La Mercè Festival Barcelona - Highlights of Mercè Festival 2024

Merce Festival Barcelona 2021

La Mercè Festival Barcelona 2024

Top Events at Mercè Festival


Updated September 2024.

Dates La Mercè festival 2024 are 20th to 24th September. In the four days of Mercè festival, you can enjoy concerts, cultural performances and street shows in 20 venues - all free. Barcelona will have 14 music stages for live performances from over 140 artists and bands. Visit the official Mercè festival page for more information about Mercè festival this year - or see highlights by scrolling down this page. Festival hashtag: #Mercè24

See festival programme 

Barcelona once again gears up in 2024 for its annual city festival, a celebration of traditions, street arts, circus, dance, music and film. La Mercè festival 2024 presents over 500 activities and over 1,000 artists in many areas of the city. La Mercè events will take place in Ciutat Vella, Eixample, Sants-Montjuic, Horta-Guinardó, Nou Barris, Sant Andreu and Sant Martí districts of the city. Each year, a different city from around the world is chosen to share the festivities with the citizens of Barcelona, and the 2024 invited city is Casablanca, Morocco. Artists from Morocco will take part in many Mercè24 events.

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Guide in English what to see and do at Mercè Festival 2024. La Mercè is Barcelona's biggest annual festival and often called the "Festival of festivals." Mercè is called Les Festes de la Mercè in the Catalan language and in the Spanish language it is called Fiestas de la Mercè. The Mercè festival usually includes a music festival, a wine festival, local Catalan traditions, parades, concerts, fireworks, a 10km run and many more events in Barcelona at many locations. 

The Mercè public holiday is on 24th September. The feast day has been an official city holiday since 1871, when Barcelona first organized a program of special activities to observe the Roman Catholic feast day of Our Lady of Mercy, also called the Virgin of Grace, and called La Mare de Déu de la Mercè in the Catalan language. The La Mercè celebrations honor the Virgin Mercè, who is the patron saint of the archdiocese of Barcelona, and co-patroness - alongside the other Barcelona city patron saint Saint Eulàlia. In the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona, you can find the Mercè basilica, dedicated to the Mercè Virgin, where the wooden image of La Mercè is venerated. 

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Scroll down this page for Mercè highlights.

Mercè 2024 programme, maps and highlights


The Mercè Festival is Barcelona's biggest festival of the year and known as la festa major de Barcelona. All districts of the city take part in the celebrations. Scroll down this page to find top things to do at Barcelona Mercè Festival including concerts, fireruns, fireworks, human towers and much more.

Full program 2024 Merce
BAM24 programme 
Pictures Mercè Festival
Map locations Mercè events 
Hashtag #Mercè24
Metro/bus times Mercè 24

Mercè Festival Apps


Mercè Festival Iphone App
Mercè festival Android App

Mercè transport & strikes

The Barcelona metro is open all night during the Mercè festival. FGC trains, Barcelona trams and Barcelona Bicing city bikes (residents only) are usually open 24 hours a day during Mercè or have extended hours during the Mercè festival. Some of the Mercè activities have special buses. See Mercè festival metro/bus timetables. 


Map Mercè festival locations

View FULLSCREEN Mercè map



Origins of Mercè name

Barcelona's biggest annual festival is the Mercè Festival - 'Les Festes de la Mercè.' This is the celebration of the Patron Saint of Barcelona, the Virgin Mary, who is called 'María de las Mercèdes', meaning 'Mary of Mercies.'  She is also called 'La Mare de Deu de la Mercè,' meaning 'Mother of God of Mercy' in the Catalan language -  or 'Virgin de La Mercè' - Virgin of Mercy - or 'Nuestra Señora de la Mercèd' (in Spanish language) which means Our Lady of Mercy - or La Mercè for short. The words 'Mercè' in Catalan and 'Mercèd' in Spanish mean mercy in English.

