Barcelona will once again become a meeting point for international talent this October with the celebration of the 12th edition of Barcelona International Community Day, the reference event for professionals from all over the world who have chosen the Catalan capital to live and develop their careers. The event will take place on Saturday, October 25, at the Museu Marítim de Barcelona, located in the old Drassanes Reials, with free admission upon prior registration at barcelona.cat/internationalcommunityday.
Promoted by the Barcelona City Council, through the Directorate of International Economic Promotion, the Barcelona International Community Day has consolidated itself as the main space for welcome, integration, and networking for new international residents. This year's edition is presented under the slogan "I'm barceloní by choice", "I'm barcelonina by choice", "We're barcelonins by choice", a declaration of intent that recognizes those people who have chosen to be an active part of Barcelona life.
Linguistic and cultural integration
Beyond being an informative day, the event wants to emphasize the real connection and involvement with the city,with special attention to the knowledge of the Catalan language and culture and to the promotion ofvolunteering. In this sense, theCentre de Normalització Lingüística de Barcelonawill offer information on courses and resources to learn Catalan, while Torre Jussana will present an interactive map with volunteer entities from all neighborhoods.In the exhibitor fair, 78 entities will participate —including companies, schools, associations, and public services—, 25% of which will do so for the first time. Visitors will find everything from municipal services such as Barcelona Activa, the Barcelona International Welcome Desk, or Biblioteques de Barcelona, to private companies in sectors such as legal and financial advice, international education, or insurance.
More than 60 activities to discover the city
The activity program includes nearly 60 proposals that will revolve around several major themes. One of the most prominent will be Establishment and involvement in the city, which will include sessions with practical information on tax matters, the functioning of the Catalan health system, or tips for finding a school for children.
Another prominent block will be Work and business. Barcelona Activa will offer talks and workshops with resources to find work and create a company, as well as a training simulation for a job interview with artificial intelligence or a professional photography service for the CV.
Among the novelties, the Catalan language workshops or a gastronomic workshop of an esmorzar de forquilla promoted by the City Council also stand out. There will also be bastons dance performances, traditional parades, concerts, and dances from around the world in the Jardí del Museu Marítim.
Six international ambassadors as role models
As every year, the program will feature the participation of six host ambassadors, professionals of various nationalities established in Barcelona who will share their life and professional experience. Among them will be figures such as Christy White, a multidisciplinary artist and lawyer expert in immigration issues; the British-Iranian entrepreneur Ali Parsa, founder of several companies in the health and technology sectors; the Brazilian Fernanda Grace, promoter of the City Girls Barcelona project and event organizer; the Peruvian Pedro Patrón, Communication Director at Roche Diagnostics Spain and professor of Corporate Communication; the Indian Shilpa Arora, scientist, technologist and head of data and mapping product at Giga, and the Japanese Yoshi Sislay, a self-taught contemporary artist.
A growing and increasingly diverse community
Currently, the international community represents 26.4% of Barcelona's population, with residents from up to 182 nationalities. The main groups are Italian, Colombian, Pakistani, Chinese, and Peruvian.
These people contribute decisively to the city's economic and cultural dynamism: they generate wealth, drive business projects, improve competitiveness, and act as economic ambassadors for Barcelona in their countries of origin.
An open city project
The Barcelona International Community Day is part of the municipal strategy Barcelona International Welcome, which includes the information portal for international residents and the service Barcelona International Welcome Desk, active since 2021, which offers personalized attention and advice in several languages, both in person and by videoconference.
With more than5,100 participants in the previous edition from 127 countries,the Barcelona International Community Day is today an essential event for all those people who want to feel —and be recognized—Barcelona residents by choice.