The Bib-Ramblers at the 2026 Al Ras Festival in Barcelona – photo © Josep Ponsa Camps
The Al Ras Bluegrass & Old Time Festival just wrapped its 25th edition, and for five days in November, Barcelona and its surroundings became the bluegrass capital of southern Europe. It’s a milestone for a festival that started a quarter century ago, when banjoist Lluís Gómez and a handful of friends gathered at Gallecs, a rural park near Mollet del Vallès, to pick bluegrass, a music still virtually unknown to local Catalans. Those early gatherings were made possible with the support of the Associació de Veïns i Amics de Gallecs, and in particular the late Amèlia Puente and Carles Navarro, whose generosity helped give the festival its first home. Twenty-five years later, the community that grew from those informal sessions is thriving, and the festival that bears its name has become a fixture on the European bluegrass calendar.
Like any volunteer-run organization, the personnel have come and gone over the years, and the venues have shifted. But the thread that runs through all 25 editions is Lluís himself, whose tireless organizing has kept this thing alive. “What makes me happiest is seeing this whole community,” Lluís said during the anniversary celebration. When he reached out to past participants for the 25th, the answer was unanimous: everyone wanted to come back.
Wednesday: House Concert at Casa Magi
The festival opened on Wednesday evening with an intimate house concert at Casa Magi in Vilassar de Mar, the workshop complex of a local violin luthier. It was the perfect setting for Czech multi-instrumentalist Ondra Kozák, who has become a great friend of Barcelona over the years, returning regularly to teach at the Barcelona Bluegrass Camp and perform at the festival. Ondra, who recently joined the board of directors of the IBMA, moved between a Spiral Sun guitar built by local luthier Jorge Rodríguez , a five-string fiddle, dobro, and mandolin. He was joined by banjoist Alexey Chudinov and luthier/fiddler Aogu Shimasaki, who contributed a lovely rendition of Lonesome Moonlight Waltz. Lluís Gómez sat in on several numbers. Unfortunately, Ondra’s regular musical partner Radim Zenkl was unable to make it this year due to illness. We wish him a speedy recovery.
Thursday: Tradicionàrius
Thursday moved the action to Centre Artesà Tradicionàrius, a music center in Barcelona’s Gràcia neighborhood dedicated to traditional music, with classrooms, a world-class stage, and of course a bar. This was the night that visitors from around Europe started arriving, and it was a great time catching up with old friends over the pre-concert jam.
The Bib-Ramblers opened the evening. Hailing from Granada and led by Mitch Depew, a first-place banjo and second-place fiddle winner at Galax, they delivered a great set of old-time music, including a memorable Walking in My Sleep. Mitch has done a tremendous job bringing old-time music to the Iberian Peninsula, and it showed.
Ondra Kozák followed with another strong set, this time with Jorge Rodríguez on his own Spiral Sun guitar and the full Al Ras crew joining in. The evening closed the way every night of the festival would close, with everyone on stage for Will the Circle Be Unbroken. Afterwards, the jam continued at the bar and spilled into nearby establishments well into the night.
Friday: La Sedeta
Friday’s concerts were held at Centre Cívic La Sedeta, the home of the Barcelona Bluegrass Camp. La Sedeta is an old silk-stocking factory in the Eixample district that has been converted into a civic center. It houses a grade school, practice rooms, a stage hall, classrooms, and of course a bar. The jams were going inside the bar and out on the patio as old musical friends reconnected.
Ondra opened with yet another fresh set. His take on Angeline the Baker was a standout, and he brought Jorge up for Angel’s Waltz, and Lluís for an original, Barcelona Castaway.
Then came the surprise of the festival: Piotr Bułas & Garage Folks from Poland. They tore through original compositions like PT47, Road to Joniec, and Memories Fly Away, and had the crowd on their feet. Fiddler Weronika Plutecka was a standout. Piotr Bułas is also an accomplished instrument maker, and his banjos have earned a reputation for quality on both sides of the Atlantic. The concert hall was standing room only, and the energy in the room was something special. The night closed with all performers joining for Road to Columbus and the obligatory Will the Circle Be Unbroken.
