La Mercè 2026

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Save the date! Barcelona celebrates its patron saint from September 23rd to the 27th this year. 

Barcelona celebrates its grand festival in honor of its patron saint every September with a program chock-full of activities 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 fills the streets with the BAM music festival, showcasing emerging music from the Catalan, Spanish and international music scenes with shows at four different locations in Barcelona: Plaça de Catalunya, Rambla del Raval, Moll de la Fusta and Antiga Fàbrica Damm.

And of course, Música i Mercè Arts al Carrer will entertain with music, street theater, dance and circus performances throughout the city.

Shanghai Is the Guest City for La Mercè 2026

One hundred artists from Shanghai, and another ten from the Chinese community living in the city, will offer up a cultural reflection of a vibrant Chinese city where there are great artists and companies working in street arts, traditional music and dance.

Shanghai is a creative, cosmopolitan, innovative city with a traditional soul. You will see them coexist in the Traditional Chinese Rolling Lantern Performance which, during the inaugural procession and the toc d’inici, will evoke the work of Chinese fishermen in a highly visual choreography. Barcelona’s traditional animal figures will engage in international relations and discover vibrant Chinese dragons. And traditional Chinese music will be heard in Barcelona's squares with the Shanghai Chinese Orchestra and the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. Famous for their circus arts, the Shanghai Acrobatic Troupe will perform at the Fòrum Park, enjoy the dance of Run Design at Trinitat Park, and the Kernel Dance Theatre at Estació del Nord Park.

And the gunpowder? Chinese pyrotechnics will be present at the international fireworks festival alongside a drone show that promises to leave you amazed.

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.