In a context shaped by our loss of capacity to build our own technology and the difficulty of defending digital rights, Barcelona hosted the first Open Tech Week, bringing together experts, companies and institutions to discuss open technology at the service of citizens.
The Canòdrom was the epicentre for the five-day event, hosting workshops and lectures on digital transparency, security and sovereignty. Coinciding with the meeting was the Decidim Fest, with activists, public institutions, organisations and communities from the technopolitical and digital sovereignty ecosystem, and the Mozilla Festival, which promotes alternative models to the dominant internet.
For its part, Barcelona City Council is working on a city pact for open and democratic technologies, the aim being to move towards a city committed to people, digital rights and public technologies.
The city reaffirms its role at the forefront of sports innovation with the second Barcelona Sports Hub meeting, a space connecting businesses, start-ups and institutions to drive projects that transform the sector through the city.
One of the most important announcements at the event was the launch of the new website, a digital platform offering greater visibility and more business opportunities to participating organisations.
The new functions include a job pool specialising in sportstech profiles, a space where members can publish news and projects and a matchmaking tool to facilitate strategic collaboration with investors, corporations and other organisations and institutions.
The other main new aspect of the event was the presentation of the Barcelona City Sports Lab, which will enable projects to be tested in municipal facilities and public spaces as part of the urban transformation.The .barcelona domain backs this move to make sport a social and economic driver for the city, plus the digital transformation project for the sector. For more information, go to sportshub.barcelona.
Dublin hosted the ICANN84 from 25 to 30 October, one of the most important international meetings for the domain sector. The event brings together registers, registration companies and institutional representatives to discuss important matters for the future of the internet.
In this edition, the emphasis was particularly on the new round of domains planned for 2026 and the ICANN Grants awarded in 2025, geared towards fostering projects that contribute to a safer, more diverse and accessible internet.
Key point for the new round of domains
One of the most notable advances was the approval of a new regulating guide that will shape the management of the next round of new domains. One of the main goals of this guide is to broaden the digital diversity available for users.
This should help prepare the terrain for 2026 to bring more opportunities and changes in the sector.
Future collaboration strategies
Besides the public sessions, the fact that all stakeholders in the sector come together in the same place facilitates engagement between registers and registration companies. These sessions are important for preparing coordinated communication and support strategies going into next year, as well as strengthening relations and sharing good practice.
Why does this affect you directly?
While these are very technical meetings, events such as the ICANN84 help define the evolution of the world of domains and the internet. These are meetings that define new opportunities, clearer regulations and service improvements that in the long run benefit anybody or any project with a digital presence.
When you register a .barcelona domain, you not only get a website address but you acquire part of your digital identity. Your domain is the name people use to find you on the internet, a reference point for your users and customers.
That’s why it’s essential to renew it in time.
What could happen if you let your domain expire?
When a domain expires, it is no longer yours and it enters a process where it may become available again for other people to register – you can see all the steps here.
At this stage, somebody could take advantage of the exact moment it becomes available and register it quickly. If this happens, you can lose control of your domain and your internet name, losing other services such as your email in the process.
It’s not a common situation, but it is a real possibility and easy to avoid by renewing in time.
Reasons for renewing your domain
You protect your identity: whether it’s a brand, your project or personal blog, your domain forms part of your digital reputation.
You avoid service interruptions: if your domain expires, your website and your email may stop working.
You convey professionalism and trust: maintaining your digital presence gives your visitors security.
You maintain the SEO position you have achieved: to make the most of the traffic and visibility that your website and external links have accumulated.
You avoid unwanted use of your domain name: if somebody registers your recently expired domain, they could use it for projects and content that do not align with you at all.
You avoid unpleasant surprises: sometimes somebody can register an expired domain to then resell. If this happens, getting it back could be much more expensive than simply renewing it in time.
Make it easy
Keeping your .barcelona domain active is very easy. Activate automatic renewal. Check your registration company’s contact details and note the renewal on a calendar. This ensures that your project continues to have a safe space in the digital world, always under your control.
Imatge generada per Intel·ligència Artificial amb el domini .barcelona al centre
The .barcelona domain reaffirms its commitment to the GeoTLD Group on 16 and 17 September by taking part in the meeting in Holland.
The GeoTLD Group is an international non-profit association representing top-level geographical domains linked to cities, regions, languages and culture. Its members include .barcelona, .cat, .eus, .gal, .paris, .london and many more.
The goal of the group is to promote the digital identity of these geographical areas and cultural communities, giving visibility to cultural and linguistic diversity on the internet and driving joint projects in key fields such as security, innovation and digital promotion.
Why is it important to belong to it?
