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Barcelona is one of the most sough-after cities to visit in Europe, offering an exciting array of historical landmarks, fascinating museums, unique architecture, and authentic local festivities. If you’re traveling to Barcelona in the fall, you’re in for a great surprise! La Merce, Barcelona’s grandest festival, takes place every year at the end of September - so pack your camera, wear your best walking shoes, and head to Barcelona’s top landmarks to experience the local festivities.
Why Go
Traveling to Barcelona at the end of September is fun and exciting! Mingle with the locals, drink and dance, experience unique local festivities, and capture the essence of Catalan culture.
La Merce 2018: This year the festival will run from September 21-24, 2018.
La Merce In Detail
Attracting millions of visitors each year, Barcelona’s La Merce festival is one of Spain's most popular celebrations among locals and visitors alike. In 1817, La Merce began as an official city holiday in celebration of La Mare de Deu de la Merce (or 'Our Lady of Mercy') and over the years evolved into the multi-day festival it is today. About 600 events take place throughout Barcelona during this festival, most of which are free to visitors. This year, La Merce is celebrated on September 24, 2018, yet festivities will begin a few days beforehand; the Barcelona Metro runs all night during the festival in order to help visitors get around the city with ease.
Experience The La Merce Festival
Visiting Barcelona during the La Merce festival is a great opportunity to get a taste of Catalan customs and traditions. La Merce is a spectacular mosaic of historical traditions and contemporary cultural events where you’ll experience everything from street performances and musical concerts, to dance workshops and wine fests. With so many things happening around the city of Barcelona, it may be overwhelming to figure out where to go and what to see. So that you can enjoy this Barcelona festival to the fullest, we’ve put together a list of top La Merce events to check out.
What’s On During La Merce
Castellers
Stroll along the city streets and find a ‘Castellers’ show, the impressive Catalan tradition of ‘human towers’ that dates back to the 18th century. Level after level of people stand on each other’s shoulders until one person climbs to the top and raises his arm.
The Sardana
The ‘Sardana’ dance is one of the festival’s most characteristic attractions. Sardana dance groups and locals gather around Placa de La Merce, Placa Sant Jaume and Avinguda de la Catedral to engage in Catalonia’s most famous folk dance accompanied by live traditional music.
Correfocs
Don’t be startled if you're met by a fiery parade of men dressed as dragons and beasts of fire accompanied by thundering drums, it’s the ‘Correfocs’ (or fire run), one of the most impressive events of the La Merce festival. If you're feeling adventurous, cover yourself up and join the parade, but be prepared to get showered in sparks and blazes!
The Gigantes (Giants Parade)
The ‘Gigantes’, the giant paper mache puppets representing various historic personalities, are one of the most loved attractions of the La Merce festival. At the giants parade you will see these characters parading and dancing through the streets accompanied by live music.
Light Projection Shows
Enjoy the burst of light and colors that cover some of Barcelona’s most important buildings. Light projection shows take place around Placa Sant Jaume and are repeated regularly to ensure that everyone has the chance to witness this stunning illumination of the city.
The Piromusical
The ‘Piromusical’ is a remarkable fireworks, water, and music show held at the Magic Fountain near Barcelona’s Placa d’Espanya. It is the La Merce festival’s final and most anticipated event.
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Image Attribution: Parade of Giants to kick off La Mercè in Barcelona flickr photo by Joanne Wan shared under a Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) license.
