Barcelona residents will find most shopping-centre shops closed on Thursday 24 September, the La Mercè public holiday, while Maremàgnum will remain open and several retail centres outside the city will trade as usual.

El Periódico reports that Maremàgnum, by Barcelona’s Port Vell, is the only shopping centre in the city authorised to open all year round. It will therefore open on La Mercè Day.

La Mercè is Barcelona’s main annual festival and is a local public holiday in the city. It is not a public holiday in many neighbouring municipalities, so residents travelling outside Barcelona will have more retail options.

Centres expected to open outside Barcelona

The following centres will open their shops because 24 September is not a local holiday where they are located:

  • Viladecans The Style Outlets, in Viladecans
  • Ànec Blau, in Castelldefels
  • Mataró Parc, in Mataró, and Màgic Badalona, in Badalona
  • Splau and El Corte Inglés, in Cornellà de Llobregat
  • Barnasud, in Gavà, and Finestrelles, in Esplugues de Llobregat
  • Baricentro, in Barberà del Vallès, and Sant Cugat Centre Comercial
  • La Roca Village, in Santa Agnès de Malanyanes

Gran Via 2 will limit opening to leisure and food

Gran Via 2, in L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, will open only its leisure and restaurant businesses, from 12:00 to 23:30 under its Sunday and public-holiday schedule. Shoppers planning to visit should check with individual shops before travelling.

Elsewhere in Catalonia, La Fira Centre Comercial in Reus and Parc Central Tarragona will open on Thursday because it is not a holiday in those cities. La Fira Centre Comercial will close on Friday 25 September for Reus’s local festival.

Parc Central Tarragona will be closed on Wednesday 23 September for the Santa Tecla festivities, before reopening on Thursday. Espai Gironès and La Gran Jonquera Outlet & Shopping will also open, with La Gran Jonquera scheduled to trade from 09:00 to 21:00.

Most businesses on Lleida’s Eix Comercial, a 3.5-kilometre pedestrian shopping street, will also open on 24 September. Visitors should check the relevant centre’s own opening-hours page, as individual retailers may set different holiday hours.

Reported by elperiodico.com, El Periódico Barcelona.