What's On Barcelona: 24th - 27th September

Bon dia!

When I started this newsletter 18 months ago, I never expected 100,000 people would subscribe to it!

And I was right. They haven’t.

But 10,020 have. So thanks, and I’ll keep doing more of the same I guess.

There’s loads going on for La Mercè today and this weekend. I reckon I could have filled three newsletters with it all.

Anyway, here’s what’s on.

- Mark

⛅️ Weather

Fri ☀️ 27°/21° Sat ⛅ 26°/21° ⛅ Sun 26°/21°

1. La Mercè - 5 Days of Fireworks, Parades & Catalan Traditions

What’s On: La Mercè is Barcelona’s biggest annual festival, held in honour of the city’s patron saint, Mare de Déu de la Mercè (Our Lady of Mercy). For five days, the city fills with traditional Catalan celebrations, parades, fire, fireworks and more.

📅 When: Now until Sunday
📍 Where: Across Barcelona

Highlights
🏰 Castellers – Thursday 24th, 1pm & Sunday 27th, 12pm – Plaça de Sant Jaume
🎭 La Mercè Parade – Thursday 24th, 6pm – Plaça Catalunya → Plaça de Sant Jaume🚁 Drone shows – Thursday 24th, 9pm & 10pm – Espigó del Gas
🎆 Fireworks – Friday 25th & Saturday 26th, 10pm – Espigó del Gas, Barceloneta
🔥 Correfoc Infantil – Saturday 26th, 6pm – Passeig de Gràcia
🔥 Correfoc de la Mercè – Saturday 26th, 8:30pm – Passeig de Gràcia

🎪 Mercè Arts de Carrer – Free circus, theatre, dance and street performances across Parc del Fòrum, Estació del Nord, Parc de la Trinitat, Port Olímpic and more.

🏛️ Free museums & attractions – Thursday 24th – Dozens of cultural sites open for free, including MACBA, CCCB, Fundació Miró, Montjuïc Castle, CaixaForum and more.

🎇 Piromusical – Sunday 27th, 10pm – Nova Icària beach

For more info see here →

2. La Mercè - 100+ Free Concerts

What’s On: La Mercè isn't just fireworks and people running around with fire. There are 100+ free concerts happening across Barcelona over the festival, with everything from pop and indie to electronic, rock and Catalan music.

🎵 Concert venues include:
Plaça Catalunya
Platja del Bogatell
Avinguda Reina Maria Cristina
Avinguda de la Catedral
Moll de la Fusta
Rambla del Raval
Teatre Grec
Parc de la Ciutadella
Fabra i Coats
Nou Barris
Antiga Fàbrica Estrella Damm
Jardins del Doctor Pla i Armengol

📅 When: Now until Sunday

For more info see here →

Your Catalan Soundtrack to La Mercè 🎶 [AD]

It’s La Mercè! And if you’re heading out this weekend, why not discover some music in Catalan while you’re at it?

Here are four artists playing this year, plus a song from each to get you started

Three of them are playing at Avinguda Maria Cristina on Friday

🎵 Els Amics de les Arts — Segurament t'estimo
🎵 Els Catarres — Vull estar amb tu
🎵 Maria Jaume — Sant Domingo Forever

And you can catch Buhos at Platja del Bogatell — give Volcans a listen.

Four songs to practise your Catalan with, and four chances to hear it live at La Mercè.

Content by the Ministry Language Policy

3. Shrek Rave - Music, Shrek Remixes & Onion-Eating

What’s On: Yeah, you read that right, a Shrek Rave. Look, I don’t make the events, I just share them. Expect techno, house, EDM, drum & bass and Shrek remixes, plus live performers, Shrek karaoke, dance battles and an onion-eating contest. You’re encouraged to dress in green or as your favourite Shrek character, because apparently there’s a prize for that too.

📅 When: Saturday 26th, 6pm–11pm
📍 Where: Sala Apolo

For more info see here →

4. Chopstick Fest – Asian Street Food Market

What’s On: Parc de l’Estació del Nord is turning into an Asian street food market for La Mercè. Expect food from local vendors covering Japan, China, Korea, Thailand, Taiwan and beyond. Basically, turn up hungry.

