Updated Jul 17 2025
International Museum Day is celebrated every year on 18 May. As its name suggests, it is an international event, with countless cities around the world taking part in this festive occasion. Barcelona is one of the cities that never misses this annual celebration.
The aim of this day is to promote and spread culture, while also giving well-deserved recognition to the role played by museums and cultural centres in this task — all in a relaxed and, above all, festive atmosphere.
European Night of Museums in Barcelona or Nit dels Museus
Undoubtedly, the best-known initiative organised in Barcelona to celebrate International Museum Day, and one that sees a growing number of museums and cultural centres take part each year — both from the city itself and surrounding areas such as Badalona, l’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Esplugues de Llobregat — is the event known as “La Nit dels Museus“, whose translation in English is “The Night of the Museums“.
During this night, or rather, late evening, the museums in Barcelona participating in the initiative offer free access to their facilities. In this way, the collections and exhibitions of nearly all the museums and cultural spaces in the city, including the most renowned ones, can be visited free of charge. The date of the celebration of The Night of the Museums in Barcelona varies each year, but as a general rule, it usually takes place on the Saturday evening closest to International Museum Day (18 May).
Programme of The European Night of the Museums in Barcelona 2026
This year, 2026, marks the 19th edition of La Nit dels Museus or The Night of the Museums, which will take place on the evening of Saturday 16 May, from 19:00 to 01:00.
Data for the 2026 edition of The Night of the Museums in Barcelona
When? 17 May 2026
Event time: from 19:00 to 01:00
Where? 95 museums and cultural spaces from 8 cities in the province of Barcelona
€ Ticket price: free
During this time slot, the various museums, centres, and cultural spaces participating in the event — all listed in the official programme and in the list we provide — will offer free access to their facilities.
In addition, to make the already unique night-time visit even more special, many of the museums will host a range of cultural activities and events, including concerts, guided tours, light performances, workshops, and family-friendly activities.
Featured museums and cultural spaces participating in the Night of the Museums 2026
Roman Aqueduct
pl. Vuit De Març, s/n
Barcelona Photographic Archive
pl. de Pons i Clerch, 2
Historical Archive of the City of Barcelona
Casa de l’Ardiaca
c/ de Santa Llúcia, 1
Barça Inmersive Tour
av. Arístides Maillol
Arús Public Library
pg. de Sant Joan, 26
CaixaForum Barcelona
av. de Francesc Ferrer i Guàrdia, 6-8
Casa de la Barceloneta 1761
c/ de Sant Carles, 6
**
Cornellà de Llobregat Castle
Mossèn Jacint Verdaguer, s/n
Montjuïc Castle
Guided tours
crta. de Montjuïc, 66
CCCB
c/ de Montalegre, 5
La Capella Art Centre
c/ Hospital, 56
Santa Mònica Arts Centre
La Rambla, 7
Tecla Sala Arts Centre
av. de Josep Tarradellas, 44
Centre Jujol-Can Negre
Guided tours
pl. Catalunya, s/n (Sant Joan Despí)
**
Sant Lluc Art Circle
Free visit to the Mercader Palace
c/ de Mercaders, 42
Funeral Carriage Collection
Guided tours
c/ Mare de Déu de Port, 56-58
**
Collegiate of Architects of Catalonia
Various activities
pl. Nova, 5
El Born
MUHBA headquarters
Guided tours
pl. Comercial, 12
Espai Bomberos
Barcelona Prevention Park
c/ Lleida, 30
*
Espai Mercè Sala
Exhibition
metro station Diagonal L3 and L5 (Rambla Catalunya / Rosselló)
Espai Subirachs
c/ de Batista, 6
Espai Corberó
c/ de l’Església, 100 (Esplugues de Llobregat)
**
Arranz-Bravo Foundation
av. Josep Tarradellas, 44
Foto Colectania Foundation
pg. Picasso, 14
Joan Brossa Foundation: Centre for Free Arts of Barcelona
Self-guided and guided tours
c/ de la Seca, 2
**
Joan Miró Foundation
Visites guidées, ateliers et autres activités
Parc Montjuïc, s/n
Mies van der Rohe Foundation
Visit to the pavilion
av. de Francesc Ferrer i Guàrdia, 7
Suñol Foundation
Commented tours/p>
c/ Mejía Lequerica, 14
Úniques Foundation
c/ de les Magdalenes, 2.
