Barcelona & the Miquel Llobet Competition: a guitarist's travel guide
Certamen Internacional de Guitarra Miquel Llobet · Barcelona, Spain
Barcelona hardly needs an excuse for a visit, but the Certamen Internacional Miquel Llobet gives guitar lovers a fine one. Named for the Catalan master who carried Tárrega's legacy into the twentieth century, the competition has run in the city since the 1990s and pairs serious music-making with one of Europe's most exhilarating cities.
Getting there
Barcelona is one of the best-connected cities in Spain. High-speed AVE trains reach Barcelona Sants from Madrid in about two and a half hours, and Barcelona-El Prat airport (BCN) sits a short ride southwest of the centre with links across Europe and beyond.
Compare trains, buses & flights to Barcelona on Omio →
Where to stay
Base yourself in the Eixample or the old city and you can reach the concert halls and conservatory on foot or by a quick metro hop. Barcelona is busy year-round, so book ahead and expect to walk a lot, which is the best way to see it anyway.
An interactive map of hotels, apartments and B&Bs across Booking, Expedia, Airbnb and more, centred on Barcelona.
See stays in Barcelona →What you'll hear
The competition is held for guitarists up to thirty-five, running through live rounds to a final in which three players perform accompanied by a string quartet. There is a parallel composition competition too, long regarded as one of the most prestigious of its kind, so new works for the instrument often have their moment here. Winners in recent years have gone straight onto the international circuit.
If you play as well as listen, explore Miquel Llobet's own music and arrangements on Sheet Music Plus →
Where to eat
Catalan cooking is its own reward. Start with pa amb tomàquet, the tomato-rubbed bread, then fideuà, the short-noodle cousin of paella, or escalivada of fire-roasted vegetables, and finish with crema catalana. The city's markets and vermouth bars are half the fun.
While you're there
When you want a break from the concerts, the mountain monastery of Montserrat is an easy train ride inland, and the seaside town of Sitges lies just down the coast. In the city itself, Gaudí's Sagrada Família and Park Güell need no introduction. A rental car makes the day trips simple, and GetYourGuide lists guided tours and tickets across the region.
Enter the pieces you play, and GuitarComp shows how your programme maps to this competition's rounds and which other events you qualify for.
See full competition details →Competition dates, deadlines and the current compulsory work change each edition, so always confirm at the official site: mllobet.com.