The verdict of the Gràcia 2026 Festivities decoration contest already has a winner. Plaça Rovira i Trias has won the first honorary prize thanks to Batiscafo Rovirukas, a tribute to the album Batiscafo Katiuskas (2006) by the Mallorcan band Antònia Font. Euphoria erupted among the neighborhood committee, which paraded from Plaça de la Vila to their square to celebrate the award.
Mozart Street, with its installation L'hivernacle encantat (The Enchanted Greenhouse), achieved second place, while Llibertat Street closed the podium with its proposal inspired by the universe of J.R.R. Tolkien.
An ocean of 9,000 strips in homage to a generation
The winning decoration has transformed Plaça Rovira into a seabed. Eva Arroyo, head of decoration for the committee, explained that the choice of the Mallorcan group responds to a generational sentiment: "Antònia Font is the soundtrack of our lives."
Arroyo admitted her surprise and joy: "There's always doubt. There were streets with monumental figures, but we knew the square had turned out very beautiful."
The great technical difficulty of Plaça Rovira lies in its own dimensions. As neighbor Roman Demchuk recalled, the main challenge of such an open space is finding a way to cover such a large surface in an attractive and efficient way.
The solution has been a marine ceiling composed of more than 9,000 hanging strips that simulate the movement of waves and water.
A podium dominated by magical nature and Tolkien's fantasy
Second place went to Mozart Street with L'hivernacle encantat (The Enchanted Greenhouse). The proposal recreates the old shade house of Ciutadella Park when it functioned as a ballroom, and has transformed the street into a magical space. Vegetation, colors, and fantasy blended to transport visitors to the early 20th century.
The third prize went to Llibertat Street and its themed Argonath, Aranyerra i Mòrdor (Argonath, Mirkwood, and Mordor), an achievement resulting from the joint work of five neighborhood committees to recreate The Lord of the Rings.
This collaboration not only earned them the podium but also one of the jury's special mentions for their example of neighborhood understanding and coordination. The recognition was shared with the committees of Progrés, Tordera, Fraternitat de Dalt, and Fraternitat de Baix.
Recognitions for historical memory and gender perspective
Beyond the top three places in the general classification, the competition jury wanted to reward the social and historical commitment of other setups of the main festival. Ciudad Real street received a special mention for its project dedicated to remembering the figure and legacy of repressed women writers.
On the other hand, the joint committee of Sant Pere Màrtir and Jesús streets has been distinguished for incorporating a gender perspective in the conception and elaboration of its decoration.
One more year, the Gràcia festivities have once again highlighted their neighborhood fabric, which has once again combined artisanal work and collective effort with cultural and social demands.
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