Catalonia kicks off Gaudí Year celebrations

A year-long series of events marking the centenary of the celebrated Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí kicked off on Saturday with a theatrical performance in Riudoms, southern Catalonia.

Featuring dancers, musicians, acrobats, and characters in Gaudí-inspired costumes, the first event of Gaudí Year 2026 took place across several locations in the town where Gaudí grew up, retracing scenes from his early life and creative career.

The show from Puça Espectacles was the first in a series of activities across Catalonia organized by the Department of Culture to commemorate the centenary of Gaudí's death.

Later in the day, attention shifted to nearby Reus, where a projection-mapping display was shown on the façade of the Sanctuary of Mercy, and the theatrical performance was repeated.

Catalan President Salvador Illa, invoked the ambition of Antoni Gaudí as a model for moving Catalonia froward.

Speaking at the official inauguration of Gaudí Year at Reus' Bartrina Theatre, Illa emphasized the universal significance of the architect's legacy.

"Today it is our turn to move Catalonia forward with the same ambition and conviction that Antoni Gaudí demonstrated. Every Gaudí building, every architectural innovation, every formal flourish, every design is deeply Catalan – and for that reason, unequivocally universal," Illa said.

"Gaudí Year is an excellent opportunity to show the whole world that Catalonia can achieve what it sets out to do, with imagination and reason," Illa said.

Sagrada Família

Gaudí’s iconic Sagrada Família edged closer to completion on Friday with the installation of the core piece of the cross that crowns the Tower of Jesus Christ, the church's highest point. 

The tower is set to be inaugurated in June 2026, as part of the Sagrada Família's Gaudí Year program.