Old Havana hosts Merolicos fair on 26 September
Published on 09/27/2026 at 11:36 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
The Merolicos fair took place at Balcon 0 in Old Havana (La Habana Vieja) on 26 September 2026, bringing a new cultural event to the historic centre of Havana. The programme combined an entrepreneurship fair with live music and exhibitions of photography and painting.
Merolicos brought a new fair to Old Havana on 26 September
The event was announced as the first edition of Merolicos at Balcon 0. The listing placed it in Old Havana and described a programme designed around several activities rather than a single performance. Merolicos programme details included a fair for Cuban entrepreneurs, live music and an exhibition of photography and painting.
Food offerings and a raffle were also included in the published outline. The event therefore connected small-scale commerce with cultural programming inside the historic centre, where public squares, galleries and performance venues sit among residential buildings. Its 26 September date placed the fair within the current September cultural calendar in Havana, while Balcon 0 gave the programme a named venue rather than a city-wide listing.
Old Havana's plazas and fortifications framed the fair
UNESCO describes the historic centre as a city founded about 1519 on Cuba's north-western shore. Its urban layout includes five large plazas: Plaza de Armas, Plaza Vieja, Plaza de San Francisco, Plaza del Cristo and Plaza de la Catedral. The surrounding architecture combines Baroque and neoclassical monuments with houses featuring arcades, balconies, wrought-iron gates and internal courtyards.
The fair's setting belongs to a World Heritage property that also includes Havana's historic fortifications. UNESCO's description of Old Havana records defensive structures created between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries, including the Castillo de la Real Fuerza and the fortresses guarding the entrance to Havana Bay. The connection between Merolicos and this setting was practical: a contemporary market and arts programme occupied a historic urban area whose identity is built around both public gathering places and protected architecture.
The World Heritage property covers a 214-hectare historic centre and fortification system. It was inscribed for its architectural and urban value, making the fair part of the present cultural use of a district that retains its early city pattern.
Visiting Old Havana: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- Merolicos was scheduled for 26 September 2026 at Balcon 0 in Old Havana. The programme included an entrepreneurship fair, live music and photography and painting exhibitions.
- The fair was a temporary cultural programme, not a change to the access arrangements for the historic centre or its monuments. The published listing did not describe a closure or a restricted area.
- The historic centre is characterised by five major plazas and narrow streets. Visitors should expect an urban walking environment with historic paving, arcades and courtyards rather than a single enclosed attraction.
- Spanish is the official language of Cuba, and the national currency is the Cuban peso.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
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Frequently asked questions about Old Havana
When did the Merolicos fair take place at Old Havana?
The first edition was scheduled for 26 September 2026 at Balcon 0 in Old Havana. Its programme combined entrepreneurship, live music and exhibitions.
What is Old Havana?
Old Havana is the historic centre of Havana, founded about 1519 and known for its plazas, Baroque and neoclassical buildings, houses with courtyards and colonial fortifications.
Where is Old Havana and how do you get there?
Old Havana is the historic centre of Havana, Cuba, on the country's north-western shore. The Merolicos venue named in the programme was Balcon 0.
