La Merce Festival Barcelona

Was there for the festival in 2006. Your hotel will have a schedule so pick one up and plan those events around all the places you were going to visit. Fantastic festival. The castellers were in Plaza Jaume. Standing room only and hard to move around since you’re literally shoulder to shoulder. Protect you belongings. Ensure you use the restroom, since there are none around and hard to get out of the crowd. Carrefoc was very nice with all the sparklers and costumes. It’s a huge accident waiting to happen and probably wouldn’t be allowed anywhere in the U.S. Watching the locals dance the sardana (they were in front of the cathedral) was enjoyable. Then of course are the parades with the giant historical figures and their dancing. It would have been nice to understand the nuances of the festival, but we didn’t know it was taking place until we arrived. You’ll enjoy it. On the Friday of the festival was a wine festival. It too was very nice, being able to taste various regional wines.

LA MERCÈ

La Mercè is one of the biggest festivals in Europe -nearly 1.8 million locals and tourists alike participated in la Mercè events in 2017- and attending La Mercè means experiencing Barcelona in its most entertaining state. The city feels like one endless street festival at this end-of-summer bash that provides non-stop entertainment for four days, from exhibitions to concerts to displays of Catalan heritage and traditions to fireworks and everything in between... more than 600 events spread throughout the squares, streets, museums, and parks. Note however that Barcelona is a big cosmopolitan city quite used to host many big events at the same time during the year so neither les Festes de la Mercè nor any other event ever 'clogs' the city life. While certain streets/sites at certain times might attract large crowds and might affect traffic for a while, elsewhere life goes on and businesses, museums, attractions, shops, etc function as usual.

There is no booking to be done, no tickets whatsoever... all the events at La Mercè are all free. The program is not published until a few weeks before, so keep checking the official website here: http://lameva.barcelona.cat/merce/en

The Origins of this “Festa Major” (or Major Festival)
Barcelona’s principal festival is dedicated to its co-patron saint, the Virgin of Mercy. Nostra Senyora de la Mercè is given credit for ridding this Mediterranean city of locusts in 1687 and, then, when she was appointed commander in chief of Barcelona’s military during invasion of Catalonia by the Spanish and French troops during the War of the Spanish Succession in 1714, when the fortunes of this small nation turned around overnight. Between La Mercè 2013 and 2014, Barcelona remembered 300 years since the milestone event of the city’s modern history. Each day of the festival is commemorated with its own parade filled with mythical characters, dancing giants and traditional drumming. While La Mercè has been an institution in Barcelona since the Middle Ages, it wasn’t until 1871 that it became an official city holiday.

Giants, Devils, and Human Towers
Each day of the festival is commemorated with its own parade filled with mythical characters, dancing giants and traditional drumming. No Barcelona festival would be complete without fire runs (correfocs) and human castles rising ten stories high (castellers). I promise that you’ll curse yourself if you forget your camera. There's a photogenic spectacle around every corner, from folk dancing (sardana) to parades of giant papier-mâché characters (gegants). While La Mercè has a long history, some of its most prominent components are just over a century old. The best way to think of this is that Les Festes de la Mercè combines the best of what you might see at any spectacular festival. The best thing about this festival is that all of the street events are free, as well as a multitude of museums that open their doors and provide free visits, so it’s a perfect place to bring a group of friends or a large family. Worth mentioning the final fireworks on the last night, the impressive Pyromusical de la Mercè, celebrated at Avinguda Maria Cristina, in the west of the city: http://infocatalonia.eu/w/yWUwP

A Reflection of Barcelona
Barcelona, capital of the small nation of Catalonia, is an artistic and robust stage for experiencing design, food, and life, but this particular festival will have you wondering why you've never moved here. La Mercè is a reflection of the enterprising, creative, and inventive Catalan culture which is in a constant state of evolution. But, Barcelona doesn't do it alone as she invites a guest city each year (in 2015, it was Buenos Aires, in 2016 Paris...) to bring their favorite dance and street theater companies to this festival of festivals. Because Europe already woke up some decades ago to the fact that Barcelona isn't just a paradise in August, you'll see an increasingly international flavour of who comes to visit this festival each year.

A brief peek of the festival: http://infocatalonia.eu/w/coGFA

IMPORTANT: the dates vary each year, but the rule of thumb is Thu to Sun. Check schedules a few weeks in advance at the official website for the program: http://lameva.barcelona.cat/merce/en

Enjoy!

Great info jaimeelsabio and Enric! I am really looking forward to witnessing this spectacular festival! Thank you.