New Festival Venue for Mercè 2026

The Mercè Arts de Carrer (MAC) festival will include Parc de Glòries as a performance site for the first time in 2026, transforming the green space with dance, music, circus and theatre for all ages. The park joins six other locations across the city as part of a cultural programme celebrating nature amid urban life. This year’s festival, running across all 10 districts of Barcelona, will feature 180 performances by more than 250 artists and 68 companies. Two itinerant shows will extend the programme to the Corts and Sarrià – Sant Gervasi neighbourhoods.

Shanghai as Guest City

Shanghai is the guest city for La Mercè 2026, marking 25 years since the sister-city agreement with Barcelona. The partnership is celebrated through performances including acrobatics by the Shanghai Acrobatic Troupe at Parc del Fòrum and dance displays by the Shanghai Dance School at Parc de l’Estació del Nord. An artistic installation will also link Parc de la Trinitat in Barcelona with a park in Shanghai, created by Barcelona-based studio Run and journalist-poet Paloma Chen, offering perspectives from the Chinese diaspora.

Expanded Arts Programme

The festival will spotlight contemporary Catalan circus at Parc del Fòrum, marking 50 years since its emergence, with international acts such as Wise Fools and Circumstance joining local collectives like Eunoia Kolektiv and Circulem. Parc de l’Estació del Nord will host family-friendly daytime shows and edgier evening performances, while the Palauet Albéniz reopens to the public after a year of renovations as part of the Jardins Joan Maragall programme.

The Mercè Arts de Carrer aims to claim the city’s streets by connecting artistic creation with nature, architecture and heritage.

Performances at Parc de Glòries will contrast natural surroundings with urban energy, featuring flamenco from Alboroto and contemporary transhumance art by Laura Morales’ company. Meanwhile, the Port Olímpic will host a guided maritime-themed procession called Marea de les Arts, with live music and circus acts transforming a lateen-rigged sailboat’s scenery.

  • Parc del Fòrum: large-scale circus and international acts
  • Parc de l’Estació del Nord: diverse stage arts, day and night
  • Jardins Joan Maragall: contemplative performances and heritage dialogue
  • Parc de la Trinitat: urban and community creation
  • Parc de l’Aqüeducte: social circus with Pallassos sense Fronteres

The full programme, including concerts, correfocs and the piromusical, is available on the Barcelona City Council’s official La Mercè website.

Primary sources: barcelona.cat. Reported by beteve.cat, Catalan News, Betevé.