Cruïlla Festival begins with Gracie Abrams and record attendance

Cruïlla Festival kicked off its 15th edition on Wednesday with headliner Gracie Abrams. This year, the festival is bringing 50 artists to Barcelona, including Sex Pistols, Alanis Morissette, St. Vincent, Thirty Seconds to Mars, Girl in Red, and more. This year’s Cruïlla opening day was the most attended in the festival’s history, drawing a record crowd of 18,000 people.

Festival director Jordi Herreruela told the Catalan News Agency (ACN) that the 15th edition was off to a “fantastic” start.

“This is a festival we dreamed could become big, but always focused on a local audience — and we’ve achieved that,” he said. “We wanted it to be large but also comfortable and welcoming, and I think we’ve succeeded. We wanted it to be musically diverse and a reflection of Barcelona’s most creative side — and I think we have that. Finally, it’s a festival that has led the way in sustainability, inclusivity, and innovation in the festival world.”

Singer-songwriter Gracie Abrams’ concert was the biggest draw of the festival’s opening. According to sources from Cruïlla, fans camped out overnight to be the first inside. Nearly 400 people entered the festival at 4 p.m for Abrams, who was not scheduled to perform until 9:30 p.m.

During Abrams’ show, she expressed her excitement to be in Barcelona and invited the crowd to make the show their own. Abrams also surprised the audience by waving a Catalan flag and placing it on top of one of the pianos on stage. Abrams, who opened for Taylor Swift on a major leg of the Eras tour, sang some of her biggest songs, including ‘That’s so True,’ ‘Where Do We Go Now?’ and ‘I Love You, I’m Sorry.’

One of the early arrivals, Mallorcan fan Arnau Martí, told ACN that he came to Barcelona just to see Abrams. He said she writes songs that young people “feel seen by,” which is why he resonates with them. Another fan, Ariadna Álvarez praised Abrams for having a unique “style, lyrics, and melodies.”

Other performances included Norwegian singer Girl in Red (Marie Ulven Ringheim), who told the audience that she “didn’t feel well”, but seeing fans made her feel better.

Cruïlla also spotlights local Catalan performers, including promising new acts, gavina.mp3, an electronic pop act, and Mallorcan singer Maria Hein. 

Catalan indie pop band Love of Lesbian will play two concerts – a regular set on the Friday night, followed by a special concert on Saturday to mark 15 years of the festival. Thirty Seconds to Mars, one of the first confirmed artists for this year's edition, will perform on Friday, and Alanis Morissette on Saturday.

What to know about Cruïlla 2025 Festival

The festival runs for four days, ending on July 12. It is spread out across five stages: Estrella Damm, Occident (which includes a chill-out area), Vueling, Vallformosa (focused on comedy and concerts) and Vichy Catalan (featuring a talent competition).

The festival also launched a new space this year, the Cruïlla Dansa Bonpreu Esclat, dedicated entirely to dance.

On Wednesday, the stage also doubled as a fashion runway for young designers from ESDI, a fashion design school in Sabadell, outside of Barcelona.