The Grec festival reaches its last days - works are still performed in some city halls until the first weeks of August - with normal figures, which recover, and in some cases improve, the pre-covid editions.
The number of spectators reaches 114,316, with an occupancy in the spaces of Montjuïc of 80%, and in the rest of the city of 60%. The organizers also report that 80% of the public comes from Barcelona and its metropolitan area.
The Deputy Mayor for Culture, Jordi Martí, insists on the idea of "a Grec like before". "The recovery of the faun also sought that look at the international festival, as always, and throughout the city."
The performing arts sector "is one of the sectors that is costing the most recovery after the pandemic," says Martí. And he notes that the occupation has been growing over the weeks, so that the last one has registered more occupation than the first. The Grec has awakened the Barcelona spectators".
The director of the festival, Cesc Casadesús, highlights the "feeling of a festival and the feeling among the public of not missing out on the important things, the FOMO (fear of missing out). A festival is an event that, if you feel you have to go , you end up having a very complete vision".
"We came from an umbrella Grec -continues its director-. He had always said that there were too many shows and that is why we have corrected it, and that contributes to this festival personality and to the coherence of the whole ensemble".
The results also include 28 shows with all the paper sold, such as the opening of the Nederlands Theater and the A Sondheim night music evening at the Montjuïc amphitheater; Ein Volksfeind, by Thomas Ostermeier, and Bros, by Romeo Castellucci, at the Lliure; Alan Lucien Oyen and Christos Papadopoulos at the Mercat de les Flors; Guardian party at the MNAC, etc.
In the Grec Ciutat, two shows have been extended: the comedy How much time do I have left?, by Marta Buchaca, in the Teatro Goya, until August 12. And the immersive musical Next to normal, in the Ideal, until the 14th.
More than 50% of the audience for this edition is new. "We also note that it is getting younger and younger. After the Library Card for discounts, the next one is for those under 30 years of age," says Casadesús, who highlights the good performance of the subscription policy.
The deputy mayor and the director also highlight the Barcelona scholarships: "With these grants for creation, which are very important, I didn't think we would fill it and, on the other hand, they have worked", confesses the director.
In the more citizen sphere, Casadesús values the operation of the Poble Sec bars that are installed in Margarida Xirgu square and the shows that are performed. "It has been one of the centers of the festivals we were looking for."
