Barcelona welcomes Guitar BCN 2021 with open arms as it returns to the city for one of its most ambitious editions. This year’s festival offers sixty concerts between now and October, with artists from home and abroad.

Using the slogan “Hit play”, this new edition makes the case for safe live music at a critical moment for culture, which has seen many venues closed down and events cancelled. Because of this, the organisers are aiming to boost the programme of live performances while keeping them compatible with the relevant health measures.

Back on stage

The festival is opting for venues this year which are ideal to adapt to requirements on audience capacities. Most of the concerts are at the Sala Barts (Pau Vallvé, Nil Moliner, Mala Rodríguez, Marwán, El Kanka, Suu and others), as well as places such as the Palau de la Música Catalana, El Liceu and the auditorium at the Fòrum.

Guitar BCN 2021 also regains some stages which have been inactive for almost a year, such as the iconic Palau Sant Jordi (with Carlos Sadness on 20 March), Razzmatazz, Apolo and Luz de Gas.

Artists from home and abroad

National artists feature heavily again in what is one of the city’s most successful annual festivals. The programme includes names such as Iván Ferreiro, MClan, La M.O.D.A, Bely Basarte and Coque Malla, as well as clutch of Catalan artists, including Ferran Palau, Clara Peya, Arnau Griso, Lildami and Judit Neddermann.

Guitar BCN has also kept a space for international artists. Names confirmed so far include Danny Ocean, Nouvelle Vague, Eleftheria Arvanitaki, Charlie Cunningham, The Milk Carton Kids, Zucchero and Kevin Johansen. Others such as Joe Satriani, Pat Metheny and Ligabue will have to wait for the next edition.

Flamencat challenge

This is the second year running the organisers have combined with The Project and Ràdio Teletaxi to offer Flamencat, a cycle devoted to new flamenco talents. Every Saturday in May the festival will be offering performances from up-and-coming talents in this genre.

Concerts from the last edition had to be recorded and shown online. This year’s event is more optimistic, moving from the screen to the Jardins del Palau Robert, with performances from Muchacho & Los Sobrinos, Alba Carmona, Lucía Fernarda and Pedro Javier González.

Bonus Cultura

With its focus on the reactivation of culture, Guitar BCN is offering a discount called ‘Bonus Cultura’, whereby users get 40 euros to use on festival tickets but pay just 30 euros. The discounts can be used together and will be available until 30 April. They are valid for all the concerts in Barcelona.

See the full festival programme here.