Since its first edition in 2014, Barcelona Rock Fest has quickly established itself as one of Europe’s top rock and metal music festivals. The lineup gets better each year and includes big-name acts like Aerosmith, Deep Purple, Ozzy Osbourne, ZZ Top, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and Alice Cooper.
In addition to an extensive lineup of acts covering the entire spectrum of hard rock and heavy metal. Barcelona Rock Fest also enjoys a privileged location that allows festival-goers to combine a 3-day music festival with a visit to one of Europe’s most vibrant and cosmopolitan cities.
Barcelona Rock Fest: The festival site and stages
Barcelona Rock Fest is staged in Can Zam Park, an 11-hectare park in Santa Coloma de Gramenet on the outskirts of Barcelona.
The festival revolves around two identical main stages set up side by side (Stage Rock on the left and Stage Fest on the right).
The twin-stage format has two benefits:
- It eliminates the classic festival dilemma of having to choose between two bands that are playing at the same time.
- The bands play almost continuously, one after the other, throughout the day. Whilst one band plays on one stage, the crew prepares the other stage for the next act.
You can choose whether to move with the crowd from one stage to the other or bag yourself a prime spot right in front of one of the stages and accept a lesser view of the other stage.
Large screens on either side of the stages help people who are further away following the action. The sound system is powerful, and the sound engineers generally manage to ensure that everything sounds good no matter where you are standing.
There is also a third smaller stage at the back of the site called the Rock Tent Stage, where lesser-known and local bands play. When the bands finish in the Rock Tent stage (at about 3:30 am), DJs from local rock radio stations and nightclubs take over.
Most of the acts are on stage for 60 minutes; the headlining bands play for an hour and 45 minutes. Everything is very well organized to ensure each band starts on time. The exact schedule will be published on the Barcelona Rockfest website a few weeks before the event.
The best way to ensure that you don’t miss anything is to install the Rock Fest app on your phone*. At first glance, the app is just a mobile version of the website, but it has one very useful function: If you click on a group’s name in the running order, they are added to your calendar. You then receive a message reminding you that they are about to play 1 hour before the band goes on stage.
If you set an alarm for the first band you want to see each day, when the alarm sounds, you should have enough time to get from the city centre (or the beach) to Can Zam. Please check your calendar settings to make sure that the alarm is configured correctly.
*Unfortunately, the app wasn’t available for the last edition of Barcelona Rock Fest in 2022. Hopefully, the organizers will reinstate it in 2024. If not, I recommend you manually set an alarm on your phone to go off an hour before the first band you want to see is scheduled to go on stage.
Barcelona Rock Fest dates and schedule 2024
Barcelona Rock Fest 2024 will take place on the 5th, 6th and 7th of July 2024 in Can Zam Park, Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Barcelona.
Barcelona Rock Fest Lineup 2024
The following acts have been confirmed for 2024:
PANTERA, DEEP PURPLE, PARKWAY DRIVE, EUROPE, MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP, BLIND GUARDIAN, STRATOVARIUS, ANGELUS APATRIDA, WOLFMOTHER, ROSS THE BOSS, RHAPSODY OF FIRE, ECLIPSE, ANKHARA, KTULU, MY OWN GHOST, MASSIVE WAGONS, BOURBON KINGS, CELTICA, COBARDES, GAMMA RAY, KK’s PRIEST, HATEBREED, EL DROGAS, THY ART IS MURDER, THE WARNING, KONTRUST, THE BABOON SHOW, ABBATH, SODOM, DARK FUNERAL, CROWNSHIFT, ELECTRIC ALLEY, MAPOGOS, METALLIJAM, MOTÖRHITS, RATOS DE PORAO, PRIMAL FEAR, WARCRY, MOTOSIERRAS, SOZIEDAD ALKOHOLIKA (S.A.), ÁNGELES DEL INFIERNO, KORPIKLAANI & TERMINAL VIOLENCE.
Schedule Rock Fest 2024
The exact schedule hasn’t been announced yet for 2024. Based on previous years, I would expect it to be roughly as follows :
Friday, July 5th; Gates open – 14:00. First band starts – 14:55, Headliners – 23:50 to 02:00, Rock DJs until 03:00
Saturday, July 6th; Gates open – 14:00. First band starts – 15:05, Headliners 21:35 to 23:05 Last band finishes – 02:35
Sunday, July 7th; Gates open – 13:00. First band starts – 13:10, Headliners – 23:10 to 13:10, Rock DJs until 03:30
Tickets to Barcelona Rock Fest 2024
Tickets are available on the Rock Fest website at the following prices:
| Ticket Type | Price |
|---|---|
| 3-day pass (adult) | €210 |
| 3-day pass (12 to 16 years) | €106.50 |
| VIP Pass | €410.00 |
| One-day ticket, Friday | TBA |
| One-day ticket, Friday | TBA |
| One-day ticket, Saturday | TBA |
When purchasing your ticket online, you will receive a voucher, which you can then exchange for the ticket at the box office near the entrance to the site. Don’t forget to bring your passport when picking up your tickets.
Wristbands
Before entering the festival site, one-day tickets and three-day passes are exchanged for wristbands at the entrance to the festival.
Once fitted with your wristband, you are free to re-enter the festival site as often as you like. Note: You should also keep your ticket with you in case you are asked to show it.
Three-day pass holders can also get their wristbands fitted at the FNAC store at Plaça de Catalunya (located in the El Triangle shopping centre) on Wednesday, 29th of June, from 10 am to 8 pm.
Facilities at Barcelona Rock Fest
In addition to the three stages where bands perform throughout the day, there is also;
The autograph signing tent: Where fans get the chance to meet the bands, get autographs and take photos with their idols. The schedule for the autograph signing tent is normally posted on the app and website shortly before the festival. Note: unfortunately, the big-name acts don’t normally do signing sessions.
Photo opportunities: If you don’t manage to see your idols at the autograph tent, there are a giant-sized guitar and drums and a “guitar throne” where you can take a selfie with your friends to remember the event.
Food trucks and catering: There is a small area with food trucks selling international food. By music festival standards, prices are quite reasonable (€7 to €8 for a bowl of noodles, burger, kebabs, falafel, bocadillos etc.) There is a covered area with tables where you can enjoy your food sitting in the shade.
Bars: There are two large bars in the middle of the arena where you can grab a cold beer, plus mobile beer sellers circulating among the crowd, so you don’t have to miss a song to go and get a beer.
There is also a beer tent with tables and chairs at the back of the site dubbed the Rock Fest Café.
You are not allowed to bring your own food and drink into the site, and all festival-goers are searched at the entrance. Luckily the drink prices aren’t too high. In 2019 a half-litre bottle of water cost €1, and beer cost €3 or €9. Alternatively, you can nip off-site, where you will find enterprising individuals with coolers selling cans of beer for €1.50!
Merchandising: There is an official Rock Fest merchandising stall on site selling the ubiquitous festival T-shirts and jackets. Outside the festival entrance, there’s a small market with about a dozen stalls selling a wide range of band T-shirts, jackets, jewellery etc. If you’re feeling sunburnt, you can pick up a hat here for about €10.
Medical facilities: There is a medical tent with a team of paramedics on site.
Toilets: They may not be the most pleasant of places, but at least there are plenty of them, and toilet queues aren’t usually long. Without going into details, you can expect the seats and floors to be wet. Don’t forget to bring your own toilet paper!
Top tip
There are taps with running water where you can wash your hands located next to the food trucks area.
