Street arts take over Barcelona

The 2023 MAC programme will be staging events at Parc de l’Estació del Nord, Parc de Joan Miró and Carrer Consell de Cent (Eixample), Palauet Albéniz and Montjuïc Castle (Sants-Montjuïc), and Parc de l’Aqüeducte (Nou Barris). Mercè Arts de Carrer [MAC], Barcelona’s great open-air festival of theatre, circus and performative installations. Remember, Parc de la Ciutadella is undergoing renovation work and cannot host the festival programme this year.

Estació del Nord will form the nerve centre of this year’s MAC, with various stages for contemporary dance and new technologies, Ukrainian dance and workshops, puppet shows and street theatre, with an extraordinary programme that combines local talent and international artists: from Carla Sisteré, UnaiUna, Pol i Guillem Jiménez i Lorena and Marta Nogal, Lali Ayguadé and Ariadna Monfort (Catalonia), to Nokill (France), the Kyiv Academic Theatre “Berehynia” (Ukraine), Ulik (Germany) and Alleyne Company (United Kingdom), nearly 50 companies will be performing over the four festival days.

And of course, Montjuïc Castle will be the setting for circus: on 23, 24 and 25 September you can see all the best acrobatics and juggling, with local artists and others from Andalusia, France and Ukraine (circus cabaret).

Parc de Joan Miró is traditionally where activities for younger children are held. It will be celebrating the 20th anniversary of Antigua i Barbuda, which will be displaying its popular machine theatre. Other groups that will surprise you and make you laugh include Leandre Clown, Farrés Brothers i Cia, Puppetmastaz (Germany) and Compagnie Wurst (Belgium/Germany).

As always, Palauet Albéniz will be opening its doors so that the general public can visit during La Mercè. They will encounter grass-roots music, dance schools, circus, play areas and even a crafts fair from Ukraine. Meanwhile, at Parc de l’Aqüeducte, there will be another festival: Pallassos Sense Fronteres [Clowns without borders] is 30 years old, and they are celebrating with all the companies that have taken smiles to war zones around the world (including Lebanon, Palestine and Ukraine).

At Oasi Mac, the section of Consell de Cent between Entença and Comte Borrell, you can enjoy dance, circus and itinerant performances, as well as a participatory installation. And lastly, we also have to celebrate the recovery of Comparsa Picasso, a music and theatre festival that will be taking place at Plaça del Moviment Obrer (Marina del Prat Vermell), Plaça de Sarrià (Sarrià) and Parc de la Trinitat (Trinitat Vella).

A hundred projects and over 300 performances will turn Barcelona into the centre for street arts during La Mercè. Let yourself go at MAC!