Last month, a creative director from London called me at 11 PM. “We’ve got approval for the Spain shoot,” she said, “but the client can’t decide between Madrid and Barcelona. We fly out in three weeks.”
I’ve heard some version of this conversation at least a hundred times since we started filming across Spain in 2008. The truth? There’s no universal “right” answer. But after hundreds of productions in both cities, I’ve learned exactly which questions to ask to figure it out fast.
So let’s skip the travel brochure descriptions and talk about what actually matters when you’re standing in a location scout with a shot list in your hand.
Madrid and Barcelona don’t just look different on camera – they have different production DNA.
Madrid is where Spanish cinema lives and breathes. It’s the home of film and series production: when you’re on a Madrid set, you’re surrounded by crews who’ve worked on feature films, TV dramas, and cinematic projects. The city’s visual language skews filmic: dramatic, narrative-driven, with that European cinema aesthetic.
Barcelona is the commercial production capital. Fashion shoots, lifestyle campaigns, international brand work – this is Barcelona’s bread and butter. The crews here have shot for every major global brand you can think of. The city’s visual language is aspirational, contemporary, designed to sell a lifestyle.
Both cities have excellent, professional film offices and permitting processes. Don’t let anyone tell you one is “easier” than the other since they’re both competent and experienced at facilitating productions. The real question is: which production culture fits your project better?
Madrid dominates as Spain’s business and film production capital. If you’re filming corporate videos, financial services content, or narrative projects, Madrid’s modern business districts and cinematic heritage provide the credibility and visual language international clients expect.
The city’s production infrastructure is built around Spain’s film and TV industry. When you need crews experienced in narrative storytelling, dramatic cinematography, or corporate gravitas, Madrid delivers.
Madrid video production excels for: Corporate videos, financial services content, narrative filmmaking, period pieces, and anything where “European business capital” or cinematic storytelling is part of your story.
Everyone thinks Barcelona has better architecture. And maybe for tourism content, sure: Sagrada Familia and Gaudí’s art are globally iconic.
But Madrid has something Barcelona doesn’t: accessible grandeur without the visual cliché.
The Royal Palace? Bigger than Buckingham, easier to permit than anything Gaudí-related, and almost never appears in American advertising, which means your client gets “European elegance” without everyone recognizing the location.
Retiro Park gives you 125 hectares of filming variety – from the Crystal Palace (Victorian greenhouse vibes) to that photogenic lake with the monument. We’ve filmed everything from perfume commercials to running shoe launches there.
The catch: Madrid’s beauty is less immediately distinctive. Show someone a photo from Madrid’s historic center, and they might guess “somewhere in Europe.” Show them Park Güell, and they know it’s Barcelona in two seconds.
So ask yourself: does your brand need instant recognition or timeless elegance?
Recently, PUMA and JD Sports hired us for a product launch featuring two new footwear lines. They had three days to shoot with different talent each day, and their creative brief demanded extreme visual variety.
Barcelona delivered exactly what they needed: eight distinctly different locations within the city’s compact geography.
Day one: Commercial port at sunrise for gritty, urban athletic energy.
Day two: Underground basketball court in Poblenou’s industrial neighborhood, then up to a luxury hotel rooftop in Eixample for premium lifestyle shots.
Day three: Industrial area for high-speed car drifting scenes with drone coverage – raw, kinetic, perfectly matching the performance footwear positioning.
Try executing that production schedule in Madrid. The travel time between locations alone would’ve cost us half a shooting day. Barcelona’s density meant we moved between dramatically different aesthetics in 15-20 minutes.
This is exactly why international brands choose Barcelona for commercial work. Discover our full Barcelona video production capabilities and how we leverage the city’s unique advantages for fashion, lifestyle, and campaign shoots.
Barcelona wins for: Fashion brands, lifestyle content, commercial campaigns, tech companies, anything coastal, multicultural narratives, and productions needing multiple location “looks” in minimal time.
Water sports: Barcelona’s coastal location makes it the only choice for sailing, surfing, paddleboarding, or any aquatic action content. Madrid is 350-360km from the nearest coast (Valencia beaches), making it completely landlocked.
If your shot list includes “beach,” “Mediterranean,” or “coastal lifestyle” – Barcelona is your only option.
Here’s the question that saves more productions than anything else: “What happens if we’re wrong?”
