To mark the 100th anniversary of Antoni Gaudí’s death and the long-awaited completion of his greatest project, the Sagrada Família, Barcelona will host a city-wide programme of events for all the family from autumn 2025 to Christmas 2026. These will include exhibitions, concerts and special masses.
Born in Catalonia in 1852, Gaudí took over the Sagrada Família in 1883 after the original architect, Francisco de Paula del Villar, resigned. He devoted the last twelve years of his life, from 1914 until his death in 1926, to the project.
His ‘hymn to God’, a Gothic-meets-Art Nouveau monument conceived as a temple honouring the Holy Family, was barely 15% complete at the time of Gaudí’s death after he was hit by a tram on his way to church.
Beyond the basilica, Barcelona landmarks designed by Gaudí that still draw millions of visitors include Park Güell, Casa Batlló, Casa Milà (La Pedrera), Casa Vicens and the Crypt at Colònia Güell.
The church described the planned commemorations as “not only an architectural milestone, but also a celebration, a remembrance and a collective tribute”. The completion and inauguration of the 172.5-metre Tower of Jesus Christ is planned for 2026, which will make the Sagrada Família the tallest church in the world. While Gaudí designed 18 spires in total, work on other elements will continue beyond that date.
A Solemn Mass will be held on 10 June 2026 to mark the centenary of Gaudí’s death.
A chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary ✨ In the middle of the cloister that runs parallel to Carrer de Provença, behind the apse, Antoni #Gaudí decided to build a chapel with a square floor plan dedicated to the Virgin Mary. 👉 Work is under way on the façades, as well as the… pic.twitter.com/BhZDeh9YfF
— La Sagrada Família (@sagradafamilia) September 19, 2025
Celebrations, however, will start well before then. The first event, scheduled for 14 October, will feature a mass and a lecture by the current chief architect of the basilica, Dr Jordi Faulí.
Later this autumn, a light show and reading inside the church will commemorate 100 years since the completion of the only tower built during Gaudí’s lifetime.
The first event planned for 2026 is a concert in the Sagrada Familia’s nave by the Catalan Choral Society.
#SFOpenDoors press conference
— La Sagrada Família (@sagradafamilia) September 18, 2025
Today we’re having a press conference on the 2025 Open Doors Days at the Basilica, a very special event welcoming journalists and guests and announcing both the campaign and the latest news on the construction of the Sagrada Família. pic.twitter.com/Nku5cCdQjD
An exhibition of archive photographs will run from late November 2025 to May 2026. Throughout October 2026, outdoor festivities featuring human towers, sardana dancers, folk groups and open-air concerts will spill into the streets around the basilica.
The finale is planned for December 2026, when the Nativity façade, featuring Gaudí’s celebrated sculptural interpretation of the Nativity scene, will be illuminated while Catalan Christmas carols resonate from within the church.
The emphasis is on Gaudí’s Catalan heritage. The Gaudí Council, an advisory body to the Catalan Ministry of Culture, originated the idea of declaring 2026 ‘Gaudí Year’ to strengthen public awareness of “the works of one of the most universal Catalan architects”.
THANK YOU SO MUCH! 🙌
— La Sagrada Família (@sagradafamilia) September 25, 2025
This year we had four very special Open Doors Days for La Mercè. 👉We got the chance to share with you the progress of the works to finish the tower of Jesus Christ and the Chapel of the Assumption, and presented our events to celebrate the hundredth… pic.twitter.com/AFKtV13QCU
It remains to be seen how these celebrations will help the city deal with overtourism and crowd management. In April 2025, Barcelona opened a 6,200 m² ‘antechamber’ plaza beside the Nativity Façade of the church, designed to ease congestion and manage the surge in selfie tourism more effectively. Meanwhile, Spain’s visitor numbers continue to break records, reaching 94 million international tourists in 2024 and 11 million in July 2025 alone, with the high season extending further into autumn.
Should the Vatican advance Gaudí’s cause beyond the recent recognition of his ‘heroic virtues’, the push towards sainthood could make managing the crowds even more challenging – unless a miracle occurs.
The full programme is listed on the basilica’s official website, though places are limited and advance booking is strongly recommended.
