programme has been announced for Manchester’s role as Guest City at this year’s iconic La Mercè festival in Barcelona – which each year attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors into the city for a 6-day cultural festival that sets the very highest of bars for festivals everywhere, showcasing the very best of traditional Catalan culture, outdoor arts, and music.
Manchester was chosen last year by its Catalan counterparts to be the first-ever English guest city at this year’s event which takes place from 23 – 28 September.
A Memorandum of Understanding signed between Manchester and Barcelona last year, noted that the two cities share both a very similar industrial past with histories that are linked to workers’ movements, as well as a present and future with great cultural wealth linked to the creative industries.
The Memorandum kicked off a cultural collaboration between the two cities, providing a working framework for artists, organisations, and other partners, focusing initially on music and street arts events for this year’s La Mercè festival.
Since then the two cities have been working closely to put together a spectacular programme of Mancunian grown talent in outdoor arts and music for audiences in Barcelona to enjoy.
Councillor Garry Bridges, Deputy Leader, Manchester City Council, said: “Guest City status for Manchester at this year’s La Mercè festival is a huge honour for us and we’re enormously grateful to our partners, colleagues and friends in Barcelona for the opportunity to collaborate and play a part in their iconic festival.
“Culture and diversity are big deals for us in Manchester and play a vital part in helping strengthen and shape our communities, pride and prosperity. Thanks to our wonderfully diverse artists, venues, festivals, and creative workforce, culture has had a transformative effect on our city.
“The Manchester programme for La Mercè showcases the very best of our fantastically diverse cultural scene and our hugely talented artists and creators.
“We hope it gives a flavour of the vibrant and thriving cultural scene we have here in Manchester and look forward to further strengthening our ties with the great city of Barcelona and welcoming new visitors and audiences to our city off the back of this.”
The resulting programme is a celebration of fantastic outdoor work created by Manchester artists and organisations.
Highlights in the special cultural exchange include two unique new commissions from Manchester-based creators working with Barcelona-based performers, alongside new work created to celebrate Manchester and its people at La Mercè.
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.
