La Festa Major de Gracia 2013               
Fiesta mayor de Gràcia festival 15th August to 21st August 2013

Top events and highlights of Gracia Festival 2013 will be updated in July 2013. Scroll down this page for dates and details of top events at 2013 Festa de Gracia

   PDF 2012 Printable Map Festa de Gracia
   PDF programme Festa Major de Gracia 2012 (in Catalan)
   PICTURES 2012 Festa Major de Gràcia

2012 Festa Major de Gracia street festival in Barcelona is in full swing. On this page you can find the top highlights of the programme and maps of the are. The Gracia festival is the biggest and most festive of Barcelona's many neighbourhood street festivals. About one and a half million people visit the Gracia Festival, which opens on 15th August 2012 for the 196th edition. The Gracia festival is a colourful street festival that fills many streets and plazas of the Gracia area. which is located 20 minutes walk from the centre of Barcelona in the direction of the hills at the back of Barcelona. It takes place from 15th to 21st August every year. The first day of the festival on Monday 15th August which is a public holiday in Spain called Assumption day. The best time to visit is from about 8pm when it starts getting dark. The lights on most streets are turned on at around 8.30 pm and the decorations look so much better when they are lit up.





The Gracia festival features a big and varied programme of more than 500 activities, of which over 300 are for families and children. You can also enjoy many outdoor free concerts. This popular festival is organised by the neighbours and families in Gracia and was originally only for residents, but its popularity has spread immensely and now people come from all over Barcelona and many tourists visit too. Everyone is welcome but please show respect for the residents who have made it all possible. In 2012 18 streets and plazas will be decorated by the residents and during the 5 days of the festival you can experience many wonderful Catalan traditions in a full programme of concerts and activities that bring the streets of Gracia to life every night during the festival. Each year there is a public contest to design a new festive Gracia festival poster which is used as the festival logo and T-shirt. In 2012 the winner was Marc Sala Castillo. 

> Hotels near Gracia Festival Barcelona

 
  > Click on image above for pictures of Festa de Gracia

Map location of Gracia Festival
It is easy to find the Gracia area of Barcelona. From the centre of Barcelona it is a 15 to 20 minute walk up the Passeig de Gracia street from Plaza Catalunya square. Passeig de Gracia means road to Gracia and the name comes from the time when Gracia was a separate village from Barcelona. Most of the Gracia Festival is in the area of Gracia called "Vila de Gracia" marked on the map below. If you take a taxi, then the taxi driver will probably drop you on on the edge of the festival area and then you just walk in. There are maps of the festival plazas and streets in many places and in the programmes which you can get free at many stands. If you take the metro then take the green line metro to one of these three metro stations near the Gracia Festival: Fontana green L3, Diagonal green L3 or Joanic yellow L4 (see Barcelona metro map)



18 streets and squares in Gracia are decorated for the Gracia festival 2012 by the residents who spend hours and hours transforming their street into a wonderland with charming homemade carnival style decorations and themes. The decorations change theme each year and each street competes for the prize award ot best decorated street or square of the Gracia festival.  In 2012 the first prize went to Carrer de Verdi for the fantastic Wild West theme. Second prize was won by Carrer de Mozart for the Freak Fair theme and in third place Carrer de la Fraternitat de Baix for their wonderfully oringinal ballroom theme. We remind you kindly to enjoy the decoration but to be careful not to damage them so that they will last for all the days of the festival. All the decorated streets are worth seeing, but it can take a while to get to all of them, so be sure to visit the streets that are famous for many prizes like "Carrer de Joan Blanques" and "Carrer de Verdi." On the first night of the Gracia festival it can however be very crowded so a lot of patience is needed. The streets are narrow and the first night usually attracts the most number of visitors.

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Highlights of Gracia Festival
In 2012 18 streets and plazas have decorations. You can find them by downloading printable map of Gracia Festival decorated streets. It is best to visit streets in the first days of the Gracia festival. The prizes for best decorated streets are announced on 16/8 and after the prize giving the decorations start to crumble a bit. There is also a competition for the best decorated balconies in the Gracia area.

