There are traditions that set the city’s rhythm and herald the end of summer long before temperatures drop. In Barcelona, that turning point is marked by the unveiling of the image for its main festival. This year, painter and muralist Cinta Vidal was commissioned to illustrate La Mercè 2026, achieving something that seemed very difficult: virtually unanimous approval from residents, putting the controversies of the last two editions behind us and recalling the overwhelmingly positive reception the 2021 design received.
To celebrate this positive reception, and as is now customary in the city, City Hall wanted to ensure the artwork wasn’t limited to digital screens. Starting now, anyone who wants to hang this piece on the walls of their home can visit various municipal facilities and pick up, completely free of charge, a printed poster-sized reproduction of this special tribute to the Catalan capital.
Three places to pick up your copy
Three distribution points have been set up across different neighborhoods. To get a physical copy, simply visit any of them during their regular hours:
- Ve de Barcelona (El Born – Museu d’Història de Barcelona): Located at Plaça Comercial, 12. Open Tuesday through Sunday, including holidays, from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
- Porta Cultura (Palau de la Virreina): Located on the ground floor at 99 La Rambla. It is open every day of the week, with continuous hours from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
- La Marina de Port Library – Francesc Candel: Located at 10 Amnistia Internacional Street. Its hours of operation are Monday and Wednesday afternoons (3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.); Tuesdays and Fridays in split shifts (9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.); and Thursdays with continuous hours (9:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.). Please note one important detail: the library will be closed from August 1 through August 31.
A work that leaps from the paper to the wall
Those who decide to visit the Francesc Candel Library will be in for a pleasant surprise. Following in the footsteps of recent years—when the main poster was accompanied by a short film in 2024 or a physical altarpiece exhibited at the Casa Gran in 2025—Cinta Vidal’s illustration transcends the poster format. This time, the work has been transformed into a large-scale mural that will be permanently integrated into the interior of the library’s facilities.
The magic of this year’s design lies in its interplay of impossible perspectives—a geometric collage style that strongly evokes the world of artist M.C. Escher. At first glance, the composition allows viewers to recognize major architectural landmarks of the city, such as the Cathedral, the Basilica of Mare de Déu de la Mercè, the Teatre Grec, and Plaça del Rei.
As the gaze shifts from shades of gray to green, the urban landscape gradually opens up to reveal the iconic Venetian towers, the Mies van der Rohe Pavilion, the Nou Barris district headquarters, the sinuous forms of Park Güell, and the natural beauty of the Horta Labyrinth. For the most observant viewers, the canvas hides treasures in a third layer of interpretation: the sculpture *Dona i Ocell*, the classic Modernist streetlamps on Passeig de Gràcia, *Els Mistos* in Vall d’Hebron, and even a human and festive detail—a *senyera* flag crowning a modest two-by-two pillar next to the monument to Francesc Macià, right in the heart of Plaça Catalunya.
