Group Tour Operator for Holidays to Barcelona, Catalonia
Oktoberfest 2025 Barcelona Coast – Brass Bands Welcome! NEW for 2025: Competition with cash prizes!
FREE - Brass band performance slots available in the parade and festival hall!
Celebrate Oktoberfest, not in Germany, but in the sunny seaside resort of Calella located on the beautiful Costa de Barcelona. The old city of Calella with its long tradition of hospitality invites you to enjoy its rich culture and history with the most beautiful music, tasty food, best entertainment and of course great beers and local wines.
For almost two weeks in October, Calella is host to more than 3,000 musicians and 50,000 people celebrating traditional Bavarian music and sampling typical Bavarian beer and cuisine. Oktoberfest Calella runs daily from 10th to 19th October 2025. Your Brass Band will also have the opportunity to perform in the street parade and/or in the beer festival hall (more details can be provided on request). All participants can enter a competition for free which is held over 2 days – 12 and 13 October 2025 (details on request).
There is also the opportunity to explore more of the region on the suggested excursions which are detailed in the itinerary below.
Dates
October 2025
Suggested itinerary by coach
Day 1
Depart the UK
Take a short sea crossing from Dover to Calais and travel through France for an overnight stop south of Paris.
Day 2
Travel to Spain
Depart after breakfast and continue the journey south, through France and over the border in Spain and onto to your hotel in Calella for the next 6 nights.
Day 3
Oktoberfest and Brass Band Performance
Take this opportunity for your Brass Band to perform at the Oktoberfest FOR FREE! You can perform in the street parade and/or in the beer festival hall itself. Oktoberfest runs daily every afternoon and evening from 11th to 20th October 2024 (programme to be confirmed and pre-registration required).
If you just want to enjoy, watch and listen to the other bands and musicians, entry to the festival is free.
You can also relax and enjoy the facilities of the hotel and getting to know the local surroundings of Calella. The old town offers pleasant walks through paved and cobbled alleyways under historical buildings and towering landmarks. The seafront promenade leads you to the lighthouse area which has become the symbol of the city, and stands on a promontory overlooking the whole coastline.
Day 4 - 6 optional excursions
Barcelona, the Cosmopolitan Capital
Make a panoramic coach tour of the city and see some iconic buildings including Spain’s most visited attraction, is La Sagrada Familia, Started in 1882 work is still in progress. Other attractions include Park Guell, the famous Nou Camp football stadium and Montjuic Fountain. Maybe hop on board the Montjuïc cable car for breathtaking views of the city and the option to get lost amongst the botanic gardens, castles and museums. Finish the tour with some free time, taking a stroll along the famous tree-lined Ramblas carving its way through the inner city, flanked by trees and seemingly endless shops, cafes and restaurants. Admire the unique, distinctive and often whimsical architecture of Antoni Gaudí, and explore the historic Gothic Quarter.(Optional guided tours available)
Girona and the Salvador Dali Museum
Girona is a walled medieval town with narrow streets, cobbled lanes and some remarkable architecture. Of particular note are the brightly painted façades of the houses overlooking the River Onyar, as well as the Cathedral of St. Mary, which has the widest Gothic nave in the world. Towering 86 steps above the Plaça de la Cathedral, the Cathedral de Girona (Cathedral of St. Mary) features foundations dating back as far as the 5th century. (Optional guided tours available)
After some free time, head to Figueres to visit the largest surrealist object in the world, a museum dedicated to the life and work of Salvador Dalí. It is located in the the former Municipal Theatre, a 19th century construction destroyed at the end of the Spanish Civil War. On its ruins, Dalí decided to create his museum. (Group visits can be pre-booked)
Montserrat and the Cava Houses
A drive up the winding mountain roads to the Benedictine monastery of Montserrat, home to about 80 monks. The Basilica and Monastery is Catalonia’s most important religious retreat and is home to La Moreneta (The Little Brown One or Black Virgin), one of only around 500 in Europe. The basilica also holds one of the monastery’s most noted attractions, the 50-member Escolanía, one of the oldest and most renowned boys’ choirs in Europe. (Group visits and guided tours can be pre-booked)
Return via the Freixenet Cava House for a tour and tasting experience and discover the history, production and bottling process. Produced and bottled only in the Catalonian hills, Freixenet is one of the best well known cava brands. (Group visits and tastings can be prebooked.)
Day 7
At leisure
Your last day in Spain can be spent with more exploration of Calella, relaxing at the hotel or time at the Oktoberfest. There may even be the chance for your band to do another FREE performance at the festival.
Day 8
Depart Spain
We will depart after breakfast for the return journey, heading north into France and stopping overnight near Paris.
Day 9
Return to the UK
Depart after breakfast for the onward journey north to Calais and the short sea ferry crossing to Dover, and home.
Greatdays can offer a wide selection of 3* and 4* hotels in Calella/Costa Maresme
Departure date | 9 days / 8 nights |
October 2025 | From £755.00 per person |
Single supplement price on request