Being a member of the GeoTLD Group puts the .barcelona domain on par with other cities and communities in the world that are working for a closer, more diverse and inclusive internet. This collaboration helps to:
defend the interests of the Barcelona community within international bodies, boosting the visibility of the city and its digital community on a global scale;
access shared knowledge and detect trends in the sector, learning from the experience of other domains;
work together for a safer and more inclusive digital future.
Agenda full of challenges
The meeting in Holland is a chance to share experiences and design common strategies. The main subjects to discuss include:
New European regulations: particularly the NIS2 directive, which aims to strengthen digital security and possible changes in agreements with registration companies.
The new round of gTLDs from the ICANN, planned for 2026, opening the path for new domain extensions.
La Liga and other situations that have entailed blocking abusive IP addresses to find a suitable solution.
Innovative projects by registration companies: exchange of ideas and experiences on promoting cultural and territorial domains.
The DHub is set to become the first public facility in the city with direct access from the metro! The new foyer at the Glòries station (L1) will be located on the ground floor of the building, acting as a transitional space between public transport and cultural activity.
With an area of 380 square metres, the project is by the architects’ studio AMOO STUDIO SCP, which won the ideas competition for an accessible and flowing configuration. The foyer will have a suspended ceiling with organic geometry setting out the space and elegantly and practically incorporating lighting, signage, audiovisual screens and technical systems.
There will also be a new bar and a large multi-purpose module, conceived as spaces for meeting and interaction, in keeping with the identity of the DHub.
The new entrance to the metro will be open during the facility’s usual opening hours, from 9 am to 9 pm daily, except for Mondays, when the DHub opens from 3.30 pm.
The work, which is due to get under way at the start of 2026 and conclude in the summer, has an overall budget of around a million euros. The inauguration will coincide with Barcelona’s role as the World Capital of Architecture, when the DHub will host the congress of the International Union of Architects (UIA).Remember you can find all the latest on mobility in Barcelona at mobilitat.barcelona, and on the Disseny Hub facility at dissenyhub.barcelona.
Barcelona’s local festival is here from 23 to 28 September, filling streets, squares and parks with music, family activities, shows, traditional culture and artistic projects from this year’s guest city, Manchester. Here’s a summary, you’ll find full details on the website merce.barcelona.
The image for the poster for La Mercè 2025 is the work of Lluís Danés, director, producer and set designer, and the actress Emma Vilarasau will be giving the opening speech. La Mercè also has its own song this year, created by the author and composer Gemma Humet.
The music programme consists of 106 free concerts around 14 venues in the city. Música Mercè and BAM – Barcelona Acció Musical will be offering over a hundred performances from local and international artists, from more than twenty countries, around 14 venues in the city with 16 free-access stages, including the Teatre Grec, Rambla del Raval, Plaça de Sant Jaume, Moll de la Fusta, Bogatell beach and Av. Reina Maria Cristina. From Maria Arnal to The Tyets and Pussy Riot, the music programme also features the likes of Tarta Relena, Mushkaa, Rigoberta Bandini, Niño de Elche, Ladilla Rusa, Mama Dousha and many others.
In-house productions also stand out, such as Al corazón, by Marta Valdés, with names such as Sílvia Pérez Cruz, Mayte Martín, Martirio and Raúl Rodríguez at the Teatre Grec; a tribute to El Pescadilla and Catalan rumba at the cathedral; an evening of contemporary havanera sea shanties in Pl. Sant Jaume, and Hirameki, by Juan Andrés Ospina, with the Orquesta Efímera in Passeig dels Til·lers.
Manchester will be present in the Música Mercè programme with a performance from Queralt Lahoz and Tom Werkha; the jazz pop of Ríoghnach Connolly & Honeyfeet; the dance music of Porji and the committed songs of Chloe Slater. At the BAM we can also listen to Children of Zeus and Space Afrika, two artists specialising in ambient electronic sounds.
At the Mercè Arts de Carrer we’ll find multiple options such as the Stopgap – Dance Company and the Cambodian artist Nadenh Poan; the installation Warning Notes, and the spectacular Jardí de foc, by the company Walk the Plank. Different bee rusks prepared by Artizani (Bees! The Colony) and the competitive Family Catwalk Extravaganza, by Ghetto Fabulous, are among the other notable activities.
We should not overlook the annual event in the Parc de la Ciutadella from 26 to 28 September either, which is the hosting Terra i Gust, the Sustainable Food Festival.Chosen something yet? You’ll find the full programme all set out at merce.barcelona.
El 26 de septiembre se celebra el Día Europeo de las Lenguas, una iniciativa del European Centre for Modern Languages y el Consejo de Europa, que desde el 2001 pone en valor la diversidad lingüística del continente y promueve el aprendizaje de idiomas como herramienta de convivencia, oportunidad y cohesión cultural.
