For the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, a total of forty-three sports venues were used.
Barcelona's first bid for the Summer Olympics was the 1924 Games, losing to Paris. The city tried again in 1936, losing to Berlin. The city subsequently planned to host the People's Olympiad in that year, as a protest against holding the Olympics in Nazi Germany, but were forced to cancel the event because of the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War. Following their success of hosting the Mediterranean Games in 1955, Barcelona would try again to host the Summer Olympics, this time seeking the 1972 Games and losing out to Munich. Montjuïc Stadium, built in 1927-9, would be refurbished during the mid to late 1980s in Barcelona's effort to win the 1992 Summer Olympics, which they did in October 1986.
Barcelona's involvement in motorsport included the street circuit at Montjuïc, used for both Formula One and MotoGP from 1950 to 1976, and the Circuit de Catalunya, completed in 1991. The former street circuit had one Olympic venue inside its circuit and two others located south and adjacent to it. Circuit de Catalunya would serve as the start and finish line area for the cycling road team time trial event. The marathon course was a relatively flat one until the final where it was an uphill climb to the Olympic Stadium. Complaints about garbage in the water near the sailing venue forced the Barcelona Port Authority to have four garbage vessels pick up the garbage on a daily basis.
Three Olympic venues served as host of the World Aquatic Championships in 2003 and 2013. The Circuit de Catalunya continues to be host for Formula One after the Olympics and MotoGP since 1996. Olympic Stadium hosted the European Athletics Championships in 2010.
Venues
Montjuïc Area
Diagonal Area
Vall d'Hebron Area
Parc de Mar Area
Subsites
Before the Olympics
The idea of Barcelona hosting the Olympic Games started as early as 1913. In 1924, the Spanish Olympic Committee was founded in Barcelona. During the reign of Francisco Franco, Barcelona hosted the men's Rink Hockey World Championship in 1951, 1954, and 1964, and the Mediterranean Games in 1955. The first bid for the Summer Olympics took place for 1924, losing to Paris, then tried again for the 1936 Games, losing to Berlin. Montjuïc Stadium had its first stone laid in 1927, as part of the International Exposition that took place in Barcelona two years later. Following Barcelona's success at the 1955 Mediterranean Games, the city made another attempt for the Summer Olympics for the 1972 Games in a joint bid with Madrid in 1966, but they lost out to eventual winner Munich.
After World War II, Barcelona started playing host to the Formula One auto and Grand Prix motorcycle racing. The first circuit used in Barcelona was at Pedralbes in 1951, where the inaugural race was won by Argentina's Juan Manuel Fangio. One more race was held at Pedralbes in 1954, won by Great Britain's Mike Hawthorn. Formula One would not return officially to Spain until 1968 though Barcelona's Montjuïc circuit would share duties hosting with Circuito del Jarama to 1975 with Monjuïc hosting in odd-numbered years. The 1975 race was won by Jochen Mass of West Germany. In the former circuit, the Palau dels Esports de Barcelona was constructed in the north part of the circuit as part of the 1955 Mediterranean Games. Montjuïc Stadium was located south of the circuit as was the Piscines Bernat Picornell. Montjuïc hosted the Spanish motorcycle Grand Prix annually from 1951 to 1968 and then in even-numbered years until 1976. Formula One did not return to Barcelona until 1991 with the opening of the Circuit de Catalunya near Barcelona that would be won by Britain's Nigel Mansell. The Brit also won the 1992 race, held twelve weeks before the venue was to be used for the 1992 Summer Olympics.
Spain hosted the FIFA World Cup in 1982. Both stadiums in Barcelona hosted football matches with Camp Nou (Estadi del FC Barcelona)'s most notable game being the semifinal between Poland and Italy while Estadi de Sarrià (RCD Espanyol Stadium) hosting all three Round 2 Group C matches, including the 3–2 match between Brazil and Italy. Two other stadiums used in the 1982 World Cup would later serve as football venues for the Summer Olympics ten years later. They would be Valencia's Estadio Luís Casanova and Zaragoza's La Romareda, both used for Group 5 Round 1 match play.