Barcelona owes a lot to Antoni Gaudí. The artist designed a good chunk of its most famous buildings, including the phenomenal Sagrada Familia, a work so intricate it’s still not completed nearly a century after the designer’s death.
As we approach that 100-year anniversary, the city is gearing up to remember its most iconic architect by finally completing the outside of the Basilica and hosting a series of public events in his honour. The first will take place this October, and they will continue until June 2026, which marks a century since Gaudí’s death.
On October 14, the celebrations will begin with the beginning of the academic year at Ateneu Universitari Sant Pacià, which will be marked with a mass and a lecture from Dr Jordi Faulí, who is the current head architect at the Sagrada.
Then, on November 30, the Tower of Barnabus, the only tower on the basilica that was completed during Gaudi’s lifetime, will be lit up as it will be exactly 100 years since its completion. There will also be a special reading at the church.
Next year, the first major event will be on March 19. This will be a concert from the Catalan Choral Society inside of the central nave of the Sagrada Família, followed by a mass dedicated to Saint Joseph.
Finally, a huge mass will be held inside of the newly completed central Tower of Jesus Christ on June 10, 2026. The full details of this will be released closer to the time.
This week, 20,000 people will be allowed into rarely seen parts of the chapel as part of the city’s Open Doors days for the La Mercè festival. Tickets were free, although you had to register to enter the ticket raffle in early September.
There will also be a series of ‘citywide exhibitions exploring the history and significance of the Sagrada Família’. You can find exact details for all of the upcoming events on the church’s website now.
Check out our full list of the best things to do in Barcelona right now.
Plus: You can now visit Barcelona’s abandoned ‘ghost stations’ for free this autumn.
Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Travel newsletter for all the latest travel news and best stuff happening across the world.