Barcelona Rock Fest Location
Rock Fest Barcelona takes place in Can Zam Park in Santa Coloma de Gramenet on the outskirts of Barcelona. The festival site is easy to get to from Barcelona city centre and from nearby towns such as Badalona.
How to get to Barcelona Rock Fest
In addition to the fantastic line-ups, the great thing about Rock Fest is the location and how easy it is to get to. Can Zam has its own stop on Barcelona metro line L9 nord.
It takes about 45 minutes to get to the festival site from Barcelona city centre. The metro stop is directly in front of the entrance to the festival. You’ll see the stages and hear the music in the park below you as you leave the station.
L9 Nord connects to lines L1 and L5 at La Sagrera, and I recommend that you choose a hotel near one of the stops on these lines.
The metro runs until 2 am on Friday night, all night long on Saturday night and until midnight on Sundays and weekdays.
If you will be returning to your hotel after these times, night buses N6 and N8 connect Can Zam to the city centre. Extra buses are laid on during the festival, including a special bus that runs from Can Zam to Plaça de les Glories, Plaça de Tetuan, and Plaça de Catalunya.
It takes 10 minutes to walk from the festival site to the bus stops. At peak times there are queues to get on the buses, but it’s well organized, and there are plenty of buses so you shouldn’t have to wait long.
Alternatively, there is a taxi rank near the N6 and N8 bus stops, but, at peak times, the queues for the taxis are even longer than the queues for the buses!
Which transport ticket should you buy for Rock Fest Barcelona?
For most visitors, it is best to purchase a 1 zone T-casual multi-trip ticket, which covers both the metro and the night bus. The T-casual costs €11.35, which works out at just under €1.14 per trip.
More information about Barcelona transport passes here >>
Tickets can be purchased at metro and train stations, tram stops and at some tobacconists. You can also use this ticket on the train to and from the airport.
More information about transport from and to the airport here >>
Where to Stay?
Although there are hotels in Santa Coloma de Gramenet and nearby towns such as Badalona, I think it makes more sense to stay in Barcelona. When choosing your hotel, try to pick one which is close to a metro stop on either the L1 or L5 metro lines, both of which connect with L9 nord at La Sagrera.
I recommend that you choose a hotel near Plaça de Catalunya. This central location will allow you to spend your mornings visiting Barcelona’s most emblematic attractions and is just 45 minutes from the festival site.
For example, the Hotel Jazz is a very good three-star hotel right next to Plaça de Catalunya with a rooftop pool and terrace. Other good choices would be to stay near the Sagrada Familia (L5) or in Poblenou near the Glories metro station (L1).
If you want to stay as close as possible to the Rock Fest then there’s an Ibis Hotel located right next to Can Zam Park. This gives you the advantage of being just a 10-minute walk from the festival site. Allowing you to maximise your time at the festival and have the opportunity to quickly return to your hotel whenever you feel like it.
For more information, check out my in-depth guide to where to stay in Barcelona >>
Camping at Barcelona Rock Fest
For the first few editions of Barcelona Rock Fest, a campsite was laid on at Montmeló with shuttle buses to and from the festival site. Unfortunately, this ended in 2018, and since then, there isn’t any camping at the festival.
The nearest campsite that I know of is Càmping Masnou, which is approximately 10 km from Can Zam.
Map of the festival site
Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Barcelona, Spain
Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Barcelona, Spain
Can Zam Barcelona
Barcelona, Spain
Have I missed anything? If you’ve something to add or if there’s anything else you need to know about Barcelona Rock Fest, please let me know in the comments section below.
Hi Richard. It seems to me that there is no app this year and the website is only in Spanish. I heard from friends, working with Graspop in our country, Belgium, that BRF is in heavy water. I hope they will survive.
Hi Dirk,
As you say, so far there’s not an app for this year’s edition. I can only guess that, due to the exceptional circumstances of the last two years, the organizers have had to prioritize where they spend their money and the app wasn’t a priority. Understandable really, all things considered.
Yesterday there was a post on the festival’s Facebook page in which they said that they will be announcing the schedule soon. Once that has been announced, unless an app materializes, I guess we’ll just have to set reminders on our phones, no big deal really. Likewise the website, I guess it’s just not been a priority this year. There is quite a bit of information in English on the festival’s Facebook page, otherwise, if you open the website in Google Chrome, you can right-click on the page and select “translate to English”.
I think that, after two years of cancellations and postponements, all music festivals must have taken a big hit and be in a similar situation. Hopefully, this year’s Rock Fest will be a big success and the organizers will be able to recover some of their losses and next year’s festival will go ahead as usual. Speaking as someone who grew up in a small town and had to travel long distances to attend festivals like the Monsters of Rock etc, having Rock Fest right on my doorstep is a luxury which I’d be very very sad to lose.
Hello,
Ive read that Symphony X and Anthem have confirmed they will now not be appearing and also a rumour that Manowar may not be appearing as headliners on Thursday. Apparently day tickets for Thursday are no longer on sale. Can you give the latest confirmed news about bands appearing and if there are replacements
Thanks
Vincent
Hi Vincent,
The Rock Fest organizers announced that Symphony X and Anthem had both cancelled on their Facebook page on June 6th.
The following day, they announced that they are looking for local (Spanish) acts to take their place via a so-called Band Contest, although the bands haven’t been named yet.
As far as I know, they’ve not said anything about Manowar yet. I’ve heard about the cancellation of Manowar’s appearance in Hellfest and that they’ve postponed some concerts on their current tour but as far as I know they haven’t cancelled Rock Fest, or not yet anyway. Unfortunately, the only confirmation I’ve found that they will play, apart from the Manowar and Barcelona Rock Fest websites, is this article published in January on the Spanish language rock music website rafabasa.com
With respect to the one-day tickets, as far as I know there were never tickets available for just Thursday this year.
Hi Vincent,
Coincidentally, yesterday afternoon, after I wrote my previous comment, the Rock Fest organizers published an official communication to their Facebook page in which they announced that CRISX have been added to the lineup at the last minute and that MY DYING bride have cancelled their European tour and will therefore not be appearing at Barcelona Rock Fest this year. They also spoke about the Ucranian band JINJER and explained the complex situation with Manowar.
Update 25/06/2022
It’s now been announced that Manowar will not be playing at Rock Fest and have been replaced by Avantasia.
One-day tickets for Thursday have now been released and cost €100
Very helpful, thank you, sir. I am coming for first time to Barcelona.
You’re welcome Martin, thanks for the feedback.
Hi Richard, Great site! My wife and I are coming this year and are older rockers with old bones : ) We like to take our camping chairs to sit on at the back when we get tired. Will we be able to take them in? Can I ask you if you can remember seeing any older ‘seated’ festival goers in the past.
It would be great to know before we carry them across town to be refused entry. Thanks for any info you can pass on. Cheers Al.
Hi Al,
Thanks for your comment, I’m glad you like the site.
I don’t think you’ll be allowed to take camping chairs into the festival grounds. Certainly, I’ve never seen anyone sitting on folding chairs that they’d brought with them.
Having said that, there’s really no need to bring your own chairs because there’s usually an area of seating set up at the back of the site. I can’t remember how many seats there are, probably about sixty, arranged in tiers and sheltered by a half dome. There are typically some empty seats and most people tend to sit there when they want a break before returning to the crowd, much like you described. The only time I’ve seen it full was when it briefly rained at the start of Blue Oyster Cult’s set back in 2018. The views aren’t great, but you can see the large screens and get a distant view of the stages.
