The Festivities of Gràcia 2024 will not have the expected Correfoc. In fact, there will be no popular culture activities involving fire or pyrotechnics. This has been decided by the Barcelona City Council, which has suspended any kind of activity of this kind due to “serious disagreements” between the “colles de diables “, the groups in charge of organizing this type of events.
As El Periódico advanced yesterday, and later confirmed by municipal sources, all the political groups of the district have agreed to deny the permits after, it seems, it has been impossible to reach a minimum agreement between the Colla Vella and the Coordinadora de Colles that would allow the celebration of the fire activities.
A long-standing conflict
As explained by different media, the conflict originated at the beginning of the year, when the Colla Vella de Gràcia decided to dissociate itself from the Coordinadora de Colles de Cultura de Gràcia, the entity that brings together all the associations of popular culture in the neighborhood.
The separation occurred after disagreements over the festive protocol and a sanction imposed by the Coordinadora to the Colla Vella for the improper use of pyrotechnics in the previous edition of the festivities.
The conflict has escalated in recent months, and although local authorities have tried to mediate between the parties to resolve the differences, they have not been able to reach an agreement that would guarantee the proper development of the planned events.
The City Council has already announced that, after the holidays, a mediation process will be initiated with the help of external mediators to try to resolve the conflict as soon as possible.