Spectacular fireworks, top bands like The Kooks, dancing, open air shows and a party that lasts for 3 entire days? Right, it is that time of the year again!
In early fall arguably the biggest highlight of the year for every citizen and tourist in Barcelona awaits while the Mercè festival takes off. Between the 21st and the 24th of September, National Day of Catalonia, the streets come to live for the festival in honor of the “Lady of Mercy”. You wouldn’t want to miss the entertainment that is representative for all the cities liveliness and joy.
“La Mercè” of Barcelona is a festival organized to honor Mare de Deu de la Merce, who is the saint patron of Barcelona.
In 1687, Barcelona suffered a plague of locusts. To help fight these insects, Barcelona prayed to the Virgin. At the end of the invasion she has been named patron of the city of Barcelona, and was recognized as such by the Pope in 1868. Since then, every year around the 24th of September, the festival of the Mercè is celebrated. This festival annually hosts a number of cultural events, folk and leisure.
Each year, the Mercè is illustrated by a piece of art, and it is the artist Jaume Plensa that has been chosen by the Mayor of Barcelona to carry out this project this year. This year’s festivities will begin with the famous Prego speech, given by a personality of the cultural world and held in the great gallery of the city hall of Barcelona. Lluis Torner Mercy, professor at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia and founder and director of a scientific institution will holdthe Prego.
Rent4Days Barcelona apartments recommends following the festivities continuing your way through the street Montalegre in the Ciutat Vella and stare in awe at the “giants of Barcelona”.These amazing statues represent the popular archetypes of the city residents or the local historical figures. Then you may walk back to the Jaume I square to witness the incredible human pyramids made by the people of Barcelona.
If you want to be more than just a bystander in this festival, you may want to participate to the popular 10km running race. More than 16,000 persons have already registered to experience this intense moment of effort and social spirit.
This festival is the ideal moment to discover more about the people of Barcelona as everyone will be down in the streets spreading the leisure joy and good will and the will to enjoy day and night together with fellow visitors. Do not hesitate to speak to foreign people you will meet, they will be glad to answer your questions about Barcelona or the festival. It’s your yearly chance to see the Catalan people of Barcelona at their best and just have a great time.
For the young and little ones a special program full of fun activities has been organized. It is based on the theme of the sky and the stars by the CosmoCaixa Museum. Shows around the cosmos will be organized along with observation of the stars and the sun and great explanation on the scientific but also wonderful and mysterious topic!
Later in the evening you should not miss the dragons and other beasts of fire, which will impress you with the burning intensity of the show they offer. These fire-breathing statues amaze with the strength and the number of sparks they let escape, and how close some of the brave bystanders are dancing around them. Montjuic holds the biggest firework show of the year supported by classical music and a light-and-water show to end the festivities on a high note. This is one of the greatest fireworks in Europe and certainly unforgettable for everyone who gets the chance to be there.
If you are more in a musical mood, go directly to the popular Barcelona Brewery Estrella Damm to rock out in the free, open-air, live concert with top bands. Last year more than 15,000 people filled the streets in front of the old Estrella Damm brewery to watch such famous bands. This year, the Kooks, Love of Lesbian and La Laia have been invited for the pleasure of your ears. On sunday then the legendary Fatboy Slim is discjokeying in Europes favorite indie disco, the Razzmatazz! There is no space for boredom during the days and nights of the Merce. Every moment offers multiple spectacles all around the city to satisfy each individuals preferences, whether you enjoy high class cultural events, music and dancing, fireworks and spectacles or drinks and parties, you will find it in the Merce 2012 in Barcelona.
The unmissable event of this festival remains the light show offered by the City of Montreal, will offer a tribute to the genius of Gaudi, illuminating his masterpiece, the Sagrada Familia. Their dazzling show of lights will be inspired by the creator, whom used to say that creation continues incessantly through the media of man, and that man does not create … but discovers. This ode will illuminate for 3 consecutive nights the front of the icon of the Catalan Capital.
Don’t look any further to find the perfect apartment to assist to this great event; take a look at our selection :
http://www.rent4days.com/barcelona-apartments/loft-arc-de-triomf/
http://www.rent4days.com/barcelona-apartments/bcn-gracia/
http://www.rent4days.com/barcelona-apartments/riera-baixa/
Come to Rock in Río summer music festival in Madrid !
It feels like summer in Madrid with Rock in Rio music festival. From Rio de Janeiro since 1985, it has become an international event, nowadays is taking place in Lisbon since 2004 and in Madrid since 2008.
