Shanghai will be the guest city for Barcelona’s La Mercè festival from 23 to 27 September 2026, making it the first Asian city invited under a tradition that began in 2007. For residents and visitors planning the city’s main annual festival, the concert, piromusical and open-day timetables have not yet been published.

The choice gives this year’s festival added significance because it coincides with the 25th anniversary of Barcelona and Shanghai’s sister-city relationship. Barcelona City Council says the relationship also includes economic and institutional links, while La Mercè will provide a cultural programme focused on Shanghai.

First Asian city in La Mercè guest-city programme

La Mercè is Barcelona’s largest annual city festival. Xinhua reported that Shanghai’s programme is expected to combine contemporary and traditional elements of the Chinese city’s culture.

“The Barcelona-Shanghai relationship is strategic,” said Xavier Marcé, Barcelona City Council’s councillor for Culture and Creative Industries, citing links particularly in culture and creative industries.

Barcelona City Council said a recent institutional and business mission to Shanghai involved representatives of 16 Catalan businesses and start-ups. The council also cited a direct Barcelona-Shanghai flight launched by China Eastern Airlines in autumn 2025, and cooperation between the two ports.

  • Festival dates: 23 to 27 September 2026.
  • Guest city: Shanghai.
  • Milestone: the first Asian guest city since the annual invitation scheme began in 2007.

Programme details are still to be announced

The supplied festival information does not yet give dates, venues or artists for concerts, the piromusical, or the Portes Obertes open-day activities. It also does not set out any booking arrangements.

Readers waiting for those details can check the betevé La Mercè agenda, which says it will be updated when programme information becomes available. Barcelona City Council’s 2025 festival closed with a music-and-fireworks piromusical, but no equivalent 2026 event details have been confirmed in the material currently available.

Primary sources: Barcelona City Council, Barcelona City Council, ajuntament.barcelona.cat, Ramon. Reported by Source Text Link, english.news.cn, Nuria Martínez, Elena Garrido, system, beteve.cat, Jordi Palmer, THE EXCLUSIVIST, lancastermoah.org, barcelona-tourist-guide.com, irbarcelona.org, thisisbarcelona.com, betevé.