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Barcelona agrees to name street or square after Freddie Mercury

Queen singer recorded homage to city in duet with Catalan soprano Montserrat Caballé

Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballé singing together in the music video for 'Barcelona' (screenshot from music video)
Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballé singing together in the music video for 'Barcelona' (screenshot from music video) / Cillian Shields
Catalan News

Catalan News | @catalannews | Barcelona

April 2, 2023 12:31 PM

April 2, 2023 12:36 PM

Barcelona City Council has agreed to speed up the procedures necessary in order to dedicate a public space in the city to former Queen singer Freddie Mercury

The council accepted a proposal on Friday from one of the opposition parties, Ciudadanos, to honor the musician by naming a street or square after him. 

'Barcelona' is one of Mercury's most famous songs, a duet he recorded with Catalan soprano Montserrat Caballé and which featured prominently in the 1992 Summer Olympics, after the former Queen front man had died in 1991. 

Ciudadanos said the singer deserved the tribute for giving the city relevance at a "world level" and said that he also contributed to giving a voice to people from different groups. 

The task of assigning a Barcelona street or square to Mercury will be left for the next mandate, as the current term is due to end soon with local elections set for the end of May. 

'Barcelona' was one of the last tracks Mercury recorded before his death in 1991.

The city was the site of his last ever public performance, in a concert at the Magic Fountain of Montjuïc in October 1988, as he was forced to stop touring and playing concerts in the final few years before his death. 

Legendary Queen frontman Freddie Mercury was best known for the instantly recognisable rock sounds of his band as well as his flamboyant and charismatic stage persona. One of the last tracks he recorded before his death in 1991 was the operatic duet with Catalan soprano Montserrat Caballé / ACN