In this guide
💡 The Short Version: La Mercè is Barcelona’s city festival, built round 24 September, the feast of the Mare de Déu de la Mercè and a local holiday. The 2026 edition ran from Wednesday 23 to Sunday 27 September; the 2027 dates have not been announced, and 24 September 2027 is a Friday. The human towers (castells) gather at Plaça de Sant Jaume; the fire run (correfoc) ran along Passeig de Gràcia on the Saturday night; the Piromusical fireworks closed the festival on Nova Icària beach on Sunday at 22:00. The metro ran all night on the Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights, and municipal museums were free. September is one of the two wettest months of the year, and the organisers say rain can pause or cancel a show.
When La Mercè is
The festival is set round the feast day, 24 September. In 2026 the council presented the programme on 16 September and distributed it in print on 17 September, six days before the opening (barcelona.cat/lamerce, 30 September 2026). That page carries each year’s day-by-day programme, a map and an app.
- 2026: Wednesday 23 to Sunday 27 September. The festival opened on the Wednesday at 19:00 with the opening speech and procession, and the Toc d’Inici in Plaça de Sant Jaume. Thursday 24, the feast day, was a public holiday, and the metro ran until midnight that night.
- 2027: not announced. The council’s holiday calendar puts La Mercè on Friday 24 September 2027 (ajuntament.barcelona.cat).
The 2026 programme
Times and places are from the council’s programme, read on 30 September 2026.
| Day | What | When and where |
|---|---|---|
| Wed 23 | Opening speech and procession, then the Toc d’Inici | From 19:00; the Toc d’Inici is in Plaça de Sant Jaume |
| Thu 24 | Giants’ morning, then the Eagle’s dance | 11:45 and 12:45, Plaça de Sant Jaume |
| Thu 24 | Human-tower gathering of eight local teams | 13:00 to 15:00, Plaça de Sant Jaume |
| Thu 24 | La Mercè procession with a rolling lantern show | 17:30 to 20:30, from Plaça de Catalunya to Plaça de Sant Jaume |
| Thu 24 | Drone show, The Red Thread, Barcelona to Shanghai, the guest city | 21:00 and 22:00, Espigó del Gas beach |
| Sat 26 | Children’s fire run | 18:00 to 19:45, Passeig de Gràcia |
| Sat 26 | The fire run, the Ceptrotada and the Gate of Hell | 20:30 to 23:00, Passeig de Gràcia |
| Sun 27 | Human-tower procession, then the Historic Human Tower Performance | 11:30 from the Palau de la Virreina, then 12:00 to 15:00 in Plaça de Sant Jaume |
| Sun 27 | The Piromusical | 22:00 to 22:30, Nova Icària beach |
The human towers
Plaça de Sant Jaume · Thursday 24 and Sunday 27 in 2026
Castells are human towers built by teams called colles, to the sound of grallas, a reed pipe, and drums. On Thursday 24 September 2026 the eight local colles built their towers and pillars in front of the city hall from 13:00, after a procession of the builders from Plaça Reial. On Sunday 27 the Castellers de Barcelona hosted guest colles from Terrassa and Valls for the Historic Human Tower Performance, from 12:00 to 15:00 (barcelona.cat/lamerce).
Castellers building towers in Plaça de Sant Jaume. Photo: Pere López Brosa, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The fire run
Passeig de Gràcia · Saturday 26 in 2026, 20:30 to 23:00
The correfoc is a newer part of the festival. Devils with pitchforks and sceptres and fire-breathing beasts run down the street through sparks and explosions; in 2026 the run started with the Ceptrotada, when every group lit its sceptres and banners at once, and ran from Passeig de Gràcia at Provença to Passeig de Gràcia at Consell de Cent. The council’s rules for spectators:
The correfoc in the streets of Barcelona. Photo: Jorge Jaramillo, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Wear cotton, long sleeves and long trousers, and sturdy shoes; add a cotton scarf at the neck and a hat. Avoid synthetics.
- Protect your eyes and ears.
- No alcohol and no glass.
- Children: take them to the children’s run, which is earlier; at the main run, keep them away from the first row and the fire.
- Do not throw water at the people running.
The council asks shops along the route to close their windows and lower their shutters, and to clear deliveries before noon (barcelona.cat/lamerce).
The Piromusical
Nova Icària beach · Sunday 27 in 2026, 22:00 to 22:30
The fireworks close the festival, launched in time with a soundtrack chosen by a guest artist; in 2026 it was Josep Montero of Oques Grasses, and the show moved to Nova Icària beach from its usual place on Avinguda de la Reina Maria Cristina. The council recommends the metro to L4 Ciutadella | Vila Olímpica and buses H16, V23, V25 and V27, and reinforced every metro line, Line 4 especially, that night. For hotels by that beach, see Barcelona hotels near the beach.
Getting round and what is open
- The metro: in 2026 it ran continuously on the nights of Wednesday 23, Friday 25 and Saturday 26 September, and until midnight on Thursday 24, the holiday (barcelona.cat/lamerce).
- Museums: in 2026 the council’s municipal museums and cultural facilities were free during the festival, with a booking needed at some (barcelona.cat/lamerce). The Picasso Museum’s Open Door day is 24 September, free with a booking made four days before (museupicassobcn.cat).
- Information: Porta Cultura, on the ground floor of the Palau de la Virreina at La Rambla 99, is open daily 10:00 to 20:00; the 010 line answers from 7:00 to 23:00.
- Rain: September averages 81 mm of rain at Barcelona airport, and the organisers say a show may be paused, moved or cancelled; the festival’s website and app carry the alerts. Best time to visit Barcelona has the rest of the year.
Where to stay
The processions and the human towers are in the Gothic Quarter around Plaça de Sant Jaume, the fire run is on Passeig de Gràcia and the fireworks were at Nova Icària. Hotel Neri, at Carrer de Sant Sever 5, is in the Gothic Quarter (Hotels.comad), and H10 Madison, at Carrer del Doctor Joaquim Pou 2–6, is about 230 m from the cathedral (Hotels.comad). Where to stay in Barcelona compares the areas; every hotel adds the tourist tax, €7 to €12 per adult per night, for stays up to 31 March 2027.
For sights to book around the festival weekend, see what to book before you go in Barcelona; for a day away from the crowds, day trips from Barcelona.
Common questions
When is La Mercè in 2027?
The council has not published the 2027 dates. The festival is built round 24 September, the feast of the Mare de Déu de la Mercè and a local holiday, which is a Friday in 2027. The 2026 edition ran from Wednesday 23 to Sunday 27 September, and the council presented its programme on 16 September.
What are the castells at La Mercè?
Human towers built by teams called colles, to the sound of the grallas, a kind of reed pipe. In 2026 the local teams gathered at Plaça de Sant Jaume on Thursday 24 September from 13:00, and the Castellers de Barcelona hosted guest teams, the Minyons de Terrassa and the Colla Joves Xiquets de Valls, there on Sunday 27 from 12:00.
What is the fire run at La Mercè and what should you wear?
The correfoc, or fire run: devils and fire-breathing beasts run through the street among sparks and firecrackers. The council says to wear long sleeves and long trousers of cotton rather than synthetics, a hat, sturdy shoes and a cotton scarf at the neck, to protect your eyes and ears, and to carry no alcohol or glass. In 2026 it ran on Passeig de Gràcia on Saturday 26 September from 20:30.
Are the museums free during La Mercè?
In 2026, yes: the council said municipal museums and cultural facilities offered free admission during the festival, though some venues wanted a booking made in advance. The Picasso Museum's free Open Door day on 24 September also needs a booking.
