Will Kirby explores the repercussions of the Catalan independence referendum more than four years on and the grip the issue still holds on Catalan politics.

Last week, Barcelona celebrated La Mercè – the city’s festa major – and, this year, it was unlike any other. No extra points for guessing the reason why, unless you have somehow missed the global pandemic we’re all living through.

However, as many other cities around the world are either contemplating or enacting a new wave of lockdowns and restrictions, various outdoor spaces around Barcelona have played host to concerts, exhibitions and performances…