Students at the 2026 Barcelona Bluegrass Camp – photo © Josep Ponsa Camps
The Mediterranean sun might have taken a break for a rainy Saturday in Barcelona over the weekend, but inside the classrooms and bars of the Gràcia neighborhood, the spirit was as bright as a mandolin break! From March 12–15, the 11th annual Barcelona Bluegrass Camp (BBC) once again proved why it has become a bucket-list destination for European pickers.
Organized by the tireless Al Ras Association team—including Xavier Cardús, Lluís Gómez, Joan Manel Hernàndez, Jorge Rodriguez, Ignacio Cardús, Kehren Barbour, and Maribel Rivero—the camp continues to strike that rare balance between high-level technical instruction and a genuine community gathering.
The weekend kicked off on Thursday with an intimate house concert for 30 people at Casa Magí, setting a warm, personal tone for the days to follow. This year, the camp felt more supported than ever thanks to the hospitality of the people at Centre Cívic La Sedeta, and the staff at the La Sedeta Bar.
The faculty this year was a bridge between traditions. Emory Lester (USA) provided master-level mandolin instruction, while Czech virtuosos Ondra Kozák and Jakub Racek led deep dives into bluegrass fiddle and guitar. Once again we had the great old-time fiddler Mitch Depew. Though originally from the US, Mitch now calls Granada home; he brings a focus on the driving, rhythmic pulse of old-time fiddle, a style that always finds a hungry audience in Barcelona.
When the formal workshops at the Centre Cívic La Sedeta wrapped up, the action shifted just a few steps away to the La Sedeta bar. There’s something special about hearing a Bill Monroe tune ringing out in a Catalan bar, by wine, vermouth, and the shared language of the fingerboard.
The weekend had a family feel thanks to the Bluegrass Kids program. During their showcase, the audience got a taste of how the next generation is making the music their own. As they stepped up to the mics, one of the kids leaned in to give the count-in. Instead of a standard “one, two,” they shouted out “Sis, set!”—the Catalan translation of the “six-seven” meme currently making the rounds with kids everywhere. The performer immediately cracked up, the audience joined in, and it was a perfect reminder that while we teach them the old songs, they bring their own modern, local energy to the stage.
The festivities wrapped up on Sunday at the legendary El Barn d’en Greg. This year, the venue hosted a full concert featuring the faculty in various configurations, followed by a sprawling farewell jam. It was the perfect send-off for a weekend that, despite the weather, felt like a warm homecoming for the European bluegrass family.
Whether it was Emory Lester playing a classic mandolin run or the Kids playing Rocky Top, the 11th Barcelona Bluegrass Camp was a weekend to remember.
¡Visca el Bluegrass!
