Reclaiming the local: negotiating tensions within citizens’ rediscovery of Barcelona’s emblematic festival spaces

Leisure and tourism-related activities have undergone significant transformations in their design, production and consumption in recent years. The convergence of restrictions and tensions following the pandemic has deeply reshaped these activities, affecting participants, products and outcomes, while also creating new opportunities for locally-oriented activities that citizens and communities are rediscovering. This article examines neighbourhood-based festivals and leisure events (F&LEs) in Barcelona, focusing on residents' physical and symbolic reappropriation of public spaces during restricted leisure times. Through qualitative analysis of nine festivals, the study explores how socio-political and cultural crises have amplified existing tensions while driving innovative transformations in event formats and community engagement. The findings show that the pandemic intensified residents' efforts to reclaim event spaces, fostering new forms of social capital and communitas. Nevertheless, persistent challenges remain, including unequal access to public spaces, funding barriers for smaller diaspora festivals, and concerns about long-term sustainability.