The Great Grácia Festival

The festival of Grácia is one of the most anticipated events in Barcelona. Hosted in Grácia, the most bohemian of ‘barrios’ known to the city (a sort of Spanish Camden); this carnival will certainly blow you away. The festival is celebrated at the end of August every year and the locals spend months perfectly planning every last detail. The festival lasts around 9 days and exciting events are planned for each. Twelve streets are decorated for the event, the effort for which is commendable as everyone on each street is competing for the traditional prize of best ‘Party Street’. Input from the varied locals, students, intellectuals, artists and families, ensures a varied and original event. The history of the festival dates back to the 17th century when Grácia used to be autonomous from Barcelona. In 1897 Grácia became part of the city and is now said to be one of the trendiest areas in the city.

During the days of the ‘fiesta’, the streets are vibrantly decorated and street performances are a plenty. Acrobats build human towers, performers dress up as giants and devils, and there are stalls, dances, plays and much, much more. Catalan folklore is proudly demonstrated throughout the day with local arts and crafts being sold and demonstrated. By night, the partying continues. In traditional Spanish style, the streets provide the venue for the endless partying, with live music performances, dancing, fireworks and general street partying. The Grácia festival is one of the most authentic festivals in the whole Catalan region, allowing you to mix with the locals of the ‘barrio’. Fun can be had for all ages and even young children take part in the demonstrations and stay up late; you can experience a real friendly family atmosphere as the locals are very welcoming.


To be able to ensure having somewhere to stay during the Grácia festival, make sure to book your accommodation early as Barcelona hotels and Barcelona apartments do become full up during this period. However, do take into consideration when booking your Barcelona accommodation that the Grácia area dose not sleep during this whole event and so neither will you if you decide to stay in one of the hotels there (even the locals tend to relocate to a few streets away). Accommodation is easy to come by in Barcelona and Grácia is only a short walk away from Placa Catalunya and Las Ramblas, which is the best place to stay as it is central to everything.