On the evening of September 23rd, Barcelona's Plaça Catalunya became a space for protest and spectacle within the Mercè celebrations. The Russian collective Pussy Riot, represented on this occasion by Alina Petrova and Taso Pletner, presented a new version of their Riot Days Show, a project that combines music, theatrical performance, and political denunciation.

The event began with a message in support of Palestine and gave way to an intense drum solo that set the tone for the evening. The audience was then welcomed by the artists, masked with colorful balaclavas, while a screen reminded them of the collective nature of the project.

For over an hour, the show recounted various episodes in Pussy Riot's career, from the 2012 action at Moscow's Christ the Savior Cathedral to the recent court cases in Russia that have resulted in the convictions in absentia of the group's members. The narrative included references to political repression in their country and the complicity of religious institutions with political power.

The performance, born from an artist residency in Barcelona as part of the Artists at Risk program, was accompanied by electronic beats, an electric violin, and stage elements that reinforced the sense of urgency. Banners in support of Russian political prisoners were unfurled throughout the audience, and slogans against Vladimir Putin's government were chanted.

The performance was not limited to Russia. References were also made to other international conflicts, with an emphasis on the need to extend solidarity with Ukraine in the context of the war in Europe.

The closing performance was marked by the screening of a recorded message from Maria "Masha" Alyokhina, another of the collective's founders, currently in exile. The performance concluded with a minute of silence followed by prolonged applause.

Beyond the festive nature of La Mercè, Plaça Catalunya was transformed into a stage of symbolic resistance, where art was presented as an instrument of protest and political reflection.