This year is back in Madrid for the third time in history, to Arganda del Rey the City of Rock, in an open air space of 200.000 m2, accompanied with excellent sunny weather and people with great music taste.
The stages are surrounded by different stands where you can enjoy of food, drinks, official articles of the event and fun dance classes like zumba, in which anyone attracted can participate without any extra charge. There will be two stages; el “Escenario Mundo” where all the different artists from all music genders as international will perform, while in the “Electronica” we will enjoy the bests DJ’s of the world.
One of the new things this Rock In Rio-Madrid 2012 will be the Street Dance, a dance contest.
So go ahead and book your apartment in Madrid with Rent4Days and get great deals for apartments in Madrid!
Definitely this year, the festival promises an excellent and unique experience to be enjoyed with friends and family, because besides the artists found on the cartel will come to amuse us, but there is free transport from Madrid to the City of Rock that go out from Santiago Bernabeu and the metro station Arganda del Rey.
If you would like to attend to this event and live an unforgettable musical experience, we have a great selection of apartments for you.
We particularly recommend you the Golden Pool studio which is ideal for summer with its swimming pool or the magnificent Luxurious Design apartment located in the heart of the capital.
Madrid – Apartment of the Month : Gran Vía Penthouse
In our new series of articles “apartment of the month”, Rent4Days will show you every four weeks which apartment has been most popular.
The winner of this month is the cozy Gran Via Penthouse. In this stylish and spacious apartment you will be comfortable in a central location of Madrid.
You cannot resist the charm of this Madrid apartment. The large rooms with unique design transform this apartment a very special place to share with friends or family. The fully equipped penthouse is divided into 3 bedrooms and two bathrooms, a spacious living room and a furnished kitchen. In addition the 90 sqm space of this flat you also have a very pleasant 23 sqm terrace, with a beautiful view perfect for taking early morning breakfasts outside.
The area where the flat is located is a very famous district known for his history and his architecture. You will be stay in the center of Madrid, close to the Gran Via and the Callao place, one of the best districts of Madrid. This apartment is well connected to public transport and is surrounded by lot of local shops.
Details :
- 90 sqm
- 23 sqm terrace
- 3 bedrooms
- 2 bathrooms
- Wifi
- Furnished Kitchen
- Air Conditioning
Book it ! Gran Vía Penthouse
FITUR 2012, MADRID
As you already know, Rent4Days apartment rentals agency owns offices in Lisbon, Barcelona, but also Madrid. Our privileged location in the Capital naturally brings us to introduce you to the second world greatest tourism event taking place at this time.
Once again Madrid is ready to host the International Tourism Fair Trade event, Fitur, which brings together every year all the most important figures of the industry.
Tourism has always been one of the Spanish development key sectors. That is why such an event becomes even more important during that economic slowdown we are experiencing. Fitur aims not only to discuss about strategic guidelines to take in tourism sector according to global and local economic situations, but also to create new partnerships between professionals so as to maintain or reinforce their positions on the market.
Thus, Madrid will celebrate that 32 edition from 18 to 22 January 2012 by receiving only professionals from January 18 to 20 before also opening its doors to general public from 21 to 22. Participants could enjoy a 75.000 m2 exposition area gathering 9.500 companies.
If you are looking for attending to that event, why wouldn’t you take the time to have a look at our Madrid apartment rentals website?
We suggest 3 nice apartments in Ciudad Lineal district, close to the Fitur area, and many more holiday and corporate accommodation in the Capital.
Fiesta Mayor de Poble Nou
Still trying to catch your breath after this years amazing Fiesta de Gracia? Well there is no time for that, the party continues. Since Friday it has been the time of the year for the next neighborhood Poblenou and they are continuing to celebrate till the 18th of September. Members of the Rent4Days have visited this great event and here are their impressions.
After the obligatory official speeches, the party immediately started. During the early afternoon hours families met to take some lunch at the historical streets of the neighborhood. It were friendly afternoons, with many people siting and enjoying, children playing and the sun shining. Soon after dusk music started to play and the streets started to fill. A variety of free concerts started in many corners of Poblenou while streets became more and more crowded. Many hundred party lovers stayed dancing, chatting and enjoying till the early morning hours.
The Festa Majores de Poblenou will continue until the end of the coming weekend. During the week there will be cultural events like plays and readings and speeches, as well as some music and fun. The widely offered Bingo games are a tradition of this yearly event. The weekend then will once again be more centered around partying and dancing. There is still time; do not miss the chance to rent Rent Apartment in Barcelona and see the spectacular celebrations with you own eyes. If you’re interested in either culture, local history and Spanish tradition, literature or just party, fun and meeting people; then I promise you will not regret coming to the beautiful Barcelona!
