Barcelona's major festival, La Mercè, will be held from September 23 to 27 with the opening speech by master cellerer Antoni Falgueras, the poster by visual artist Cinta Vidal, and Shanghai as the guest city of honour, coinciding with the 25th anniversary of the twinning.
Master cellerer Antoni Falgueras, accompanied by his daughter, sommelier Meritxell Falgueras, will be responsible for delivering the opening speech of La Mercè 2026, the major festival of Barcelona taking place from Wednesday, September 23 to Sunday, September 27. The announcement was made public this Wednesday by the Barcelona City Council, which also revealed the poster for this edition, created by visual artist Cinta Vidal, and the guest city of honour: Shanghai, thus becoming the first Asian city to receive this recognition.
The poster by Cinta Vidal, known for her impossible perspectives and dreamlike urban scenes, includes iconic spaces of Barcelona such as Park Güell, the Sagrada Família, and the port, but represented from an innovative perspective that, according to the artist, aims to capture a city made of connections and discoveries. The choice of Shanghai as the guest city coincides with the 25th anniversary of the twinning between the two cities, signed in 2001.
The programme for La Mercè 2026 will kick off on Wednesday, September 23, in the afternoon with Falgueras' speech and the first musical performances later that night. Thursday, September 24, a local holiday, will be dedicated to family-friendly proposals, popular culture, and street arts throughout the day. One of the new features will be the inauguration of the parc de les Glòries as a venue for Mercè Arts de Carrer, an additional space to decentralise the festival.
On that same Thursday, Park Güell will host a large-format show co-produced with the Department of Culture of the Generalitat de Catalunya, which will blend traditional music and dances with contemporary elements. The performance, which will be repeated on Saturday, September 26, commemorates the Year of Gaudí and the centenary of the park, with participation from the city's esbarts. On Friday, September 25, activities will resume in the evening with fireworks and concerts.
Saturday, September 26, will see one of the major innovations of this edition: the debut of a new Porta de l'Infern, which will open to welcome the city's correfoc, a central element of Barcelona's popular culture. The major festival will conclude on Sunday, September 27, with a daytime filled with proposals and the Piromusical de La Mercè as the grand closing spectacle, which will be held for the first time on Bogatell beach.
The City Council has highlighted that the programme will extend across all ten districts of the city, with new venues such as plaça de Sarrià and plaça Comas, in addition to the aforementioned plaça de les Glòries. The aim, according to municipal sources, is to bring the major festival closer to all neighbourhoods and facilitate access to activities for a diverse audience.
Popular culture will be one of the central themes of La Mercè 2026, with participation from groups of castellers, gegants, bestiari, and other traditional entities. The new Porta de l'Infern, which joins those already existing in other editions, aims to reinforce the symbolic character of the correfoc and popular pyrotechnics.
Antoni Falgueras, a renowned master cellerer, has expressed his satisfaction at being the speaker for a festival he considers "the most beloved in the city." In a statement, he thanked the City Council for their trust and indicated that his speech will focus on the values of tradition, family, and wine as a unifying element. His daughter Meritxell, a sommelier, will accompany him at the event.
The choice of Shanghai as the guest city opens a window to Asian culture in the heart of Barcelona. It is expected that during the festival, joint activities will be scheduled, such as martial arts exhibitions, Chinese gastronomy, and concerts of traditional Shanghainese music. The twinning between the two cities was signed in 2001, and since then they have maintained commercial, tourist, and cultural exchanges.
The closing Piromusical, which moves to Bogatell beach, promises to be a top-level visual and sound spectacle, with fireworks synchronized to live music. The change of location responds to the desire to decongest the city centre and provide a wider and safer environment for the audience.
With these innovations, La Mercè 2026 is shaping up to be an ambitious edition that combines tradition and innovation, with a clear commitment to decentralisation and citizen participation. Tickets for paid performances will go on sale soon, while most activities will be free.
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