The Cruïlla 2026 universe goes beyond its musical stages because "Cruïlla is more." From July 8 to 11, the festival's musical program will mix with comedy, dance, arts, fashion, architecture, innovation, and sustainability. The festival today presented its most transversal commitment to turn the Parc del Fòrum into an "ephemeral city" where music coexists with many other disciplines. All of this, in a venue that this year will be 100% renewable and diesel-free to reinforce its social and environmental commitment.
The festival director, Jordi Herreruela, has championed the value of the word "home": a friendly place, where you want to return, where you can be yourself, where you have friends, family... And, for the organizers, Barcelona is home and Cruïlla is home. That's why they organized the press conference as if it were a meeting with friends, as if they were setting up the gang's next party; but their party is much bigger and more impactful: their party is Cruïlla. But, as Herreruela explained, "Cruïlla is more than music," and that's why, within the program, we find other artistic disciplines that, this year, gain a lot of strength.
Cruïlla is comedy
Comedy once again has an important weight thanks to the complicity with Hilària, the production company born from the festival that already has its stable headquarters in El Molino. "Cruïlla has been a pioneer in programming comedy, especially local," recalled its director, Oriol de Balanzó. This year, Cruïlla Comèdia grows with an additional day and will bring together more than thirty comedians on the Bonpreu Esclat stage. This new location, more intimate and secluded, has allowed for an expanded program and moved performances to later hours.
This year's lineup maintains a totally equal representation ("It's not news, or it shouldn't be," said Balanzó) and will offer tastings of between 10 and 30 minutes with figures of the stature of Ana Morgade, Ignatius Farray, Marc Sarrats, Charlie Pee, Oye Sherman, Ana Polo, Joel Díaz, Manel Vidal, Irene Sango, David Martos, Carlo Padial or Asaari Bibang.
Cruïlla is dance
This same stage will host the dance program, curated for the second consecutive year by the company Brodas Bros, led by Berta Pons. The program will bring together styles ranging from swing and lindy hop (with the Barcelona Lindy Hoppers) to African urban dances, hip-hop or breakdance (with the OYOFE Battle competitions).
The highlight will be the premiere of BŌ, the new production by Brodas Bros created jointly with the Bastoners de Sant Cugat. It is a unique dialogue that brings together traditional Catalan stick dancing with contemporary languages such as popping, locking or breakdance. Because, as Pons states, "Cruïlla is home and it is also dance."
Local art, architecture and the debut of fashion
Street art will have its space thanks to art director Clàudia Costa (Poblenou Urban District), who has coordinated the new edition of the Windows Art Circuit (WAC). A new call promoted with Yamaha stands out, where twelve emerging artists will paint live murals inspired by the musicians on the poster. Claudia Costa has defended that "We wanted to emphasize what Cruïlla has always wanted, which is to value the art from here", for this reason, projects such as that of local artist Albert Galera stand out, who will install a giant house at the entrance to welcome the public and reinforce the motto of the edition.
Coinciding with the celebration of Barcelona as World Capital of Architecture, the festival has allied with Concéntrico and its director, Javier Peña. "A music festival is like building an ephemeral city," Herreruela pointed out, while Peña defended that "architecture is culture". As a result of this union and an anonymous international competition, it so happens that two Barcelona studios have been chosen to design the main stages: the House of Colour studio will be in charge of the Estrella Damm Stage and the WAC studio of the Occident Stage.
The big surprise of the year, however, is the arrival of local fashion thanks to Marta Coca, director of 080 Barcelona Fashion. This is a collaboration conceived in 2020 that was frozen by the pandemic. Now, six years later, the project Projecting Talent becomes a reality: on July 10 at 6 p.m. the Bonpreu stage will host a fashion show where 5 design schools from Catalonia will show the looks of 15 young promises. "The current link between artists, music and fashion is very obvious," Herreruela said.