Legend of La Mercè 

According to legend, on the night of 2nd August 1218 the Virgin Mary appeared to St Pere Nolasc. At the time Nolasc was in Barcelona involved in the ransoming of Christians, who had been captured by Moorish pirates during the wars of the crusades and the ongoing conflict between the Christian kingdoms of Spain and the Muslim kingdoms of North Africa and southern Spain.

The Virgin Mary requested that Nolasc form a sacred order of monks in her name. Nolasc formed the Order of Mercèd, which was dedicated to ransoming Christian captives. Pere Nolasc had already been ransoming Christians since 1202 some 15 years before the Virgin appeared to him, but he had constantly prayed for help and divine intervention during those years.

His prayers were answered in the form of a personal Marian experience in the year 1218 and The Order of Mercy was established on August 10th 1218 with the help of Nolasc's confessor at Barcelona cathedral, Saint Ramón de Penyafort, and with support from King Jaume 1 of Aragon. The details of the foundation of the Order of Mercy can be seen to this day in the Crown of Aragon archives in Barcelona. Pere Nolasc was canonized as a saint in 1628.

Centuries later, in 1687, the Virgin of La Mercè came to the aid of Barcelona by making a plague of locusts disappear. After the locust plague the city council elected La Mercè as co-patron saint of Barcelona, although she was not officially canonised as a patron saint of Barcelona by Pope Pius IX until the year 1868.

Barcelona has celebrated La Mercè festival every year since 1687 and never been plagued by locusts since then. La Mercè was also briefly appointed supreme commander of the army during the war of Spanish succession in 1714, when Barcelona was under siege from French troops.

The Virgin of La Mercè had more success fighting locusts than she did fighting French soldiers because Barcelona lost the Siege of Barcelona in 1714 and the city was captured by French Bourbon forces on 11th September 1714. This defeat is now commemorated every September 11th as La Diada - the Catalunya national day.

Basilica La Mercè

Basilica La Mercè is on the Barcelona square Plaça de la Mercè in the Gothic area of Barcelona near Barcelona's Port Vell harbour and quite close to Las Ramblas. This is Barcelona's only church with a baroque façade. You can see a sculpture of La Mercè Virgin Mary at the top of the church. The first church on this location was built in 1267 and has later been reformed several times. Between 1765 and 1775 the architect Josep Mas renovated the present day Mercè church. The building at the opposite end of the plaza was formerly a convent, called 'Convent of the Mercè', and is now a military building. The fountain on the Mercè plaza is Neptune, the Greek god of the sea in Roman mythology. Inside the Mercè church there is a magnificent gothic wooden effigy of the Mercè Virgin and Child from 1361 attributed to the artist Pere Moragues.


Highlights Les Festes de la Mercè 2024


Les Festes de la Mercè 2024 will have hundreds of events to showcase popular Catalan and Mediterranean cultural activities. You can see the most popular events below. The 24th September is always a public holiday in Barcelona in honour of the city's patron saint La Mercè. Some events like the 10k Mercè run take place before or after the main festival. 

Mercè concerts & music festivals 


La Merce Festival Barcelona


Mercè BAM music festival

BAM dates 20th to 24th of September 2024. The Mercè 2024 BAM music festival (Barcelona Acción Musica) is an annual indie music festival which takes place as part of the Mercè Festival in Barcelona. All BAM concerts are outdoor and free. See BAM23 programme and main BAM concert venues below:

Plaça Reial - Gothic area Map Link
Moll de la Fusta - Port Vell - Map Link
Antiga Fàbrica Estrella Damm - Eixample area Map link
Rambla de Raval - in Raval area - Map link

