Festa Major de Gràcia
- When: 15th – 21st August 2018
- Where: Barcelona, Spain
- Website: irbarcelona.cat
Barcelona's Gràcia district is well known for its lively squares and bohemian atmosphere. For this reason, the Festa Major de Gràcia is an event much awaited by the people of Barcelona. The festivities last a week and during those days the neighbourhood is transformed.
This is one of the most fun and unique popular festivals in Barcelona. It takes place in August with multiple activities for all ages, from a foam party to an open-air cinema.
Barcelona, a charming and seductive city
Barcelona is possibly one of the most charming cities in Spain, capable of seducing tourists from all over the world. So, what to visit in Barcelona? The city has an impressive historical and artistic heritage and you can enjoy its outdoor sculptures, medieval districts, Roman remains and museums.
The legacy of the Catalan architects Antoni Gaudí and Lluís Doménech i Montaner lives on in Barcelona in the form of the city’s most emblematic buildings, a must-see. Also not to be missed are its samples of popular culture like the Festivities of La Mercè, as well as those that take place in its most popular neighbourhoods (Poblenou, Sants and Gràcia).
The party in a bohemian neighbourhood
The Gràcia Festival, also known as the Festa Major de Gràcia, is held in this part of town from 15th August and lasts between 7 and 10 days. These festivities stick out from others in the city because of the great diversity of dances, concerts, events, exhibitions and parades of fire dragons and giant-headed puppets that take place.
The origins of this festival go back practically to the very origin of the neighbourhood. In fact, the first document referring to this celebration dates from 1817, though in time it has broken out from a party with religious overtones to become a secular celebration.
The opening speech is one of the most outstanding ways to begin a festival like this. It begins the day before on the balcony of the Town Hall and each year is made by a different public figure acting as a town crier. It is clear that the neighbourhood has its own identity and during these days there are parades with castellers who form human towers, giants with enormous heads, as well as bastoners, trabucaires and diables who re-enact traditional dances like Morris dancing and famous battles in the streets.
There is a popular floral offering in the chapel, as well as a competition for the best-decorated street, with incredible figures and magical decorative objects made of cardboard, paper and plastic bottles.
With Catalonian music concerts, fire shows, decorative competitions and much more, what are you waiting for? Go and participate in one of Barcelona's most traditional neighbourhood festivals!
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