Ben Pawlowski
A TICKET can normally set you back €30, but this September one of Spain’s most famous landmarks will open its doors for free.
To celebrate La Merce festival, Barcelona’s annual public street party in honour of its patron saint, the Sagrada Familia will offer 20,000 tickets for members of the public to peruse the iconic basilica free of charge for four days.
The annual event – celebrated this year on September 19, 20, 21 and 24 from 4pm to 8pm each day – offers locals and tourists the opportunity to view the current state of the building, which remains unfinished with a completion date set for next year, over 100 years since its master architect Antoni Gaudi died.
Visitors will be able to tour the basilica – now Barcelona’s tallest ever building – and learn about the work being done to complete the Jesus Christ tower, which will become the highest point of the building upon completion.
The Sagrada Familia welcomed over 4.8 million people in 2024, making it Spain’s most visited monument.
In order to claim a free ticket, visitors will have to sign up for a draw.
The form to register interest closes on September 14 and is available on the Sagrada Familia’s official website.
Last week, two climate activists linked to the notorious British environmental protest group Just Stop Oil were arrested by Catalan police after staining the basilica with a red dye.
Two women, named as Luna and Victoria online, were dragged away by security guards after spraying the exterior of Gaudi’s masterpiece with red and black-dyed cornstarch.
The pair, from the Catalan eco-protest movement Futuro Vegetal (‘Plant Future’), chanted ‘climate justice’ and accused the Spanish government of being ‘complicit’ in the swathe of forest fires that have ravaged the countryside across the country this summer.
But for future visitors worrying about the damage, don’t fret – workers were able to quickly wash the stain away, leaving the Sagrada Familia as good as new.
Click here to read more Spain News from The Olive Press.