Mercè Parades & Traditional events


La Merce Festival Barcelona giants


Date: Friday 20 September 2024
Activity: Opening ceremony procession 'Seguici Inaugural' / 'Toc d’Inici'
Time: 7pm - 19:00
Where: Starts at Palau de la Virreina on La Rambla 99, down la Rambla, Ferran street and finishes Plaça de Sant Miquel
What is it? Seguici Inaugural and Toc d’Inici (starting touch). The Seguici Inaugural featuring medieval mythical figures of bestiari de Barcelona: the City Eagle, the Lion, the Mule, the Ox, the Wyvern, the Dragon, the Tarasca, the Pi Giants, the capgrossos Macers, the Cavallets Cotoners, the Santa Maria del Mar Giants, the Falcons de Barcelona and the stick dancers known as the Ball de Bastons del Seguici, accompanied by the Trabucaires d’en Perot Rocaguinarda, the city’s devils’ groups and the Ministrers del Camí Ral folk minstrels who provide the music for this festive procession. The participants in the Seguici Inaugural gather in the foyer of the Palau de la Virreina on La Rambla number 99 behind closed doors. At 7 pm exactly the doors of the building will open and the ceremony begins, with a parade of the different groups, the devils’ groups bringing up the rear. Fire, fun, colour and music to get the city’s big annual festival under way.

Date: Friday 20 September 2024
Activity:  Passejada de dracs i bèsties de foc - Parade Fire-Breathing Dragons and Beasts 
Time: 10pm - 22:00
Where: Starts at Plaça Comercial (by El Born Centre de Cultura i Memòria) then streets Comerç, Princesa, Montcada, Sombrerers, Santa Maria del Mar, Santa Maria, Passeig del Born to finish at Pl. Comercial.
What is it? Parade of fire-breathing dragons and beasts 

Date: Saturday 21 September 2024 and Sunday 22 September 2024
Time: Saturday 7:30 p.m.
Time: Sunday 10 am.
Activity: Trobada Internacional de Gegants - to celebrate “600 years of giants in Barcelona”
Where: Plaça de Sant Jaume
What is it: Giants parade: Plaça de Sant Jaume hosts the Trobada Internacional de Gegants over 2 days. All giant figures meet on Plaça de Catalunya at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday the 21st and parade goes along La Rambla street (Canaletes), Carrer de Ferran and ends in plaça de Sant Jaume. On Sunday the 22nd September, Plaça de Sant Jaume hosts the Trobada Internacional de Gegants again but this time at 10:00 a.m and the parades ends at Plaça de Catalunya. Sunday route is Plaça de Sant Jaume, Ferran, La Rambla, Plaça de Catalunya).

Date: Monday 23 September 2024
Activity: Parade 'La Xambanga de Gegants'- Giants’ Xambanga
Time: 10pm to 12pm - 22:00 to 00:00 
Where:  Plaça de Sant Jaume
What is it? The Xambanga de Gegants is a 'dancing' giants party. The 'giants' will be from various Barcelona districts and neighbourhoods. Both the groups and giants party to traditional drums and pipes and even to pop music. This event is especially fun because giants and groups dress up in fancy dress costumes.


Date: Tuesday 24th September 2024
Activity: La Mercè Parade 'Cavalcada de la Mercè' - also called 'La Gran Cavalcada de la Mercè'
Time: 6pm to 9pm - 18:00 to 21:00
Start: Carrer de Pelai, 12 near Plaza Catalunya, then Pl. de Catalunya, la Rambla, Ferran to finish at Plaça de Sant Jaume
Finish: Plaça de Sant Jaume in Gothic area
Map: Map parade route The procession starts from Pelai street near Plaza Catalunya, then down La Rambla street, turns at Ferran street to finish at Plaça de Sant Jaume
Nearest Metro station: Barceloneta metro station yellow L4 
What is it? Mercè's BIGGEST parade called 'Cavalcada de la Mercè'. This procession features many of the city 'gegants' giants  and is led by the Barcelona 'giants' called 'Jaume I' and 'Violant d´Hongria'. This parade also features groups of street artists, dancers and other traditional Catalan figures and traditions. Worth seeing. 



