Sagrada Família to raffle 9,000 free tickets to celebrate Santa Eulàlia
Registrations are open until February 6 to visit the basilica on February 11 and 12
For the second year in a row, Barcelona's iconic Sagrada Família is celebrating the feast day of the city's patron saint Santa Eulàlia by giving away free tickets to members of the public.
With demand expected to far exceed supply, a raffle has been organized to allocate the 9,000 free entries, up from 6,000 last year.
Those lucky enough to be successful in the draw will be able to visit Gaudí's masterpiece on Saturday February 11 and Sunday February 12 from 3pm to 6pm.
Anyone interested in entering the draw can enter using the form on the Sagrada Família website or on social media from 10am on January 30 to 10am on February 6.
The draw will be held on Monday 6 February and the winners will be notified directly.
The traditional Open Doors Days for La Mercè – celebrating the Catalan capital's other patron saint – will be held again in September.
Edging towards (tricky) completion
As the Sagrada Família edges closer towards its completion, some residents are taking a dim view of expansion plans.
Get the full story in the podcast below.
The Sagrada Família is still under construction after 140 years, with the towers dedicated to Luke and Mark completed in late 2022.
The towers of John and Matthew are expected to be finished in 2023, while the central tower dedicated to Jesus, which will be the largest when the basilica is finally finished, is expected to be completed in 2026.