Diada Castellera—La Mercè 2024

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Jornada castellera for La Mercè 2016, photo by Vicente Zambrano González courtesy of Ajuntament de Barcelona (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0).

The city’s human towers tradition dates back to the middle of the 20th century, when the Colla Castellers de Barcelona were presented. Other groups to appear in the 1990s were those from Sants, Vila de Gràcia, Sarrià and Poble-sec, and as from the year 2000 came the Castellers de la Sagrada Família, the Colla Castellera Jove de Barcelona and the Esquerdats de l’Eixample. These are the local groups, all of which will be pulling together in the human towers gathering for La Mercè, always committed to erecting towers of at least six tiers, with four people in each tier.

You can recognize each group by their shirts: the Castellers de Barcelona wear red; the Esquerdats, purple; Sarrià, burgundy, the same as the Colla Jove de Barcelona, who have their name embroidered on the back. The Castellers del Poble-sec wear sky blue shirts while the Castellers de la Sagrada Família wear green, their shield showing an enxaneta (the child that crowns the tower once erected) above the Sagrada Família. The Castellers de Sants wear grey shirts, paying homage to the people from the old textile factories in the district, while the Castellers de la Vila de Gràcia wear navy blue.

The diada castellera is filled with spirit and local color—an unmissable event in the La Mercè festivities.

To guarantee safety and improve mobility during human towers meetings, some streets have been established as access routes and exit routes for Plaça Sant Jaume.

Access: via the streets of Ferran, Jaume I and Bisbe.

Exit: via the streets of Call, Paradís, Llibreteria, Ciutat and Plaça de Sant Miquel.

What to Do for La Mercè

Celebrated in the days surrounding September 24th, the La Mercè festival program is packed with things to do and see. From parades and exhibits filled with gegants (giants), capgrossos (bigheads) and fire-breathing beasts to giant castells (human towers), traditional dances, correfocs (fire runs), drone light shows, fireworks displays and free concerts, you're sure to find something to delight and amaze you.

But if all the festivities of La Mercè get to be a bit too much, why not take a culture break? Many of the city’s museums observe the holiday with a jornada de portes obertes (open doors). To make the most of your time, take a look at our interactive map with all the locations that are throwing open their doors for free: Map of Barcelona Museums with Free Entry for La Mercè.

See our Guide to La Mercè for a list of the festival's events and discover the story behind one of the biggest celebrations on Barcelona's calendar and the many traditions that make this beloved Catalan holiday so special.

For more events during the Festes de la Mercè check our online events calendar.