Architect Gaudí Year 2026 Expected to Bolster Barcelona’s Tourism Numbers

This year is unquestionably a big one for Barcelona, which is commemorating the 100th anniversary of the iconic architect Antoni Gaudí’s death as Gaudí Year 2026 – in tandem with the country being named the World Capital of Architecture by UNESCO and the International Union of Architects.

TravelPulse caught up with Xavier Purcallà, communications director of Sagrada Família, the unfinished Gaudí church, which is expected to reach a major milestone in 2026 with the completion of the Tower of Jesus Christ, the building’s fourth and final horizontal arm, in June.

Among other things, Purcallà discussed the impact Gaudí Year 2026 will have on tourism and the types of travelers it will draw.

TravelPulse (TP): What are your predictions on how the completion of the tower and the celebrations related to Gaudí will boost tourism to Barcelona?

Xavier Purcallà (XP): The completion of the Tower of Jesus Christ and the celebrations associated with Gaudí Year 2026 are expected to act as a major international draw. This unique milestone will strengthen Barcelona’s position as a cultural and architectural reference point in a particularly significant year, as the city also holds the title of World Capital of Architecture.

TP: What types of travelers should U.S. travel advisors promote Gaudí Year 2026 to?

XP: Gaudí Year 2026, with the completion of the Tower of Jesus Christ, would appeal to a wide range of visitor profiles.

On the one hand, faith-based travelers will find that the Sagrada Família is a place of deep spiritual significance. On the other hand, it will appeal to culturally, architecturally, and artistically minded travelers, attracted by Gaudí’s work as a key figure of universal cultural heritage.

TP: How much work was completed on the Sagrada Família after Gaudí’s death?

XP: When Antoni Gaudí died in 1926, only a small part of the Sagrada Família had been completed. Since then, the Sagrada Família Construction Board has ensured that everything Gaudí left in writing, drawings and oral instructions to his disciples has been interpreted and developed with the greatest possible fidelity, incorporating the technical advances of each era while always respecting Gaudí’s original version.

TP: How long has work been underway on the Tower of Jesus Christ, and what makes it so special?

XP: Work on the Tower of Jesus Christ has been underway over recent years as part of the temple’s final phase of construction.

It is an exceptional tower not only because of its height, which has already made it the highest point in the city and the tallest church in the world, but also because of its symbolism.

It represents Jesus Christ and completes the temple’s central axis, exactly as Gaudí envisioned it. It is an architectural and spiritual milestone that will mark a significant moment in the Basilica’s history.

TP: How important is Gaudí Year 2026 to Spain, and more particularly to Barcelona, and why?

XP: Gaudí Year 2026 has a particular importance to Barcelona, as it highlights a universal figure who has played a decisive role in the city’s international projection.

Gaudí is an essential part of Barcelona’s cultural identity and architectural narrative, and this commemoration offers an opportunity to reinforce his legacy, communicate it with rigor and project it into the future.

This article originally appeared in TravelPulse.

Contact My Journey Begins Travel to plan and book travel to Barcelona, Spain to commemorate Architect Gaudí Year 2026.