Because here’s the reality: sometimes you pick Madrid and realize on day one that you needed Barcelona’s coastal vibe. Or vice versa.
Spain’s AVE high-speed train runs between both cities in under 3 hours. The fastest trains do it in 2 hours 30 minutes. That’s faster than most people’s morning commute.
We’ve saved productions by adding an emergency Barcelona day to a Madrid-based shoot. We’ve added Madrid’s Royal Palace exteriors to Barcelona tech campaigns. The train makes it possible.
Budget reality check: In our 250+ productions since 2008, adding a second city typically increases production budget by 25-30%, not double. Why? Because you’re not paying for two complete crews – you’re paying for one crew’s transfer and an extra hotel night.
The flexibility is worth considering, especially for international clients already spending part of the budget on flights.
Both cities have professional film offices with solid experience facilitating productions.
The reality: Film permit processes in both Madrid and Barcelona are professional and well-organized. The key to smooth production is working with experienced local services who know the systems inside-out.
With 15+ years filming across both cities, we handle all film permits and film office communication while you focus on creative.
Whether you’re filming in Madrid or Barcelona, having someone who knows which forms to submit, which offices to contact, and how to navigate each city’s specific requirements saves time and eliminates stress.
Madrid:
Barcelona:
Weather reliability from our experience: In our 15+ years filming across Spain, we’ve found Barcelona allows outdoor filming 10-11 months annually vs 7-8 months in Madrid due to extreme summer heat and winter cold.
Both cities offer excellent, experienced crews, but with different specializations.
Madrid crew strengths:
Barcelona crew strengths:
Our production network: Madrid film crews bring deep experience from Spain’s cinema industry – feature films, TV series, and narrative projects. Barcelona film crews specialize in commercial work – brand campaigns, fashion shoots, and lifestyle content for international clients. No need to mention that we only rely on local english-speaking crew when producing video for international clients.
Best Filming Locations Madrid: Hidden Gems & Production Spots
Best Filming Locations Barcelona: Beyond Tourist Landmarks
Pro scouting tip: Location scouting is a two-phase process. First, during pre-production, we scout multiple locations and present options with photos and videos, permit requirements, and logistics. Once you select your locations, we conduct technical recces 1-2 days before the shooting to check current light and sound conditions and any site changes. Our location scouting services manage this entire process for both Madrid and Barcelona productions.
If you’re filming sports content, the decision tree is different.
Football/soccer: Both cities have global-brand clubs (Real Madrid, FC Barcelona). Choose based on which club or talents you have access to.
Water sports: Barcelona, non-negotiable. Madrid is landlocked.
Basketball/tennis: Madrid has better facilities (Madrid Open tennis, Liga ACB basketball).
Olympic sports: Barcelona’s 1992 Olympics legacy means world-class facilities for swimming, sailing, athletics.
From La Liga matches to Olympic training camps, our sports video production experience spans both cities and multiple athletic disciplines. Here the sport matters more than the city: except for water sports, where Barcelona is your only option.
Still unsure? In our experience filming 250+ productions across Spain, the majority of projects could work in either city. If you’re genuinely torn, Barcelona’s variety and international feel is often the safer bet.
The truth? In our experience filming 250+ productions across Spain, the majority of projects could work in either city. The difference often isn’t make-or-break – it’s about optimization and which city better amplifies your specific story.
What matters most is that you think it through rather than defaulting to “Barcelona because everyone films there” or assumptions about which is “easier.”
Look at your creative brief. Look at your shot list. Look at your brand positioning. The answer is usually sitting right there.
Despite everything I’ve written, sometimes you should just go with your gut. If your creative director gets genuinely excited talking about one city over the other, that energy will show up in the final product. Creative enthusiasm matters.
Spain has more than two cities. Valencia, Seville, Alicante, Málaga – we’ve filmed everywhere. Sometimes the answer to “Madrid or Barcelona?” is actually “neither.” We’ve covered those options in our top filming locations in Spain guide.
For now, you’ve got the hard-earned experience from someone who’s stood in both cities with a production crew more times than I can count. Use what’s helpful. Ignore what isn’t. And if you still can’t decide?
That’s what we’re here for. Get in touch and we’ll talk through your shot list and help you figure out which city is right for your production.
