Festa Major de Gracia Barcelona 2024 - top things to do

Festa de Gracia Barcelona

La Festa Major de Gracia 2024


Festes de Gràcia 2024 - calendar and visitor guide. Guide in English to Barcelona's Festa de Gracia festival 2024 in English with recommendations for top things to do. The dates for Festa mayor de Gràcia festival dates are 15th August to 21st August 2024. The Gracia festival hashtag is #FMGràcia24 #VilaDeGràcia

Updated August 2024

Poster 2024


CARTELL_FM24_GRACIA

The 2024 Gracia Festival starts on 15th August 2024. The Gracia festival dates are always 15th to 21st August every year. The first day of the festival on 15th August is a public holiday in Spain called Assumption day.

What is the Gracia Festival

The Gracia Festival is considered by many to be Barcelona's nicest, most festive and most welcoming street festival. During the five days of the Gracia festival you can experience many wonderful Catalan traditions - and a full programme of concerts and activities, which bring the streets of Gracia to life. The festival takes place in the Gracia neighbourhood of Barcelona which is located 20 minutes on foot from the city center square of Plaça de Catalunya in the direction of the hill range to the north west of Barcelona. Scroll down this webpage to find a few of the many Gracia festival 2024 programme highlights, recommended top events and some general tips and ideas for how to plan a visit. You also find links to Festa de Gracia map and if you want to get the latest news then install the Festa de Gracia Iphone or Android apps. When you are at the festival, you can buy the full Festa de Gracia programme for €1. There are posters with maps and information around the festival area. Download 2024 PDF program (in Catalan language).

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MAP 2024
Map decorated streets Gracia Festival 2024. Note that the blue circles with white arrows indicate which way to walk into the decorated streets (calles engalanadas).

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IMPORTANT message for visitors: The Gracia festival is famous for its hospitality and open arms welcome of all cultures and persons to the festival. However please note that this is fundamentally still a festival for the Gracia neighbours and residents, but the residents of Gracia are kind enough to welcome visitors.

The residents of Gracia open their streets and their hearts to tourists and visitors and they only ask that you respect their home and the street decorations. Also be quiet after 1pm at night. As always, we would like to offer our thanks to the wonderful residents of the Gracia neighbourhood of Barcelona for giving up some much of their free time and August holidays to make the Gracia Festival such a unique experience for all visitors. Moltes gràcies! Muchas Gracias!

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The Gracia festival is a very colourful local street festival that floods over 20 streets and plazas in the Gracia area of Barcelona. Gracia was once a separate village from the city of Barcelona and only became part of the city in 1897. This is why the Gracia neighbourhood still has small, narrow village streets and a special village feel and charm.

festa_gracia_2016_festival

The Festa Major de Gracia street festival is Barcelona's biggest, most colourful and most popular neighbourhood festival. The neighbourhood festivals are organised by residents of local neighbours with the aim of bringing the residents and neighbours together in communal activities and events. It's a wonderful tradition and the Gracia festival is the most famous of all the local Barcelona festivals, attracting over one and a half million visitors each year in August.

Useful pages and apps:

Programa Festa Major Gracia
Map decorated streets Gracia Festival Note that the blue circles with white arrows indicate which way to enter the decorated street.
Twitter/X Festa de Gracia (hashtag #FMGràcia2024)
Instagram Festa de Gracia (hashtag #FMGràcia2024)
Android App Festa Gracia
Iphone App Festa Gracia
Pictures Festa Major Gràcia

The Gracia festival has been declared a "Traditional Festival of National Interest" by the government of Catalonia and has been awarded the Creu de Sant Jordi (St George's Cross).

Theme of streets 2024


23 of the Gracia neighbourhood's streets are decorated and filled with activities for all the family including competitions, workshops, sports, concerts and lots more. Here are the 2024 decoration themes.

