The festival has wrapped up its commemorative edition, aiming to reflect the Grec's legacy and its role in contemporary society, moving beyond mere nostalgia. The program featured 58% Catalan-language shows and 44.4% led by women. Direct attendance for the Grec was 95%, with 96% for the Teatre Grec, and an overall average of 71%.
The 50th edition opened on June 29th with the opera Six Characters in Search of an Author, a co-production with the Lliure Theatre. This celebration sought to reflect on the festival's history and culture's role in a time of social transformation. Figures like Mario Gas contributed their experience, while documentary shorts by Sílvia Munt, Núria Giménez Lorang, Jaume Claret Muxart, and Marc Salicrú offered perspectives on the festival's significance and its connection to the city.
A significant legacy of this edition is the boost to the Arxiu del Grec (Grec Archive), a project that will digitize photographs, programs, videos, and testimonies spanning five decades of the festival's history, becoming an open resource for creators and researchers. It is expected to be ready by the end of the year. A free concert was also held at the Sagrada Família Basilica featuring the Cor Cererols, Maria Arnal, and Lídia Pujol.
The festival served as an international window for performing arts in Barcelona, presenting artists such as Florentina Holzinger, Ntando Cele, Zora Snake, Elephants Laugh, Andrea Peña, Sung Im Her, Mal Pelo, Calixto Bieito, Angélica Liddell, Hofesh Shechter, Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker, and Christiane Jatahy. Many shows sold out, demonstrating audience confidence.
The program highlighted emerging Catalan creators like laSADCUM, Mabel Olea, Cultura i Conflicte, Pau Aran, La Conquesta del Pol Sud, and Núria Guiu, with works co-produced by the Festival. The musical section featured memorable evenings such as Popular by Yerai Cortés, Ghazal with Raül Refree, Ciutat and Carlos de Jacoba, and the return to Plaça del Rei with the Orfeó Català.
Collaboration with theaters, museums, and art centers like the Fundació Miró, Museu Tàpies, the Liceu, and La Model has transformed Barcelona into a grand stage. The Grec has supported 38 co-productions, establishing itself as a platform for producing and nurturing new creations.
Internationally, the festival has fostered collaborations with festivals such as the Festival d'Avignon, the Triennale di Milano, the Vienna Festival, and nationally with Contemporánea Condeduque in Madrid and the Festival de Teatro de Olite. Grec Pro brought together nearly two hundred international professionals, solidifying Barcelona as a strategic hub for the performing arts.
