Liceu Simfònic brings together around 30,000 people on Barcelona's beach. Josep Pons and the Gran Teatre del Liceu Orchestra present a free symphonic concert by the sea featuring works by Ravel and Tchaikovsky; a magical, fully accessible evening that fulfils its goal of bringing the great classics of music history to audiences of all kinds.
This was the first concert of Clàssica a la Platja, the free, open-to-all programme organised by L’Auditori, the Gran Teatre del Liceu and the Palau de la Música Catalana under the umbrella of Barcelona Obertura. Clàssica a la Platja will continue with a second concert tomorrow, Thursday, 9 July, also at 9.00 p.m. The Barcelona Symphony Orchestra and Catalonia National Orchestra (OBC) will take over the festival under the direction of its Music Director, Ludovic Morlot, with a symphonic evening conceived as a continuation of the great musical journey that began the previous day, this time entitled An Imaginary Symphony.
Beyond its musical value, Wednesday’s concert held a very special significance: it was one of the last opportunities to see Josep Pons conducting the Gran Teatre del Liceu Orchestra before concluding his tenure as the Theatre’s Music Director. With the beach as its stage and the sea as its backdrop, thousands of spectators shared a concert filled with symbolism, marking the culmination of fourteen seasons during which Josep Pons has left a lasting mark on the artistic development of the Orchestra and on the Liceu’s musical project.
The concert featured surtitles in Catalan and Spanish and took place on a large stage measuring 20 metres wide by 22 metres deep, covered by a dome and supported by a sound system extending across 700 linear metres of Sant Sebastià Beach, covering 20,000 square metres of sand. In addition, the event was fully accessible, with a dedicated area for people with reduced mobility and the Immersive Live system, including vibrating backpacks, induction loops, and Catalan Sign Language (LSC) interpretation.
The production includes two giant screens so that audience members farther from the stage can enjoy the concert through Betevé’s live broadcast. One screen, measuring 8 x 4.5 metres, is located beside the stage, while a second screen, measuring 6 x 3.5 metres, is positioned midway along the beach. To ensure high-quality television coverage, Betevé has deployed an outside broadcast unit controlling six cameras: one mounted on a crane, two positioned at the front of the stage to capture close-ups of the musicians, one placed on stage to provide shots of the conductor, and two more located at the technical control area to capture wide panoramic views. In addition, to ensure that the sound reaches the entire audience across more than 250 metres of beach, a special audio system based on 1 DelayStereo has been installed midway along the venue.
Both concerts will be broadcast live by Betevé and Catalunya Música, allowing both the audience on the beach, via the giant screens, and viewers at home to enjoy the performances. In addition, 3Cat and TVE will broadcast the concert at a later date.
These concerts are presented as part of Barcelona Obertura, an initiative created through the partnership of the city’s three leading classical music institutions—L’Auditori, the Gran Teatre del Liceu, and the Palau de la Música Catalana—with the aim of promoting Barcelona internationally through classical music and with a commitment to making it accessible to everyone. Clàssica a la Platja is yet another example of how these three major musical institutions work together to promote the dissemination, enjoyment, understanding, and value of the Barcelona brand, reinforcing the image of a city that is iconic, vibrant, welcoming, family-friendly, and open to the sea, with the beach serving as yet another venue in which to enjoy classical music.
Special promotion for Verdi’s Falstaff at the Liceu
During Wednesday’s concert, the Gran Teatre del Liceu announced a new initiative aimed at bringing opera to new audiences. Starting today, tickets priced at €50 will be available for Falstaff by Verdi, the final opera of the season conducted by Josep Pons and the last production he will conduct as Music Director of the Gran Teatre del Liceu.
The promotion will be available until Sunday, 12 July, at 11:59 p.m. and will apply to seats in Zones 1 to 6, excluding Zone A (amphitheatre boxes). Zones 7 and 8, which already benefit from reduced ticket prices, are not included in the promotion.
Through this initiative, the Liceu aims to make one of the highlights of the end of the season more accessible and to offer audiences the opportunity to experience Josep Pons’s farewell at the helm of the Theatre’s Orchestra in one of Giuseppe Verdi’s greatest masterpieces.