For the people of Barcelona, the arrival of September means the end of the holidays, the return to school or work… and the Festivities of La Mercè. The city’s patron saint festivities are celebrated on this occasion from September 20 to 24, from the proclamation of the festivities this Friday afternoon in the Saló de Cent of the Town Hall until the legendary Pyromusical at the end of the festivities, on Tuesday evening.
The Piromusical will be precisely one of the great attractions of this year’s program since the choice of songs that will be played on Maria Cristina Avenue was “thought and carried out” by Rosalía herself. A few days ago, during the presentation of the programming of La Mercè, the City Hall stressed that the artist’s collaboration is “a gift” for the city.
The event also highlights an international meeting of the Giants, with a spectacular parade in the city centre, the commemoration of the 650 years of the Barcelona League and the celebration of the 160th anniversary of the Cors de Clavé. The festivities coincide this year with the Setmana del Libre in Catalonia, which will move from Port Vell to the Arc de Triomf, on the occasion of the Copa América.
Program by day
This edition of the Mercè festivities offers a program of 130 concerts54 popular culture shows and 80 street art shows with 300 performances that will be repeated in several performances, all spread over 23 stages in seven districts of the city. These are the most outstanding popular acts of each day.
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7:00 p.m. Pregón de la Mercè. He left the City Hall Cent.
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8 p.m. ‘Toc d’Inici’ with the ‘seguici popular’. Sant Jaume Square.
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22 hours. Ride of “dracs” and fire beasts. The Born CC.
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10 hours. ‘Matí bastoner’ and parade. Departure from Plaza Sant Jaume.
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5 p.m. Planting of the Giants meeting on La Rambla.
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6:00 p.m. Parade of the Giants Meeting. From La Rambla to Plaza Sant Jaume.
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6 p.m. Correfoc of children (with prior tabalada from 4:45 p.m.). Paseo de Gracia.
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8:30 p.m. Ceptrotada and correfoc. Paseo de Gracia.
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All day long. Esbarts of Catalonia. Royal Square.
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11:00 a.m. Falcons (with prior parade from Cathedral Avenue). Sant Jaume Square.
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11 a.m. Sports sardana glue competition. Cathedral Avenue.
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12:00. Day of historic castles, with the Castellers of Barcelona, the Minyons of Terrassa and the Jove de Valls.
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8:30 p.m. L’Àliga is going to party. Parade through the center from Plaza Sant Jaume.
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8:00 p.m. Commemorative concert for the bicentenary of Clavé 2024 Plaza Sant Jaume.
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9:00 p.m. Extraordinary concert of the carillon of the Generalitat. Plaza Sant Jaume.
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10 p.m. Xambanga of Giants. Sant Jaume Square.
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11:00 p.m. “The Night Vigil”. Parade starting and ending in Plaza Sant Jaume.
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9:30 a.m. Trabucaires (walk from Canaletes, with galeada). Square of the Basilica of La Mercè.
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10:30 a.m. Mass of Mercy. Basilica of La Mercè Square.
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11:00 a.m. Sample of giant dances. Plaza Sant Jaume.
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12 o’clock. ‘Seguici de La Mercè’, with the bells ringing from the square of the Basilica of La Mercè to the Plaza Sant Jaume.
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1:00 p.m. Day at the castle with the city’s colles. Sant Jaume Square.
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7 p.m. Cavalcade of La Mercè. Sant Jaume Square.
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9:00 p.m. Tap to fold. Parade from Plaza Sant Jaume.
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10 p.m. Pyromusical. Maria Cristina Avenue.
Concerts and schedules
La Mercè will offer, between BAM and Música Mercè, more than a hundred concerts spread across the city’s stages. The fact that the stadium located on Menéndez y Pelayo street, between the Camp Nou and the University Zone, stands out is consolidated. There will be about twenty venues. These will perhaps be the most popular concerts of these days, concentrated above all on the weekend, although the organizers have included proposals for all tastes in the program each day.
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8 p.m. Maria Jaume. Bogatell beach.
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9:30 p.m. The Ludwig group. Bogatell beach.
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11:30 p.m. Oques Grasses. Bogatell beach.
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1:30 a.m. Figa Flawas. Bogatell beach.
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8:30 p.m. Broom. Bogatell beach.
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8:50 p.m. Mom Dousha. Menéndez and Pelayo Street.
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10 p.m. Alvaro de Luna. Bogatell beach.
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10:30 p.m. Guillem Rome. Menéndez and Pelayo streets.
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11:30 p.m. Homas remains. Bogatell beach.
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12:50 a.m. Marlon. Menéndez and Pelayo streets.
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01:10 hours. Owls. Bogatell Beach.
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8 p.m. Miki Nuñez. Bogatell beach.
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8:45 p.m. Orchestra and Choir of the Gran Teatre del Liceu. Mayor Square of Nou Barris.
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9:15 p.m. La Fumiga. Bogatell beach.
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2h30. The Catarres. Bogatell Beach
Traffic closures planned
As every year, the City Hall and Metropolitan Transport (TMB) are preparing a special system allowing citizens to choose public transport to move around the city during these holidays. One of the most appreciated actions is that the service of Metrowhich will be continuous from 5:00 a.m. on Friday, September 20 to midnight on September 22 and from 5:00 a.m. on September 23 to midnight on September 24.
This means there will be more care and monitoring staff and frequency besides holidays at night. At the same time, the TMB warns of impacts likely to alter the normal passage of buses.
Thus, the concentrations of devils and Correfoc on Saturday in the walk of grace between Diagonal and Gran Via will affect the bus service between 12:00 and 23:30. Lines H10, V15, 7, 22, 24 and Bus Turístic (red and white routes) may undergo route changes. The same will happen on Sunday, from 6:30 to 16:00, for the inclusive sports exhibition on the same promenade.
On the other hand, the cavalcade of La Mercè on Tuesday at 7 p.m. between Calle de Pelai and the Square of Sant Jaume This will also affect the route of lines D50, H16, V13, V15, 55, 59 and Bus Turístic (red and blue route) from 4 p.m.
Finally, the TMB makes a specific recommendation for the Pyromusicalwhich usually brings together thousands of people. To get to Maria Cristina Avenue, it is advisable to use the metro and get off at Espanya station (L1/L3). However, between 6 p.m. and midnight, there will be impacts on lines D20, H12, H16, 13, 46, 65, 79, 109, 150 and Bus Turístic (red route).
As always during all the days of festivities, it is very useful to plan your routes in advance and the Moovit app can be very useful to the people of Barcelona these days.
