Festival Grec starts in Barcelona with two free concerts by local artists and the city's Municipal Band

Barcelona (ACN.) - Barcelona's summer Festival Grec is the city’s main yearly event for stage arts, taking place from the 1^st to the 31^st of July. On Tuesday, its unofficial opening took place with two free outdoor concerts by local artists, while on Wednesday the official opening ceremony  on, with a new dance show by Catalan company 'La Veronal'. This year, during the 'unofficial inauguration' of the festival, the Catalan pop-rock band Obeses performed, presenting its new album 'Monsters and princesses' accompanied by the Barcelona Municipal Band. The concert was followed by Oques Grasses' show, a local band very popular among young audiences and winner by popular vote of the Enderrock 2014 award  for best group revelation of 2013.

This year, the unofficial opening of the festival has changed location once again, having taken place on Tuesday in Margarida Xirgu square. The audience – mostly young people but also composed by families – was beckoned by the presence of two young Catalan bands and a free concert. Festival organisers set up an event characterised by a 'popular and festive' atmosphere, as seen in the 2012 and 2013 editions; the antithesis of last year’s interactive show by Catalan theatrical group Fura dels Baus at Montjuïc Castle.

"Culture needed more than ever, not as a commodity but a common good", says Colau

Barcelona Mayor, Ada Colau, attended the unofficial opening of the Festival Grec. Briefly speaking to the audience, she referred to the event as a "point of reference" for the city, born almost 40 years ago "in a time of change, characterised by a lively, free and proactive cultural fabric". Comparing it with the current context, Colau highlighted that the desire for a city "more just and democratic" also proves that nowadays Barcelona's cultural fabric "is still alive and well". Finally, she noted that culture is needed more than ever, "not as a commodity but a common good which everyone must have access to" regardless of their purchasing power.

Catalan pop-rock band Obeses and the Barcelona Municipal Band opened the show

The unofficial opening of the festival kicked off at half-past nine in the evening with the Catalan pop-rock band Obeses on stage, in conjunction - for the first time - with the Barcelona Municipal Band. The orchestra had to adapt to the varied repertoire of the local band, ranging from gypsy jazz to heavy metal, passing through traditional Catalan Sardana, rumba, electronica and funk. Obeses presented songs from their new album, 'Monsters and princesses', which has established it as one of the most irreverent, eclectic and self-parodying bands on the Catalan music scene. The atmosphere was soon warmed up by the band's sense of humour and musical intensity, led by the talented singer and guitarist Arnau Tordera. The string and wind sections of the Barcelona Municipal Band accompanied Obeses' vibrant show.

The second performance was by Oques Grasses, winner of the Enderrock 2014 award

The second performance of the night was by Oques Grasses, a Catalan band from Osona County (northern Barcelona Province) which won the Enderrock 2014 award by popular vote as best group revelation of 2013. Currently on their 'Living in the Hol·les' 2015 tour, the band was well received by the public, with their energetic and cheerful style. Oques Grasses launched in 2014 their second album 'Digue-n'hi com vulguis' (In English, "Tell any way you like") and has already earned a loyal fan base who attend their concerts. Their energetic show – a combination of pop, reggae and other sounds – closed one of the most festive and popular unofficial inaugurations of the Grec Festival.

The Festival officially kicks off with 'Vorònia', a dance show by La Veronal

The official opening ceremony is scheduled for Wednesday and, like last year, the Festival kicks off with a dance show. For this 2015 edition, it will be 'Vorònia', by Catalan company La Veronal and a festival co-production with partners from Paris and Berlin, on stage on the 1^st and 2^nd of July. In 2014, the event was officially opened by the international company Gallim Dance ('Wonderland'). 

The Festival Grec represents a classic event on the Catalan cultural calendar, bringing together both international and local productions. Born in 1976, it includes a broad range of stage arts such as theatre, dance, music and circus, being also the most important cultural attraction in Barcelona during the summer. The Festival was named after its main venue: an open-air theatre built in 1929 for the Universal Exhibition, which emulates an ancient Greek theatre. In total, last year's edition attracted 127,471 people, of which 79,254 went to see shows which required payment (79 in total) and 35,728 attended parallel events which had an entry fee.