About Gegants & Capgrossos



Mercè Sardanes dancing


La Merce Festival Barcelona sardanes


Date: Friday 20th September 2024
Activity: Inaugural Sardanes: "Cobla Sant Jordi Ciutat de Barcelona"
Time:  7 to 9pm - 19.00 to 21.00
Where: Av. de la Cathedral in front of Barcelona Cathedral 
Nearest metro station: Jaume I station on yellow line L4
What is it? Sardanes is the traditional folk dancing in Catalonia region of Spain. The 'cobla' is the band that accompanies for the sardana. Traditionally sardanistes wear special dancing shoes called espardenyes made of esparto grass fabric with two long strips of fabric to tie them.


Date: Sunday 22 September 2024
Activity: 74è Concurs de Colles de Sardana Esportiva – Sardanes dancing competition
Time: 11:00
Where: Av. de la Cathedral in front of Barcelona Cathedral
Nearest metro station: Jaume I station on yellow line L4
What is it? Annual sardanes dance competition. Lovely to watch with many Sardana dance groups competing.

About Sardanes dancing
Pictures Sardanes dancing


Mercè Correfocs - Fire runs


La Merce Festival Barcelona Correfoc firerun


Date: Saturday 21 September 2024
Activity: Firerun - Correfoc dels Petits - Children's Correfoc
Time: 18:00 - 6 pm
Where: Junction of streets Pg. de Gràcia / Consell de Cent to junction of streets Pg. de Gràcia / Mallorca - Provença
Nearest Metro station: Passeig de Gracia
What is it? Childrens' firerun. Correfoc dels Petits is the special childrens correfoc firerun with less noisy, scary fireworks and firecrackers for the kids. The Childrens Fire Run welcomes almost 30 groups from Barcelona neighbourhoods in a parade down Passeig de Gràcia with fire beasts that spew sparks all the way. 


Date: Saturday 21 September 2024
Activity: Firerun - Correfoc de la Mercè - Porta de l´Infern
Time: 8:30 pm to 11:30 pm - 20:30 to 23:00
Where: junction of Passeig de Gràcia & Provença to junction of streets Passeig de Gràcia/Consell de Cent
Nearest Metro station: Diagonal
What is it? The Correfoc de la Mercè is one of the most popular events of La Mercè anc can have up to 70.000 spectators. About forty groups of 'colles de diables' - 'groups of devils' from in and around Barcelona, as well as dragons and other 'bestiari de foc' -  fire beasts - take part in this festival of fire. The gates of hell open at around 7.45 with "Tabalada infernal" drum display. Around 8.25 pm the "Ceptrotada" dance for "Lucifer" is performed by each group of diables and the correfoc firerun itself starts at 8.30 pm. The correfoc legend is that that a male goat - the Mascle Cabró (in Catalan language) - Macho Cabrón (in Spanish language) - hears the arrival of the 'diables' devils. He commands his armies to cross through Hell's Gate - the 'Porta de l´Infern' which separates the real world from hell. At the end of the correfoc firerun the devils are sent back into hell. About 80.000 firecrackers are used during the Mercè correfoc, so it is a good idea to follow basic correfoc safety precautions concerning practical clothes to watch a correfoc. Ear plugs are a good idea or put tissue paper in your ears, because it's very noisy!  






Mercè Castellers - Human Tower building


La Merce Festival Barcelona Human Towers


Date:  Tuesday 24th September 2024
Activity: Diada castellera de la Mercè - human towers
What is it? Human towers display with invited towers groups - Diada castellera amb les colles locals
Time: 1pm to 3pm - 13:00 to 15:00
Where: Plaça de Sant Jaume in Gothic area
Nearest Metro station: Jaume I on yellow line L4


Date: Sunday 22nd September 2024
Activity: Diada castellera històrica de la Mercè - human towers
Time: 12:00
Where: Plaça de Sant Jaume in the Gothic quarter
Nearest metro station: Jaume I station on yellow line L4
What it is? First Castellera human towers display of the Mercè festivalw on Plaça de Sant Jaume, Barcelona at 12.00. Features tower building groups Els Castellers de Barcelona, els Minyons de Terrassa and la Colla Joves Xiquets de Valls.


