From May 11-22, we’ll be holding our next live event -- the 888Live Festival Barcelona at Gran Casino de Barcelona. Among the more than dozen events are a €220 buy-in, €100,000 GTD Opening Event; an €1,100 buy-in, €500,000 guaranteed Main Event; and a €2,200 buy-in High Roller.
Some big names confirmed to attend the festival are Cate Hall- female player of the year GPI, Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi, and Will “Nine High Like a Boss” Kassouf. They will be joined by 888poker Ambassadors including Bruno “Foster” Politano, Kara Scott, Dominik Nitsche, Bruno Kawauti, Nicola Vila lobos, and Natalie Hof.
We hope players will be busy playing the third-ever 888Live Festival, but in case you find yourself either on the rail or simply looking for something else to do, we’ve put together five things to do in Barcelona during that time.
Here they are in no particular order…
Attend Penultimate Week of Spanish Football League
On Sunday, May 14, football (or soccer to Americans) juggernaut FC Barcelona will host Las Palmas at nearby Camp Nou, Spain’s largest stadium by capacity (99,354) since 1957. It’s the second-to-last match of the season for both teams and Barcelona’s last home game.
Dating back to 2000, Las Palmas, who play at the Gran Canaria Stadium, has yet to beat Barcelona, though they did force draws in both 2001 and 2002. Most recently Barcelona beat Las Palmas 5-0 in January of this year.
This is a great opportunity to see superstar players like defender Gerard Piqué, forward Lionel Messi, and forward Neymar in person in what is sure to be an entertaining match. Will Barcelona put in another dominating performance or can Las Palmas hit the one outer to shock the world?
Check Out the Spanish F1 Grand Prix 2017
The Santander 2017 Spanish Grand Prix (or Gran Premio de España) is held at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona, Spain from May 12-24. Montmelo, where the track is located, is situated 20 kilometres (12 miles) northeast of Barcelona, which is just a 30-minute car ride from the city centre.
Spain’s Fernando Alonso of Team McLaren winning his championship titles energised Formula One fans, and it’s translated to massive crowds at the races. As a result, organisers are expecting a carnival-like atmosphere. It’s a great opportunity to not only see Alonso in action, but also the likes of Team Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas, Sauber’s Marcus Ericsson, and Haas’ Romain Grosjean, just to name a few.
Tickets range from £24 all the way up to £445 depending on day, location, and age. For the best view of the main straight, a seat in the Main Grandstand is a must. There you’ll not only take in the race but have a good look at the pre-race action, preparations on the grid, and even the podium ceremony. Visit grandprixevents.com for more information.
If you’re tired of racing with a small pocket pair against two overs, then the 2017 Spanish Grand Prix is the race for you!
Spend a Day at Automobile Barcelona
Taking place from May 11-21, the Barcelona International Motor Show, also known as Automobile Barcelona, is where technology, mobility and new business models converge. For the latest innovations in the car world, this is the place to be. More than 755,000 visitors and 1,100 accredited journalists attend, as do 36 automobile brands.
There will be a large demonstration area where brands showcase their latest vehicle technological advances, as well as two days of talks from 200+ leading industry figures. You can also expect interactive workshops, hundreds of hours of conferences, and to witness the latest vehicle enhancements from around the world as more than 105 countries will be represented.
For those poker players who also happen to be car enthusiasts, this is a must-attend event. Visit automobilebarcelona.com for more information.
Visit the World Famous La Rambla
Popular with tourists and locals alike, La Rambla is a tree-lined pedestrian street in central Barcelona. Stretching 1.2 kilometres and connecting Placa de Catalunya with the Christopher Columbus Monument at Port Vell, La Rambla is home to such attractions as the Erotica Museum and Modernist Boqueria Market.
You’ll also find plenty of vendor stalls (we recommend checking out some exotic fresh-squeezed juices), street performers (the human statues never disappoint), and dozens of restaurants (there’s a McDonald’s there but believe us when we say there are better options).
La Rambla is also known for its bustling nightlife, so there is no shortage of clubs and bars. You can also find a few sports bars, which are great places to catch the aforementioned FC Barcelona vs. Las Palmas match on May 14 (provided you’re not going to the match).
Getting there is easy, as it’s just minutes away from the venue. Just hop in a cab, tell them La Rambla, and they’ll get you where you need to be.
Take in the City Via Double-Decker Bus
If you’ve ever been to a major city in Europe, chances are you’ve seen double-decker tour buses circling about. They may seem cliché, something only older tourists do, but they can actually be quite useful for those looking to take in large swaths of the city in a short period of time.
In Barcelona, there are three different routes with 35 stops, which you can hop off and hop on at your leisure. A one-day ticket costs around €25, which is a bargain compared to taxiing your way to all the sites.
The buses operate daily from 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. and a full loop takes 120 minutes, though you can make a whole day out of it by hopping on and off at each stop. (A new bus will come along every 5-25 minutes, so you won’t have to wait long.) To top it all off, the tour is offered in 18 different languages including your run-of-the-mill English and Spanish, but also German, Russian, and Arabic, just to name a few.