Tuesday 14/8 
Show - Tabals i gralles d’inici de Festa
Time: 18:30
Place: Plaça de la Vila de Gràcia
Espectacle de lluïment de les Colles de Cultura de Gràcia. 
Presentation show by all the cultural groups of Gracia to start the festival

Tuesday 14/8 
Speech - Pregó de la Festa Major de Gràcia 2012
Time: 19:00 
Place:  Plaça de la Vila de Gràcia 
2012 Opening speech of Festa Major de Gracia by Sr. Esteve Campsi Sala

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Wednesday 15/8 
Parade - Seguici d’autoritats
Time: 10.45 to 11:30
Start:  Plaça de la Vila de Gràcia 
Finish: Mass at church Santa Maria de Gràcia on Carrer de Gràcia, 3.
Morning parade with various groups which finishes with mass at 11,30


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Wednesday 15/8 
Ball - Matí de Festa Major
Time: 12:30 
Start:  Plaça de Nicolàs Salmeron
Finish:  Plaça de la Vila de Gràcia 
Ball de Gegants i Capgrossos, Ball de Diables, Pas de Dracs, Lluïment dels Trabucaires, Ball de Bastons i Castell
Festival dance with giants, big heads, devils, dragons, trabucaire bandits, bastoner stick dancers and castellars towers builders.


Wednesday 15/8 
Parade - XIV Cercavila de Cultura Popular.
Time:18.00 
Start: Junction streets "Carrer de Santa Àgata" + "Gran de Gracia" - MAP parade route
Finish:  Plaça de la Vila de Gràcia 
Biggest parade of the Gracia Festival. This is a festive evening parade with all groups of the Festa Major including the gegants (giants of Gracia including “la Gresca i el Torradet”)  caps grossos (big heads)  dracs (dragons), castellers (human castle builders) and , bastoners (stick dancers) grallers – (pipers) and more. Worth seeing.  MAP parade route

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Thursday 16/8 
Parade - Sortida en cercavila de Sant Roc
Time: 10:30 
Start:  Plaça de la Vila de Gràcia 
Finish: Junction streets Libertat + Fraternitat
Parade with Gegants (giants), Castellers (tower builders), Trabucaires (bandits) and Bastoners (pipers).
Finishes at 11:30 with homage to Sant Roc.


Thursday 16/8
Human Towers - Assaig a plaça dels Castellers de la Vila de Gràcia.
Time: 20:00
Place:  Plaça de la Vila de Gràcia 
Castellers de la Vila de Gràcia make human towers on Plaça de la Vila de Gràcia.
"Assaig" means rehearsal or attempt. These sessions are warm ups before a big castellars event.

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Friday 17/8 
Human Towers - Assaig a plaça dels Castellers de la Vila de Gràcia.
Time: 20:00
Place:  Plaça de la Vila de Gràcia 
Castellers de la Vila de Gràcia make human towers on Plaça de la Vila de Gràcia. 
"Assaig" means rehearsal or attempt. These sessions are warm ups before a big castellars event.  

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Saturday 18/8 
Bike ride - Pedalada popular Festa Major de Gràcia 2012
Time: 10:30 
Start: Junction  "Passeig de Sant Joan" +Travessera de Gracia (gardens)
FInish:  Plaça de la Vila de Gràcia . 


Saturday 18/8 
Human Towers - Baixada del Pilar Caminat (the walking column) 
Time: 20.00 
Place:  Plaça de la Vila de Gràcia  
Castellers de la Vila de Gràcia make a human castle and walk it from Plaça del Sol to Plaça de la Vila de Gràcia town hall. 