Date: Sunday 22 September 2024
Activity: Falcons de Barcelona i els Falcons de Piera - Falcon style human towers display
Time: 10.30 to 12.30
Where: Plaça de Sant Jaume
Nearest Metro station:  Jaume I station on yellow line L4
What is it? Falcons human towers display. Falcon style tower building on Pl de Sant Jaume. Falcon human Tower building display. This is another kind of human tower building called the 'falcon' discipline named after a Czech tradition called Sökol, which means falcon in Czech language. Falcon structures were popular in Catalonia at the beginning of the 20th century, but then this kind of structure fell out of favour. In Barcelona a young group called the Barcelona Falcons revived this tradition of falcon human towers and performed first at the Saint Eulalia festival in 2003. 


Mercè sports events

There are many sports events during La Mercè including a fitness festival and a popular annual 10k run Cursa de la Mercè on Sunday 29th September 2024

Mercè pirotècnic fireworks festival

International Pyrotechnic Festival, part of 'The Mercè festival of light and fire'

Dates: Friday 20th and Saturday 21st September 2024
Activity: fireworks display on the beach
Time:  10pm / 22:00 - duration 20 minutes
Admission:  Free
Location: Platja de la Barceloneta - by 'Espigó del Gas' breakwater
Nearest metro station: Ciutadella Vila Olimpica L4 - or Barceloneta L4
What is it? Spectacular firework display at 10pm on Barceloneta beach - Platja de la Barceloneta by the 'Espigó del Gas' which is the name of the first breakwater south of Port Olimpic.


Piromusical de la Mercè

Music, fireworks, light and water display at Magic Fountain

Date: Tues 24th September 2024
Activity: Music, fireworks, light and water display
Time: 10pm to 10.30 pm - 22:00 to 22.30
Admission: Free
Hashtag: #Piromusical
Location: Av Reina Maria Cristina by the Magic Fountain 
Nearest metro station: Espanya L1 on metro red line 1
What is it? The Piromusical de la Mercè is the grand finale of the Mercè Festival that traditionally closes the La Mercè festivities in Barcelona. It is always at the Magic Fountain at the foot of Montjuic hill near Placa de Espanya with the Palau Nacional as the backdrop. The Mercè Piromusical is a fabulous music, fireworks and laser light display featuring music and light themes that change from year to year. In 2024 the fountain is not operating so the Piromusical will be a light and fireworks display only. World famous Catalan pop star Rosalía chooses the music in 2024 for the Piromusical. Spectators fill the entire length of the Maria Cristina avenue starting at the twin Venetian towers. There is no seating and we recommend that you plan to arrive around 21.00 / 9pm to get a good standing place. This is a charming and fun event for all ages and truly a treasured tradition and highlight of the Mercè festival. You can see this event live on Catalan TV channel TV3.


Mercè Museums Open Days

Date: Various dates
Activity: Museums Open Day - Free entrance to some city museums
Where: Various museums in Barcelona
What is it? Jornada de Portes Obertes Mercè. Many museums and Barcelona landmarks take part in the Mercè festival by opening their doors to the public for free on certain days of the Mercè festival. This is called 'Jornada de Portes Obertes' - day of open doors. Some theatres in Barcelona offer half price tickets during Mercè festival. See the official Merce website or museum website for more information.

Mercè - Parc de la Ciutadella

There are sometimes activities for children during Mercè Festival at the Parc de la Ciutadella
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La Mercè Festival organisers:
Institut de Cultura de Barcelona - Oficina de premsa
Address: La Rambla, 99 08002 Barcelona
Contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Tel: +34 933161069

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Last Updated on Wednesday, 18 September 2024 16:52
 
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