Upcoming, 1 of 1
UpcomingFestival144 families interested
La Mercè 2026 with Kids: Family Days, Kids' Fire Run, Fireworks
- When
- Wed-Sun Sep 23-27
- Ages
- All ages (best for 2+)
- Price
- Free
Upcoming, 1 of 1: La Mercè 2026 with Kids: Family Days, Kids' Fire Run, Fireworks
La Mercè 2026 with Kids: Family Days, Kids' Fire Run, Fireworks
FestivalCiutat Vella144 families interested
Where
Various venues
Ages
All ages (best for 2+)
Setting
Outdoors
Plan for
Drop-in, stay as long as kids last
Kids program
Family days at Parc de les Glòries (Thu) and Port Olímpic (Sat), plus a kids' fire run (Sat 6pm)
Closing event
Piromusical from Nova Icària beach, Sun Sep 27 at 10pm (new spot for 2026)
What you need to know
- Five days, multiple entry points, so you can drop in for an hour or stay all afternoon.
- Kids' fire run on Saturday at 6pm, on Passeig de Gràcia before dark, with smaller flames and a slower pace than the adult correfoc at 8:30pm.
- Closing fireworks move to the beach, the piromusical launches from Nova Icària beach on Sunday at 10pm (30 minutes), so you can watch from anywhere along the seafront.
About
La Mercè is Barcelona's patron-saint festival and the city's biggest free party, five days when the streets themselves become stages across all ten districts. The 2026 guest city is Shanghai, the first from Asia, bringing around 110 artists including the Shanghai Acrobatic Troupe, and Chinese dragons dancing alongside Barcelona's own gegants. For families there are dedicated children's workshops, theater and circus, the daytime castellers and gegants parades in Plaça Sant Jaume suit small kids, a separate Correfoc Infantil gives a gentler fire run, and this year's closing piromusical moves to Nova Icària beach, visible from along the whole seafront.
Schedule
Wed, Sep 23
- 7pmOpening procession and Toc d'inici, from La Rambla to Plaça Sant Jaume with Shanghai's rolling lantern show, while the pregó happens inside City Hall (7pm to 9pm).
Thu, Sep 24
- 10:45amMatí de la Mercè, the giants dance in Plaça Sant Jaume, then the Passada de Nans i Gegants winds through the old town.
- 11am to 7:30pmFamily day at Parc de les Glòries (new this year), circus, street theater and play installations you can drop into all day.
- 1pmDiada Castellera, all eight Barcelona colles build human towers in front of City Hall (1pm to 3pm).
- 6pmCavalcada de la Mercè, giants, beasts and bands parade from Plaça Catalunya down to Plaça Sant Jaume, arriving around 7pm.
Where it is
Various venues
Resources
- Event websiteOfficial page from the organizer.
- Traditional festivities programOfficial day-by-day list of giants, castellers, correfocs and the piromusical, with a family-audience filter.
- Street arts program (MAC)Circus, theater and play spaces by park and day; filter by family audience and age.
- Complete concert scheduleThe full 2026 concert cartell by day, time, and stage, all 109 free concerts (in Catalan).
- La Mercè AppReal-time updates, nearby activity finder, and personalized favorites list for the festival.
Common questions
What else is on this weekend
See all events →More family picks, Friday to Sunday.
Festival
Catalan Book Week: Our English-Speaker Picks
Through Sep 27 · Free
Outdoors
Circus Skills Park: Balance, Stilts and Juggling
Through Sep 19 · Free
Festival
Folk Dancing Under the Lights at Vallvidrera's Festa Major
Sat Sep 19 · Free
Festival
Terrassa Circus Festival
Through Sep 20 · Free activities; paid shows from 5 euros
Exhibition
Kids Go Free at House of Candy Until September 30
Through Sep 30 · Kids 12 and under free, adults from €16