La Mercè festivities 2011

La Mercè festivities (from 22 to 25 September), they will once again be offering a broad, varied programme featuring traditional activities, spectacles, shows and plenty of entertainment.

The Correfoc (fire run) is premiering a new Porta de l’Infern (Hell’s Gate), which will extend across Via Laietana, until it becomes a hell’s wall, to quote Xavier Cordomí, the artistic director of Tradicional.

Dance companies and contemporary dancers will be performing at Ciutadella park to the chimes of a travelling carillon, a very unusual instrument hailing from the city of Douai. What’s more, the Mercè Dansa display will once again be taking over the stage opposite the Cathedral.

The La Mercé parade is expected to be the largest ever, with participants joining in from all over Catalonia.

Ciutadella park is one of the main settings of La Mercè. During the day it becomes a Dance and Street-Theatre Park and during the night, the Lights Park, with shows making use of new technologies.

These two approaches meet in El Llac dels Cignes (Swan Lake), one of the star shows of the La Mercè, combining dance with spectacular screenings at the park’s fountain, among other surprises. This is a local production featuring over a hundred dancers, whose main figures come from the Mariinsky Theatre of St Petersburg, the guest city at this year’s La Mercè.

The music programme’s details are not yet out but most of the groups taking part have already been announced, with the venue being shared between BAM and Mercè Música.

Antònia Font, Javiera Mena, Mazoni, Els Pets, El Columpio Asesino, Fangoria, Antonio Carmona, Anímic, Astrud & Col·lectiu Brossa and Gràcia Power are just some of the groups who’ll be playing at the La Mercè festival.

As for the Pyromusical, which will conclude the festivities once again, this year tribute will be paid to the four Puig i Cadafalch columns.

La Mercè- the Festivity of Barcelona!

Every September, a huge festival incorporating hundreds of free outdoor performances is organised to honour La Mercè – the patron saint of Barcelona. The festival starts on the 24th, a public holiday in the city, and it goes on all weekend.

Lively street processions of giants, dragons and ‘capgrosses’ – literally, ‘big heads’ – take place on the in the old quarter of the city. This year, two new giants step out, one dedicated to the Polish composer Frederic Chopin and the other to writer George Sand – a pseudonym for French Baroness Aurore Dupin. See if you can spot them!

Another major event is the Correfoc on Saturday night at 8pm. This is a wild procession of devilish fire swinging for which the public are advised to keep a safe distance.

On Sunday at midday, squeeze into plaça Sant Jaume to witness the extraordinary Castellers create human towers. Teams compete to get as high as possible with a brave youngster right at the top!

For this edition of La Mercè, Barcelona is twinned with Dakar, the capital of Senegal. The two cities are brought together in collaborative performances and art projects, such as Africa Camut Band: a lively day performance of percussion and dance that takes place in the Grec Theatre on the 24th and 26th.

A major part of the festival in 2010 is ‘Mercè Arts al Carrer’ or MAC which brings inventive international street performers to the city. Contemporary circus and puppetry is celebrated at the castle on Montjuic; while in Parc Ciutadella there is dance and theatre in the daytime, and spectacular ‘light shows’ at night.

La Laia Festival, another festivity of Barcelona

The legend of Eulàlia tells how a thirteen year old girl who lived in a farmhouse in Sarrià rebelled against the Roman Emperor Diocles’ persecution of Christians. Eulàlia, or Laia for short, was sentenced to death but she never gave up fighting for her beliefs.

Today, this girl – Saint Eulalia – is the joint patron saint of Barcelona and star personality of the city’s winter festival. A festival aimed at every child in Barcelona who bears that extremely courageous girl’s spirit of solidarity.

On Friday, 12 February there will be the night parade and the city’s Eagle Dance, inside the Santa Maria del Mar basilica. Remember that giant figures, with Laia herself at the head, will be the special guests of this festival, which will also feature parades and dancing throughout its days.

Plaça Reial will be bursting with frenetic energy from 11am, when the city’s giants and historic mythical beasts take part in one of the most eye-catching and traditional street parades of this festival.

Another must-see event of this festival is the “correfoc” or running firework display. On Sunday, 14 February Plaça de Sant Jaume will fill up with little devils at 6.30pm and, afterwards at 8pm, Avinguda de la Catedral will be the setting for fire and colourful flames at the traditional Santa Eulalia “correfoc”.

The Teatre Poliorama, the Macba and the Museu Marítim are staging music, dance and theatre shows for all the family. You’ll be able to enjoy performances such as “En Joan sense poro Nautilus“, discover the world of dance, take part in workshops, experience the best of hip-hop and relax to music played by ensembles and chamber groups.

Santa Eulàlia Festivity website

Correfoc – a fire beast parade

One of the best moments of La Mercè. Gangs of demons (diables) around Barcelona participating in the great festival of fire and sound, which began with the spectacular fireworks of Gate of Hell (Porta de l’Infern), in open, gives way to Correfoc.

If you’re one of those who go in for traditional, family activities, don’t miss the “fire beast” parade, a spectacular, safe, night-time procession that lets you calmly observe dragons and beasts making their way through the old quarter up to Plaça Sant Jaume.

Recommendations.
Wear appropriate clothing: cotton clothing with closed neck, long sleeves, neck scarf, hat, shoes flexible, light and closed, and ear-plugs

Route: Porta Cambó, av. Cambó, pl Antoni Maura, Via Laietana, pl Antoni López
Saturday 26/09 from 20:30h to 22:30h

NN hotels: www.nnhotels.com