The summer has come to an end, and you are probably thinking that it’s time to leave all the festivals and celebrations behind and chill for a bit, right? Well, no. In case you have forgotten, we’ll remind you – Barcelona is not a city where the celebration ever stops. This time it’s the turn of the biggest festival of all in Catalonia, La Mercè, to take over the city.
La Mercè is a celebration that honors the patron saint of the city, the Virgin of La Mercè, and its actual feast day is September 24. But the annual festival takes place for a longer period of time, usually between 20 – 25 of September offering hundreds of different events all over Barcelona. Each year the dates are different depending on when the closest weekend to the celebration falls.
This year, La Mercè celebrates 150 years in a very special edition. It will take place on September 23, 24, 25 and 26, and will commemorate the 150th anniversary of the first Fiesta Mayor organized by the City Council.
History of La Mercè
La Mercè festival brings together locals and tourists to celebrate Catalan culture. There are multiple events happening everywhere in the city, but the origins of the celebration are not that fun.
The festivity dates back to the Middle Ages, when Barcelona suffered a plague of locusts, and its citizens prayed and asked The Virgin of Grace to help them fight it. When the epidemic ended, The Virgin of Mercé, who protected the city became its patron saint. Since 1871, an annual festival has been celebrated in Catalonia in her honor. But the main features were introduced in 1902 when the first parades and traditional dances were finally included in the annual program.
La Mercè activities
The Mercè weekend is always full of different events and celebrations. Each year the program is different but the main activities are always present in the program. You can choose between a range of different shows: street arts, street processions, concerts, traditional dances, Castellers, Correfoc, Gigantes, and projection shows. Local and international musical concerts are the annual highlights of the program.
The Mercè weekend is always full of different events and celebrations. Each year the program is different but the main activities are always present in the program. You can choose between a range of different shows: street arts, street processions, concerts, traditional dances, Castellers, Correfoc, Gigantes, and projection shows. Local and international musical concerts are the annual highlights of the program.
Among the list of activities, you can take part in during the festival is the Correfoc, which literally means “fire-run”. It involves people dressing as devils and other creatures, arm themselves with pitchforks, and set off fireworks in the crowd. Although it sounds dangerous, it’s usually safe, you just have to make sure you are dressed properly. The main idea of this is to get as close as possible to the evil creatures and ‘run with the fire. If you are in Barcelona with children, make sure you go to the junior version of Correfoc, as the one for the adults can scare the little ones.
A well-known show in the la Mercè program is the Castellers – “castles”. It is a cultural tradition that consists of building human towers that originated in Valls, Tarragona.
Another family-friendly event is the Gigantes – a parade of the Giants. It is the procession of the giant imitations of the kings, queens, and other nobles around the city. The best thing about La Merce is that everything happening during the festival is absolutely free. So, we really advise you to check the program very carefully and have the most out of La Mercè.
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Book yours now and attend one of the most important festivals in the city!
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