Barcelona’s Grec performing arts festival is to end with more than 119,000 spectators viewing 87 shows

Barcelona (ACN).- This year’s Grec Festival of performing arts has attracted over 119,000 spectators to its 87 performances. The festival will end on Wednesday and Director Ramon Simó has predicted that 1,000 more tickets have been sold than 2012. In an interview with the CNA, Simó stated how overall assessment of Grec 2013 is “largely positive”. Simó emphasised the festival has “maintained or perhaps exceeded” its level of ticket sales. Theatre performances were the most popular this year with 38,878 viewers watching 40 shows (at 44% capacity). 14,362 people watched 14 live concerts (63% capacity), 10,652 spectators watched the 8 dance shows on offer (70% capacity), while the four circus productions received 5,574 viewers (86% capacity). The average attendance for the festival was 52% which considering the crisis in the performing acts sector is a high figure.

When comparing the figures of this year to 2012, during which the festival had 127,000 spectators and participants, Simó stated that this high figure was due to the high amount of free events that took place in the open air. However, he emphasised that the sale of tickets has increased slightly this year. The Festival’s Director does admit that he had “some fears” about the success of this year’s festival, as it has been a “very tough season” in the industry. But he thankfully notes how the festival has “grown and hopefully it will serve to put the first foot forward in a turnaround”. Simó does however regret that people tend to evaluate events such as this according to numerical data. He instead emphasises that Grec 2013 has achieved its objectives of enabling a larger variety of people to enjoy the festival as well as providing a significant boost in cultural events for the city of Barcelona.  

Grec 2014

As this years festival draws to a close Simó has noted that people have a renewed interest in Grec as the project continues to change. “Grec will carry on evolving and what makes me happy is that the model works”, he stated. Regarding next year’s edition of the Festival, Simó said that there have been arguments to create “a more radical model”. However, he does insist that next year’s event will “create an authentic atmosphere around the Montjuic hill that will enable the festival to be enjoyed by many people”. Simó aims for Grec 2014 to “create interest among the local population and increase the role of Montjuic”.