Karaoke near Barcelona: Metropolitan Area Guide

You live in Sabadell, Badalona or Sant Cugat, you want a karaoke night with your group, and you find the usual: little nearby, and what exists is a bar with a shared stage. The alternative is half an hour away by train, in central Barcelona. This guide covers how to get there from the main towns around the city, how long it takes and — most importantly — how to get home.

Full transparency: we run a private-room karaoke in Eixample, so this guide has an obvious interest. The connections and closing times are just as useful wherever you end up.

Why the centre rather than your own town

Private-room karaoke — the Japanese format where each group gets its own box — barely exists outside the city itself. Around the metropolitan area the norm is the music bar with an open mic: you sing in front of strangers and wait your turn. If you want a closed room for your group, with the door shut and the drinks brought inside, the trip into the centre is the price of entry.

The good news: almost every town in the area has a direct connection to Plaça Catalunya or to metro line 1, and from there Eixample is a short walk.

L'Hospitalet de Llobregat

Getting there: metro L1 towards Fondo. From Rambla Just Oliveras or Hospital de Bellvitge to Universitat takes about 20 minutes with no changes. Rodalies R2 to Sants also connects to L1.

Getting back: the metro closes around midnight Sunday to Thursday, at 02:00 on Friday, and runs all night on Saturday. Easiest return of the whole list.

Badalona

Getting there: metro L2 from Badalona Pompeu Fabra or Gorg straight to Universitat, roughly 25 minutes. L2 serves Universitat, so no changes.

Getting back: same metro hours. On a Saturday, no rush at all.

Sant Cugat del Vallès

Getting there: FGC lines S1 and S2 to Plaça Catalunya, about 25 minutes. From Catalunya, Universitat is a five-minute walk or one stop on L1.

Getting back: careful here — FGC trains stop considerably earlier than the metro, usually between 22:00 and 23:30 depending on the day. Check the last train before you pick a booking slot, or budget for a taxi.

Sabadell

Getting there: FGC S2 to Plaça Catalunya (about 45 minutes) or Rodalies R4 to Sants or Plaça Catalunya. Both leave you a short walk from Eixample.

Getting back: as with Sant Cugat, the last train rules the night. On Saturdays plenty of people from Sabadell simply stay out and take the first morning train.

Terrassa

Getting there: FGC S1 to Plaça Catalunya, roughly 50 minutes, or Rodalies R4. The longest trip on this list, but also the simplest: one train, no changes.

Getting back: plan the last train from the start. For a big group, a shared taxi back to Terrassa is more reasonable than it sounds once it is split eight ways.

Mataró

Getting there: Rodalies R1 to Plaça Catalunya, about 40 minutes, and the stretch runs right along the sea. From Catalunya it is five minutes to Universitat.

Getting back: the R1 runs late but not all night. Check the last train.

If you drive in

Eixample is almost entirely metered parking, so finding a street space on a Friday night is a lottery. The realistic option is the underground car parks around Aribau, Muntaner and Universitat: you pay by the hour and skip the circling. And if the plan involves drinks, the designated driver is part of the logistics, not an afterthought.

Planning the night from out of town

Book before you get on the train. Thursday to Sunday the rooms fill up; arriving from Terrassa to find everything taken is a wasted trip.
Take an early slot. The 17:00 and 18:00 sessions are the quiet ones and leave room for dinner afterwards and the last train home.
Count the journey into the plan. Forty minutes each way is over an hour that is not spent in the room.
Big group: price the taxi. Split between eight or ten, a taxi back to Sabadell or Terrassa costs less per head than people assume.

Where to end up singing

If the plan is a private room, our five rooms are at Carrer d'Aribau 87, two minutes from Universitat metro — which means two minutes from L1 and L2 and five from Plaça Catalunya. Groups of up to 13, more than 45,000 songs and drinks served inside the room. Book at booking.gritakaraoke.com and come straight from the train.

If you would rather compare first, here is our guide to private karaoke rooms in Barcelona.