Barcelona launches Bonus Cultura with 20 euros to spend on culture

The Barcelona City Council has now opened applications for the Bonus Cultura, a wallet of 20 euros for shows, cinema, and books. The program has a budget of 1.5 million euros and plans to distribute over 55,000 vouchers.

Those who apply for the Bonus Cultura will receive a preloaded wallet with 20 euros to spend on the cultural offerings of the city. Applications are now open, according to the City Council of Barcelona, and the process is entirely online through a digital platform.

The initiative arises from an agreement between the municipal government and ERC and aims to attract new audiences. The project has a budget of 1.5 million euros and plans to distribute over 55,000 vouchers.

The balance can be used for live arts, from music and theatre to dance and circus, as well as for film screenings in Catalan. It can also be spent on books published in Catalan, although in this case, the system works differently, with digital vouchers obtained from the website.

The program prioritises the Catalan language. It guarantees that at least 70% of the offerings will be in Catalan and that cinema and books will remain at 100% in this language.

The target audience includes individuals who are distanced from cultural consumption, especially those living in areas at risk of digital divide or social exclusion. It also targets young people aged 18 to 30 and regular consumers, who will be able to make better use of their budget.

To register, one must enter the platform, create a profile, and identify themselves. Once inside, the balance is managed online and integrates with the main ticket sales systems. The platform always applies the best available price, is compatible with other discounts, and allows the balance to be used in one or multiple purchases.

The balance expires according to three periods of the year: from November 4 to January 10, from January 11 to April 25, and from April 26 to July 31. If not spent, the charge can be renewed up to three times a year.

The more than fifty civic centres in Barcelona also help to disseminate the program and explain how it works. They will play a special role in neighbourhoods with lower regular cultural consumption, such as Trinitat Vella, Besòs i el Maresme, Bon Pastor, La Marina, or Verdum.

All information and registration can be found on the official website of Bonus Cultura, at barcelona.cat/bonuscultura.