Calle Berga:  Theme 'El fons del mar', inspired by marine life and preservation.
Calle Ciudad Real:  Theme 'Escola republicana' street pays tribute to schools during the Spanish Republic.
Fraternitat de Baix : Theme 'Papiroflexia', inspired by Japanese Origami.
Fraternitat de Dalt :  Theme 'Arcade Fratern Game' street inspired by video games from the eighties and nineties.
Calle Jesús : Theme 'Discodèlia', inspired by psychedelic nightclub
Progrés Street: Theme 'Progrés en joc' also inspired by vintage video games
Providència: Theme 'ProviVegas', inspired by Las Vegas. 
Puigmartí Street : Theme 'El camí el dibuixa el destí' inspired by ancient Egypt.
Tordera: Theme jellyfish.
Sant Antoni : Theme 'Travessia Astral' inspired by astrology and signs of the zodiac.
Verdi : Theme 'L'enramat' pays tribute to 19th century Gràcia Festival, with traditional 'envelats'.
Joan Blanques de Baix : Theme 'Sant Medir a l'agost' inspired by Sant Medir, another festival in Gràcia neighborhood.
Joan Blanques de Baix de Tot: Theme ' Holland JBdbDt', inspired by Dutch landscape.
La Perla: Theme 'Perla Ville' inspired by the Wild West
Llibertat: Theme 'Celler Llibertat' is a tribute to winemaking
Lluís Vives : Theme 'Escull el mar' reflects on marine life
Mozart: Theme 'MozartZaki' inspired by Japan
Perill: Theme 'Perill Dolç' inspired by Hansel and Gretel landscapes.
Plaza del Poble Gitano : Theme 'Disco Gràcia 24' tribute to former Paral·lel street nightclubs.
Plaza de la Vila : Theme 'Rapsodia en blau' pays tribute to Rhapsody in blue , by George Gershwin, and to blue colour of the neighbourhood's flag.
Plaza del Nord : Theme 'La peixera del Nort', inspired by fish in a tank.
Plaza Rovira i Trias : Theme 'Wedding Chapel' inspired by Las Vegas weddings.
Placeta Sant Miquel i Rodalies : Theme 'MiróGràcia' tribute to artist Joan Miró.

gracia_festival_2017_peace_symbols

The best time to visit the Gracia festival in Barcelona (in our opinion) is in the evening from 8pm when it starts to get dark, but we recommend that you avoid the first evening when it is usually most crowded. The lights on most decorated streets are switched on at around 8.30 pm and the decorations generally look nicest when they are illuminated. The first two days of the Gracia festival are always very crowded, so have patience when visiting - and please be careful with the street decorations which are all handmade and often fragile. 

Opening times Festa de Gracia festival

There are activities in the decorateds street until 2.00am on weekdays and 3.30 am on Fridays and Saturdays with the exception of Plaza Sol, Plaza Diamant and Plaza Revolució, which are open until 1.00am on weekdays and until 2.30am Friday and Saturday.

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festa_gracia_gracia_festival_decorated_streets

The Festes de Gràcia always presents an extensive and varied programme of more than 500 activities of which over 300 are for families and children during the day. Many activiites are also specifically for residents, but the many free concerts and the street decorations are free for visitors to enjoy. This popular festival is organised by the neighbours and families in Gracia and like all festa major festivals in Spain and Catalonia it is originally mostly for residents, but the originality and beauty of the Gracia street decorations has become world famous and attracts visitors from all of Barcelona and tourists.

Decorated streets 2024

23 Gracia streets and plazas will be decorated by the residents in 2024. You can find them on the Gracia Festival map of decorated streets below.

Map coming!

The decoration are hand-made by the residents who spend countless hours transforming their streets into hand crafted fantasy worlds with charming carnival style decorations and themes. The decorations change theme every year and the each street compete for the prized award of best decorated street or square of the Gracia festival. We remind you kindly to enjoy the decorations, but to be very careful not to damage them, so that they can be enjoyed all through the festival period. All the decorated streets are worth seeing, but it can take a while to get to all of them, and remember that it can take a while to visit the streets that are most famous for their decorations like Carrer de Joan Blanques and Carrer de Verdi. Verdi was the first street to make their own decorations and make programme of street events back in 1862.



