Gràcia Festivities 2024: dates, times and decorated streets

The Vila de Gràcia prepares to celebrate this August a new edition of its Fiesta Mayor, the most important (or multitudinous, or popular) of all the neighborhoods of Barcelona . From August 14 to 21, the streets of the Vil-la will be dressed up again and filled with music, concerts and activities to celebrate its big week, in one of the most beautiful traditions that the city has.

This year ‘s festivities have the objective to achieve a better coexistence and more inclusive festivities with vulnerable groups. The Festa Major Foundation and the District of Gràcia have worked over the last year on new measures that seek to recover the neighborhood character of the festival, reduce crowds and nuisances, as well as enhance spaces and activities aimed at groups with special sensitivities and needs.

By the way, if you want to know, apart from the festivities of Gracia, when are all the major festivals of the city, see our article where we tell you about all of them.

We tell you everything you need to know, from the town crier to the latest news of the Festa Major .

when is the Festa Major de Gràcia 2024?

The Festa Major de Gràcia will be held from August 14 to 21. 

Inaugural Proclamation

The inaugural proclamation will take place on August 14 and will be something special, since it will not be made by an illustrious person of flesh and blood, but by the gegantons Torradet and Gresca, of the Foundation of the Festival and carried by the Colla de Geganters de Gràcia, which this year celebrates its 25th anniversary. The proclamation will serve to explain the history of these figures, created by the illustrator Mercè Galí and the designer and builder Àngels Jutglar, which represent the day and night of the Fiesta Mayor.

The poster

News and Coexistence Measures

This year, the festival premieres several new measures that aim to facilitate coexistence and return the celebration to the neighbors, after several years in which the massive influx has denatured the local spirit of the festa major.

• Quiet night: One of the main novelties this year is the “quiet night” on August 18, during which no concerts or activities with amplified music will be held. This measure seeks to improve coexistence with neighbors who do not participate in nighttime activities and reduce the influx of the public in this time slot.
• Award date change: Another novelty is the change of date for the street trimming contest awards ceremony, which will be moved to August 19 to avoid crowds during the weekend.
• Inclusive activities: Activities aimed at vulnerable groups have been increased, including quiet visits and routes adapted for people with high sensitivity and reduced mobility.
• Activities against unwanted loneliness:

Festa Major decorated streets and guarnits

Of course, one of the main attractions of the Festa Major de Gràcia are its decorated streets and guarnits. As every year, the streets will compete to see who has the best costume, but, to avoid crowds, the award date has been moved to August 19, midweek,

In this article we tell you all the costumes of all the streets so you can make your own tour.

Night without music and quiet visits

One of the main novelties is the “quiet night” on August 18, during which there will be no concerts or activities with amplified music to reduce the inconvenience to neighbors and the influx of public. In addition, the awards ceremony of the street trimming contest has been postponed to August 19 to avoid crowds during the weekend

To achieve a more inclusive party, the decorated streets will reserve the time slot between 9:00 am and 11:00 am for quiet visits, creating conditions that prioritize the visit of particularly sensitive groups, such as people with autism or reduced mobility.

In this regard, spaces will also be reserved for people with reduced mobility at events in Plaça de la Vila de Gràcia and Plaça Trilla. In this edition, the number of adapted tours and routes and other inclusive activities for people with autism, deafness and blindness will be increased to 20. Especially for deaf people, the experience will be repeated in some musical activities with backpacks that emit vibration so that this group can also enjoy them, while translation into sign language will be maintained in certain activities.

On the other hand, the district of  Gràcia has carried out an information campaign on the regulations on the sale of beverages in public spaces and has reinforced inspection services during the festivities.

Popular Culture

The festamajor has always been the home of popular culture and Gràcia, with a lively associative fabric, is a perfect example of this. A couple of points stand out, pending the definition of the complete Program.

First of all, the presence as guest colles of two of the most outstanding colles in the country. The parade of colles geganteres on August 17 will be attended by the Colla Gegantera del Carnaval de Solsona.

The castellera day on Sunday 18 will have the outstanding participation of the Castellers de Vilafranca.

All areas of the Fiesta Mayor

Although for the Festa Major the whole neighborhood dresses up and the streets are dressed in costumes, there are some spaces that will have special programming.

La Fiesta Mayor in the Plaza del Sol, the folk plaza

The TRAM Cultural Association, programs, one more year, the folk and roots music program in the Fiestas de Gràcia, which takes place in Plaça del Sol. Aimed at all audiences and with an extensive musical program, do not forget the Rumba with Sabor de Gràcia.

La Fiesta Mayor in the Plaza de las Mujeres del 36, the children’s square

The space of the Plaza de las Mujeres del 36 is programmed from the Women’s Council of Gracia, the Orfeó Gracienc Foundation, the Culturist or the Platform of Luis Eduardo Aute, in a proposal that seeks family and children’s audiences, and also adult a feminist and inclusive look.

Plaça Virreina and Plaça del Diamant: Craftsmen’s fair and amusement fair

From August 15 to 21, from 12pm to 11pm, the artisan fair will take place at the Plaça de la Virreina and Plaça del Diamant.

Gardens of Gràcia

For its part, the Jardinets de Gràcia will once again host the funfair, from August 9 to 21. Times are from the 9th to the 14th, from 11am to 11pm, and from the 15th to the 21st, from 11am to 2am.

Guided tours of the Torre del Campanario and the air-raid shelters

Between August 14 and 21, three spaces in the district will offer guided tours: the air raid shelter located in the basement of Revolution Square, the Diamond Square shelter and the Bell Tower.

You can consult all the schedules of the visits at the Program of the Festivities.

Lilac itineraries to prevent gender-based violence

The Festa Major de Gràcia 2024  will have a Purple Point in the Plaça de la Revolució, which will offer advice, information and support to deal with possible situations of abuse or male chauvinist and LGTBI-phobic aggression.

In addition, this year the Guardia Urbana and the Mossos d’Esquadra will once again establish three safe routes to prevent any type of criminal behavior and against sexual freedom:

• Itinerary 1: Lesseps Square – Gran de Gràcia – Diagonal
• Itinerary 2: Gala Placídia Square – Trav. Grace – Joanic – Bruniquer
• Itinerary 3: Lesseps Square – Torrent de la Olla – Corsica

In terms of prevention , the point of attention and advice on drugs aimed at young people, located in the Plaza de la Revolució, is also consolidated. If last year this point consisted of a pilot test for three days, this year the service is extended for the seven days of Fiesta Mayor.

Transportation during the holidays

It has been years that the crowds are repeated in the festivities, so it has enabled a special device to avoid it, and the council  recommends the use of public transport.

Circulation on decorated streets

Auxiliary one-way devices will be set up on the most crowded streets to facilitate traffic flow. A measure that serves to ensure optimal safety conditions, accessibility to the various spaces and improve traffic flow within the streets….

Road traffic

From August 15 to 21, between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m., general traffic circulation will be restricted within the perimeter formed by Passeig de Gràcia, c. Gran de Gràcia, pl. Lesseps (sea side), Dalt crosswalk, c. Escorial, Gracia crosswalk, c. Bailén and c. Córcega. Corsica.

Metro

The Barcelona metro will run uninterrupted service two nights in a row, from Friday 16 at 5 a.m. until Sunday 18 at midnight.