There is also a beer tent and an area with tables and bench seats near the food stalls although these are intended for people who are eating/drinking.
At this point I have to point out that the company organizing the festival seems to have changed this year, hence the change of name, but I would expect them to maintain the same format and setup as previous years.
Hey Richard, thanks a lot for your bunch of information about the festival and your tips. Very helpful! Based on previous years, do you know if there were any locker boxes on the festival site where we can leave our smaller belongings? They’ve got them e. g. at the Graspop in Belgium and I found it really helpful.
Hi Luzie,
In previous years there weren’t lockers at the festival site but there was a kind of “cloakroom service” where you could leave articles which you didn’t want to or weren’t allowed to take into the festival site. I have the impression that it was mostly intended to be for people who had brought things that you’re not allowed to enter the festival with, DSLR cameras etc.
Hi Richard,
After managing to attend the 2018 edition of Rockfest Barcelona. with my two kids, which was a great experience, even with the help of the valid info you provided. I bought the tickets for this year edition in January (3 Adults and 1 Junior (12 Years Old)). I was happy to see the updated post from Rockfest but I am confused about what they said…maybe you can help out. Quoting from their post:
“Free admission for minors
Similarly, entry is still free for under 13 years of age to celebrate the festival.”
I can not understand this, I had to buy a ticket for my 12 year old and if you access the ticket shop it does state that Junior ticket is for 12-16 year old!! So what are Rockfest saying exactly?
Thanks for everything
John
Hi John,
Good to hear from you again!
I’ve read the Facebook post a couple of times and agree that it’s confusing, to say the least.
Personally, I think that it’s an error and should read “children under 12”, not “children under 13”.
Hopefully, the organizers will update the official website soon, but looking at an archived copy of the website from 2018 it said:
As you know, I’ve no connection with the festival organizers, but I would assume that it will be the same this year and that your youngest will need a junior ticket.
As mentioned in one of my comments below, I wrote to the organizers back in February, hopefully, they will get back to me soon and I’ll be able to share some more up to date information.
Hi Richard, thanks for your reply. It seems that it was a typo error. Anyway, Richard, this time we will be staying at Cerdanyola des Valles so best option to return back to the hotel is with a taxi.
Can you point me out exactly (street name or similar) were the taxi stands are?
Also,do you think it is advisable to use Cabify or FreeNow from near the Festival Area at the end of the day?
As always thanks a real lot!!
John
Hi John,
This map of taxi ranks in Barcelona on the official ATM website shows two taxi ranks near the festival ground. The first is on Av. de l’Anselm de Riu then there’s another near the Ibis hotel on Av. Pallaresa.
I use public transport to get to and from the festival site and have only noticed the second of the two because it’s near to the night bus stops. At peak times, after the headliners finish etc, you can expect there to be queues.
I sometimes use Cabify and think it would definitely be worth installing. I’m not sure how much availability there will be at night in Santa Coloma but it would be worth checking what the waiting time shown on the app is. In my experience, Cabify is slightly more expensive than taking a regular taxi using the meter although there’s not much in it and if it saves queueing for a taxi it would definitely be worth it.
Thanks again Richard, real helpful. Enjoy the festival, would gladly have a couple of pints with you there if I spot you somewhere! Thanks again!!
You’re welcome John
Hey :) any info about refund ? i noticed many people were having the same problem as i do which is the organizers haven’t been answering about refund that we requested long ago (for me it’s been more than a year and a half now) :(
Hi Leo,
Unfortunately, I’ve seen a lot of people posting on the Barcelona Rock Fest Facebook page with the same complaint.
All I can say is that, after several months of uncertainty, it finally looks like the festival will go ahead this year. After more than four months of silence, this afternoon the Rock Fest organizers finally updated their Facebook page with information about this year’s festival.
They didn’t say anything about refunds, but they did post a new contact email. I recommend you try contacting them at info@barcelonarockfest.com
I didn’t notice it was new (and kinda gave up on that) ,so I will contact this new email ! Thanks a lot for your help :)
You’re welcome Leo,
The email addresses which I’d seen up until now were all related to the old, Rock Fest Barcelona, domain name. Since the name of the festival changed and a new website was launched at the end of last year, the only way that I could find for contacting the organizers was through the contact form on the new website. In fact, since I have received a few questions from readers asking about the festival, I tried contacting the organizers via the form back in February and haven’t received a reply yet.
I think that yesterday’s post on the Facebook page, which included this contact email and said that they are working to reply to the backlog of emails, is a positive sign.
This is pure speculation on my part, but I suspect that the organizers haven’t issued any refunds yet because they had already spent the money on expenses related to the festival before it was cancelled back in 2020 and simply don’t have the funds to start giving refunds yet.
I imagine that they will wait until this year’s festival goes ahead and issue the refunds from the money earnt. Not ideal I know, but I can only imagine that their company finances must have taken a big hit during the pandemic.
If you do decide to contact the organizers by email, I’d appreciate it if you could post another comment letting me know how you get on. At the end of the day, there must be a lot of people who are in a similar situation and would be interested in reading your feedback.
Is this really happening? There hasn’t been any updates for 4 months and this is supposed to take place in just 2 months from now?
Hi Raul,
I was thinking the same, it wasn’t looking very promising, but today the festival organizers have updated the Official Rockfest Facebook page with new information including the fact that there will information about one-day tickets available during May.
So, at the moment, it does look like Barcelona Rock Fest 2022 will go ahead as planned.
Hi, my son and husband would like to attend only one day of the festival. Is it possible to purchase a one day tkt?
Hi Carol,
Based on previous years, there usually are one-day tickets available. They typically go on sale around now and cost slightly more than half the price of a three-day pass. The price varies slightly depending on which day you choose, and the first day is usually somewhat cheaper than the others.
Unfortunately, there’s not much information available on the official channels yet. I’ve written to the festival organisers and will update the post as soon as I have more information.
Hello, any idea if they will be selling VIP tickets/packages this year like they did on previous Rockfest Barcelona?
Hi Leonardo,
Unfortunately, as you’ve probably already seen, there’s no information about VIP tickets for this year’s Rock Fest on the official website yet and Ticketmaster only has standard passes available at the moment.
In previous years, the VIP packages were on sale by March so I’m surprised that they’re not available yet. To be honest, I’m surprised by the general lack of information on the official website and Facebook page so far this year.
The fact that both the name of the festival and the website URL have changed from Rock Fest Barcelona to Barcelona Rock Fest makes me think that the company organizing the festival may have changed, making impossible to predict whether the VIP packs will be available this year.
I’ve already contacted the organizers to ask for more information and will update the article as soon as I receive a reply.
Thanks for the reply Richard. As soon as you have any more info regarding these tickets or packages let me know. Thanks once again !!!
Hi Leonardo,
As soon as I hear something I’ll update the article.
Hi! Does the metro still work by the time the concerts end? Does it run all night?
Hi Andre,
On Thursday night the metro runs until midnight, on Friday it runs until two am and on Saturday night it runs all night.
There are also night buses that run from Can Zam to Barcelona city centre, lines N6 and N8. Based on previous years, on the days of the festival, there are extra night buses laid on including an extra route which runs from the festival site directly to Barcelona city centre and only stops at Plaça de les Glories, Plaça de Tetuan and Plaça de Catalunya. This is one of the reasons why I recommend looking for a hotel in these areas of the city.