Smartphone Apps for Gracia Festival

The Festa de Gracia festival has smart phone apps for Android and Iphone. Download them on the links below:

Android App Festa Gracia
Iphone App Festa Gracia
Pictures Festa Major Gràcia

gracia_festival_2017_dancing

Map location Gracia Festival

It is easy to find the Gracia area of Barcelona. From the centre of Barcelona it takes 15 to 20 minutes to walk up the Passeig de Gracia street from Plaza Catalunya square. Passeig de Gracia means "passage to Gracia" -  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 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 festival programmes, which you can buy for 1 euro in cafes or festival events. On the first night of the Gracia festival it is usually very crowded; the streets are narrow and the crowds are huge, so be very patient.  It is best to visit streets in the first days of the Gracia festival - in our opinion. The prizes for best decorated streets are always announced on 16/8 and after the prize giving the decorations start show some wear and tear. 

Closest metro to Gracia Festival

If you take the metro then take the green line metro to one of these three metro stations nearest to the Gracia Festival:

metro green line L3 to station Fontana and station Diagonal green L3
metro yellow line L4 - to station Joanic.
Barcelona metro map

Map location Festa Major de Gracia

Top things to do Gracia festival


Tuesday 15th August 2022

Event:
Cercavila de Cultura Popular - Opening Parade

What is it: 
Biggest parade of the Gracia Festival. This is a festive early evening parade featuring all groups of the festa major including the gegants (giants of Gracia including two sun and moon giants called 'la Gresca i el Torradet')  caps grossos (big heads) dracs (dragons), castellers (human castle groups) bastoners (stick dancers) grallers (pipers) and many more. Worth seeing! 

Start time:
18.15 - 6.15 pm

Start: 
starts at junction of streets Carrer Gran de Gràcia / Plaça de Trilla

Finish:
Plaça de la Vila de Gràcia

Finish time:
20:00 - 8pm



Fullscreen map: Google MAP parade route   
Finish: Plaça de la Vila de Gràcia

festa_gracia_gracia_festival_parades


Wednesday 16th August 2023

Event:
Parade - Cercavila de Sant Roc

What is it:
Parade with l'Àliga de Gràcia (Gracia Eagle(,  gegants (giants), castellers (tower builders), trabucaires (bandits) and bastoners (pipers). Finishes with homage to Sant Roc. (see also Sant Roc Festival in gothic area of Barcelona)

Time:
10:30 to 11:00

Start:
Plaça de la Vila de Gràcia 

Finish:
Usually at junction streets Libertat/Fraternitat

festa_gracia_gracia_festival_human_towers


Friday 18th August 2023

Event:
Diada castellera de Vigilies

What is it:
Human tower building event

Time:
20:30 - 8.30 pm

Place:
Plaça de la Vila de Gràcia


Friday 18th August 2023

Event:
Baixada del Pilar Caminat (the walking column) 

What is it: 
Castellers de la Vila de Gràcia form a single column tower and walk it from Plaça del Sol to Plaça de la Vila de Gràcia town hall.

Time: 20:00 - 8pm

Place: 
from Plaça del Sol to Plaça de la Vila de Gràcia


Saturday 19th August 2023

Event: 
Diada Castellera de Festa Major

What is it: 
Human tower building. Biggest castellers event of Gracia festival by 'Castellers de la Vila de Gràcia' and other invited tower groups.

Time: 
18:00 - 6 pm

Place:
Plaça de la Vila de Gràcia




festa_gracia_gracia_festival_giants

Monday 21st August 2023

Event: Firerun - Correfoc

Time: 22:00 - 10 pm to 00.30 am

Start:  Plaça de la Vila de Gràcia 

Route: 
Pl de la Vila, St Domènec, St Pere Màrtir, Pere Serafí, Ros de Olano, Torrent de l'Olla, Or, Torrijos, Travessera de Gràcia, Torrent de l'Olla, Pl. de la Vila.