Saturday 18/8  2012 
Human Towers - Diada de Vigílies de Festa Major 
Time: 20:30 
Place:  Plaça de la Vila de Gràcia  
Human tower building. Castellers groups "Colla Jove Castellera de Sitges" and "Castellers de la Vila de Gràcia"

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Sunday 19/8 
Castellers day - Diada Castellera de Festa Major
Time:12:00
Place:  Plaça de la Vila de Gràcia 
Biggest castellers event of Gracia festival with groups "CollaVella Xiquets de Valls,"  "Xicots de Vilafranca" and "Castellers de la Vila de Gràcia" 
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Monday  20/8  
Show - Diada de les Colles de Cultura de Gràcia
Time: 19:30
Place:  Plaça de la Vila de Gràcia 
Show by all the cultural groups of Gracia to explain history of Gracia

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Tuesday 21/8
Firerun - Correfoc infantil 
Time:18:30 
Start: Plaça del Nord 
Correfoc firerun in a smaller format for children


Tuesday 21/8
Drum parade - Tabalada Infernal 
Time: 20.00
Start:  Plaça de la Vila de Gràcia  
Tabalada Infernal drum parade with drummers from the "colles de foc" fireworks groups.


Tuesday 21/8 
Firerun - Correfoc
Time: 21:30 to 23:00
Start and route map: Plaça Trilla, Gran de Gràcia, Maurici Serrahima, Torrent de l'Olla, Bellver, Plaça del Nord, Robí, Torrent d'en Vidalet, Terol, Torrent de l'Olla, Diluvi, and finish at Plaça de la Vila de Gràcia - Click for correfoc route map
Correfoc is the traditional "firerun" where Festa Mayor visitors i.e. the general public are chased by "devil" groups brandished sparkling fireworks. Very dramatic and festive. Read dress and safety guidelines for watching correfocs.  


Festa Major de Gracia parades
There are too many activities at the Gracia Festival to mention them all, but visit the festival plazas and you will always find something going on. The "cercavila" parades are always fun and great for the children. These are parades that open the Festa de Gracia and usually on the first day. These parades feature all the groups of the Festa Major de Gracia including  the huge colourful papier-mache giant dolls called "gegants" that are up to 4 metres tall. There is usually always a King and Queen gegant and a string of other characters in attendance. There are also often "capgrossos" which means "big heads."


Plazas of Gracia
On many plazas in the festival area you will find concert stages and plenty of food, drink and handicraft items.  Some of the main festival squares like Plaça del Sol, Plaça del Diamant, Plaça de la Revolució and Plaza de Torrente Manuel have individual themes. 


Catalan festa major traditions
The Festa Major de Gràcia features, like all Catalan festivals, a rich presence of all the traditional cultural Catalan traditions including the "Diada Castellera de Festa Major." This features "colles castelleres" which are groups that build up to 7 or 8 storey high human towers or castles, which is an amazing thing to see live. During the festa major there are many opportunties to see the local castellers group - called "Castellers de la Vila de Gracia" - build these amazing towers. On one evening they will build a tower and walk it between two plazas which is called the "Baixada del Pilar Caminat." See the times for castellers above or in the events calendar. The "correfoc" and "tabalada Infernal" are also among the most popular and festive tradtions of all festivals in Catalunya. Correfoc means "firerun" in Catalan and consists of "colles de diables" - which means "groups of devils" chasing and dancing to the beating of drums of the and spraying out sparks from fireworks attached to forks. The drummers of the Correfoc have their own parade called the "Tabalada Infernal." There will be also be traditional Catalan "sardanas" folk dancing and other traditions like "bastoners" stick dancing, "trabucaires" shooting "bandits" and "grallers" pipers
  About typical Catalan festival traditions


Concurs de Balcons i Portalades
14è Concurs de Balcons i Portalades 2012. In 2012 for the 14th year Gracia residents can enter the contest to find the best decorated balcony or doorway.


Respect the neighbours
In recent years the Festa de Gracia has scheduled more daytime events and fewer night-time activities to respect the neighbours and reduce the potential of disturbances in the early hours of the morning. And we ask that all visitors to the Festa de Gracia do their bit to keep noise levels down and keep the area as clean as possible. Be careful when walking through the decorated streets. A lot of time and effort has gone into making them and many others will want to see them after you. 