Hi Richard – thanks so much for all this information – it is really helpful
We are hoping to travel from Wales to Barcelona for Rock Fest but can only do the Saturday – any idea whether they will be doing one day passes for the Saturday this year and if so, when they may be on sale and where? Do they tend to sell out very quickly as we will buy the three day pass if we aren’t likely to get the one day ticket as we are desperate to come as it looks amazing! I can see from a previous post that they usually cost about half of the cost of the three day pass?
Sorry! So many questions! Thanks for all your help.
Hi Janine,
The one day passes normally go on sale shortly after the lineup has been finalized. In previous years it’s been around February or March time. Tickets are normally sold via Ticketmaster and other outlets. Unfortunately, as you’ve probably already noticed, although there are three day passes available at Ticketmaster, there’s not much information available on the official Rock Fest website and social media channels yet. I’m assuming that after two years of cancellations they’re being cautious this year.
My experience is that you don’t normally need to buy the tickets a long time in advance. As far as I know, they don’t usually sell out. Of course, this year may be an exception.
We normally buy our tickets about a month in advance, although some of my friends have purchased tickets nearer to the date. Obviously, living in Barcelona it’s not so urgent since we don’t need to buy flights or book hotels!
Speaking of hotels, it’s worth booking your hotel well in advance, or at least start monitoring the availability of hotels in the area you plan to stay. I recommend booking a hotel that offers free cancellation, just to be on the safe side.
Thank you so much for your reply, Richard – once again, very helpful!
I have started looking at hotels – primarily around Placa de Catalunya but also near the festival site as we are only really there for the festival – however, not finding much near there? The Ibis is sold out as I suppose is to be expected.
Hi Janine,
I’ve just had a quick look on Booking and most of the places nearby don’t have rooms available for the dates of the festival. Either they’re already fully booked or they’re just not renting rooms on Booking for those dates.
In previous years I’ve seen that the Ibis was fully booked months before the festival dates and then, the days that the festival was taking place, there were rooms available. You could book a hotel in the city centre for now and then look at the Ibis at the last minute and if rooms have become available book one and cancel the original booking.
Another hotel worth checking in the area is Catalonia La Maquinista which is an NH hotel located near to Can Zam. I’ve not stayed there myself but I’ve stayed in other hotels in the NH chain when travelling for work and they’re nice hotels, a step up from Ibis.
If you don’t find a hotel you like the look of near to Plaça de Catalunya, take a look near to the Gloriès metro station in Poblenou (L1 metro). It’s only four stops closer to the festival site so it’ll only save you about 5 minutes in travel time but there are several large hotels nearby which have rooms available for the festival dates at the moment.
Richard – this is a great help – thanks again.
You’re welcome, Janine. Let me know if you’ve any other questions.
Hello Richard, fortunately the Rockfest seems to be taking place in 2022. I bought my ticket for the cancelled Rockfest 2020 in November 2019 directly from RocknRock. However, I have nothing but a confirmation email from them freom 2019. Can you tell if these tickets are also valid for the 2022 festival? If so, how can I get my ticket? I come from Germany. Can I pick up my ticket somewhere with the email or will it be sent to me? I would be very happy about an answer from you. I wrote a Email with these questions to RocknRock, but they don´t answer. Greetings Martin
Hi Martin,
I think there’s a very good chance that Rock Fest Barcelona will go ahead this year!
As you know, I’ve no connection with the Rockfest organizers so at the moment I can only answer based on the information which is available on the Rock Fest Barcelona Website, their Facebook and Twitter accounts, from personal experience and some communication that I’ve had with them in the past.
You may have noticed that the website URL for the festival has changed and is now https://www.barcelonarockfest.com/ which makes me suspect that the organizers have changed. There is also not much information available on the new website at the moment.
However, there’s a pinned post on the Facebook page from December which says (in Spanish) that all previously purchased tickets will be valid for Barcelona Rock Fest 2022.
Based on this, I assume that the procedure will be the same as previous years ie. there will be a ticket office near the entrance to the site where you exchange the voucher for your ticket to the festival. You will also need to show your passport or ID card.
In the next few weeks, I’ll write to the festival organizers and see what additional information I can get and will post an update here.
Hello Richard, thank you for your fast and helpful reply. In the past years was the “voucher” just the printout of the confirmation Email or have you had another more formal document?
So we will wait for an update from the organizers and hope that we will all meet in June in Barcelona.
Greetings from Frankfurt
Martin
Hi Martin,
You’re right, I’ve just rechecked, you just need to show the email you received from Rocknrock when you pick up the tickets. If you want to see one of the first acts that play on the first day, you should make sure that you arrive early because there are normally queues the first day as everyone picks up their tickets and gets their wristbands fitted.
I’ve written to the organizers for confirmation that the tickets from 2019 will be valid and will post an update here as soon as I get a reply.
If I were you, I’d hold off on booking my flights until we get the confirmation. At least it looks like the festival will go ahead and the lineup is looking really good.
There are comments that the festival in 2022 is definitely cancelled, is there any news or confirmation about this besides the official website, because there is absolutely nothing there. No more bands are confirmed, no cancellation confirmed, nothing!!!
(Translated from Portuguese)
Hi Julio,
I hope you don’t mind that I translated your comment to English.
Where did you hear that Rock Fest 2022 has been cancelled? I’ve not heard anything about this and think that (assuming that everything stays the same with respect to the pandemic) it will more than likely go ahead as planned in 2022. Concerts and nightlife are once again allowed in Barcelona and a lot of bands seem to be planning tours for next year.
As for official announcements, I agree that it’s a little worrying that no more bands have been announced yet but can only assume that, after having to postpone the festival twice already, the festival organizers have decided to err on the side of caution. In previous years (pre- covid) they normally confirm the lineup sometime in December. In 2020 and 2021 the festival was postponed in May.
Hi, Are our tickets from the previously postponed Rockfest valid for 2022 or do we need to get them re-printed.
Thanking you in anticipation
Alex.
Hi Alex,
According to the official Rock Fest website (link in the article above) tickets purchased for Rock Fest 2020 will be valid for the 2022 edition. The website says that no action is needed so I assume that you won’t need to re-print the tickets. I expect that more information will be available closer to the date. Alternatively, you can e-mail the festival organizers at questions@rockfestbarcelona.com
Very useful! Many thanks for collecting and structuring all key details. The fest web site is very lacking in information, so I had to try to search somewhere else. Had many-many questions, and your post answered them all! Perfect. Just perfect. You rock! ;)
Hi Konstantin,
Thanks for your comment; I’m glad to hear that the post helped you out.
Hopefully, the COVID situation will have improved by the summer, and with a bit of luck, the festival will be able to go ahead this year.
Hello – do you know how much Vip tickets normally cost and what they include? We’ve been having a tough time finding information and haven’t heard back from the festival. Any information based on previous years would be helpful, otherwise we will just go ahead and buy the regular tickets.
Hi Anne,
Based on previous years, the VIP passes and one day tickets don’t usually go on sale until the complete lineup has been finalized. Usually around January or February.
I’ll update this post when more information is available.
VIP tickets for the 2020 edition cost €999.
I contacted the organizers in January to find out what was included in the 2020 VIP package. This is what they told me:
They also sent me some photographs of the VIP Area which give a pretty good idea of what to expect and let you see exactly where it is in relation to the main stages.
If you want me to send you the photos, get in touch via the contact form (click here).
Hope this helps.
Do you know whether Rock Fest will go ahead this year? I heard that Barcelona has been badly hit by Coronavirus.
Thanks
Hi Alan,
So far there’s been no official announcement about whether Rock fest will be cancelled or postponed due to the coronavirus.
On April seventeenth the festival organizers added a post to their website which included the following sentence:
So it looks like the festival will probably be postponed.
