La Mercè 2021: everything you need to know about this year’s concerts

It’s been an incredibly difficult 18 months for the live music industry, with most cultural activity brought to a halt due to the pandemic. 

However, La Mercè, Barcelona’s largest festa major public street party celebrating its 150th anniversary this year, will give artists and fans alike the opportunity to enjoy live music once again this year. 

Between September 23-26, a total of 114 groups will perform in venues across the city as part of the city-wide festival that always features a great selection of musical talent at its heart. 

The majority of artists performing at La Mercè are either Catalan or live in Catalonia, as the festival aims for a more localized feel to it. 

La Mercè offers something for all tastes, and features an eclectic lineup of the best in electronica, rap, RnB, dancehall, rock, indie, pop, flamenco, jazz and more that Catalonia has to offer. 

Some of the highlights of this year's lineup include Pau Vallvé, Núria Graham, Las Karamba, Les Amazones d'Afrique, Buhos, Stay Homas, Barcelona Gipsy balKan Orchestra, Judit Neddermann, Cariño, Hidrogenesse, and many more. 

As with everything going ahead amid the coronavirus pandemic, the logistics of putting on such a large-scale event will mean that the festival won’t look the same as any other. 

Tickets

Tickets will be limited and fans will have to book them in advance from the La Mercè website to attend any of the performances. A maximum of two tickets will be available per person making the reservation. 

Concerts are organized by three different groups, BAM (Barcelona Acció Musica), festival Acció Cultura Viva, and Música Mercè. Tickets will be available to book from September 14 for gigs organized by BAM and Acció Cultura Viva, while those run by Música Mercè will be up for grabs from September 15. 

Twelve different venues will host concerts this year, as organizers want to decentralize the festival and bring culture to all corners of the Catalan capital.

Iconic locations such as the Teatre Grec, Jardins del Doctor Pla i Armengol, and the Olympic Stadium will be the stage for some of the weekend's events, as will Moll de la Fusta Besòs, Moll de la Fusta Llobregat, Plaça de Joan Coromines, the Antiga Fàbrica Estrella Damm, Plaça Major de Nou Barris, Fabra i Coats, the Vall d’Hebron football pitch, Parc del Fòrum, as well as Plaça Reial.