When visiting Barcelona, it’s the dream of most football fans to go to Camp Nou, the biggest football stadium in all Europe with almost 100,000 seats. However, the tickets could already be sold out upon your arrival or be a bit too pricey by then. Or perhaps there aren’t any FC Barcelona games at Camp Nou on the dates that you’re visiting our beautiful city.
If you can’t make it to the stadium during your stay, you can always try the alternative that many locals and tourists prefer: watching it at a bar with other football fans! There may not be as many fans cheering along with you as in Camp Nou, but in the right bar, the atmosphere can guarantee a great viewing experience.
It is, of course, also much cheaper to watch the matches at a bar and you´ll even be able to enjoy some drinks during the game (whereas alcohol is not sold at Camp Nou during the matches for security reasons). Bars in Barcelona give you the opportunity to see away games with locals and enjoy them on the big screen with faithful Barça fans cheering loudly for their team.
If you can find a bar with a TV on the day of a match, they are most likely going to be showing the FC Barcelona matches. Bars along Avenida Diagonal, close to Camp Nou, are always a safe bet if you’re after a great atmosphere. Most locals prefer these authentic Catalan cervecerias to the ones packed with foreigners and multiple mega screens. Find the perfect accommodation at one of our apartments in Les Corts near the stadium.
Below we have listed three of our favorite sports bars for watching football, whether they are El Clásicos, Champions League knockout rounds or some other interesting football matches, with FC Barcelona playing or not. The bars on this list have been chosen based on their atmosphere, services, comfort, location as well as the variety, quality and frequency of their football broadcasts.
# 1 CocoVail
Address: C/ d’Aragó, 284, 08009 Barcelona
Hours: Mon – Friday – 12:30 PM – 2 AM; Sat & Sunday – 1 PM – 2 AM
# 2 Sports Bar
A must-have on the list, the Sports Bar on La Rambla; is one of the most well-known locations for watching football in Barcelona. There are a whopping 16 screens and one huge HD screen to choose from. The commentary is provided in both Spanish and English, with the best atmosphere during Barça matches, of course.
The Sports Bar is specialized in sports broadcasts, so if you wish to see any of the major European football leagues and tournaments, NFL, NBA, NHL or other big sports events, this bar is usually the safest bet. Even if there are multiple interesting matches going on at the same time, they are all shown here.
A bottle of beer here costs around 3 €, which is a pretty normal price for this area. They also offer pizzas, hamburgers, sandwiches and pasta, with a menu costing 9 €.
- Address: Rambla dels Caputxins, 31, 08002 Barcelona
- Opening hours: Monday to Friday from 13:00 to 16:00 & 19:30 to 24:00; Weekends from 13:00 to 24:00
The downside of Sports Bar is that due to its location and its large variety of foreign broadcasts, the place is probably more popular amongst folks from outside of Barcelona than natives. That being said, the atmosphere of this bar is still excellent during every match! If you´re interested in finding an accommodation near the Sports Bar, check out our apartments in El Raval.
# 3 The George Payne
The George Payne is known as the biggest Irish bar in Barcelona. Boasting nine large screens to display matches, you won’t be missing a single kick or swing in this bar. Though the bar has a large area, the screens have been angled in a way that makes them visible from almost anywhere within the bar.
Here you can see all the Barça matches, La Liga, Premier League, Champions League and the most important yearly tournaments. In addition you can see rugby, American football and hurling in the bar, as well as all the major sports events from around the world. On Mondays there’s also a beer pong game to watch or participate in.
The place isn’t too expensive either. You can get a bucket of five beers for 10 euros to share with friends (or just for yourself, if it´s been that type of week…) and you can order basic bars food throughout the day.
- Address: Pl. d’Urquinaona, 5, 08010 Barcelona
- Opening hours: Monday to Friday from 18:00 to 02:00, Fridays until 03:00; Weekends from 13:00 to 03:00
The place is always crowded, especially if there is an important match going on. Make sure to get there really early for El Clásico or other big events! To find an accommodation near The George Payne, take a look at our apartments in Eixample.
# 4 Flaherty’s Irish Bar
You may already know that Irish pubs are famous for their sports coverage, and so we couldn’t help but include another one in our picks. Flaherty’s earns its place on our list of favorites with the great atmosphere and service it provides. This bar is just off La Rambla in Ciutat Vella and could be just the place for you if you’re looking for a more intimate atmosphere than the other two.
Three TV’s and a large projector display several matches live simultaneously. The number of TV´s is lower than those of other bars on our list; but this pub is a bit smaller and you can actually see all the screens around you. This means they only play the commentary of the most important match, which brings viewers together in a different way compared to the other places.
At Flaherty’s they show all the major European football leagues and rugby, Formula 1, Ice Hockey World Championships; and other major sports events.
- Address: Plaça de Joaquim Xirau, s/n, 08002 Barcelona
- Opening hours: Monday to Thrusday from 09:00 to 01:00; Friday and weekends from 09:00 to 02:00
A pint of beer here costs 4.50€, with special offers and happy hours providing reasonably priced drinks; (a bucket of five beers costs 11€ on weekdays). In addition to the beverages, the food here is worth trying too, but might be a bit pricey. We especially recommend their full Irish breakfast, the perfect meal for watching a game on the weekends. To find an accommodation near The George Payne, take a look at our apartments in Eixample.