La Mercé 2026 celebrations in Barcelona - what is it, when is it happening and why do you have to see it?

La Mercè is without exaggeration the most popular celebrations in Barcelona. The hot summer is slowly fading away in the city and all the residents local neighborhoods (Neighborhoods) will gather in the streets in the second half of September to celebrate the city's patron saint. And this several-day revelry is often a great opportunity for tourists to get a glimpse of the local Catalan culture and learn a bit more about their history. 

The traditional opening of the La Mercè festival

And what can you look forward to during La Mercè festival in September? These annual street revelries include various parades, dance performances, parades, living castles, musical performances or perhaps visually appealing fireworks and light shows throughout the city. 

When is La Mercè festival in 2026?

The date for this year's La Mercè celebrations has not yet been announced.. As soon as the city announces it, I will add it here. If you are in the city at that time, definitely check out the rich program and choose something from it! 

(The festival date is not the same every year, but it usually takes place at the end of September).

The celebration also includes the so-called Beast Parade, i.e. a parade of animals from individual city districts

The program of the festival La Mercè 2026

There is a lot going on during the festival. In the following lines you can see how the celebrations of La Mercè took place in the past year 2025:

Below is a selection of the main events for the first day of the celebrations, Tuesday, September 23, 2025. In total, festival participants can expect: several hundred different events, which are scattered all over the city.

I definitely recommend studying complete program on the official website, eventual download mobile app. The mobile app is especially great because you can have the entire program in your pocket and quickly find what you're interested in. Several hundred institutions participate in La Mercè every year, and there are just as many parades, performances, concerts, and other cultural events. And sometimes it's a bit of a challenge to quickly and easily navigate through it all. 

Personally, I recommend focusing on the traditional part of the entire festival, because you can learn more through it. about the history of Barcelona and the entire Spanish nation. 

Selection from the first day's program:

• 17:00 – 17:15: At this time, all over the Old town The bells will ring, reminding you of the approaching start of the entire festival. The best place to enjoy it is at the town hall on Pl. Sant Jaume. 
• 19:00 – 19:45: The opening parade will set off from the Palau de la Virreina on La Rambla (map), passes through Carrer de Ferran and arrives at Pl. Sant Jaume to Barcelona City Hall, where the official opening of La Mercè will take place. The parade will feature all the traditional mythical characters and animals – dragons, vipers, eagles and, newly, bees as a symbol of the twin city of Manchester. Also not to be missed will be giants and of course the infernals who will throw fire and sparks (correfoc).
• 19:00 – 20:45: The inaugural sardana dance parade on Avinguda de la Catedral, the square in front of the The cathedral (map)
• 19:00 – 20:00: The official opening of the La Mercè festival, hosted this year by actress Emma Vilarasau (Pl. Sant Jaume, map)
• 22:00 – 22:20: Fireworks on the beach will conclude the first official day of festivities. It is best to arrive at Barceloneta or Somorrostro beaches, from where you can watch the creations in the sky from Toste Brothers, the most famous family-owned company in this field from the Canary Islands. 

Traditional parade of human castles (castells) as part of the La Mercè celebrations

What activities can you look forward to during the celebrations?

As I mentioned, the program of the La Mercè celebrations is very busy every year! In addition to concerts and other musical performances, you can look forward to, for example: 

• Human towers (castells) – an extremely attractive spectacle where several athletes climb on top of each other to create a tall human tower. It is a symbol of the unity of the city's inhabitants and as part of La Mercè, the main performance takes place on Wednesday, September 24th from 13:00 PM in Pl. Sant Jaume. 
• Dance show (sardana) – the traditional Catalan folk dance is the sardana. In it, the dancers are in a circle and gradually increase and decrease it to the sounds of flutes, drums or other instruments. You can watch the performance of the sardana dancing groups (but not only it) during the festival on Saturday, September 27th from 11:00 to 14:00. The parade will take place in Barcelona's main square, Pl. de Catalunya. In addition, you can watch the sardana on Sunday from 13:00 to 14:00. The cathedral join in group dances (even if you have no experience with them).

Traditional sardana dances can often be seen at Barcelona Cathedral

• Correfoc (running with fire) – some love this tradition, others curse it. The Barcelona fire run is for all those who are afraid. What's going on? As soon as darkness falls on the city, it is lit up by groups of spooky-looking people in costumes of devils, demons or other monsters. To the sound of drums or other musical instruments, they run through the streets with all kinds of rackets, firecrackers or cannons. If on correfoc If you go out, definitely take extra care (especially with children). It is also recommended to have clothing that completely covers you and ideally have some hearing protection. You can watch the fire shows during La Mercè this year on Saturday, September 27th from 20:30 PM to 23:30 PM on to Passeig de GràciaA children's version of this tradition will also take place at the same location on the same day from 18:00 PM. 
• Parades and exhibitions of gegants – festivals in Barcelona also include giant statues of various characters (giants). You can admire them several times during the festival. Their dance performances and parades are popular. You can attend one on the opening day from 10:00 PM on Pl. Sant Jaume, another one awaits you at the same place the next day from 22:30 AM to 13:00 PM.
• Events for families with children: if you are during La Mercè in Barcelona with children, take them out to one of the museums, to a performance or perhaps to the workshops that will take place as part of the Opavdu festival. That's enough view the program, you will definitely choose. 