What: yearly Neighborhood parties
Where: all Poblenou (easily accessible via Metro, Bus or Car)
When: 09-18 of August
Cool Jazz Fest 2011
Jazz is the starting point. The creative freedom, the pier of arrival. The scenarios are handpicked from historic sites and stunning Cascais, always with big names. From 4-29 July.
Sharon Jones, Madeleine Peyroux, Diego El Cigala, Seal, Maria Schneider, Jamie Cullum poster are part of a festival that continues to honor the motto ever: “High Mix”.
| - Day 04 – Sharon Jones e The Dap Kings |
| - Day 06 – Madeleine Peyroux |
| - Day 07 – Mayer Hawthorne |
| - Day 08 – Céu |
| - Day 10 – Diego El Cigala |
| - Day 17 – Charles Bradley e The Budos Band |
| - Day 20 – Maria Rita |
| - Day 21 – Seal |
| - Day 22 – Cuca Roseta e Convidados |
| - Day 23 – Maria Schneider e Orquestra de Jazz de Matosinhos |
| - Day 28 – Aloe Blacc |
| - Day 29 – Jamie Cullum
214844299 Cascais, Hipódromo Manuel Possolo – R. Visconde da Gandarinha From 04-07-2011 to 29-07-2011 Público |
Optimus Alive! 2011
Coldplay, Iggy Pop, Foo Fighters and Thirty Seconds To Mars are part of the huge poster Alive!2011, Which this year celebrates the fifth edition with an extra day of music. It will fit Algés Promenade between 6 and 9 July.
The Alive! distinguished from the rest by offering festival-goers live encounter between the three vertices: art, science (including through partnerships and events on site), and of course music. This is obviously the stronger plate.
And the corners of the musical activities also appear in trio. The Stage Optimus, the main names that are reserved for bigger crowds move. The Stage Super Bock, aimed more urban sounds, with the potential for dance rhythms and, above all, to discover new music, is becoming less a secondary stage: Grinderman, Primal Scream, Patrick Wolf, Dizzee Rascal, Fleet Foxes are some between the large entourage that goes there. On Stage Clubbing Optimus, the idea is to get into theme nights, which can range from presentation of the parade of Enchufada to Boyz Noise Records, through Love and Rage by Steve Aoki of Dim Mak. This year’s Alive! also has a bandstand, ready to receive the fighting men and several groups of traditional Portuguese music.
Foo Fighters
Coldplay
.Algés, Passeio Marítimo de Algés – Passeio Marítimo de Algés
From 06-07-2011 to 09-07-2011
Wednesday to Saturday at 5 pm
€50 (day). Pass: €99 (3 days – 7, 8 e 9); €129 (4 days)
http://www.optimusalive.com
5º Delta Tejo Festival 2011
The aroma of good coffee can lead us to several stops: Jamaica, Brazil, Angola, Nigeria, Portugal … These and some other routes intersect on stage in Lisbon’s Delta Tejo Festival, which takes place between 1 and 3 of July.
The strong aroma of the first day arrives from Jamaica, with “dancehall-hip-hop” by Sean Paul. But there are also Semba, rumba and the Angolan kizomba of Yuri da Cunha, and dance versions “chillantes” with the french Nouvelle Vague and a special encounter between two GNR ( Rui Reininho and the Guard ). On stageJogos Santa Casa, there is Love Electro, Zeca Always Cool and Maya. The duo Peter & Pete Tha Zouk Cazanova prolongs the evening in the Beck’Stage.
The second day is dominated by the feminine touch, he comes from R & B curves of the Luso-Canadian Nelly Furtado, the soul of disarming elegance of Aurea, the serious tone of the Nigerian wing or a “flying saucer” called the Clan. Lucia Moniz takes its “light wire” to another stage, which she shares with Brazil of Rodrigo Maranhão and the Contemporary Orchestra of Olinda. The rest of the night is due to Isilda Sanches.
Expensive Soul are the exception to the last day on the Stage Delta let it fall into the (good) hands of Brazilian music: Ney Matogrosso brings exuberance and restlessness, Maria Gadu proves to be the new favorite songwriter and fiddle with Parangolé do axé (and one such “Rebolation “…). The secondary stage receive Matias Damasio to Angola, Cape Verde according to Ferro Gaita and Beja in the perspective of the Virgin Suta. The Beck’Stage presents Puto Português.