Grec Festival of Barcelona

The Grec de Barcelona is a festival of theater, dance, music, circus and film, with a long tradition (this year marks the 48th edition). It is not only the main cultural attraction of Barcelona's summer, but also a reference in the European calendar of festivals.

And where does its name come from? Well, from its main venue, the place where the opening sessions and other festival events are always held: the Teatre Grec (Grec Theater) on Montjuïc, an open-air theater built for the 1929 Universal Exposition and inspired by the theaters of ancient Greece.

The Grec Festival of Barcelona supports local production by showing some of the best creations of the collectives and artists who live in Barcelona, but it is also a window open to the world that shows the most interesting proposals coming from other countries.

The Grec is promoted by the Barcelona City Council and is financed by public funds, contributions from sponsors and ticket sales.

The 2024 edition of the Grec Festival of Barcelona

This year's Grec programming marks the end of a journey begun in 2017, reflecting an internal search. This edition of Barcelona's summer festival, under the direction of Cesc Casadesús, seeks the essence of the festival and the performing arts. It honors the masters and traces the history of theater, celebrating artistic friendships and eight-year alliances that have enriched artists, festival and city.

The program includes leading names from the international scene, such as Lola Arias, Angélica Liddell, and Christian Jatahy, presenting their projects in emblematic venues such as the Teatre Lliure and the Mercat de les Flors. In addition, local artists who have grown up with the Grec and now perform on larger stages such as the Teatre Grec, where space will be given exclusively to local talent with more presence and availability of tickets.

Silvia Pérez Cruz will star in the opening with her project Circular, based on her latest album, Toda la vida, un día. This event will feature the participation of several artist friends, such as Natalia Lafourcade, Carmen Linares and Rocío Molina, among others.

This year's Grec begins, then, with music and continues with various concerts at the Teatre Grec de Montjuïc, including performances by Pau Vallvé, Rita Payés and Antònia Font, as well as family proposals such as El Pot Petit and a celebration of Barcelona Mestissa. The program also includes free concerts in the TNC gardens, concerts for babies, performances by composers and performers such as Ola Gjeilo, and presentations by the Sant Andreu Jazz Band and emerging artists such as Sara Lilu at the Jamboree. In addition, there will be concerts accompanying the film sessions at Sala Montjuïc, such as Euripidis and His Tragedies.

This year's Grec offers a variety of theatrical and hybrid stage proposals at Teatre Grec and Teatre Lliure Montjuïc. From updated classics such as "The Misanthrop" to contemporary plays such as "Billy's Violence" and "Billy's Joy" by Jan Lawers. The Mercat de les Flors presents high-impact dance performances such as Betti Tchomanga's "Mascarades" and hybrid works such as Monte Isla's "Un cuerpo sin talento". The CCCB hosts "Cuerpos celestes" by AzconaToloza and "RI TE" by Israel Galvan and Marlene Monteiro Freitas. Euripides Laskaridis presents "Lapis Lazuli", an unclassifiable work at the same venue.

Highlights of the Grec Ciutat

The Grec Ciutat extends the festival to several venues in Barcelona with varied proposals. Highlights include works such as "Elizabeth Costello: seven readings and five moral tales" by Krzysztof Warlikowski and the exploration of Barcelona's Africa in "What the Foc?!" by Gerardo Salinas and Junior Mthombeni. OH!ÓPERA at the Gran Teatre del Liceu presents small-format operas to promote new talent. Catalan classics such as "Tirant lo Blanc" by Màrius Serra and new creations such as "Poncia" by Luis Luque are part of the program. Also included are proposals at the Centre de les Artes Lliures de la Fundació Joan Brossa, such as "Pequeño cúmulo de abismos" by Cris Blanco and "Tota aquesta poresta que tinc ara" by Guillem Albà. The Antic Teatre presents contemporary proposals such as "Not my monkeys" and the MNAC exhibits installations by Candela Capitán and Wu Tsang. The Tàpies Foundation presents "Beyond the skin" by Serge Attukwei Clottey.

The Grec 2024 in figures

81 shows (42 Grec Festival and 39 Grec Ciutat) and more than 50 parallel activities

• 35 theater
• 15 music
• 10 hybrid scene
• 14 dance
• 5 circus
• 2 cinema

Discounts

• Youth rate (up to 30 years old), at 15 €.
• 50 % discount with the Pink Card, for large families and single parents.
• 25 % discount for people over 65 years old and unemployed people.
• 20% discount with the Barcelona Libraries card.

Groups

• 30 % discount for groups of more than 10 people (on sale at the OCCU).
• 25 % discount for groups of 6 to 10 people at the Teatre Grec (on sale at the OCCU).
• 35 % discount for family groups from 4 people for family shows (El Pot Petit, Cap els núvols and Tumbalafusta).

You may be asked for the accreditation that validates the discount applied at the time of purchasing the tickets.

• La Calidesa is excluded from all discounts.
• The family shows El Pot Petit, Cap els núvols and Tumbalafusta only apply the discount for family groups of four or more people. The discount includes the parents, or a maximum of two adult members substituting for them, and family members under 16 years of age.
• The shows Circular, by Sílvia Peréz Cruz; Gira per teatres, by Antonia Font; La gran nit by Dagoll Dagom, and Qui som? by Baró d'Evel, have limited discounts.
• Discounts are not cumulative and are applied to the sale price of the ticket for each show.

To know the discounts that can be applied in the events of the Grec Ciutat, consult the website of each space.