Get the word out: Barcelona is back. But where has it been?
How do you measure a city’s mood? Lately, in Barcelona – arguably one of Spain’s most emotional metropolises – there is much chatter about the city being “Back!” Bold pronouncements such as these prompt inevitable follow-up inquiries, not the least of which is: where exactly has Barcelona been? But as I make my way around the city this week, the revived sense of confidence and optimism is impossible to ignore. The comeback feels timely, true – and infectious.
This isn’t one of those lazy journalist tropes whereby I put my mood-check plebiscite to the city’s taxi drivers. I’ve been around enough of Barcelona’s chamfered blocks to know that taxi drivers aren’t a reliable source anyway. My analysis is the fruit of the past 14 months, during which I’ve contributed to numerous surveys, radio reports, refreshed city guides and research assignments. This has taken me to all corners of the Catalonian capital, where I’ve waxed lyrical with chefs, jewellers, tech entrepreneurs, painters, eccentric sculptors, world-leading scientists and publishers – plus no shortage of locals, expats and even a few DJs (who perhaps know the mood better than most). When you’re sat in front of so many figures from diverse industries, backgrounds and barrios, a bigger narrative starts to patch itself together. And the consensus is in: the people of Barcelona are proudly singing their hometown’s praises again.
I don’t want to dampen the mood by having to peek under the collective memory rug but the past decade has been littered with breaking points. Tempers have frayed over secessionist strife, mass tourism and some long-running political sagas that even saw Carles Puigdemont, the self-exiled former premier, turn into a national fugitive (who I’ll come back to shortly). No great city is immune to collective downers though, and trying times put the important things back into focus. One could argue that Barcelona has entered its post-identity-crisis era, striving forward with newfound clarity about what no longer serves the city, then allowing itself to dream about what comes next.
Several inner-city streets have been reimagined into parks, plazas have been liberated of traffic and even the beloved hills of Montjuic are getting a makeover. Meanwhile, holiday rental platforms such as Airbnb have been put on notice and will be phased out altogether by 2028. The perpetual nuisance of organised pub crawls was recently banned outright. As for that fugitive premier? This week, the region’s pragmatic new leader, Salvador Illa, met with the now Belgium-based Puigdemont to extend a reconciliatory hand.
Out with old means making more space for the new. Enter the legion of commissioned marketeers and sloganeering strategists rushing to pen new narratives. One recent government-led initiative promises to make Barcelona a “City of Rights”, which apart from sounding bizarre, is also strikingly dull with its broad promise to foster human rights and fight discrimination. As far as rebrands go, it’s no cause célèbre but perhaps that’s entirely the point – it’s a back-to-basics dream that lets the city speak for itself.
Most recall the collective joy and confidence following the 1992 Olympics. Today, dreaming of the future feels more grown-up and pragmatic – handing over the creative torch to the city’s residents. No big-ticket event needed, no big-budget construction project to over-bloat the imagination. Just a reassuring commitment to peace, stability and getting the life balance right. No wonder Barcelonéses are feeling bullish, buoyant and yes, very much back.
Liam Aldous is a regular Monocle contributor. For more opinion, analysis and insight, subscribe to Monocle today.