I check the website fairly regularly and will update this post as soon as there’s more information available. There’s a link to the website in the article above if you want to check for yourself.
Hope this helps.
Hi Alan,
Today the festival organizers have anounced that Rockfest has been postponed until 2021. More information as it becomes available in the article above.
Hi,
I only want to go to the festival for the day that Judas Priest and KISS are playing but can’t see any information about single day tickets. Do you know if this is possible?
Thanks!
Hi Jim,
Based on previous years, there will be one-day tickets available but they don’t go on sale until the complete lineup has been announced.
I’ll update the post as soon as more tickets are available. I recommend you check back again early in the new year.
Hi Richard,
Very informative article thank you.
I am interested in purchasing the 3-day VIP tickets at EUR 999 each. That is one thing that is not specifically covered in your article, or if it is, then I did not catch it.
The information about what is included in the price of these tickets at the point of purchase is very broad-brushed and does not do a great job at selling these expensive tickets.
They should have dedicated a section just explaining what is included, a map of where the VIP areas are located including VIP toilets, pick-up and drop-off point if VIP shuttle and anything else that may be part of this package.
I will still buy the tickets and hope that my expectations will be met. If not, watching Lynard Skynard alone will make up for any shortfall.
Hi Daniel,
I’ve not included any information about the VIP passes because I haven’t purchased them and therefore have no personal experience to share.
As you say, the information on the Rock Fest website is quite limited but they seem to include a transfer service, priority access, merchandising kit, some food and drink, access to the VIP area with a bar and toilets and cost €999.
All I can add to this is that I’ve seen the VIP area in previous editions and it’s a fenced-off zone with a small bar to one side of the field about halfway back (near to the food truck area and autograph signing tent).
If you take a look at the 5th picture in the article above (the one which shows a general view of the site) on the left side of the photo (behind the guy in the red shirt) there’s a tree with a bit of black fence below it. That is part of the fence around the VIP area.
I imagine that people inside the VIP area can see over the top of the fence and judging from the location, I expect that you would probably get an indirect view of Stage Rock but little-to-no view at all of Stage Fest.
Obviously, this is purely speculation on my part since I haven’t been inside the VIP area.
If I where you, before deciding to purchase VIP tickets I’d contact the Rock Fest organizers and ask them to tell you more about what is included in the package. Their email is: info@rockfestbarcelona.com
If you decide to write to them, I’d appreciate it if you could let us know what they say. If you have any other more general questions about the festival, let me know and I’ll do my best to help.
Hi there,
I have come back to the UK from Barcelona Metal fest.
All that I can say is that I had an amazing Birthday there.
Watched VENOM & ARCH ENEMY TILL 2.00 AM!!
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
Any chance that you can add these bands to next years Festival???
SEMBLANT, BABYMETAL ( A Perfect Headliner for one of the Nights)
JINJER, DORO, DELAIN, ABBATH, AMARANTHE, EXUMER, KAMELOT & HOLY MOSES. All these would be amazing to see at Barcelona Metal fest.
Hi Barry,
Happy belated birthday, glad to hear you had a great time here in Barcelona!
Unfortunately, I’m not involved in organizing Rock Fest, just a blogger who shares useful information and tips to help first-time visitors enjoy the festival.
I suggest you check out the festival’s facebook page.
A few days ago they posted a survey asking festival-goers for their opinions about this year’s festival.
One of the questions was Which 3 bands would you like to see at Rock fest 2020 ?
I’ve already submitted my request ;-)
oi richard! vou no rock fest barcelona 2019. vou ficar hospetado no hotel factory house hostel, rua carrer de molist, 5, 08024 barcelona. qual o melhor meio de transporte pra ir no evento, e onde pegar.
Hi Jose,
Sorry I haven’t replied sooner, for some reason your comment got marked as spam by my anti-spam software and I only just saw it now.
That address is away from the centre of Barcelona near to Park Güell.
To get to the festival your best bet would probably be to take the H6 bus to Fabra i Puig where you catch the L1 metro to Fondo followed by the L9N to Can Zam. This should take about 50 minutes.
For the return trip after the show finishes (late at night) you could take the N6 night bus from the festival site to Camèlies – Pau Alsina which is a 5 minute walk from your hostel. The only drawback is that this route does a big loop of Barcelona and it will take about an hour and a half to get there. If you take a look at the map of the route you’ll see why!
It will probably be quicker to catch one of the special extra buses to Plaça de Catalunya (more information in the article) and then catch the N6 from there.
You can use the T-10 ticket for all these routes. Each journey between your hostel and the festival site will count as one of the 10 trips and cost €1.01.
Hey Richard,
Thanks for this article and all the information. Helps first time visitors like me immensely :)
I’m from India planning to travel from Dubai. I haven’t booked anything yet but plan to book soon within the next couple of weeks.
I’ll be travelling solo so I just wanted to understand is there a forum or group or anything similar to meet up with solo visitors or the like. Am sure once inside the venue, people will be completely into the music so it’d be good to catch up with fans who are travelling from outside Spain or locals.
Keep up the good work.
Cheers
ian
Hi Ian,
I’ve not tried them myself but there are several international (ie. English speaking) groups on meetup.com for Barcelona.
You could also try posting on the Rock Fest Barcelona facebook page.
I would like to go for the Def Leppard day on Sunday July 7, 2019, will be flying into Barcelona.
What time do the headliners come on and play to? Not knowing the city, I would rather get metro train at about 1115pm. Is this possible?
Be good,
Edward Creighton
Hi Edward,
It’s possible but, based on previous years, the main headliners normally go on stage at around 11pm so you would miss most of Def Leppard’s set.
Last year the festival was from Thursday to Saturday but in 2017 Aerosmith headlined on the Sunday and (as far as I can remember) finished after midnight. Plus there are other bands who play after the headliners so it’s worth staying on later.
It’s really not a problem though because there are extra night buses laid on during the festival including a special bus which runs directly to Plaça de Catalunya and only stops at Plaça de les Glories, Plaça de Tetuan and Plaça de Catalunya.
As soon as more information about the bands and schedule for this year’s festival are available I’ll update the article. In the meantime, I suggest you book a hotel near to Plaça de Catalunya. You’ll be pleasantly surprised by how easy it is to get the night bus back to your hotel after the gig. The bus stop is shown on the map in the article.
Many thanks for the reply Richard, will get onto booking my tickets.
Hi Edward,
You’re welcome. If you’ve any more questions feel free to ask.
Update:
The schedule for Rock Fest 2019 has now been announced.
Def Leppard will play from 23:00 until 00:30
Does anyone know if there are VIP tickets to this festival? I went to Firenze rocks last year and it was amazing
Hi Joann,
Nothing’s been announced yet but based on previous editions I expect that VIP tickets will be available.
As soon as I hear anything I’ll update the post with more information.
Hi, is it allowed to bring a cell phone or a camera inside?
Hi Frank,
Unfortunately there’s no clear answer to this question on the Rock Fest website or facebook page so the only answer I can give is that I don’t know.
Having said that, there are various photo opportunities (a giant guitar and drum kit etc…) set up around the site so I think that it’s safe to assume that photos for personal and non-comercial usea are allowed.
Plus there is normally an app for the event which includes the schedule of bands. So I’d say that it’s safe to assume that cellphones are allowed on site.
From my experience last year there were plenty of people filming and taking photos with their phones. Plus there was no mention of phones at the security check at the entrance to the site.
