Gracia Festival 2024

Barcelona, Spain

Gracia Festival 2024: A Classic Festival of Barcelona

Also known as Les Festes de Gràcia, Gracia Festival is the most important festival in the Gracia district of Barcelona, Spain; as well as one of the most popular events in Barcelona among both locals and tourists. The annual tradition takes place across 7 days in August each year as the streets of Gracia are brought to life.

“In Gracia we celebrate the whole year”

Street decorations are noticeably one of the biggest attractions of the entire festival; where each street chooses it’s own theme and decorates accordingly. Everything from original decorations and handmade elements fills each and every corner of Gracia, flooding the streets with colour. Decorations are made with recycled and recyclable materials such as paper and bottles and streets compete against each other for the most original decorations; with an annual prize up for grabs. 

In addition to the vibrant street decorations, the annual celebration also features a range of activities and exhibitions. Gracia Festival offers a range of contests such as photo contests, quick painting contests, festa major poster contests and literary contests. The event also showcases The Singing of Sybil, The Cavalcade of the Royal Portfolios a range of exhibitions and more.

Where to view Gracia Festival

Gracia Festival takes place throughout the Gracia district in Barcelona, Spain. 

How to get around Barcelona

The nearest major airport is Barcelona-El Prat Airport, located 12km southwest from the city centre. Visitors can easily travel between the airport and the city centre via the RENFE train service, which runs approximately every 30 minutes with a travel time of approximately 25 minutes. Taxis are also readily available at the airport and cost around 30 euros for a one way trip to the city. 

Barcelona has a range of transport options to help visitors get around the city. The most popular methods of public transport are the subway/metro, the TMB city bus and the Barcelona Tram. Single-use tickets can be purchased at vending machines for any of these services for 2.20 euros. If you plan to use public transport frequently, you can purchase a ‘Hola BCN’ travel card; which offers unlimited rides for 2, 3, 4 or 5 days and start at 15 euros. Alternatively, visitors can also purchase a ‘Barcelona Card’, which includes free travel on public transport; as well as free or reduced admission to attractions such as the zoo, museums, aquarium and more. 

Visitors travelling to Gracia Festival and/or the Gracia district can get there via the metro to Gracia Station. Metro Lines 3, 4 and 5 all pass through the Gracia district. 

Where to stay in Barcelona

Barcelona offers countless accommodation options ranging from hostels to hotels and apartment rentals. Popular hotels in and around the city centre include the El Avenida Palace, Hotel Pulitzer and the world renowned waterfront hotel W Barcelona.

If you want to stay in the centre of the action, the neighbourhood of Gracia offers a range of accommodation options. Popular nearby hotels include Hotel Via Augusta, Pension Norma and Aparthotel Silver Barcelona. You can explore a range of nearby options below and here for the best hotels in Barcelona.

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Things to do in Barcelona

The city of Barcelona is home to a number of stunning historical attractions and landmarks. Perhaps one of the most famous attractions in the city is La Sagrada Familia, the renowned and unfinished church. Started in the 1880s, the Gaudi-designed landmark offers stunning architecture, city views and a museum.

Just a short metro ride away, you can find Casa Mile, another Gaudi-designed masterpiece, which hosts a range of exhibitions and concerts. In the heart of Gracia, you can find Park Guell, the world famous park with mosaic-covered buildings, steps and sculptures, parks, museums and panoramic views. 

If you’re searching for the perfect sunset, Barcelona offers a number of perfect lookout points. One of the most popular scenic points is the Bunkers del Carmel, offering 360 degrees of the stunning Spanish city.

Another popular viewpoint is Mount Tibidabo, which features a mountain top amusement park and church. For adventurous visitors, Barcelona is one of many epic biking hotspots in Europe, offering plenty of BMX and skate parks as well as infinite opportunities to ride the stunning urban landscape as well. 

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Rad’s Gracia Festival Bucket List

Gracia Festival offers a range of activities and experiences for everyone to enjoy. Check out Rad’s Gracia Festival Bucket List for some activities and experiences you should definitely add to the schedule. 

Aplec of the Sardana de Gracia – The traditional Catalan circle dance ‘Sardana’ is one of the oldest traditions in Barcelona. Accompanied by live music, participants hold hands in a circle, usually alternating between genders, and dance in simplistic, light dance movements. The number of participants can vary and the dance does not require great physical condition; so it is easy for anyone to take part and open for anyone to join. 

Explore the Decorated Streets – What was once considered quite a ‘dodgy’ area, Gracia has grown to become one of the trendiest and most sought-after districts in Barcelona. The annual festival sees locals fill the streets with colour and life as every inch of the district is decorated in handmade decorations. Explore the streets and enjoy the local contributions as well as the range of local and international restaurants, bars and boutiques. 

Enjoy the Parades – It wouldn’t be a street festival without a parade and Gracia Festival offers parades all week long. Popular parades include Mati de Festa Major, Cercavila de culture Popular, Cercavila de Sant Roc and Dercavila de la Convidada. You can find many of these parades at Plaça de la Vila de Gràcia; however, events take place throughout the entire district of Gracia. 

Gracia Festival 2024 Dates

This year’s edition of Gracia Festival will take place from August 15-21, 2024.