Useful Festa de Gracia links:

  Festa Major de Gracia website ( Catalan)
  Printable map decorated streets 2012 Festa de Gracia
  Festa de Gracia 2012 programme PDF version (Catalan)
  Website Gracia barrio (neighbourhood)
  Website Castellers de la Vila de Gracia 

Festa Major de Gracia practical information

Wednesday 15th August 2012 is Asunción - Assumption day public holiday in Spain. 

Metro hours Festa de Gracia
During the Fiesta de Gracia the Barcelona Metro is open all night on the nights of Tuesday14 August and Saturday 18 August 2012. On the other nights of the Festa Major de Gracia the metro operates at normal times.

Festa de Gracia night bus
There is a special bus service from corner of streets Còrsega and Roger de Llúria to Plaza Catalunya. This bus service runs on nights of 15 to 20 August from 23.00 until 05.00 every 10 minutes.
Then from Plaza Catalunya you can catch NitBus night buses

Charity wristbands 
The Festa de Gracia 2012 ask that visitors to the festival support the Spanish Catholic church charity Caritas by buying a €2 wristband on sale during the Gracia Festival. The wristband slogan is  "Festa amb cor" - party with your heart.

About Gràcia district /barrio
Gràcia is a district of the city of Barcelona above Eixample to the south and sandwhiched between Sarrià-Sant Gervasi to the west and Horta-Guinardó to the east. The district contains the neighborhoods barris of of Vallcarca, Penitents, El Coll, La Salut and Camp d'en Grassot. Gràcia is bordered by the districts of Eixample to the south, Around 120,000 people live in Gracia. The name Gràcia originates from a Carmelite convent dating back to 17 de gener de 1626 1626 called "Nostra Senyora de Gràcia (Our Lady of Grace)." Until 1897 Vila de Gràcia was a separate village and municipality from Barcelona city. To get through the fields from Barcelona to Gracia you traveled on the road called Passeig de Gracia, the passage to Gràcia. This road still has the same name to this day and is Barcelonas most exclusive shopping street.

In 1897 Gracia village was annexed to Barcelona and as the city expanded Gracia became surrounded, but remained largely intact, which explains why oldest barrio of Vila de Gràcia still has plenty of old world charm despite being in the middle of a modern city like Barcelona. It’s this special atmosphere of Gracia that makes it a popular residential area for locals and foreigners. About 50.000 people live in the quaint narrow streets of Vila de Gracia.

Gracia has plenty of narrow streets and lots of charming plazas and an independant and local feel. There are no big tourist attractions which means that tourist buses, street artists and fast food chains have not taken over the streets of Gracia leaving space for the residents to weave a neighbourhood tapestry of bohemian and artistic shops, cafes and restaurants. For food and shopping in Barcelona it is worth a visit. The most popular street in Gracia to stroll down is Carrer de Verdi, which is sort of the "rambla" of Gràcia with many charming small shops and restaurants. The only time when the really tourists visit Gracia in their thousands is during the annual Festa Major de Gracia.  This event in centred in the Vila de Gracia - the village of Gracia. Usually around 55.000 people live in the Gracia area, but during the Festa de Gracia street party week over half a million visitors drop in for a drink and a stroll. Thanks largely in part to the special nature of the Gracia neighbourhood and its surroundings, the  Festa Major de Gracia has grown to be the most popular and largest neighbourhood festival in Barcelona, only surpassed in size and visitor numbers by the Barcelona Merce festival, which is in September every year.


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Organisers: 
Federació Festa Major de Gràcia 
Tel. 93 459 30 80 
Fax. 93 207 63 80 
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
 
Festa de Gracia office:
Carrer de  Igualada, 10
08012  Vila de Gràcia 
Office hours: Monday, Wednesday & Friday from 17:30 to 21:00