Circus workshop for children in Barcelona as part of the La Mercè celebrations

• Visits to museums and galleries for free or with a discount: while on other days you have to pay, during La Mercè you have it for free. We are talking about various museums, galleries or other cultural places that you can visit during the celebrations. Without paying, take a look at Sagrada Família, Picasso museums, Spanish village, Cosmocaixes and several dozen other places. In fact every museum, which was created with public money, can be visited during La Mercè and free of charge. (And some private attractions will offer you a discount on entry at least for the duration of the celebration, that's just the case aquariums or Glories Tower Viewpoint).

My tip: Would you like to visit a museum without paying during La Mercè? Check out my list of free or discounted museums.

• Pyromusical is the ceremonial end of the entire multi-day celebration, when individual neighborhoods, performers and artistic movements are connected into one, almost half an hour long show. Go to it on Sunday, September 28th at 22:00 PM at the foot of Montjuic, under the National Palace (Avinguda de la Reina Maria Cristina, map). Get ready for a spectacular show, when the night sky of Barcelona will be lit up with fireworks, lights and, for the general joy, epic music will be played to accompany this extraordinary spectacle. The sound component in 2026 will be provided by the duo Estopa. 

The spectacular Pyromusical is the celebratory end to all the festival fun in Barcelona

Where does the festival take place?

They participate in the festival every year all parts of the city. It is thus a truly extraordinary experience that takes place in all city districts. It makes no sense to list all the locations, because there are a lot of them and you can find them described on official website of the festival – I prefer to mention the main places where the best and most attractive events and performances will be held. 

A popular and visually attractive evening activity is the so-called correfoc, running with fire

List of main locations where La Mercè takes place

• Plaza de Sant Jaume (map): this square in Gothic quarter it has great historical significance for Barcelona and its history. Traditionally, it is one of the most important in the city, because it is the center of political and cultural events and that is why the opening of the entire La Mercè festival takes place here, there are often human performances of human castles (castellers) and sometimes fire celebrations (correfoc).

• Plaça Catalunya (map): the main Catalan square located in itself city ​​center thanks to its strategic location during La Marcè it hosts various cultural and street performances, concerts and other events. The Passeig de is also a short distance away Gràcia, where, for example, this year you can observe fire runs. 

• Plaça de la Mercè (map): this square in the district the born named after the patroness of the festival, every year during La Mercè it mainly hosts dance performances, music concerts and other cultural events. This year, dance troupes are waiting for you here to show you the traditional Catalan folk dance, the sardana. 

• Pla de la Seu (map): Popular square nearby Cathedrals it is surrounded by several cafes and shops. This is an ideal place to watch the construction of human castles or a performance of the sardana dance - during La Mercè (and beyond) this is the place where troupes traditionally gather to perform castells i sardines they dedicate 

• Montjuïc hill (map): go to this one fortress on Montjuïc hill, where you can enjoy great views of the city, experience cultural and musical performances and especially in the evening watch fireworks, fire and light shows. This is definitely a great place to watch the final Pyromusical fireworks of the festival.

Performance of a troupe dancing with sticks (see video). 

How did the La Mercè celebrations come about? 

The celebration and all events within La Mercè were created as a tribute to Barcelona's patron saint, Our Lady of Mercy (Verge de la Mercè).

According to legend, she appeared to three desperate priests sailing across the sea. They prayed that they would avoid the coming storm and that their ship would dock successfully in the port of Barcelona. During the prayer, the Virgin Mary of Mercy appeared to them and promised to protect them during their voyage. So it happened and they made it home safely.

Parade of Giants in Barcelona (Gegants de la Ciutat)

The second event associated with her apparition was the floods of the cholera epidemic in 1868. Barcelona had been fighting the disease for a long time and when everything started to improve and recede, people believed that it was Our Lady of Mercy again who rushed to help the beleaguered city.

Is it true? Who knows...

What is significant is that, roughly since then, the inhabitants of Barcelona have been celebrating La Mercè every year, even though the origin of the celebration at the time of its creation was religious, today it is a large, secular festival attended by all local people regardless of age, creed or creed.

So if you happen to be in Barcelona in the second half of September, be sure to attend La Mercè, it's worth it!