On the other hand, there is information on the Rock fest website about press passes in which it makes it clear that the number of professional photographers is strictly limited.
You do get searched at the entrance so personally speaking, although a compact camera might be OK, I wouldn’t risk taking a DSLR just in case.
If you really want to take a camera onsite I suggest you contact the organizers via the email address which apears on their website (see link in the article above).
I’ll be at Rock Fest again this year and will try to get a difinitive answer when I’m there.
Update:
Yesterday afternoon I asked the security staff at the entrance to Rockfest whether cameras were allowed on site and they told me that it was OK.
However, I picked up a copy of the Rock Fest Barcelona program where it states:
“It is prohibited to enter the festival with professional cameras and video cameras, food, drink, bottles, jars, glass objects and weapons, spays and laser pointers.”
So, although the definition of what constitutes a professional camera isn’t exactly clear, it seems that mobile phones and compact / bridge cameras are allowed whereas DSLR cameras and video cameras aren’t allowed.
Hi, I’m in your picture from Friday afternoon.
Hi Jacob,
Will you be at Rock Fest again this year?
Let me know if you want me to send you a hi-res copy of the photo.
Thanks for the info! VERY helpful!
Is re-entry allowed on a single day ticket? Can we come watch a couple bands, then leave (go to Barca/Beach), then return for the headliners?
Hi Wa,
I’m glad you found the post helpful.
Yes, one-day tickets are also exchanged for wrist-bands allowing you to exit and re-enter the festival site.
Hi Richard,
do you know if it is possible to get the wristband on the day before the festival starts?
Thanks,
ed_force_one
Hi,
Last year you could get your wristband fitted the day before the festival started at the FNAC music store at the La Maquinista shopping centre.
See my reply to ZZ below for more information about this.
The Rock Fest organizers haven’t announced whether they will be doing this again this year but I imagine they will.
As soon as I have more information I will update the post / comments.
Hi Ed,
Today it has been announced that they will be issueing wristbands at 2 FNAC stores on the 3rd and 4th of July. More information in the article above.
Hi Richard,
thanks for your help!
By the way, what do you mean with “beer cost €3 or €9”? Are there different sorts of beer or different sizes?
Hi Ed,
You’re welcome and the different beer prices were for different sizes, 0.3l or 1l I think.
Hi again,
Just to let you know that they have changed the schedule for fitting wristbands in the FNAC stores in Barcelona. I’ve updated the post.
Hi Richard,
Thanks for your awesome post! This is my first year and I bought colored collectible tickets on RocknRock last year, but only got one confirmation email.
No mention of exchange ticket using voucher.
So I assume just use that email? Can I exchange before the first day because I want to get closer to the stage and don’t want to waste time exchanging the ticket?
Help us if you would.
Thank you so much!
Hello ZZ,
I purchase my tickets locally so have no experience picking up tickets myself.
According to the information on the Rockfest website, you should have received a confirmation email. They don’t say anything about vouchers or coupons. It looks like you just need to take the confirmation email and your passport / ID card (DNI) with you to pick up the tickets from the box office at the Rock fest site. Once you’ve got your ticket you then get fitted with a wristband which gives you access to the festival site.
Last year, in the days leading up to the festival, there were promotional events staged at different FNAC record stores in Barcelona.
At these events, they issued wristbands to people who either had the standard 3-day ticket or (in the case of the coloured collectors’ ticket) brought their confirmation email and passport /DNI with them.
Then on the last 2 days before the festival, they issued wristbands throughout the day at selected FNAC stores. One day was the FNAC in the city centre the other was at the La Maquinista shopping centre.
They haven’t confirmed that they’ll do the same this year yet but I imagine they will.
I’ll try and remember to update this comment as soon as there’s more information available. If not, feel free to remind me ;-)
Hi Richard,
Thank you for such detailed answer! I’ll keep an eye for the FNAC store thing.
All the best.
You’re welcome. I’ll update the comments as soon as I hear anything.
Hi ZZ,
Today the Barcelona Rock Fest organizers have announced that they will be fitting wristbands at 2 FNAC stores in Barcelona on the 3rd and 4th of July. More info about which stores in the blog post above.
Hi Richard,
Thank you! I just saw the info.
Will exchange during that time.
Hi ZZ,
You’re welcome. Remember that you can only get the wristband fitted in advance if you’ve purchased a full 3 day ticket for Rock Fest.
This year I think I’ll do the same. More than anything, so that I’ve got some first hand experience of the process.
Not long now!
Hi again ZZ,
Just to let you know that today it was announced that the schedule for fitting wristbands at the FNAC stores has been changed around.
I’ve already updated the post.
Hi Richard ,
I love your site Thank You…
Any suggestions on a reasonable hotel to get to the Festival and back?
your help would be much appreciated
Thank You
frank Uk
Hi Frank,
I’m not the best person to give hotel recommendations since I live here in Barcelona and haven’t stayed in a hotel or hostel here for over 15 years.
I can only make recommendations based on location and the reviews that they get online.
As mentioned in the article and comments section below. I think that it’s best to stay in Barcelona city centre and use public transport to get to the festival site. That way you can make use of your mornings and any additional days that you are here before and after the Rock Fest to enjoy Barcelona.
I recommend that you look for a hotel or hostel which is near to Plaça de Catalunya because it’s central and well connected to the festival site. Failing this my second choice would be near to the Glories metro stop. Both are on the L1 metro line and to the night bus route for getting back after the metro stops running (Thursday night the metro stops running at midnight, Friday night the metro runs until 2 am and Saturday night the metro runs non-stop 24 hours until Sunday night).
I’ve just had a quick look on Booking and the hotel I suggested to Rodrigo in an earlier comment still has rooms available for the dates of Barcelona Rock Fest. As I said before I haven’t stayed there myself but it gets good reviews on Booking and is located next to Plaça de Catalunya.
I hope this helps.
Hi Richard,
Many thanks for your reply. It is much appreciated.
Are the times of the festival really? Seem very late timings? Please could you confirm.
Day 1; Gates open – 13:30, First band – 14:30, Last band – 03:05
Day 2; Gates open – 11:30, First band – 12:40, Last band – 03:45
Day 3; Gates open – 11:30, First band – 12:30, Last band – 01:30
Also I know you recommend staying in the City but Not sure If we want to be there full time? How difficult would it a. to get into Barca and b. More importantly get back from the fest from
Allella, Mollet, Badalona, Montgat? Castelifdels? Would a taxi be expensive? would a bus / train run these ways?
Any advice you could give would be much appreciated.
Best regards
Frank
Hi Frank,
Those are the times from last year, this years timings haven’t been announced yet but I expect that they will be similar.
Having said that, last year the headlining acts had played their sets by 1 or 2 am.
Sure, you could stay in one of the towns which you have listed although I don’t recommend you stay in Castelldefels because it is the other side of Barcelona.
Of the towns you have listed I would probably choose Badalona. A taxi between Badalona and Can Zam would cost about €10 to €15 depending on the time of day. It’s also very easy and fast to get from Badalona to the centre of Barcelona by train (line R1) and metro (L2). Plus Badalona has a nice sandy beach with attractive promenade.
You can check the public transport connections to and from Can Zam here and taxi fares here.
Hi Richard,
Many thanks for your help….Much appreciated
Best regards
Frank
You’re welcome.
Hi Richard,
I hope you are well? Tickets and flights all booked but no hotel yet…Just confusing esp the outer areas?
