Cruïlla Festival unveils full line-up of music, comedy, culture, dance and fashion

Cruïlla Festival has unveiled its full line-up for July 9 to 12 at Parc del Fòrum in Barcelona.

A 50-strong Africa Express – featuring Damon Albarn, Django Django, Joan as Police Woman, and more – will play on Friday, July 11, joining already announced headliners over the four days: Gracie Abrams, the Sex Pistols featuring Frank Carter, Thirty Seconds to Mars and Alanis Morissette.

The festival includes its usual mix of local and international artists, across a range of genres, including Texas, Kaiser Chiefs, Viva Suecia, Hermanos Gutiérrez, Fermin Muguruza, St. Vincent, Seu Jorge, Crystal Fighters, Ben Harper, Maria Jaume and Girl in Red.

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.

For their second show, the band will be joined by a host of guest artists, including Marc de Dorian, Figa Flawas, and Valeria Castro.

Celebrating 15 years

Cruïlla unveiled its full line-up at an event at El Molino in Barcelona on Wednesday, where Barcelona mayor Jaume Collboni and festival director Jordi Herreruela also took the opportunity to reflect on 15 years of the festival.

"Cruïlla is the friendliest festival, in terms of the crowd that goes," Collboni said. "It's more relaxed, there's more space, and it's very mindful of its impact on the city and its cultural ecosystem." 

The mayor also thanked the organizers for their commitment to sustainability and to local suppliers.

Cruïlla is "the most local of festivals, both for what happens on stage and what happens off stage. It's a meeting point for people from Barcelona and Catalonia, and this anniversary is something that should be celebrated," he said.

Beyond music

Cruïlla is "not just a music festival," festival director Jordi Herreruela pointed out.

It also features a full comedy line-up, as well as art and culture, including the return this year of castells – human towers.

Dance and fashion are new focuses for the festival for 2025, with a new stage dedicated to dance, curated by the Brodas Bros.

On Wednesday, July 9, this space will also transform into a fashion runway and host a showcase of young designers from the ESDI design school.

Herreruela reflected on the festival's 15-year history, reserving special thanks for the 25 people who have attended every year, including the first editions in Mataró.

In the early years of Cruïlla, Herreruela explained, they admired the "big festivals," but now, they there are none they envy or wish to replicate.

"We've created a unique and singular identity," he said at the press conference held at El Molino, which is now run by the same people responsible for Cruïlla. 

"We love this city, and we have the feeling that the city loves us." 

Nits Cruïlla

El Molino will host two more Nits Cruïlla before the festival itself – on May 29 and June 26 – offering an opportunity to experience a taste of the two main pillars of the festival: music and comedy.

Each Nit Cruïlla will kick off with a stand-up monologue by a comedian, followed by a concert by an emerging artist and a set by a resident DJ.

The next Nit Cruïlla will take place on Thursday, May 29 and will feature performances by the comedian Oye Sherman – one of the pioneers of stand-up in Catalan – the Cadiz artist Caracazador, who will present his latest album 'República, and the DJ Roger Freedom, who combines hits from all genres.