors today; you’re honorary teammates in the city’s push for more sustainable, respectful tourism. Meanwhile, Interreg NEXT MED notes that Barcelona is hosting the Waste2Fashion circular‑fashion project meetings, so expect design folks and eco‑innovators roaming the Eixample with mood boards and reusable coffee cups.

Now, Oly’s must‑do game plan for the day. Warm up with a stroll through the Gothic Quarter to the Fira de Santa Llúcia, grab a hot chocolate and churros, and see how many different caganer characters you can spot. Then head to Port Vell for FUNBOX Barcelona, especially fun if you’ve got kids or just like acting like one. Sports lovers: catch the padel quarter‑finals live or soak up the atmosphere in nearby bars showing the matches. In the afternoon, duck into an indie art space like Malpaís or Fundació Joan Brossa for those offbeat performances flagged by Public Service by Bitas, then finish in El Born with tapas and vermut, where every bar feels like extra time in a very tasty final.

Local tip from your roaming sports nerd: if you’re using the metro to bounce between events, stand on the right on escalators, keep your bag in front of you, and remember T‑casual and other multi‑trip cards usually offer better value than single tickets if you’re racking up journeys. And when you order a beer, say “una canya” for a small draft like a true Barceloní.

Before I dash to check out a padel rally that looks faster than some Olympic sprints, a teaser for tomorrow: New Zealand soul‑funk band LEISURE hits La (2) de Apolo on December 13, according to concert promoter listings, and the city’s indie Christmas markets and design fairs ramp up all weekend. Tune in tomorrow for the full lowdown and more weird, wonderful Barcelona adventures with me, Oly Bennet.

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