Manchester: the bees come out to party
The bees, the symbol of Manchester, guest city of La Mercè 2025, have flown in to the Festa Major for a visit and are already getting into the spirit of Barcelona’s celebrations. At various moments during the traditional Mercè (such as the Parade and the Fire Beasts Procession), you’ll see two figures created especially for this year’s festival, crafted through a collaboration between local artisans and Catalan and English folk culture groups as part of the Global Grooves project. These are the giant figure Bee and a mythical Bee creature, merging Manchester’s festive imagination with Barcelona’s own traditions.
But it is not just shared industrial roots that connect these two cities; they also share a vibrant present, both strongly committed to culture. Many of the artists who create the soundtrack to the daily lives of Barcelona’s residents today come from Manchester. And Manchester’s music scene is as vibrant as ever, as you’ll see if you catch any of the concerts by Manchester-based artists featured in Música Mercè, including a special performance by Queralt Lahoz with multi-instrumentalist, producer and DJ Tom Werkha; the jazz-pop-folk fusion of Ríoghnach Connolly & Honeyfeet; the danceable beats of Porij; and the socially engaged songs of Chloe Slater. Fancy discovering a sound you’ve never heard before? Come along to BAM to hear Children of Zeus and Space Afrika.
Mercè Arts de Carrer will also be alive with talent from Manchester. Don’t miss the Stopgap Dance Company and a fascinating Cambodian artist who performs using a wheelchair (Ro-Tes; there’s also a workshop). You can also experience soundscapes like the Warning Notes installation by Oxford Contemporary Music, or wander through the Fire garden created by Manchester’s Walk the Plank company. La Mercè hosts many guests from Manchester, including a meeting of New Orleans sounds and ’90s club culture (Mr Wilson’s Second Liners); Joseph Tonga’s powerful celebration of Black female bodies in Born to protest; the astonishing bee hives created by Artizani (Bees! The Colony); the competitive Family Catwalk Extravaganza, presented by Ghetto Fabulous; the choreography Umbra, by Company Chameleon, who are also staging a second show, The ultimate players handbook, featuring Barcelona residents Lisard Tranis and Clémentine Telesford; Damae Dance with Irma; and Motionhouse, who explore our relationship with nature through circus and dance.
