Dancing Giants—La Mercè 2024

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Dance of the new "gegants" of Sant Roc. Photo by Edu Bayer courtesy of Ajuntament de Barcelona (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0).

Barcelona's gegants (giants), who'll have spent the night at the City Hall, will wake up to the vibrant sounds of the grallers and trabucs (old fashioned blunderbusses used for festivals), these imposing figures kick off the Matí Geganter with a spectacular dance to show themselves off in all their splendor.

Perhaps we’ll see the traditional ball de Santa Eulàlia, by the Plaça Nova giants; the Havanera by the Barceloneta giants; the popular Marieta de l’ull viu, by the Casc Antic giants’ group, or the Toc de Gràcia, the dance by the giants and mini-giants of Gràcia.

At 11:45, the dancing giants will be followed by the passada de nans i gegants, in which the giants and dwarfs will make their way to the Pati Manning parading through the streets of the Gòtic and El Raval for all to enjoy.

What to Do for La Mercè

Celebrated in the days surrounding September 24th, the La Mercè festival program is packed with things to do and see. From parades and exhibits filled with gegants (giants), capgrossos (bigheads) and fire-breathing beasts to giant castells (human towers), traditional dances, correfocs (fire runs), drone light shows, fireworks displays and free concerts, you're sure to find something to delight and amaze you.

But if all the festivities of La Mercè get to be a bit too much, why not take a culture break? Many of the city’s museums observe the holiday with a jornada de portes obertes (open doors). To make the most of your time, take a look at our interactive map with all the locations that are throwing open their doors for free: Map of Barcelona Museums with Free Entry for La Mercè.

See our Guide to La Mercè for a list of the festival's events and discover the story behind one of the biggest celebrations on Barcelona's calendar and the many traditions that make this beloved Catalan holiday so special.

For more events during the Festes de la Mercè check our online events calendar.