Barcelona City Council has presented a new Strategic Market Plan for 2026–2036 that includes more than €100 million over the next five years to complete pending renovation work at the city's municipal markets. For residents and traders, the immediate consequence is that nine markets still awaiting major works, including La Boqueria, Canyelles and Galvany, are due to be modernised as the council tries to complete the renewal of the whole network.

According to the council's roadmap for the markets until 2036, the plan keeps the focus on refurbishing buildings and stalls, while adding new priorities around digital tools, trader training, professional development and sustainability. The Ajuntament, Barcelona's city council, describes municipal markets as a key part of neighbourhood life and local commerce.

"The city's markets are a neighbourhood engine," the council says in its presentation of the 2026–2036 plan.

Nine markets still have major works pending

The council says the new investment is intended to finish the outstanding phase of Barcelona's long-running market modernisation programme within five years. Reporting verified against the city's own announcement states that nine markets still need significant intervention before the renovation programme is complete.

Those markets include La Boqueria, Canyelles and Galvany, as well as other facilities named in coverage of the plan such as Hostafrancs and Felip II. The total planned budget is given as more than €100 million, with the programme scheduled across the next five years.

  • Plan period: 2026–2036
  • Investment for pending works: more than €100 million
  • Delivery target for outstanding renovations: five years
  • Number of markets with works pending: nine

What the new strategy changes for traders and shoppers

Barcelona's official roadmap says the plan goes beyond construction works. Alongside building upgrades, it strengthens measures on digitising commercial activity, improving training for stallholders and making the market network more sustainable.

That matters for daily shoppers and market businesses because the strategy links physical refurbishment with the way markets operate. The council's information says the goal is to keep markets competitive and useful as local shopping spaces, not only to update the buildings themselves.

The same official material places the plan within a wider push to support local commerce. Barcelona has also highlighted its role as European Capital of Local Commerce in 2026, with more than 200 activities announced through Barcelona Activa, the city's economic development agency.

Residents wanting to follow the programme can check the council's official markets roadmap on the Barcelona City Council information portal, where the 2026–2036 strategy and investment outline have been published. The current commitment announced by the council is more than €100 million over five years to complete the remaining nine market renovations.

Primary sources: Ramon, ec.europa.eu, Ramon, Barcelona City Council, Barcelona City Council. Reported by Natàlia Vila, europapress.es, Patricia Castán, Alainsa, ground.news, Jordi Subirana, barcelonactiva.cat, czfb_admin, El Periódico Barcelona.