5 reasons why Barcelona’s radical music and arts scene is hitting new heights

Though Barcelona's reputation as a hub for boundary-pushing culture has been decades, even centuries, in the making — the Catalan capital continues to hold its own as a revered global terminus for creativity due to its flourishing local underground scene, rebellious approach to artistic expression and limitless appetite for experimental music.

The open-minded and rebellious spirit of Barcelona's arts and music scene is at the heart of its enduring creative spirit, with the local creatives often being at the centre of both introducing new artistic movements and divergent sounds to the city — but also in protest and community aid.

So of course, it makes sense to round off the Burn Energy Tour 2024 in Barcelona, which will see Mixmag and Burn Energy bring an eclectic line-up to the Sala Apolo on December 7, headlined by none other than house legend and GRAMMY-nominated producer Honey Dijon and Mercury Prize-nominated new-age junglist Nia Archives. Get tickets here.

The two headliners will be joined by local FLINTA collective Maricas, who are at the forefront of Barcelona's flourishing LGBTQIA+ scene, for what will surely be a masterclass in no-holds-barred euphoria. Before we touch down in Barca, we spoke to Maricas' Eloisa Blitzer to find out exactly how the city retains its electricity, and what the five key reasons are behind its success.

Anyone with even an iota of familiarity with Barcelona will be familiar with Barcelona's stereotypes — the avant-garde artistry of Gaudí and Miró, storied nightlife institutions, the colourful characters of La Rambla and high rise-lined beaches. But as Eloisa puts it, there's another Barcelona that many never get to come face-to-face with: "The real Barcelona is a city of resilience, creativity, and activism. There’s an underground pulse here that tourists rarely see—a community of artists, musicians, and collectives fighting to carve out spaces that go beyond commercialized entertainment. Barcelona isn’t just a city for fun; it’s a city where people are creating radical, transformative spaces, often in the face of systemic challenges."

While tourists will continue to flock to its numerous sights, the energy that underpins all of its beautiful divergences seems to come from its radical underground, ensuring it continues to be a place of rebellion and uniqueness. The city has some of the world's most impressive street artistsost impressive street artists — such as Vinz, Debens and Kafre. It is also the home to some of Europe's most renowned nightclubs —Jamboree, Razzmatazz and Nitsa, with the latter celebrating its 30th birthday this year. "The mix of cultures, the amount of queerness, how activist the city is, between many other things, have created a unique atmosphere where people are constantly pushing for changes and for new things," says Eloisa.

While the underground continues to be the coal in the fire of Barcelona's energetic, artistic spirit, the desire for boundary-pushing music from Barcelona's locals and further afield has allowed it to carve out a unique role in helping new sounds to global audiences.

Much of this is down to Barcelona's two flagship festivals: Sónar and Primavera Sound, whose programming often veers away from focus on popular music or a particular genre — and instead works to platform a plethora of interesting sounds. Alongside its ability to attract some of the world's biggest acts, Primavera is often responsible for giving off-kilter artists their first big audience outside of their home country (see Fred again.., Bad Boy Chiller Crew, Burna Boy, K-pop sensations Dreamcatcher and even Burn Energy Tour headliner Nia Archives). While Sónar's more electronic-focused programming often sees influential greats such as Aphex Twin, Gorillaz, Björk, Arca and Grace Jones, on the same billing as bubbling genres from across the world.

"Sónar and Primavera have done a lot to put Barcelona on the map when it comes to music. They bring in artists from all over the world, which is super exciting, and they’ve helped open people’s minds to new sounds," says Eloisa. "This said, it’s not until recently that they started giving the importance needed to local queer collectives at their festivals."

"Recently, they’ve started to see how important collectives like ours are to the scene. For example, Primavera invited us to close one of their bigger stages, which was insane. They’ve also included various collectives for streaming takeovers (like MUSA or latineo), which is such a vibe. It feels like these festivals are finally getting it—that collectives bring the kind of raw energy and realness that people crave, and we’re happy to be part of that shift while still keeping things intimate and special on our own dancefloors."

As a city so renowned for both its out-of-this-world visual artists and its cutting-edge musicians, it's no surprise that Barcelona is a haven for audio-visual artists. Barcelona is the home of Integrated Systems Europe (ISE), one of the world's biggest immersive art exhibitions, as well as Loom Festival that pairs a music, interactive installations, and performance. It also home to studios that are pushing the boundaries of digital and audiovisual art, such as as Hamill Industries, Sinoca and BCN Visuals.

This extends to the underground, where music is regularly paired with some form of aesthetic spetacular. "Art and music are inseparable in Barcelona’s underground scene. Visual art brings the energy of the music to life, whether it’s through analog visuals, stage design, or the aesthetics of a collective like ours," says Eloisa. "Collaboration happens naturally here—at parties, bars, street, events, or even just in shared creative spaces. Collectives like ours or MUSA, Latineo, Me Siento Extraña, and so many, are a place for connection. You’ll find all the creatives mixed and match sitting at a terrace in RAVAL."

While Barcelona has long boasted a vibrant queer scene, having been known as a hub for LGBTQIA+ culture in Spain ever since it was the location of one of Europe's first Pride demonstrations in 1977 – in the modern day, local collectives are helping to redefine the relationship between nightlife and music. "Barcelona’s radical energy comes from its ability to merge art, music, and activism into something that feels genuinely transformative. I love this city, wouldn’t live anywhere else... and i'm not even from here," says Eloisa.

MUSA Platform, Me Siento Extraña, Jokko Collective, (S)PUNK, Toro, Latineo and Maricas are among those leading the charge. "Maricas started in 2018 as a drunk idea between three friends— lesbians, a non-binary, and two of us Latinas. We were frustrated by the lack of queer spaces in Barcelona that reflected the music we loved," says Eloisa.

"The city had nightlife, sure, but it felt either too commercial or unsafe for people like us. So, what began as an imaginary idea turned into a movement. We created a space where queerness and music could coexist unapologetically—a place for our community to feel joy and freedom on the dancefloor. Establishing Maricas in Barcelona was crucial because, at the time, there were no queer-focused electronic music parties. It filled a gap in the scene, and the overwhelming response from the community made us realize just how necessary it was."

With so such an unbound and effervescent nightlife scene, Barcelona's nightclubs have always been an integral part of its culture. Venues such as the five-in-one Razzmatazz, INPUT and its eyewatering array of lasers, the storied Nitsa which sits within Sala Apolo (where we will bring the Burn Energy Tour in the coming days) and the open-air La Terrrazza, that provides an incredible vantage point from its spot half-way up the Montjuic — are all responsible for attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors to the city, and high up on the bucket lists of your favourite DJs.

However as Eloisa puts it, the city's burgeoning collectives are becoming even more of a focal point for the local scene. "I think the shift of spaces not being so important but collectives, is something that we need to talk about," she says. "There are quite a few collectives and initiatives right now shaping the local scene, such as: MUSA, Me Siento Extraña, Latineo, Jokko (they even founded their own space FOC) and isla666666. This shift in focus, and importance, talks about social changes, what’s needed by today’s generation and much more. I personally find it beautiful."

Barcelona is the final stop on the Burn Energy Tour 2024, following the debut event in Budapest, and events in Warsaw and Venice. Stay tuned to Burn Energy and Mixmag’s’s Instagram pages for updates.

The Burn Energy Tour will land in Barcelona on December 7. For more details and to get tickets, click here.