The Heart of Slam Poetry in Barcelona

Photo courtesy of Poetry Slam Barcelona

Barcelona is a city brimming with creative energy, manifesting in a variety of artistic outlets. There is no shortage of music festivals, museums, exhibitions, pop-up galleries and other cultural and artistic events to enjoy. One such activity is slam poetry, where performers have the chance to share their art directly with an audience. By nature, slam poetry is an incredibly lively and engaging form of art. Barcelona, however, takes it the next level: by adding a competitive edge.

Poetry Slam 2018 at the CCCB
If you enjoy poetry and like to venture out to open mic nights, you should check out this event. Every year, Poetry Slam Barcelona hosts monthly slams where attendees can see amazing performances of slam poetry and spoken word in Spanish, Catalan and English. Entrance is free, and the events take place each month at Centre de Cultura Contemporània, or CCCB (the last slam took place Saturday, May 19 on Barcelona Museum Night).
Started in 2010 by red927 and Hipnotik, Poetry Slam Barcelona is a collective effort to grow a larger platform for creators and poets. For poets such as Ainara Garcia, a Barcelona local and finalist in the last competition, this event is a necessary way for people´s artistic voices to be heard.
¨It´s an example of liberty of expression,¨ says Garcia, ¨I think everyone should come to see it sometime and experience the emotion, anger, fear, pain, sadness, love… that a poem can express.¨

1, 2, 3, SLAM
Here’s what’s in store for you when you go. Slammers perform their piece and await feedback from the audience, who write scores on a scale of 1-10 on whiteboards and communicate their enthusiasm through cheering. With well over 100 people typically in attendance and the stage open to anyone who wishes to participate, this interactive space goes beyond your typical open mic night. At the end of the night, a winner is decided by the total scores. Poet Marta B. has been the winner for the past two slams in April and May. You can check out a video of their performance at the May event here:

The next slam takes place on June 10 at 6 p.m. at the CCCB. To know the dates for future slams, check out Poetry Slam Barcelona´s Facebook page. See you there, and slam on!

See also: Best Open Mic Nights in Barcelona