Barcelona Circuit Festival 2023

Barcelona Circuit Festival 2023

Barcelona hosts Europe’s Largest Gay Circuit Festival in August, complete with the legendary Waterpark event. Barcelona Circuit Festival is the biggest European gay festival, featuring ten days of beach fun, pool parties and evening circuit events.

• If you plan on staying for the entire event make the  NH Calderon your home base. It is perfectly located, close to the bus stops for the parties and the gay bars and clubs of Eixample. You can also find some great apartment options dotted across the city.

Event Passes

• You should decide early on which parties you want to attend and which to skip.
• An all inclusive party wristband is the best option. Individual parties can cost up to EUR 60.

Gay Barcelona

• The gay neighbourhood of Eixample, or Gayxample, is full of charming gay restaurants, bars and hotels. It is close to the famous Las Ramblas in the heart of Barcelona and allows for easy access to the city’s top attractions.

The Parties

• Circuit Festival features 9 days of parties, both day and night. Highlights include the Opening Party and the Closing Party, both of which are the most-attended.
• The two pool parties are also very popular, After Sun and Eliad Cohen’s Papa Pool Event.
• BOOK YOUR TICKETS IN ADVANCE.

Getting to the parties

• The producer of the Barcelona Circuit Festival, Matinee, provide bus transport from Plz Catalunya to most of the out-of-town events.
• Most of the bigger parties take place outside the centre of Barcelona, so take the bus and enjoy a journey with lots of hot guys.

What time to arrive?

• Circuit Festival’s Night parties get busy after 2am – you are in Spain after all, where guys like to party late! 6am is the closing time. Most locals  arrive between 2 am and 3 am.
• Dinner in Spain takes place after 9pm, followed by drinks around midnight and then partying!

The Waterpark, the Holy Grail of Circuit!

• Waterpark day is on Tuesday, 8th of August, 2023. Read our insider guide to enjoy the best possible experience at this unique party. Circuit Waterpark is split into a daytime and nighttime event.
• The Waterpark is an essential part of the week-long celebrations. Let’s face it, if you haven’t been to that party, you haven’t been to Circuit! 14,000 gay people take over the venue. Head to the middle of the pool and wait for the music to begin. It’s truly amazing!
• The day party takes place from 10am to 10pm, culminating in a huge fireworks display.
• The night party takes place inside from 10pm to 6am.

Illa Fantasia – The Venue

• If you are attending both the daytime and nighttime events, its best to bring a change of clothes. Lockers and showers are available but queues are long so be prepared to wait. The park several food vendors.  You won’t go hungry.
• Circuit Festival Water park is about one hour from the centre of the town. The bus is the best way to visit. Taxi’s can be expensive and hard to obtain later on in the evening. If you want to return home without joining the queue, leave early.

Where to stay for Circuit Festival Barcelona

The following hotels were the highest rated by our visitors to the previous Circuit Festival. All are close to the city’s gay bars and attractions and each has a unique feature which might help you decide on which to choose:

• COOL POOL – El Avienida Palace – Just a short trip to the bars and clubs of the gay Eixample district and is rated “Fabulous” by guests with a rooftop pool providing sweeping views of some of the city’s famous landmarks.
• CENTRAL LOCATION – Catalonia Passeig de Gràcia for your hotel stay. The 4 star superior hotel is rated “Superb” by guests with a perfect location, attentive staff a beautiful roof terrace with pool, state of the art gym and modern decor.
• GYM AND SPA –  Hotel Catalonia Barcelona Plaza is a 4 star hotel, rated “Fabulous” by guests with  spacious rooms featuring a contemporary design, a full service spa and wellness centre and stunning rooftop views with epic views.