How the Esquerra de l’Eixample Festival works
It is organised by the Coordinadora d’Entitats de l’Esquerra de l’Eixample with dozens of local associations, community centres and gardens, and each group runs its event in its own street, garden or inner courtyard. There is no main square: the children’s plans are split between Plaça del Mercat de Germanetes (Consell de Cent at Comte Borrell), with the Jardins d’Emma, the Horts de Germanetes and l’Àgora close by, and the Mercat del Ninot. Everything for children is free and outdoors, concentrated on Saturday mornings and weekday afternoons.
🎪 There is no PDF programme this year: activities are published one by one on the festival website, festesesquerraeixample.org. If a time changes, you will see it there first.
See everything on at Plaça del Mercat de GermanetesSaturday the 3rd, the big family day
From 10 am to 1 pm, l’Àgora takes to the street outside the ateneu (Consell de Cent, 141) with children’s games, hot chocolate and music, and from 10 am the play space for ages 0 to 6 opens in Plaça del Mercat de Germanetes. At 11.30 am, outside the Mercat del Ninot, the “Petits Grans Arquitectes” workshop invites kids to build with wooden pieces. In the afternoon, at 4.30 pm, the Cau Aldaia scout group celebrates its 19th birthday on Avinguda de Roma, between Entença and Rocafort, with games, workshops and face painting for children and teens. And at 8.30 pm, the children’s correfoc.
See the l’Àgora hot chocolateSunday the 4th: giants and magic
The 9th Trobada de Gegants starts with the giants on display at 10 am outside the Mercat del Ninot. At 11 am the parade sets off along Mallorca, Comte Borrell, Rosselló, Calàbria and Còrsega, with guest giants and those of the local schools, ending at 1 pm in the Jardins de Montserrat. At 11.30 am, in Plaça del Mercat de Germanetes, there is an interactive magic show recommended from age 4.
See the giants gatheringMonday 5 to Friday 9: two play spaces for ages 0 to 6
All week there are two play spaces for the youngest, a few steps apart: “Vine a jugar a la plaça”, in Plaça del Mercat de Germanetes from 4.30 to 6 pm (and on Saturdays the 3rd and 10th in the morning, from 10 am), and “Vine a jugar a Jardins d’Emma”, in the inner courtyard at Comte Borrell, 157, with sandpit toys and shared ride-on bikes, open whenever the garden is and launching on Monday the 5th at 5 pm. On Tuesday the 6th at 5 pm there is also a family workshop at the Horts de Germanetes community garden (bring an empty yoghurt pot to plant seedlings) and on Friday the 9th from 5 to 6 pm, a Sardines en llauna concert in the Ermessenda de Carcassona gardens (Comte d’Urgell, 145), hosted by the Casal Infantil Urgell.
See the square’s play spaceSaturday the 10th: storytelling and the Falcons
At 11 am, in Plaça del Mercat de Germanetes, the Llenguaferits tell “Siguem petits llenguaferits!” in two voices, a storytelling session about the world’s languages and Catalan; the play space for ages 0 to 6 opens again that morning. At 11.30 am, outside the Mercat del Ninot, the Falcons de Barcelona build human towers and pillars. The programme has no children’s plans on Sunday the 11th.
See the storytellingChildren’s correfoc: Saturday the 3rd on Villarroel
The Diables Malànimes del Ninot run the children’s correfoc with drumming on Saturday the 3rd at 8.30 pm. It sets off down Carrer Villarroel from París and ends in the small square at Villarroel and Mallorca, next to the Mercat del Ninot. This year’s programme does not announce an adult correfoc.
🎪 Even at a children’s correfoc there are sparks: long-sleeved cotton clothes, a cap or neckerchief, closed shoes and ear protection for the youngest.
See the children’s correfocGetting around the Esquerra de l’Eixample Festival with kids
The festival spreads across the Eixample grid, but the children’s plans fit into two zones you can walk with a buggy. The first is Plaça del Mercat de Germanetes, with l’Àgora, the Jardins d’Emma and the Horts de Germanetes one or two blocks away. The second is the Mercat del Ninot, about 10 minutes’ walk uphill, with the children’s correfoc starting next to it. Avinguda de Roma (Aldafarra) and the Jardins de Montserrat (where the giants end) are a little further west.
Many events take place in inner courtyards and gardens, with trees and no traffic, so they work well with a buggy and with toddlers on foot. The programme gives no information on fountains, toilets or special transport; the Mercat del Ninot is close to Hospital Clínic metro station (L5).
Mum to mum: if you can only go one day, make it Saturday the 3rd. In the morning, hot chocolate at l’Àgora and the building workshop at the Ninot; in the afternoon, Aldafarra; and to finish, the children’s correfoc. With babies or children up to 6, any weekday afternoon at the Germanetes and Jardins d’Emma play spaces is an easy plan after nursery or school.
