ABIM’S GUIDE FOR PARTYING IN BARCELONA

Nightlife is community. A night out is made special by the people you meet, the drinks you share, the photos you capture, and the memories you create. In major metropolises, going out becomes synonymous with community and in Barcelona, it is no different. I moved to Spain’s vibrant coastal town for a year-long study abroad. Underneath the expectations of nights, wandering by the beach and days drinking countless sangrias, were the doubts about whether I would find people like me. I found that get-togethers and parties helped ease my transition into this city.

Barcelona is perfectly curated as a haven for music lovers and clubbers. The amalgam of diverse club spaces in a small city is the ultimate recipe for club hopping. Before you realise it, you’re strolling down to the metro at 6 am, recounting the story that would be told for that night. 

Finding your space, however, is the challenge. Barcelona has welcomed an Afro-Spaniard and Black community within its folds, a population now that is carving its space. Discovering Black nightlife spots in Barcelona is a tricky task. My first night out in the city ignited a desire to find those scenes as I quickly registered that this strange place would be my new home for a year.

Looking for events can be a saga: stalking events pages, asking around for recommendations, and frantically researching via Instagram stories. It can feel that you need to be ‘in the know’ and even then, there will be an underground, nondescript party scene buried amid your hunt. It was social media which acquainted me with a myriad of Black nightlife events and once I connected with fellow newcomers, we shared our rundown of different nights.

Reflecting on the months I spent living in Barcelona for a study abroad, I’ve joined others (Cindy, Nana, Maddy, and Sumayyah) who discussed their clubbing experience in Barcelona and finding an unlikely community on the dancefloor. 

My friends before my first Neoparty event (15 October 2024)

The nightlife scene in Barcelona presents a snapshot of a culture which embraces spontaneous partying and get-togethers. Cindy mentions, “In Barcelona, everyone says you can’t sleep because you’re going to party after party, there is always something going on every day.” On a random Saturday, you could stumble through street parties, free concerts and fiestas and as a result, partying is an accessible activity. For young people living abroad, many will opt for going out in their free time. Sumayyah shares, “Going clubbing and exploring new places became a huge part of my weekends in Barcelona.” 

The surprising diversity in clubbing spaces was only possible with investment to develop its potential. “I mean I’ve never been to Europe so I didn’t know what to expect [about the nightlife] but my experience surpassed any expectation I might have had. I was nervous it wouldn’t be diverse or a place I want to party but it has been so lovely,” Maddy confesses. Likewise, Nana recognises that Barcelona’s point of difference within its nightlife belongs in the flourishing subcultures, “I realised that here [Barcelona], there is a club for everyone. So, if I wanted to go to an afrobeats night, or a reggeaton night or even a French night, I would know where to go.”

Despite Barcelona’s reputation as the ‘party city’ of the Mediterranean, Black nightlife places are often excluded from this title. The Black diaspora in Barcelona is small yet has worked tirelessly to establish a collective culture.

Voodoo Club

Episode 68 @the Voodoo Club

Voodoo invited party people to their bashes in 2018 when the Black community in Barcelona was making its presence known. Voodoo Club became the spot for Black Spaniards and Catalans to fully experience a sense of pride for their heritage and space to explore their identity. For tourists, it was a much-needed hiatus from the mainstream clubs in the city. As the DJs jump from afrobeats to reggaeton to Brazilian funk to tech house, partygoers are reminded of Voodoo’s reputation as the people’s party. 

Afro Brunch

Photo taken by @blal.exe

Making rounds in the Black Barcelona party circuit, Afro Brunch has been a staple figure in connecting lovers of afrobeats and amapiano to one place. A reliable night of banging mixes, high energy crowds and tantalising food on the side, at Afrobrunch, the African diaspora in Spain is connected. “I think Afrobrunch is my favourite,” Maddy shares, “the music is incredible, they have the dopest DJs and the vibes are always great.”

Neoparty

Photo taken by Night Visions

Neoparty has quickly slotted itself in these party collectives, offering genres from French rap to amapiano to a bit of dancehall. Entering spaces like this assuaged my feelings of otherness in a new city. Nana mentions that spots like Neoparty reflected her diverse upbringing, “growing up in a Caribbean household, I knew the songs there, and felt a sense of community and just an overall love for my Blackness.”

Nea Fest

Photo taken by @mmmire__

Nea Fest, an Afro-Queer function created by the Nea Omin Collective, is a takeover in the works. For so long, the growing Black Queer community has been an ignored subset in Barcelona nightlife. Spaces like Nea Fest host eclectic sounds, with it’s sole purpose of bringing individuals together through music. 

Throughout these events, photography is a consistent medium used to snap attendees’ joy and act as a backdrop to their story of community. Outside of these growing party conglomerates are club spaces like Jamboree and Shoko, hosting sounds which comfortably glide from hip-hop to reggaeton to French rap.

In a place like Barcelona, where a Neo party, Nea Fest, Afrobrunch or a Voodoo Club are young relative to event powerhouses that have long been cemented, they have made their presence known. These are the spaces where an alternative Spanish culture is built.

Photo taken @ Shoko

Going out to these places is an experience, “At events like Afrobrunch and Neo party, you begin to see familiar faces. I found a lot of my friends through these sorts of events. You exchange Instagrams and organise hangouts after.” Nana expresses, looking back on the gradual friendships you find on the dancefloor.

Barcelona may have some way to go, Sumayyah notices that occasionally, “it was slightly frustrating to have no space that was truly for black people. The Black community in Barcelona is much smaller than in London so I understand why they try to cater to others.” Exploring the nightlife there, I sometimes felt certain genres including afrobeats and dancehall were regulated as an afterthought; a short ‘urban’ section near the end or a static soundtrack as we wait for the lights to flicker back on.

Despite several spaces holding an outlet for the African diaspora, clinging onto its sanctity is difficult. These places must stay connected to the group they desire to represent and stepping into these events, I’ve observed the efforts to champion Black and Afro-Spanish talent. However, meddling authenticity and mainstream appeal is an uphill battle. As these events begin to take over, I hope their original story of community and Black resilience is not lost.