Residents Left Out as Concert Tickets Sell Out
With a jazz concert at Park Güell on 12 October selling out before local residents were notified, Junts and BComú have formally requested more transparency in how event information is shared with the community. The event is part of a broader cultural programme at the park, which hosted concerts and open-air cinema in 2023 as part of initiatives organised with the Barcelona History Museum (MUHBA) under Barcelona de Serveis Municipals (BSM). BComú councillors have asked for details on the registration process, the time it took for tickets to sell out, and the mechanism in place to reserve tickets for local residents. Junts has gone further, calling for a formal system that guarantees residents priority access to tickets and direct communication about upcoming events.
Public Hearing to Address Community Concerns
The requests come ahead of the first public hearing of the season in Gràcia, scheduled for Tuesday 29 September at 6 p.m. Since 2020, access to the entire Park Güell site has been regulated to balance tourism with local use, reducing overall capacity from 9 million to 4.5 million visitors annually according to the Barcelona City Council. Residents in the six surrounding neighbourhoods, La Salut, Vallcarca-Penitents, El Coll, Can Baró, Baix Guinardó and El Carmel, as well as students from nearby schools, have exclusive access during specific time slots and can use a local resident card for entry during general opening hours. In 2023, over 500,000 Barcelona residents used the card to visit, a 37% increase from the previous year (BSM, 2023).
Parking Changes and Motorbike Enforcement Debated
Meanwhile, the Popular Party has called for an increase in green zone and motorcycle parking spaces across the Gràcia district, citing the loss of 80 green spaces and 103 motorcycle spots in Vila de Gràcia between 2023 and 2026. The group notes that 95% of green zone losses are concentrated in Vallcarca i els Penitents, El Coll, and La Salut. A new regulated parking zone, Zone 30, is set to be implemented in these areas, with signage work beginning on 25 October and activation scheduled for 29 November (AREA). The zone will prioritise residents with 858 green spaces, while also introducing 400 designated motorcycle parking spaces. The party also urged action against illegal motorcycle parking on sidewalks, referencing ongoing concerns in areas like the Jardinets de Gràcia (Regió7, 2026). A 2022 initiative in Vila de Gràcia had reduced improperly parked motorcycles by 70% (El Periòdico, 2022), but enforcement remains a live issue.
Primary sources: Barcelona City Council. Reported by bsmsa.cat, areaverda.cat, independent.cat, beteve.cat, en.ara.cat, ACLAM CLUB, regio7.cat, elnacional.cat, elperiodico.cat, decidim.barcelona.
