The image and the poster aim to reflect the big influence that the annual festival has on people in Barcelona, even those who don’t go out to celebrate or don’t know what La Mercè is. The producer Canada offers a vision of the festival from the point of view of an infant.

This year there’s an audiovisual advert to announce La Mercè 2024, explaining the story of a baby who can’t stop crying and their mother can’t calm them down. The baby only stops crying whey they see a giant dancing through the window and fall asleep to the sound of fireworks.

The poster for La Mercè 2024, originally from the audiovisual, captures the moment when the toddler watches the fireworks through their bedroom window in fascination.

Carme Solé Vendrell as the opening speaker

Carme Solé Vendrell, illustrator, painter and sculptor, was born in Barcelona in 1944 and studied painting at the Escola Massana in Barcelona. She has illustrated over 900 works and exhibited her art in Barcelona and Madrid, as well as Paris, Taipei and other locations.

Her professional career has been characterised by the defence of children’s rights: She is the creator and driving force behind the campaign WHY?, which denounces the violation of infants’ rights and has been displayed in numerous cities around the country. She has worked with UNICEF and is the author of the character of the city’s mini-giant, Laia.

Casablanca as the guest city

Morocco’s main city and most significant port, Casablanca, will be this year’s guest city for La Mercè. The Moroccan city is one of the creative centres where young emerging talent is strongest, with urban music standing out.

Highlights include the show Maalem Hassan Boussou Ensamble & Raúl Rodríguez Ensamble, with fourteen musicians offering a dialogue between gnawa music and flamenco, as well as the work of Widad Mjama on the art of the aita, the popular Chaabi style of Pinan 450F and the modern pop music of OUM.

Moroccan culture will also be very visible at the Mercè Arts de Carrer (MAC) and the Barcelona Acció Musical (BAM). Casablanca’s vitality in urban arts and audiovisuals will also be projected at Montjuïc Castle with the cubic landscapes curated by Salah Malouli.

Stages for La Mercè

The concerts for La Mercè have a new stage in Plaça Catalunya, on top of the stage regained in Plaça Reial and those at Rambla del Raval, Antiga Fàbrica Estrella Damm, Fabra i Coats and Plaça Can Fabra.

As for the programme for Música Mercè, last year’s stages are back and include the one in C/ Menéndez y Pelayo, in Les Corts, first introduced last year, and iconic venues such as the Teatre Grec, the Jardins Pla i Armengol, Plaça Major de Nou Barris, Avinguda de la Catedral, Plaça Sant Jaume, Platja del Bogatell and Avinguda Maria Cristina, the latter hosting the traditional music and fireworks spectacular.

Mercè Arts de Carrer (MAC) has a new location at the Moll de Mestral wharf at Port Olímpic and at the Espigó del Bogatell, coinciding with the celebrations for the America’s Cup: the stage in the Parc de la Trinitat is also back, as is the one in the Parc de l’Estació del Nord. The Terra i Gust fair and the Associa’t fair for associations will also be back in the Parc de la Ciutadella.