La Mercè 2023

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Barcelona is once again celebrating its grand festival in honor of its patron saint. A program chock-full of activities is planned for all, with music, dance, circus acts, street arts and don't forget the traditional gegants (giants), dragons, fire beasts, human towers and sardana dancing groups! 

La Mercè is also a festival of street arts with the MAC festival, Mercè Street Arts, a showcase of new creations, and a meeting place for many artists, both from the city and overseas. 

Music will fill the streets once again with the BAM music festival, showcasing emerging music from the Catalan, Spanish and international music scenes with shows at four different locations in Barcelona: Moll de la Fusta, Rambla del Raval, Plaça Reial and the Antiga Fàbrica Estrella Damm.

And of course, Música Mercè will entertain with dance music and experimental music from established artists and emerging talent. Offerings from our shores and beyond, from Chile to Israel, Angola, Colombia, Argentina, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Cuba, Brazil and Ukraine. 

Kyiv Is the Guest City for La Mercè 2023

Through the language of music, art and dance, Barcelona celebrates Kyiv as its guest city at the festa major. Every year since 2007, artists from a guest city have been invited to take part in the festival to share their culture and talent. It is one of Barcelona's ways of showing its ties and sharing projects with major metropolises around the world. This time you will find Kyiv-related proposals not only at the la Mercè Street Arts festival, but throughout the festival programing.

Kyiv will leave its mark on Barcelona by taking part in one of the most firmly rooted traditions in Catalan heritage, by presenting Barcelona with two gegants that represent their princely saints of Olga and Volodymyr. The giant figures will be presented at the toc d’inici (opening ceremony) and will be guests in the La Mercè procession, alongside the city’s beasts and figures. 

Celebrated September 22-25, 2023, the La Mercè festival program is packed with things to do and see. 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). Check out 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.

For other ideas about how to celebrate La Mercè go to What to Do for La Mercè.