Held on 26 September, the European Day of Languages is an initiative by the European Centre for Modern Languages and the Council of Europe. The event has been held since 2001, highlighting the linguistic diversity of the continent and promoting language learning as a tool for coexistence, opportunity and cultural cohesion.
Languages are much more than a way of communicating with each other, they are an expression of identity and belonging. In an increasingly digital world, this diversity also needs to be reflected on the internet. A domain in your language gives you a voice and represents you online.
Because of this, and for the third year running, the .cat, .eus. .gal and .barcelona domains are teaming up to mark this occasion with a special promotion: your .barcelona domain for just €5. A unique opportunity to give visibility to your digital identity.
Benefits of having a domain in your language
Generates proximity and trust: people identify more with a website in their own language and accompanied by a domain they recognise.
Gives cultural visibility: you help strengthen the language and put it on the same level as any other online language.
Builds a coherent digital identity: if your content is linked with Barcelona, the .barcelona domain gives your message credibility.
Shared commitment
This promotion is possible thanks to the collaboration between four domains that champion cultural and linguistic diversity on the internet. Working together allows us to reach more communities, share resources and demonstrate that diversity is a key value for a richer and more representative internet.
The previous editions have been very well received, registering new domains that reflect the cultural and linguistic wealth of our communities.Make the most of this opportunity and register your domainhere!
Having a website domain is the first step in setting up your digital identity, but you also need to protect it. Being familiar with DNS and DNSSEC is essential for guaranteeing it works properly and ensuring online security.
What is DNS?
DNS (Domain Name System) translates domain names such as www.domini.barcelona into IP addresses that computers can interpret.
While this appears to be an instant process, it involves various steps. When you write a website address in a browser, the request reaches the DNS resolver, which requests the information for different DNS until it finds the correct address.
DNS vulnerabilities
Although essential, DNS has its weak points. The IP addresses it handles are not encrypted and can be sent to anybody that requests them. This means that attacks such as DNS hijacking can occur, where hackers manipulate the DNS to redirect users to fraudulent pages or malware.
Extra layer of security: DNSSEC
DNSSEC (Domain Name System Security Extension) offers improved security for the DNS system.
It guarantees that the information obtained in the resolution of names is authentic and has not been manipulated, thanks to a digital signature system that validates the origin of the registers and protects the users against identity theft.
How to use DNSSEC?
DNSSEC works with a public key cryptography system. That means that instead of sharing a secret key, it uses two: a public one to sign the DNS registers and a private one to verify their authenticity.
To benefit from this:
your registration company must allow you to activate DNSSEC,
the domain must be digitally signed,
the DNS resolvers must validate the signatures
Although it might require technical knowledge, implementing DNSSEC is key to your domain and the users who access it.
Protect yourself online!
If you’ve got a domain, protecting it is part of your digital commitment.
DNS gives you visibility and DNSSEC protects you.
Find out more and make sure you’re making the most of all the tools available to guarantee your users’ trust.
All .barcelona domain registration companies allow you to activate DNSSEC, so all you need to do is choose the one that suits your needs best.Compare prices and services at: https://www.domini.barcelona/registra/
The ICANN launched its first project series of subsidies in 2024, under the name ICANN Grants. The goal is to support initiatives from around the world working towards a safer, more inclusive and accessible internet.
ICANN Grants backs projects that address some of today’s main challenges for the network, such as:
Improving the security of systems that make it possible for domains to work.
Fostering innovation based on open standards and transparent technology.
Fostering greater participation by new stakeholders in the governance of the internet.
The grants not only provide funds, but also recognition and the promotion of initiatives aimed at building a more equitable and sustainable internet.
The call
In May 2025, the ICANN announced the 23 projects selected. One of these presented by the .cat domain, through Accent Obert (formerly Fundació .cat): a proposal based on assessing the performance of territorial domains (geoTLD) as a tool for improving internet access the world over.
Under the name Assessing GeoTLD’s Performance for Enhanced Internet Accessibility: An Open-Source Methodological Approach, the project will create an open-source methodology whereby any TLD in the world can check which treatment it gets from traditional and AI-based search engines, the goal being to generate useful knowledge for other linguistic, cultural or urban communities.
The role of the .barcelona domain
The .barcelona domain, as with 11 other domains in the cultural, linguistic and geoterritorial sphere, backed the proposal presented and will play a key role as a case study within the project.
Its role as a geoTLD aimed at citizens, language and digital proximity makes it a valuable example within the project headed by Accent Obert. It also strengthens the commitment of the city and the territory to a more inclusive and decentralised network which respects diversity.
