The Cruïlla claims itself as "great event made in Barcelona aimed at the local public"

BarcelonaThe experience of some artists and the repertoires performed have made the difference in the sixteenth edition of the Cruïlla festival. The nostalgia card has won out because Suede, Pixies, and The Black Crowes have delivered good concerts, some even extraordinary, and because the audience has responded positively to the proposal. In total, Cruïlla 2026 has gathered 73,000 attendees, 9,000 fewer than last year, when a record of 82,000 was reached. But the decline is not explained by the, let's say, nostalgic days of Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, but because Wednesday, the day intended for the younger audience, has been less successful: Halsey, Wednesday's headliner, only attracted 9,000 people, half of the 18,000 who attended Gracie Abrams in 2025.

"We are not sure that on Wednesday we are building a community," admitted the director of Cruïlla, Jordi Herreruela, at a press conference. According to him, the number of attendees may have more to do with the headliner, a circumstance that is not as decisive on the other days. Thursday, Pixies' day, despite being the best in the festival's history numerically, attracted 20,000 people (4,000 more than in 2025); Friday, with David Byrne as the main draw, 21,000 (last year there were 23,000), and Saturday, with concerts by Jovanotti, Jon Batiste, and La Ludwig Band, an attendance of 23,000 is expected (2,000 fewer than in 2025).

In any case, Cruïlla remains within the parameters consolidated in recent years, also regarding the origin of the audience. According to data provided by Herreruela, "95% of the Cruïlla audience" is Catalan: 50% from the city of Barcelona; 25-30% from the metropolitan triangle defined by Mataró, Manresa, and Sitges; and 20% from the rest of Catalonia. "It is possible to have a major event in Barcelona aimed at the local audience, and this includes using Catalan. Not all events have to be aimed at an international audience," assures Herreruela. The data on average age show an average of between 35 and 45 years, but with nuances. On Wednesday, the audience was much younger, and on Thursday, more seasoned, in line with the artistic programming.

For Herreruela, the 2026 edition makes the slogan "El Cruïlla és casa" (Cruïlla is home) true. "The festival generates a space of trust. I think we got it right because it's a phrase that describes the spirit of what we want to be, it defines us," he explains. Regarding the continuity of Cruïlla at Parc del Fòrum, there is no doubt: "We are negotiating with BSM [Barcelona de Serveis Municipals] the agreement for four more years. We don't expect any difficulty. In fact, we are already working on the artistic programming for 2027," says Herreruela.