Barcelona’s Gaudí Year
Barcelona kicked off 'Gaudí Year 2026' programming to mark 100 years since Antoni Gaudí’s death, turning the city into a spring hotspot for architecture lovers and street photographers (thelocal.es). The centenary events promise curated routes and exhibitions—prime opportunities to chase light on Sagrada Família, Casa Batlló and other photogenic landmarks this season (thelocal.es).
Barcelona will act as UNESCO–UIA World Capital of Architecture from 12 February to 13 December 2026, staging more than 1,500 activities across all 10 city districts. (ajuntament.barcelona.cat ) (ajuntament.barcelona.cat) The Sagrada Família’s centenary programme runs from autumn 2025 through Christmas 2026 and specifically schedules the inauguration of the Tower of Jesus Christ, a commemorative mass on 10 June 2026, and the illumination of the Barnabas tower on 30 November. (sagradafamilia.org ) (sagradafamilia.org) Casa Batlló’s Gaudí Year lineup includes a new exhibition space with “Beyond the Façade” running 31 January–30 May 2026, a “Hidden Order” façade projection mapping by United Visual Artists on 31 January–1 February 2026, and a preview of the musical theatre piece “Gaudí, The Awakening of a Genius” on 26 June 2026. (casabatllo.es ) (casabatllo.es) Galdric Santana Roma, director of the Gaudí faculty at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia, is curator of the commemoration and will oversee shows such as “The Gaudí Code,” an immersive Mediapro Xperiences exhibition reconstructing an unbuilt Gaudí project, while four major exhibitions (including one on Gaudí and acoustics at the Museum of Music) are planned for 2026. (catalannews.com ) (catalannews.com) Organisers are tying Gaudí events to broader city moments: the Tour de France will start in Barcelona from 4–6 July 2026 with team presentations routed between the Sant Pau Art Modernista Complex and the Sagrada Família, and the municipal programme lists a public dinner at Park Güell as a Gaudí Year event. (ajuntament.barcelona.cat ) (ajuntament.barcelona.cat) The centenary programme frames Gaudí’s work through scientific and technical lenses—organisers plan research-driven exhibitions and academic sessions featuring figures such as Dr Jordi Faulí, head architect of the Sagrada Família, who will give an inaugural lesson as part of the 14 October 2025 academic opening linked to the centenary. (sagradafamilia.org ) (sagradafamilia.org)
