The culture that opens for the holidays: all the plans for this August

Culture never rests. Not even in August. There are numerous activities on offer in a month that years ago was synonymous with the end of the holiday season. Activities in museums, theaters, cinemas, libraries, and festivals fill the summer calendar well into the school year. La Vanguardia compiles suggestions for coping with the heat wave, often with cultural institutions literally transformed into true climate refuges.

MUSEUMS

Large exhibition centers host a wide range of temporary exhibitions and summer programming. The CCCB adds to exhibitions like the Chris Ware comic totem the Gandules nighttime cinema—films like Eden by Mia Hansen and Love (tomorrow)—free family cinema every Saturday at 5 p.m., and also a space for children ages 0 to 10 and families to rest, draw, play, or watch movies. The center also opens its viewing platform free of charge all day on August 17, 24, and 31.

At the MACBA, there are exhibitions by Carlos Motta and Coco Fusco, and at the MNAC, until mid-September, those by Francesc d'Assís Galí and Eugènia Balcells. At the KBr, there are two major photography exhibitions by Edward Weston and the turbulent-era photojournalist Joan Andreu Puig Farran. CaixaForum is dedicating a major exhibition to Rubens and the Flemish Baroque artists and offering family workshops. CosmoCaixa's Cosmonits program offers a range of evening activities with games, puzzles, and films. The Art Nou Festival shines a light on emerging art in Barcelona and Hospitalet.

IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCES

The immersive world expands throughout the city. The Antarctica Experience , in the dome of the Arenas shopping center, takes visitors to the South Pole. Another enticing trip is the one to Petra: The Glory of the Nabataeans , at the Reial Cercle Artístic. Not to mention the successful Titanic exhibition at the Espai Inmersa, which includes 200 objects rescued from the shipwreck; or the Goya Universe, at the Amatller Art Center, dedicated to the painter.

CINEMA

For film lovers, the big screens are taking to the open air, with offerings ranging from the rooftop of the Palace Hotel to the Mies van del Rohe Pavilion, as well as the Finestrelles Shopping Centre in Esplugues, which is showing family films like Buffalo Kids and Moana every Saturday until September 13. The Cerdanya Film Festival is showing its short films until August 17. And at the Filmoteca de Catalunya, you can sample essential films by Truffaut, Cukor, and Vera Chytilová, as well as films like The Room Next Door and Hitman .

LIBRARIES

Libraries are filling up with ideas for unwinding. Book clubs or trips to other cultures, like the one proposed today by the Gabriel García Márquez Library with its series of migrant music featuring Argentine guitarist Luciana Jury. And for the centenary of Ana María Matute, the Jaume Fuster Library is exploring her life with a comprehensive exhibition.

THEATER

The theater scene is brimming with comedy. The Gaudí Theater presents Els Plans , which dissects married life, and No Cal Anar a l'Havana , which recalls summer nights. More entertainment with the improvised comedy Biopic , at the Espai Texas, which is also hosting El principi d'Arquimedes , by Josep Maria Miró, one of the greatest hits of current Catalan theater. Laughter is guaranteed with Juan Dávila at the Teatre Victòria and with the Improsummershow at the Teatreneu. The Muntaner also plays an improvised role with Corta el cable rojo, a show that is a huge success.

For nostalgic types, the Apolo hosts a tribute to Abba and a celebration of 80s and 90s music. Two women battle adversity in Fisterra by Ferran González at the Versus Glòries venue, which is commemorating 20 years of Apunta Teatre with its Nits de Serrallonga until 6 September. And from 29 to 31 August, the Sala Fènix is showcasing Amalia y el río (Amalia and the River) , the true story of Antonia La Lirina, a woman who fought for her right to work in the sexist Spain of Franco's regime. Australian Jim Jefferies will be at the Coliseum with an irreverent show on 30 August.

MUSIC

There's no summer without music festivals. The Porta Ferrada festival is one of the Costa Brava's biggest events. Guitarricadelafuente, Els Pets, and Rosario will be parading through Sant Feliu de Guíxols until August 20th. The festival will also be visiting Occident Summerfest Cerdanya (August 19th-29th) alongside Sopa de Cabra and Antonio Orozco.

Cap Roig is another key event this season. Amaral, Els Catarres, Michael Bublé, and Joan Dausà will take the stage until August 18th. Les Barraques de Sitges expects thousands of spectators to enjoy a lineup headlined by Buhos. For jazz fans, the Jamboree offers live music and improvisation in The Jazz Room.

And at the Palau de la Música, there will be piano performances such as those by Annika Treutler today, Martina Filjak on the 20th, and Enrique Bagaría on the 27th. More classical music comes from the Pyrenees with the Festival de Música Antiga, which runs until the 24th. Meanwhile, Jordi Savall is bringing the fifth edition of his festival to Santes Creus, Valls, and Alcover, which this year pays tribute to diversity.