Saturday: Mollet — The Main Event
Saturday is always the big day, and the 25th anniversary edition did not disappoint. The old Mercat Vell in Mollet del Vallès, a small town just north of Barcelona that has supported the Al Ras festival for many years, hosted nearly six hours of live music, all free of charge. Jams circled the building all afternoon while the Colla dels Torrats kept everyone fed with their traditional sausage and drinks service.
The concert opened with the Al Ras Bluegrass Kids, led by Maribel Rivero, along with María and Quim at the Escola Municipal de Música de Premià de Mar. A stage full of kids tearing through Salt Creek, Rocky Top, and Clinch Mountain Backstep is about as hopeful a sight as you’ll find for the future of bluegrass in Spain.
The first half of the concert featured local bands with deep roots in the Al Ras community. Howlin’, with Isaac Casas on mandolin and Jorge Rodríguez on his Spiral Sun guitar, delivered a tight set. Littlemarks, featuring Catalan violinist Jordi Marquillas (known for his years with Falsterbo) along with Pepe Fuster on banjo, Martí Quevedo on mandolin, and newcomer Quim Rom on guitar, kept the energy high. My thirteen-year-old son Pablo and I took the stage as Lonesome Daze, a father-and-son duo, and Maribel Rivero on bass and Laura Frucella on banjo joined us for a few numbers. Pablo has grown into an excellent fiddle player, and together we ran through a set that mixed country classics like George Jones’s The King Is Gone (and so are you), with original material and a tune from our Harry Potter-inspired collection, Five Fiddle Tunes for Exceptionally Magical Musicians. Playing George Jones in an old Catalan market hall with my son was a peak life experience for me. Noah Eamon Hassler-Forest closed out the local sets with his band, featuring Alexey Chudinov on banjo, Martí Quevedo, Quim Rom, and Maribel Rivero. Noah’s fiddle playing always moves the room, and a vocal number from the group raised goosebumps throughout the hall.
The second half brought the guest acts. The Bib-Ramblers returned with more exceptional old-time fiddle from Mitch Depew and company. Ondra Kozák, now on his fourth day of performing, was still finding new things to play. Piotr Bułas & Garage Folks (Piotr, Rafa Jabłoński, Weronika Plutecka, Łucas Potoczny, and Edward Górecki) tore through their set with the same fire that had won over La Sedeta the night before. Keith Allison’s Freeborn Man was a highlight.
The concert closed with Josep Ponsà (known to many as Joe Fields) leading the crowd through his signature tune, I Don’t Wanna Write Another Sad Song, followed by Road to Columbus and Will the Circle Be Unbroken performed by every musician on stage and half the audience besides. During the celebration, the crowd was shown a photo montage of the festival’s 25 years.
Sunday: El Barn d’en Greg — The Farewell
The final day was held at El Barn d’en Greg, home of the Hillbilly Sundays sessions, hosted by the ever-welcoming Greg Ryan. As always, jams bracketed the concert. Ondra played a beautiful Ginseng Sullivan with Parisian guitarist Alex Riey, then traded fiddle licks with Belgium’s Esther Duerinck on Squirrel Hunters. Lluís and Maribel accompanied Ondra for Walk On Boy, and Maribel closed the evening singing Banjo Pickin’ Girl with Ondra, Lluís, Noah, and Martí Quevedo. Rafał Jabłoński and Greg Ryan joined in on several numbers as well.
A special thank-you goes to Christopher Howard-Williams, the organizer of the Bluegrass in La Roche festival and International Chair of the IBMA, who attended every single event of the festival. His presence was a reminder of the strong bonds that connect Europe’s bluegrass communities.
Looking Ahead
Twenty-five years of bluegrass in Barcelona, from a handful of friends picking in a park to a five-day festival drawing musicians from across Europe. The festival remains free to attend, kept alive by volunteer effort and the community’s generosity. Those who want to support the Al Ras Association can contribute through their Teaming page. As Lluís and the team begin planning the next edition for November 4-7, 2027, the circle remains unbroken. Hope to see you there
¡Visca el bluegrass!
