"Emily in Paris" Meets Barcelona: New Dutch Series Sparks Local Boycott Over Touristification Fears

Filming for the Dutch series La vida Barcelona wrapped up a few weeks ago, but even before its premiere, the show has already sparked outrage among residents of the Catalan capital. An Instagram account has emerged calling for a boycott of La vida Barcelona, with activists viewing the series as a tool for the "touristification" of the city (the process of transforming an urban environment to cater to tourists at the expense of local residents).

The series follows Julia (Holly Mae Brood), a designer from the Netherlands, whose mother secretly sends her to Barcelona to undermine a rival agency. Once in the city, the protagonist finds herself swept up in several romantic storylines.

Many Barcelona residents see the show as yet another corporate tool designed to "sell" their city to tourists. One disgruntled local, Tommy Blanco, launched the Instagram account @lavidabarcelona, which has already amassed over 5,000 followers.

"I am taking action out of a deep sense of anger—the city is gradually pushing its residents out of neighborhoods where it's impossible to afford rent without flatmates or parental support. It outrages me that the series shows an expat living in Barcelona without showing interest in any aspect of city life, such as the language," Blanco explained.

Since filming in Barcelona is already complete, it can no longer be stopped; according to Variety, production has already moved to Amsterdam. Consequently, boycott organizers are calling for actions against any promotion of the show. Meanwhile, angry users have flooded the social media pages of the production companies with complaints about skyrocketing housing prices, the closure of historic local shops, and overtourism.

"As if we didn't get enough of that 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona' nonsense twenty years ago... What do these people want?" wrote one commenter. "What a terrible decision to do this to a city and a population that is already suffering heavily from overtourism, gentrification, and the influx of foreigners," another added.

La vida Barcelona is produced by Millstreet Films, Videoland, and Beta Film—the same team behind the Dutch hit series Máxima, a biopic about the current Queen of the Netherlands that was broadcast in Spain on Antena 3. Justus Riesenkampff, Executive Vice President of Beta Film, told Variety that the series aims to compete with English-language equivalents: "Barcelona is the perfect setting to attract a young global audience." The plot has drawn comparisons to Emily in Paris, and one of the directors, Katina Medina Mora, has previously directed episodes of the hit Netflix comedy starring Lily Collins.

The premiere in the Netherlands and Germany is scheduled for May-June 2027. A global streaming platform has not yet been announced.