More than 140 dance and theater performances and about a hundred concerts spread over 60 stages in six districts of Barcelona is what awaits those who want to enjoy this year’s traditional festival of La Mercè.
Between September 20 and 24, Barcelona will be decked out to receive this special festival that this year has Beirut as guest city, while the pregonera of La Mercè will be Manuela Carmena, former mayoress of Madrid.
Barcelona and the festival of La Mercè
Lovers of art and culture have more than one hundred music concerts to choose from, in addition to the 430 programmed performances of the 147 performing arts shows that will be held in six districts of Barcelona.
According to Joan Subirats, one of the people in charge of the organization of this great celebration, the total budget is around four million euros. In addition, Subirats assured that the intention of programming the activities in different districts is not to centralize the festival.
Beirut present at La Mercè festival
The protagonist city of the Mercè festival is Beirut, capital of Lebanon. For this reason, there are several activities that revolve around this city. For example, between September 17 and 29, the Filmoteca de Catalunya will host the film series Imatges de Beirut.
In addition, a good number of artists from Beirut will be present at La Mercè with concerts, dj sessions and projections in spaces such as Montjuïc Castle, Parc de la Ciutadella and Avinguda de la Catedral.
Scenarios in the city
The Plaza Major of Nou Barris will have the opportunity to host great orchestras during the festival. Among them, people will be able to enjoy the sound of the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra of Catalonia, the Municipal Symphony Orchestra and the Symphony Orchestra of the Gran Teatre del Liceu.
In the spaces of the Parc de la Trinitat, on Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 will have impressive circus activities, dance and various games. In addition, there will be interesting proposals on Africa.
La Mercè committed
An important chapter of the festival of La Mercè is the one that refers to reflection and the challenges of contemporary society. For this, the spaces of the Parc de la Ciutadella will feature shows that invite reflection on the most controversial issues of the moment.
Borders, refugees, sexual freedom, pollution, the environment and other issues will be present in the shows, as a wake-up call to the difficulties facing the world today.
Also the manifestations of popular and traditional culture have a space in the festival: more than sixty performances will be held in different places of Barcelona.
In short, it will be a party worth seeing and with shows and attractions to suit all tastes that honors the name of the patron saint of Barcelona, the Virgin of La Mercè.
