Barcelona’s local festival is here from 23 to 28 September, filling streets, squares and parks with music, family activities, shows, traditional culture and artistic projects from this year’s guest city, Manchester. Here’s a summary, you’ll find full details on the website merce.barcelona.
The image for the poster for La Mercè 2025 is the work of Lluís Danés, director, producer and set designer, and the actress Emma Vilarasau will be giving the opening speech. La Mercè also has its own song this year, created by the author and composer Gemma Humet.
The music programme consists of 106 free concerts around 14 venues in the city. Música Mercè and BAM – Barcelona Acció Musical will be offering over a hundred performances from local and international artists, from more than twenty countries, around 14 venues in the city with 16 free-access stages, including the Teatre Grec, Rambla del Raval, Plaça de Sant Jaume, Moll de la Fusta, Bogatell beach and Av. Reina Maria Cristina. From Maria Arnal to The Tyets and Pussy Riot, the music programme also features the likes of Tarta Relena, Mushkaa, Rigoberta Bandini, Niño de Elche, Ladilla Rusa, Mama Dousha and many others.
In-house productions also stand out, such as Al corazón, by Marta Valdés, with names such as Sílvia Pérez Cruz, Mayte Martín, Martirio and Raúl Rodríguez at the Teatre Grec; a tribute to El Pescadilla and Catalan rumba at the cathedral; an evening of contemporary havanera sea shanties in Pl. Sant Jaume, and Hirameki, by Juan Andrés Ospina, with the Orquesta Efímera in Passeig dels Til·lers.
Manchester will be present in the Música Mercè programme with a performance from Queralt Lahoz and Tom Werkha; the jazz pop of Ríoghnach Connolly & Honeyfeet; the dance music of Porji and the committed songs of Chloe Slater. At the BAM we can also listen to Children of Zeus and Space Afrika, two artists specialising in ambient electronic sounds.
At the Mercè Arts de Carrer we’ll find multiple options such as the Stopgap – Dance Company and the Cambodian artist Nadenh Poan; the installation Warning Notes, and the spectacular Jardí de foc, by the company Walk the Plank. Different bee rusks prepared by Artizani (Bees! The Colony) and the competitive Family Catwalk Extravaganza, by Ghetto Fabulous, are among the other notable activities.
We should not overlook the annual event in the Parc de la Ciutadella from 26 to 28 September either, which is the hosting Terra i Gust, the Sustainable Food Festival.Chosen something yet? You’ll find the full programme all set out at merce.barcelona.