Ethical artificial intelligence and the "I don't dance with hate" space
Social awareness and technological innovation will also have a space in the Forum. On the one hand, Fernando Vilariño, director of the UAB-Cruïlla Chair, will coordinate the scientific aspect, betting on Tecnovation, a concept that seeks to put ethics at the forefront of technological progress. This year, a generative AI prototype developed at the university will be tested, where attendees can obtain a personalized souvenir based on their image and musical preferences.
On the other hand, the Catalan Agency for Development Cooperation (ACCD), led by Gerard Graells, will transform the Transform yourself space into a stage for social denunciation under the motto: I don't dance with hate. The objective is to generate critical thinking against racism and inequalities. They will do this through DJ sessions from the global south that will combine their dance sets with performances, visuals and committed speeches. Graells explained his objective: "We want to generate critical thinking" and Herreruela
added: "It's a more playful way of including this message of awareness."
Defending the identity of Cruïlla
As Herreruela pointed out, "The different personalities and talents of Cruïlla truly show the diversity of the city and its identity" and language is a very important factor. For this reason, Cruïlla is the first large-format festival that communicates mainly in Catalan and, in addition, this year it has taken another step in its commitment by moving its digital presence to a .cat domain.
This has been achieved thanks to Accent Obert and Joan Abellà. who pointed out that "Domains are the foundations of digital cultures in the world", which is why, from their company, they work to try to ensure that non-hegemonic cultures do not disappear from the digital world.
"Cruïlla is much more than music: it is talent, it is creativity, but above all it is network, it is collaboration."
The Cruïlla 2026 musical lineup
Although the Cruïlla universe expands into different artistic facets, music remains the heart of the festival. From July 8 to 11, 2026, the Parc del Fòrum will become a large open-air stage to host one of the most ambitious editions of recent years.
This year's lineup will feature international legends, contemporary pop icons, and the best of the Catalan scene. The main headliners of this edition are bands like Pixies, David Byrne, Halsey, and Faithless, four historic artists who top the program. But the list of confirmations is much broader and includes musical genres ranging from rock to pop, passing through electronic music or Latin rhythms. Within the national and Catalan scene, we have the return of Rigoberta Bandini, Els Pets, Mishima, La Ludwig Band, Alizzz, and many more.
A gasoil-free and supportive festival
The organization has wanted to reaffirm its leadership in environmental responsibility. "It's not a plastic-free festival, it's a waste-free festival," explained the director, recalling measures such as reusable tableware, the Cruïlla Circular protocol for reusing infrastructure, and the sustainable mobility plan with Renfe, shuttles, and bicycle parking. But the great green milestone of Cruïlla is consolidated thanks to the agreement with Endesa: the festival will operate connected to the Parc del Fòrum's electrical grid, using only energy from renewable sources and becoming the only major festival in the State that completely eliminates gasoil generators.
This sustainable aspect is combined with social commitment. The festival features platforms for reduced mobility, vibrating backpacks, and magnetic loops thanks to Apropa Cultura. It also collaborates with the NGO Gaza Solidaria, serves social catering from Mescladís, and reinforces active surveillance at the Punto Lila with the No Callem protocol.
More than twenty proposals to eat your way through the festival
Gastronomy will once again be one of the essential ingredients of the Cruïlla experience, with an offer that will bring together more than twenty restaurateurs and food trucks distributed in key areas such as El Terrat d'Occident, the Village, Vueling, Bonpreu, and the PRO Zone.
The proposal, designed for all types of dietary needs and with vegan and gluten-free options, will offer everything from Asian and oriental cuisine to local products. Among the confirmed participants are names such as Kibuka, Lady Dumpling, La Bikineria, Chuchy Hot Dogs, Pizza Market, Food Truck Woody, Una Pizza Foodtruck, La Moderna or The Fish & Chips Shop.
"Cruïlla is much more than music: it is talent, it is creativity, but above all it is a network, it is collaboration. And that is what best represents the spirit of the city. Cruïlla is Barcelona. Cruïlla is home," concluded Jordi Herreruela to close the press conference for an edition that is expected to be historic.