Festa Major de Gràcia 2018: La Plaça del Folk

Every year during the Gràcia Festival this popular cycle of folk concerts is organised by the Centre Artesà Tradicionàrius and put on in the Plaça del Sol. This year, from August 15 to 21, it's the 14th edition of this week full of roots music, folk dancing, rumba, fanfare, folk fusion and Balkan fusion, performed by established groups and emerging artists.

Things kick off on Wednesday the 15th with the Catalan folk dance band Aires del Montseny (10pm) and their dance show in the square. On the 16th you can move to the rhythm of rumba with Sabor de Gràcia (10.15pm) presenting their album 'Sabor a Peret', a tribute to the king of Catalan rumba.

Friday the 17th brings you, from the Basque Country, Korrontzi (10.15pm); and the dance troupe from Barcelona's Euskal Etxea puts on a night dedicated to traditional Basque dance and music. On Saturday the 18th, the square fills with Balkan sounds from Biflats (10.15pm) and their Catalan Fanfare show. And on Sunday the 19th the weekend finishes up with a mix of traditional Mediterranean and Celtic music with Ebri Knight (10.15pm), who's got a new album out called 'Guerrilla'.

Head to Plaça del Sol on Monday the 20th for FanFarra (11.15pm) doing, as you may have guessed, Catalan fanfare and some great Catalan hits. And on Tuesday the 21st it's Catalan folk group RIU (11.15pm) closing down this year's Plaça del Folk with their album 'Delta', a collection of traditional melodies that wraps you up in their acoustic, powerful and youthful sound.

The folk programme is rounded out with the percussion band Kabum, who perform from the 16th to the 19th before and after the other concerts; DJ Dr. Batonga! with a session on Saturday starting at midnight; and two nights (Monday 20 and Tuesday 21) dedicated to the Distrito Joven Musical, with two live shows starting at 10pm each night. Plus, Els cinc dits d'una ma are in charge of getting the kids in on the fun with songs by Xesco Boix during the Family Folk Mornings on August 17, 18 and 19. And every evening from 7pm the groups in the line-up host workshops for all ages.