Barcelona is a City that enjoys a few Fiesta and Festivals but the Fiesta de La Merce is one of the most popular and well attended festivals.
The main event is held on the 24th September each year and the Festival is held in honour of the Cities Patron Saint and Protector, The Virgin de La Merce.
Although the main event is held on the 24th September each year the event encompasses a wide range of activities over the few days leading up to the 24th September.
On offer you will find large sporting events and sailing regattas along with quite a few Religious celebrations, parades, firework displays and lots and lots of dancing.
In my opinion the best event to watch is the human tower building competition. This involves teams of people wearing traditional costumes trying to build the tallest human tower. You can find this spectacle in the Placa St Juame and dont be surprised to find the towers reaching up to eight levels.
As with all Spanish Festivals, Music and Dancing play an important and large part of the proceedings and different areas and squares or Placas throughout Barcelona play host to different music and dance groups.
If you head for the Moll de La Fusta for example you will find a curious and interesting selection of Circus acts and the Cultura Contemporanea de Barcelona is the place to discover the street theatres.
The Fiesta De La Merce Festival is a relaxed festival where everyone, including children is encouraged to join in.
