Ben Howard in Spain: the British folk auteur who keeps reinventing himself comes to Barcelona
Ben Howard is coming to Spain for two shows in the same weekend. The English singer-songwriter, celebrated for his intricate guitar work and a voice that feels impossible to categorise, will perform in the Basque Country and Catalonia during the final days of May 2026.
Howard grew up in Devon, raised on his parents' records — Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, John Martyn — and spent his formative years surfing and writing songs on the coast of Cornwall. His debut album Every Kingdom (2011) went triple platinum in the UK and earned him two BRIT Awards in 2013 for British Male Solo Artist and British Breakthrough Act. He has since refused to stand still: I Forget Where We Were (2014) went straight to number one, Noonday Dream (2018) drew widespread critical praise, and Collections from the Whiteout (2021) claimed another UK chart summit. His fifth and most recent studio album, Is It? (2023), was shaped by two transient ischaemic attacks he suffered in early 2022 — a brush with his own fragility that filtered into one of the most experimental and emotionally exposed records of his career, produced by Bullion and rich with leftfield textures.
In Spain, Howard will appear on two stages. On 27 May 2026, he joins Zach Bryan as a special guest at Donostia Arena in San Sebastián. The following day, 28 May, he headlines his own show at Sala Apolo in Barcelona, doors open at 20:30. Singer-songwriter Clara Mann will open the Barcelona show.
Tickets for Barcelona are priced at €40 plus €5.50 booking fee, available via LiveNation.es and Ticketmaster. Entry is by mobile ticket only — PDF and printed tickets will not be accepted. Under-16s must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian, with the required authorisation form completed in advance.