Looking at Travelodge Poblenou? Area seems ok.. fairly good reviews Any thoughts Says 50 mins to Can Zam by tube… 16 mins by taxi from Placa De catalunya Taxi Approx 10 euro.. 30 euro by taxi from airport.. Seems ok to me trusted name hotel.. Get back to Placa Catalunya by bus from the Gig then taxi to poblenou..Would a taxi be relatively easy to get at a late hour? What do you think ? Please let me know ASAP as the wife is panicking I aint booked a hotel yet… Cheers Frank
Hi Frank,
That hotel is in a nice residential area of Barcelona right next to La Rambla del Poblenou where there are plenty of restaurants and bars. It’s also close to the beach. There’s a very good Pizzeria right nearby called Madre Lievito (Neapolitan style pizzas).
Although there should be plenty of taxis available at Plaça de Catalunya, you’d be better off catching the N6 night bus direct from Can Zam to Poblenou.
There will be signs near to the entrance/exit to the festival which direct you to the nearest stop on the N6 route. The stop nearest your hotel is at the intersection of Carrer de Pujades and Carrer de la Llacuna stop number 2741.
Although it’s not in the centre of Barcelona I think the Travelodge would be a good choice for Rockfest. As you say it’s part of a well known hotel chain. By the way, if you do stay there I’d be interested to hear how it works out for you. It would be useful information for other readers.
Hi Richard,
For some reason I cant reply to your post below? But thank you so much for your help.
I have booked the Travelodge for a week so a little sight seeing and a trip to Montserat. so I will let you know how I get on..If your in the area anytime gladly buy you a beer or at the fest…A valuable insight into everything Much appreciated… Roll On July..Let’s ROCK
You’re welcome Frank. Have a great week in Barcelona and if you have any more questions feel free to ask.
HI Richard, could you please clarify about campsite? My I live there for all fest days, once I’ve bought an entrance ticket? Will they provide me a tent or smth like that, or I need to take care of it by myself?
Thanks
Hi Alexey,
The campsite is located at Montmelò and you can camp there from July 4th to July 8th inclusive. You have to buy a camping ticket which costs €25 per person for the campsite or €35 per person for the campsite plus transport to and from the festival venue in shuttle buses (plus booking fee) for the duration of the festival.
Camping tickets can be purchased online from Ticketmaster (see link in the article above)
The campsite is equipped with toilets, showers, mobile phone charging points and a car park. You have to bring your own tent and sleeping bag etc.
Ther’s more information including a photo showing the exact location of the campsite on the Rockfest Barcelona website.
Hi Richard,
Thanks a lot for the wonderful guide you have set up in this website. It is a big help. I am from Malta and Me and we (wife and 2 kids aged 14 and 8) are planning to attend Rockfest Barcelona. I was wondering if you have/know any information about the VIP Travel Package they offer, like which Hotel they use, what options are there for a family of four (2 Adults and 2 Kids (14 & 8)). How many packages I have to buy since I believe that my 8 year old has free entrance to the festival…Are there any other options? Any info you can give is greatly appreciate Richard.
Cheers
John
Hi John,
Thanks for your comment, that’s a very good question. I had a search of the Rockfest website and Facebook page but couldn’t find the answer either. So in the end I contacted the organizers via the email which appears on the website (see link in the article above).
This is what they told me:
That your 8-year-old doesn’t have to pay to enter the festival and that he can also stay for free with you in the hotel. You just need to pay for 3 full travel packages and they’d put the 4 of you in one family room.
The hotel that you will stay at is the Hotel Front Maritim which is a 4-star hotel near Diagonal mar that gets pretty good reviews on Booking.
They also told me that they will be laying on hourly minibuses to and from the festival site from midday until 4 am.
If you’re interested in that offer you should contact them by mail to confirm and also to arrange the transfer from the airport.
I’m not familiar with that hotel but it gets decent reviews and the location is handy for the beach. It’s about half an hour from the centre of Barcelona by public transport. So although not ideal for sightseeing it’s still an OK location if you want to do a bit of tourism while you’re here. It’s quite near to the Rambla del Poblenou where there are some nice bars and restaurants.
Doing the maths, the normal ticket costs 186.50 per person whereas the travel package costs 899,00. When you multiply that by 3 that’s a difference of €2137.50. To be honest I think you’d be better off organizing things yourself.
I’ve checked on booking and that hotel normally costs €192.60 per night for a double or twin room during July. Alternatively, there are budget hotels in the centre of Barcelona with family rooms for about €200 per night.
Transport to and from the festival by public transport for the four of you will work out at €8.16 per day (purchase a T10 travel card and share it between the 4 of you).
Before you arrive you should download the responsibility disclaimer form from the rockfest website. You will have to fill it in with your children’s details and hand it in when you arrive at the festival.
Your youngest is also eligible for a free Rockfest T-shirt which you have to order online here.
Hi Richard,
Thanks a real lot for this thorough information…./a real help!! We were planning to spend some extra days after the festival venturing around Barcelona so ultimately we would need another Hotel to stay in. The Hotel Maritim is quite expensive to stay in for a week since to book it by myself I have to get 2 rooms (no rooms for 4 it seems), so we are exploring different options. Our main concern is travelling with the kids especially after the concert. I read that there would be quite some “panic” to catch a bus/taxi so I was trying to find a more easy way to get back to the Hotel (hassle free)! Again, thanks a lot, if you can offer any other suggestions (mostly regarding getting back to the hotel hassle free), it would be greatly appreciated.
John
Hi John,
I don’t know where you read that there was panic to get the night bus or taxi. My experience last year was that there were queues but they were well organized. In fact I was surprised by how well the night buses were organized.
We caught the bus and I do remember that the queue for taxis seemed to be longer. I can’t remember how long we had to wait exactly but at a guess I would say that it was about half an hour.
There were attendants by the bus stops to help you. You just had to tell them where in Barcelona you wanted to go and they told you which queue you should be in.
Last year, in addition to the regular night bus routes there was an additional bus laid on which went straight to Plaça de Catalunya and only stopped at Plaça de les Glòries and Plaça de Tetuán. I imagine that they will do the same this year and if I was you I’d try and get a hotel near to one of these locations.
Remember that on Saturday night the metro runs all night long and on Friday night it runs until 2am.
By the way, since you’re planning to spend a few extra days in Barcelona, I just thought I’d mention that Guns n Roses are playing here on the Sunday before Rock Fest. Not sure whether it’s sold out yet, I bought our tickets as soon as they went on sale last year.
Hi Richard,
First of all thanks a lot for your help. Thanks to your suggestion we booked the Hotel/Concert Tickets/Airline and we’re all set to go!! Thanks a lot.
Richard.
If I may, can I ask your advice about airport transfer. Due to flight constraints we will be landing at Barcelona Girona Airport at about 16:00. Our Hotel is situated at Cerdanyola del Vallès. What is the best means of transport to get there in the shortest time possible. By bus/train it takes more than 2 hours and we would prefer a shorter time. I checked some Taxis options….the standard transfer are quite costly via taxi but then I found welcomepickups and gettransfer which offer quite a cheap price for the same trip. Are these reliable ‘taxis’ to use for a family of four? As always any suggestions you offer are GREATLY appreciated. Thanks a lot for the help you already offered.
John
Hi John,
Glad to hear that you’ve got everything sorted.
I guess that you are planning to fly with Ryanair right?
Funnily enough, my family and I have just got back from 4 days in Malta and flew Ryanair from BCN. Living in Barcelona and visiting Malta, the early morning flight out and late return worked well for maximizing our time. I can see that it wouldn’t be ideal if coming the other way though.
