From June 26 to August 4, the city of Barcelona once again becomes the epicenter of performing arts with the arrival of the Grec Festival 2025, an edition that promises to be one of the most ambitious in recent years. With a program that exceeds 90 shows and more than 50 spaces involved, the event consolidates its role as one of the main cultural drivers of summer in Europe.
This year, the festival directed by Leticia Martín Ruiz reinforces its international vocation and its commitment to contemporary creation, opting for innovative, accessible proposals with a clear gender perspective. In fact, almost half of the programmed shows (44%) are directed by women, in a clear commitment to balance and diversity in the performing arts scene.
A poetic and family start
The inauguration of Grec 2025 was led by French artists Marie and Yoann Bourgeois, who presented together with singer Pomme the show Le Petit Cirque, a delicate fusion of circus, dance and music for all audiences. This production could be seen at the Teatre Grec from June 26 to 28 and sets the tone for an edition that is committed to emotion, visual beauty and accessibility.
The Teatre Grec: the great cultural agora of summer
The open-air stage of the Teatre Grec, in Montjuïc, will host some of the most anticipated proposals. Among them, the reinterpretation of The Two Gentlemen of Verona, directed by Declan Donnellan with the National Classical Theater Company (July 18 and 19), or the powerful visual proposal by Lucia Fumero with Folklore (July 30), where music and aesthetics merge to reinvent contemporary folklore.
Other large-format shows that will pass through this space are La Nit del Músic Alt, a collaboration between the Barcelona Municipal Band, IndiGest and José Rafael Pascual-Vilaplana (July 25), or Hécube, pas Hécube, by Tiago Rodrigues together with the prestigious Comédie-Française (July 28 and 29).
Great international names
Grec 2025 will bring together some of the most prominent figures on the international scene. Belgian choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Swiss playwright Milo Rau, South African artist William Kentridge, Greek Christos Papadopoulos or British composer Max Richter are just some of the names that will put Barcelona on the map of major European festivals.
An entire city at the service of culture
The program extends far beyond the Teatre Grec. Venues such as the Teatre Nacional de Catalunya (TNC), the Mercat de les Flors, the Sala Beckett, the Teatre Lliure, and the Teatre Condal will host plays, dance, music, and new scenic languages throughout July. At Sala Beckett, for example, El Monstre by Josep Maria Miró will be shown, and the Mercat de les Flors will host the dance performance by Humanhood.
In addition, the Grec will also reach libraries, civic centers, and unconventional spaces, with proposals designed for audiences of all ages. The project El batec del Grec, for example, will bring dramatized readings to different neighborhoods throughout the month.
Culture also occupies public space
One of the festival's distinctive hallmarks is its ability to bring culture to the streets. This year, notable proposals include Marc Salicrú's sound installation at the Arc de Triomf, which could be seen on July 5 and 6, as well as other activities at Casa Pomés or Plaça Major de Nou Barris. The objective is clear: to make art something close, everyday, and transformative.
A festival with an inclusive vision
Grec 2025 is not only an artistic proposal, but also a reflection of Barcelona's social and cultural commitment. Inclusion, sustainability, and a gender perspective run through the entire program, with accessible shows, free entry to many activities, and a clear desire to represent the plurality of voices and realities of the current world.
The complete program for Grec 2025 can now be consulted on the festival's official website. Lasting more than a month, the Grec once again positions Barcelona as the scenic capital of the Mediterranean. A festival that is much more than a cultural event: it is a celebration of creativity, diversity, and human connection through art.