Finish at:
Plaça de la Vila de Gràcia
Correfoc is the traditional 'firerun' in which the spectators are chased by 'devil' groups brandished sparkling fireworks. Very dramatic and festive. Read correfoc safety guidelines

festa_gracia_gracia_festival_correfoc


Festa Major de Gracia parades

The 'cercavila' parades are fun and wonderful for the children. These are parades that open the Festa de Gracia and are on the first day. They feature all the groups of the Festa Major de Gracia including the huge colourful papier-mache giant dolls called gegants that can be up to 4 metres high.

There is usually always a King and Queen giant and a string of other characters in attendance. There are also often papier-mache capgrossos which means 'big heads'.

Gracia festival plazas

Many plazas in the Gracia festival have concert stages and stalls with food, drink and handicraft items. The main festival squares like Plaça del Sol, Plaça del Diamant, Plaça de la Revolució, Plaça de les Dones del 36 and Plaza de Torrente Manuel have individual themes. 

Plaça de les Dones del 36 hosts family shows, Plaça de la Revolució has a theme of solidarity and social inclusion with daytime activities including book exchange, storytelling, games, responsibility workshops and more.

Plaça del Diamant is the plaza for swing music and dance, Plaça del Sol hosts a programme of folk concerts. Plaça de la Virreina hosts craft fairs.

gracia_festival_2017_circ_perill

Catalan festival 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 of the festival nights they build a tower and move 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 traditions of all festivals in Catalunya. Correfoc means 'firerun' in Catalan and consists of 'colles de diables' - 'groups of devils' chasing and dancing to the beating of drums and spraying out sparks from fireworks on forked sticks.

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. 

Typical Catalan traditions

Concurs de Balcons i Portalades

Gracia residents can enter the contest to find the best decorated balcony or doorway during the Gracia Festival

festa_gracia_gracia_festival_activities

Respect the local residents please!

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.

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.

Related Festa de Gracia pages:


Festa Major de Gracia website (Catalan)
Website Gracia barrio (neighbourhood)
Website Castellers de la Vila de Gracia 

Festa Major de Gracia practical information

15th August 2023 is Asunción - Assumption day, which is a Spanish public holiday

Metro times Festa de Gracia

During the Fiesta de Gracia the Barcelona Metro has extended operating hours on certain days.

Festa de Gracia night bus

There is usually 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. From Plaza Catalunya you can catch NitBus night buses

Charity wristbands 

The Festa de Gracia ask that visitors to the festival support the Spanish Catholic church charity Caritas by buying a €2 wristband on sale during the Gracia Festival.

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 district and 55,000 in the oldest part call Vila de Gracia.

The name Gràcia originates from a Carmelite convent founded on17th January 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 has become Barcelona's most exclusive shopping street. 

Hotels near Gracia

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

Gracia has an strong feeling of local identity and local charm. There are no major tourist attractions in Gracia - except the Casa Vicens by Gaudi -  the attraction is the neighbourhood itself.

The narrow streets and lack of mainstream attractions means that tourist buses, street artists and fast food chains have not claimed the shops and the streets of Gracia. The residents remain firmly in control of the neighbourhood tapestry of bohemian and artistic shops, cafes and restaurants which attract mostly young travellers, backpackers and students. 

The most popular street in Gracia to is Carrer de Verdi, which is sort of a Gràcia 'rambla'. It is home to many charming shops and restaurants. 

The Gracia festival is centred around the Vila de Gracia area - the village of Gracia. Usually around 55.000 people live in the Gracia area, but during Gracia festival week over half a million visitors drop in to the neighbourhood for a drink and a stroll around the decorated street. 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. 

gracia_festival_2017_peace_symbols

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Federació Festa Major de Gràcia
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Last Updated on Thursday, 15 August 2024 13:21
 
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