The Rough Guide to Barcelona 8 (Rough Guide Travel Guides)

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Europe’s biggest and most cutting-edge
electronic music, multimedia and urban art
festival, attracting up to 100,000 visitors.
Sónar by day centres on events at MACBA/
CCCB (Museu d’Art Contemporani de
Barcelona); by night the action shifts to out-
of-town L’Hospitalet, with all-night buses
running from the city to the Sónar bars and
clubs. Separate day, night and general tickets
available – buy well in advance, online, by
phone or from the Palau de la Virreina.
Festa de la Música June 21 Wwww.bcn.cat
/festadelamusica Every year on this day,
scores of free concerts are held in squares,
parks, civic centres and museums in every
neighbourhood across the city – buskers to
orchestras, folk to techno. There are
concerts in the 2 or 3 preceding days too, so
you’re bound to catch something you like.
Verbena/Dia de Sant Joan June 23–24 The
“eve” and “day” of St John herald probably
the wildest celebrations in the city, with a
“night of fire” of bonfires and fireworks
(particularly on Montjuïc), drinking and
dancing. Coca de Sant Joan, a sweet
flatbread, and cava are the traditional
accompaniments to the merriment – see
colour section for more. The day itself
(June 24) is a public holiday.
De Cajón June & 1st week July Wwww
.theproject.cat Busy festival promoters The
Project have inaugurated another flamenco
fest, as big-name flamenco stars perform a
series of one-off concerts in major city
concert halls.
Festival de Barcelona Grec June–Aug W www
Starting in the last week
of June (and running throughout July and
into Aug), this is the city’s main performing
arts festival, with a strong programme of
theatre, music and dance productions, many
staged at Montjuïc’s Teatre Grec. See Festive
Barcelona colour section for more.
July
Dies de Dansa 1st week W
Part of the summer Grec festival, this four-
day contemporary dance extravaganza sees
free daytime performances in buildings,
parks, streets, squares, museums and
galleries across the city, plus evening events
and video projections at the CCCB.
Summercase Barcelona Two days in July,
dates vary W The
sound of summer is the huge annual rock
and indie concert at the Parc del Fòrum
(with a simultaneous sister gig in Madrid),
held over a weekend in July. It’s the
summer version of November’s big-name
indie festival.
August
Festa Major de Gràcia Mid-Aug Wwww
.festamajordegracia.cat A fine example of
what was once a local festival in the
erstwhile village of Gràcia, with music,
dancing, decorated floats and streets
transformed into magical scenes, plus noisy
fireworks, parades of giants and devils, and
human castle-building in main squares. The
festivities last a week – don’t miss them if
you’re in town.
Festa Major de Sants Last week of Aug Another
week’s worth of traditional festivities in an
untouristed neighbourhood, in the streets
behind Barcelona Sants station.
September
Diada Nacional Sept 11 Catalan national day,
commemorating the eighteenth-century
defeat at the hands of the Bourbons. It’s a
public holiday in Barcelona, and special
events include the city’s more radical
Catalan nationalists throwing bricks through
burger-bar windows, fighting with the police
and showing their patriotism by spraying
graffiti on every available space.
Festes de la Mercè Sept 24 Huge annual
festival dedicated to another of Barcelona’s
Festes de la Mercè
FESTIVALS AND HOLIDAYS
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