📅 When: Now until Sunday
📍 Where: Parc de l’Estació del Nord

For more info see here →

Also Happening This Weekend

🎉 Neighbourhood Festivals
Festa Major dels Indians  – Until Sunday
Festa Major del Barri de la Mercè (Pedralbes) – Until Sunday
Festa Major de la Barceloneta – Starts Friday, until 4th Oct
Festa Major de Montbau – Starts Friday, until 4th Oct

🎶 Music, Parties & Nightlife
L’Hora del Jazz (Gràcia) – Free open-air jazz concerts in Plaça de la Vila, with two performances each Sunday (Free, Sun, 6pm & 7pm, until 27th Sept).

BAM – Barcelona Acció Musical (Various Locations) – Free music festival showcasing emerging & alternative artists, with rock, pop, electronic, punk & more (Ends Sun).

🛍️ Food, Drinks, Markets & Shopping
San Miguel Biergarten (Poble Espanyol) – German-style beer festival with food, live music, DJs, tastings & competitions (Free for Catalonia residents, Fri–Sun).

Terra i Gust (Ciutadella) – Sustainable food festival with €5 dishes from local restaurants, plus cooking workshops, talks & live music (Fri–Sun).

Zero Waste Market (Poblenou) – Second-hand clothes & goods market where everything costs just €1 or €2 (€1 entry, Sat, 10am–3pm).

Fet al Born (El Born) – Market with 25+ local makers selling products designed & made in the neighbourhood, plus free workshops and demonstrations (Thu–Sun, 11am–8pm).

Clothing Swap (El Clot) – Bring clothes, shoes & accessories you no longer want and swap them for something new, with no money involved (Free, Sat, 10:30am–1:30pm).

Big Plant Sale (Poblenou) – Huge pop-up plant sale with 150 varieties, including rare & pet-friendly plants. Prices start from €0.99 (Free entry, booking required, Fri–Sun).

Mercat de Colom Vintage Market (Port Vell) – Browse vintage jewellery, cameras, watches, antiques, military memorabilia and collectibles (Fri–Sun).

🎨 Culture & Experiences
NUDO Poetry Festival (Various Locations) – Poetry festival mixing spoken word with music, performance, video & other art forms across 8 Barcelona venues (Sat–4th Oct).

La Fura dels Baus: Emergency Exit (Moll de la Fusta) – Immersive outdoor show with electronic music, lasers, video, movement & live performance. (Free, Thu, 10–11pm).

Dragons & Fire Beasts Exhibition (El Born) – See 70 of Barcelona’s dragons & other fire-breathing festival beasts up close before they take part in La Mercè (Free, ends Sat).

Catalan Book Week (Arc de Triomf) – Outdoor book festival with new releases, author talks, signings & activities celebrating Catalan-language literature (ends Sunday).

Cirque du Soleil's KURIOS (L’Hospitalet) – Steampunk-inspired circus show with acrobatics, comedy, live music & elaborate sets (Until 18th Oct).

Jardí Geològic (Les Corts) – open-air museum exploring geology and Earth science, with rock displays and interactive exhibits (Free, open daily).

La Model Prison (Esquerra de l’Eixample) – Former prison turned public space, open for free visits where you can explore its cells and learn about its history.

World’s Largest Balloon Exhibition (Poblenou) – Immersive exhibition made from 600,000 balloons, with sculptures & interactive rooms to explore.

🌞 Outdoors & Active
Outdoor Board Game Space at Glòries – Free open-air board game area with 100+ games you can borrow and play in the park (Sat & Sun, 6pm–10pm).

Juguem a les Places (Various Locations) – Free outdoor play spaces for kids & families across almost 50 Barcelona squares, with toys, games & activities.

Barcelona Night Skate Routes – Free guided skate routes through Barcelona every Friday night, starting from Vila Olímpica & led by volunteer skaters (Fri, 10pm).

💼 Jobs of the Week

Lead Data Analyst, Marketing (SEM) at Rover
^{Lead global paid search analytics, experimentation & marketing measurement for Rover
See the role →}
Senior UX/UI Designer at MediaMarktSaturn
<sup>Design digital products across web, apps & AI-powered experiences
See the role →

Find more jobs like this on BarcelonaJobs.com</sup>

That’s all for this week, have a great weekend!

— Mark

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