Gracia Neighborhood Festival: La Festa Major de Gracia

The Festa Major de Gracia is a magnificent celebration, held annually in none other than the picturesque village of Gracia. Don’t miss out on a chance to see the magic of the Gracia neighborhood festival in Barcelona.

Every August the streets of Gracia come alive with this incredible week-long fiesta that sees the area transformed. It’s one of the most highly anticipated events of the year, and not just in Gracia but in Barcelona itself! The district explodes into a mesmerizing display of vibrant street decoration, incredible atmosphere and live music that will enthrall visitors of all ages.

Squares in Gracia are a thing of beauty especially during the Gracia neighborhood festivalThe usually quiet squares come alive during this week-long festival. Photo credit: Mini Guide

 

Throughout the year, each neighborhood celebrates their Festa Major, a cultural street fair complete with great food, drinks, live music and a variety of different events. Although there are a number of impressive festivals in Barcelona, the Gracia neighborhood festival is without doubt the most impressive of them all.

Gracia is located just north of the old city center and the Eixample district. When this festival began in 1817, Gracia was just a small independent village on the outskirts of Barcelona. However, despite being swallowed up by the big city in 1897, it still retains the feel of a small village with its tight-knit community, strong sense of identity and charming speckled streets. The Gracia neighborhood festival truly is a testament to the local community who come together each year to make this event possible. If you’re looking for the WOW factor, you’ll find it here in abundance!

The Streets

Of the many aspects of the Gracia neighborhood festival, probably the most important is the elaborate street decoration competition. Throughout the month of August, you can see people working on their street, day and night! They use a multitude of recycled materials to transform the area into a creative wonderland that will have children and adults alike in awe. Each street chooses a theme, and by the time the festival starts, Gracia is almost unrecognizable. About 19 streets throughout the district compete to win the title. Participants take the competition very seriously, working meticulously for weeks before the festival commences.

The Gracia neighborhood festival is truly a sight to be seen.
The decorated streets are full of magnificent creations. Photo credit: Equipatge de mà

The Balconies

Street decoration is not the only competition during this celebration! Look out for different balconies that also compete against each other for the most impressive decorations. There are usually around 50 participants in the contest, and some go to serious measures to make their balcony the best!

The Food

Although many establishments typically close in August for holidays in Barcelona, a lot of places in Gracia will open just for this special festival. You can find plenty of delicious local street food on every corner. Enjoy botifarradas, Catalan sausage barbecues to esmorzars de coca which are delicious Catalan pastry breakfast treats. The choices are endless! Rows and rows of street sellers will help you build up an appetite as you wander through the beautiful streets and squares. Don’t forget to stop and have a vermouth too! This is of course a favorite among locals in Gracia. Try it in Cal Pep, which is an authentic and welcoming local bodega we adore.

Learn all about the traditional Catalan aperitif, during your visit to the Gracia neighborhood festival
Delicious sweet red vermouth is one of our favorite things to sip on before a tasty lunch!

The Events

It’s hard to know where to start when talking about all of the incredible activities happening over the course of the Gracia neighborhood festival! Choose from a varied selection of workshops, races, concerts, contests and so much more!

The festival begins daily at 8 a.m. and lasts nearly 24 hours as locals and tourists alike enjoy the lively streets of Gracia. However, one event you shouldn’t miss is the Gracia neighborhood festival’s kick-off. During this parade, you will see the gegants, or giants, and capsgrossos, which means big heads. These enormous dolls parade around the neighborhood in song and dance, and are definitely a sight to be seen as they tower above the onlooking crowd.

Don’t miss the castellers, or human castle makers, who will often make a tower in the main square at the beginning of the festival. And whether you like it or not, you will undoubtedly run into the correfoc, literally meaning run fire. These are a band of pyromaniacs that set off firecrackers without abandon during the festival. Be careful—make eye contact with one and he might chase you!

The giants parade around Gracia during the festival, dancing and twirling down the streets!
The giants of Gracia.

Don’t miss a thing

The Gracia neighborhood festival always falls during mid-August, and you can find more information on the festival’s official website. From start to finish, it truly is an event not to be missed.

This blog post was updated on August 15, 2017.

Want to connect with locals and try essential Catalan dishes in a traditional neighborhood? Join our Taste Barcelona Like a Local: Gracia Neighborhood Food Tour! For the true Catalan experience of hole-in-the-wall gems serving up home-cooked classics and regulars-only bodegas, you can’t do any better than Gracia—and on this food tour, we’ll show you where to find the best of the best. 

3 Comment

  1. Alastair Low says
    July 10, 2020 at 12:03 pm

    Hi there. Any idea where I can purchase Gracia Festival posters please? Are they available online? Many thanks.

    1. Devour Tours says
      July 13, 2020 at 9:17 am

      Hi Alastair,

      The official Festa Major de Gràcia website sells some merchandise: https://www.festamajordegracia.cat/collabora-amb-la-festa

      There’s a contact form at the bottom of the page as well—we recommend reaching out to them there if you have any specific items you’re looking for.

      Thanks for reading!

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