Anyway, back to your questions…
The direct bus from Girona airport to Barcelona city centre takes about an hour and a half so 2 hours to Cerdanyola del Vallés seems about right to me.
I’ve no experience with either of the transfer companies you mentioned so the only thing that I can suggest is that you check reviews online before booking. Also, you can check the quotes that you have received with the price given by this website which should give a good idea of the price of catching a cab from the taxi rank at the airport without booking. I’ve not caught a taxi from Girona airport but from BCN the prices quoted are pretty accurate.
Hi Richard,
Thanks areal lot for all the help. I will take heed of all the valuable suggestions you offered and finalize the planning of this trip. Next time you are in Malta I’ll be glad to meet up and have a couple of beers together!! CHEERS Mate!!
Hi John,
You’re welcome, and thanks for the offer of a beer.
If you have any more questions feel free to ask.
Hi Richard,
I’m from Brazil and I’m planning on going to the festival and it looks like Ibis Hotel near the festival is with no more vacancy, I believe most of the bands crew are to be at the Ibis Hotel.
Anyways, I’m looking for a hotel at Barcelona center as I do’t like staying at Hostels, any good hotel would you recommend? I saw at booking.com the NH Barcelona La Maquinista just 10 mins from the festival but it’s quite expensive.
I’m also thinking of to rent a car with GPS as I think it would be better for me to locate the festival and also the hotel and a visit to the Camp Nou Stadium.
Looking forward to some help from you.
Thanks!
Hi Rodrigo,
As you say, it looks like the Ibis is already fully booked for those dates. I’m surprised that it’s booked up so quickly this year but as you say it’s probably due to the fact that musicians and staff who work at the festival will be staying there.
Last year, out of curiosity, I checked the availability on Booking while Rockfest was taking place and there were still rooms available for all but the last day. If I were you and wanted to stay right at the festival site I’d book a room in the centre which allows free cancellation and then check again nearer to the dates and see if any rooms have become available (due to cancellation or whatever).
Obviously, since I live here in Barcelona I haven’t stayed in any hotels here. When I first arrived I stayed in a hostal for a few weeks but that was more than 15 years ago. So I can only make suggestions based on location and reviews or comments that I have read online.
Since you don’t mention what your budget is I have had a quick search on Booking and found this hotel which has single rooms available for just €80 per night including breakfast and gets good reviews. It’s in the centre of Barcelona, good for sightseeing and close to a metro stop on the red line. It will take about 45 minutes to get from the hotel to the festival site at Can Zam by metro (the metro stop is right in front of the entrance to Rock fest.
If you’ll be staying in Barcelona I don’t think that it makes sense to rent a car to get to the festival. Firstly because you will have to spend about €25 per night per night for a carpark in the centre of Barcelona. Secondly, there is a free carpark laid on at Rock fest but (based on previous years) it fills up very early so you might end up having to search for a public car park somewhere near the festival site.
Hi Richard,
Thanks a lot for the tips and this looks like a very nice hotel to stay, I’ll sure book on this one.
I’m just worried about the car thing you mentioned, so this means that the hotel doesn’t have a carpark and I would have to spend EUR 25,00 per night? And also a possible car park near the festival I was already with that on mind.
I was thinking before of not renting a car and go by metro but since the festival will end after midnight, I’m not quite sure I’ll be able to get a metro back to the hotel or maybe get a wrong one and get lost in the Barcelona centre hahaha… that’s why in my mind I think of going by car with GPS which I saw on rentalcars.com it’s not so expensive.
I’m planning on to take EUR 300,00 for the 5 days but I’m now thinking of to raise to a EUR 400,00 for the 5 days. Do you think this will be enough considering food, beverage, carparking and a visit to the Camp Nou?
Thanks a lot again.
Hi Richard,
It’s me again. :)
I have done some research today over the parking stuff you mentioned and also looked out for the nearby of the hotel in Google Maps and I would prefer a lot to rent a car then to get the metro and I saw that there is a parking lot just close to the hotel “Parking Saba Plaza Cataluña” where a daily parking there is EUR 25,00 but I found out this site parclick where I can save a spot on the parking for 6 days for only EUR 80,00 … I believe this site is secure, do you know if that works well?
So, my overall question would be if EUR 400,00 would be enough for the 6 days of my trip (04/Jul to 09/Jul) considering food, beverage, carparking at the Festival, gasoline for the car and a visit to the Camp Nou?
If you have any other tips to share, I would highly appreciate.
Thanks!
Hi Rodrigo.
I hadn’t heard of that website before but, as you say, €80 for 5 nights parking in central Barcelona is a good price.
Can Zam is about 12km from Plaça de Catalunya, petrol costs about €1.35 per litre. Assuming that you will be picking up the car at the airport and using it to get to your hotel, I imagine you’ll probably end up spending around €20 to €25 on petrol. Check the hire company’s fuel policy before you return the car because most of them want you to return the car full and will charge you a higher price if they have to re-fill it.
As I mentioned before there will be a free car park laid on by the Barcelona Rock Fest organizers but it normally fills up early.
If it’s full then there’s a car park next to the Ibis hotel which charges €25 per day for the 3 days of the Rock Fest (Parking Cubics Promoparc).
The only free car park I know of in the area is at the La Maquinista shopping centre which is a 10-minute taxi ride or 30-minute walk from the festival site! If you do end up parking at La Maquinista make sure you park in the open air car park because the multi-storey car park closes at night!
Don’t leave anything inside the car when you park it or at least if you leave something make sure it’s in the boot and out of sight.
One recommendation that I always give people who will be visiting Barcelona is to eat your main meal at lunchtime. Most restaurants serve a lunchtime daily menu which costs between €10 and €15 and includes 3 courses and a drink. Expect to pay about €5 more at the weekend.
In your case, I’d suggest you eat lunch in Barcelona before you go to the festival and then you’ll just need to spend €15 for some noodles or a burger from one of the food-trucks and a couple of drinks in the evening. Plus you should allow about €5 for soft drinks to keep you hydrated throughout the day. Since you’ll be driving I’m assuming that you’re not planning on drinking much beer!
The evenings that you’re not at the festival you can expect to spend about €25 per person for a meal in a restaurant. Or you could have tapas and beer in a bar for about €15. You can save money by avoiding the bars and restaurants on La Rambla who cater principally for tourists.
The Camp Nou Experience costs €25 and the hotel mentioned above includes breakfast. If you want to save money on food and drink there’s a Carrefour supermarket near to your hotel as well as the Boqueria food market. Remember that you’re not allowed to take food or drink into the Rockfest site and they do search bags at the entrance.
As you can see I think you’ll be able to stay within your budget. Even so, I still think you’d be better off using public transport. There are plenty of extra night buses laid on to take you from the festival site to Plaça de Catalunya :-)
Thanks a lot once again for the help you sending me Richard.
This week I’ll be finishing to book everything and I’m highly considering to not rent the car and take out the metro and night buses.
Maybe as you mentioned before, the Ibis at Santa Coloma might end up showing one spot and then I can cancel the one at Barcelona centre and get the Ibis which would be much better for me.
bjr …y aura t il des pass une journee?? ET A QUANT SERONT ILS MIS EN VENTE ..MERCI BEAUCOUP PAR AVANCE
Hi Bouchard,
Yes there will be one day tickets available although they aren’t on sale yet and the prices haven’t been announced.
Last year the one day ticket cost about half the price of the three day ticket.
As soon as I know more I’ll update the post.
One day tickets for Rockfest Barcelona are now available, full information in the post above.