Music programme announced for iconic Barcelona festival La Mercè 2025
The programme has been announced for this year’s iconic La Mercè festival in Barcelona, at which Manchester will be Guest City.
Each year the event attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors into the city for a 6-day cultural festival that showcases the very best of traditional Catalan culture, outdoor arts, and music.
Last year Manchester was chosen by its Catalan counterparts to be the first-ever English guest city. The event will take place from 23-28 September.
The programme for Manchester as Guest City has been led by XTRAX and Without Walls. It showcases the diverse cultural communities of Manchester and the rich diversity of the UK outdoor arts scene – including parades, dance, music, poetry, fire and installations.
The Manchester Guest City music programme at La Mercè is presented by Manchester Music City, led by Brighter Sound.
The artists representing Manchester are:
Ríoghnach Connolly and Honeyfeet
In addition, we are supporting a brand-new musical collaboration between Manchester’s Werkha and Catalan artist Queralt Lahoz, which will premiere at the festival.
Kate Lowes, Director, Brighter Sound (sector lead Manchester Music City) said: “We’re thrilled to announce such an exciting group of artists representing Manchester at La Mercè 2025 – a powerful showcase of the city’s rich and genre-defying music scene. As a member of the Music Cities Network, Manchester is proudly international in its musical outlook. This is a fantastic opportunity to deepen creative exchange between Manchester and Barcelona, and to celebrate our shared love of music on an international stage.”