*
Hospital de St Saver
c/ Palla, 21.
**
KBr MAPFRE Foundation
av. del Litoral, 30.
Barcelona Botanical Garden
Barcelona Natural Science Museum
c/ del Doctor Font i Quer, 2 (Montjuïc Park)
La Casa dels Entremesos
Theatrical guided tours
pl. de les Beates, 2
La Modelo Memorial Space
various activities
c/ Entença, 155
La Virreina
Centre for Image
c/ La Rambla, 99 (Palau de la Virreina)
MACBA
Guided and commented tours
pl. dels Àngels, 1
MAE
Guided tours
pl. de Margarida Xirgu, s/n
MEAM
c/ de la Barra de Ferro, 5
*
MhiC
ctra. de Mataró, 124 (Masia de Can Serra)
**
Fabra i Coats – Contemporary Art Centre of Barcelona
MUHBA headquarters
c/ de Sant Adrià, 20
El Call
MUHBA headquarters
plta. Manuel Ribé, s/n
MUHBA Oliva Artés
MUHBA headquarters
c/ de Espronceda, 142-146
MUHBA Park Güell
visita guiada
c/ d’Olot, s/n
MUHBA Plaça del Rei
pl. del Rei, s/n
MUHBA Porta de Mar
MUHBA headquarters
c/ de Regomir, 7-9
Refugio 307
MUHBA headquarters
c/ Nou de la Rambla, 175
Columns of the Temple of Augustus
MUHBA headquarters
c/ Paradís, 10
Roman Wall
pl. dels Traginers, s/n
Can Framis Museum
Guided tours and other activities
c/ de Roc Boronat, 116-126
Museum of Archaeology of Catalonia
pg. de Santa Madrona, 39.
**
Badalona Museum
pl. Assemblea de Catalunya, 1.
Can Tinturé Museum (MEL)
c/ de l’Església, 36 (Esplugues de Llobregat)
MAC
Family workshops and guided tours
pg. de Santa Madrona, 39-41
Museum of the History of Catalonia
Interactive tours
pl. Pau Vila, 3
Casa dels Dofins
Badalona Museum
c/ de Lladó, 45-53
Thermae and Decumanus
Badalona Museum
pl. de l’Assemblea de Catalunya, 1
«La Rajoleta» Ceramics Museum. MEL
pg. de Puig d’Ossa, s/n (Esplugues de Llobregat)
Natural Sciences Museum of Barcelona
pl. Leonardo da Vinci, 4 and 5 (Parc del Fòrum).
Casa España Building
Guided tours
c/ Joan Pallarès, 38 (L’Hospitalet)
Armonia Building
Guided tour and light performance
pl. de Josep Bordonau i Balaguer, 6 (L’Hospitalet)
Barcelona Museum of Music
c/ de Lepant, 150 (L’Auditori)
Chocolate Museum
c/ del Comerç, 36
Water Museum
ctra. Sant Boi, 4-6 (Cornellà de Llobregat).
Performing Arts Museum
pl. Margarida Xirgu
**
Ethnological and World Cultures Museum
pg. Santa Madrona, 16 (Montjuïc)
Frederic Marès Museum
pl. Sant Iu, 5
Barcelona Maritime Museum
av. Drassanes, s/n
MNAC
Parc de Montjuïc
*
Joan Antoni Samaranch Olympic and Sports Museum
av. de l’Estadi, 60
Opisso Museum – Hotel Astoria
c/ de París, 203.
*
Tàpies Museum
visitas guiadas y actividades
c/ de Aragón, 255
Torre Balldovina Museum
pl. Pau Casals, s/n
**
Palau Robert
pg. de Gràcia, 107
Modernist Enclosure of Sant Pau
c/ de Sant Antoni Maria Claret, 167
*
Royal Monastery of Santa María de Pedralbes
visitas guiadas
c/ Baixada del Monestir, 9
**
TPK Art and Contemporary Thought
av. Josep Tarradellas i Joan, 44 (L’Hospitalet de Llobregat)
**
* It is necessary to book in advance to take part in the free tour.
** It is essential to book in advance to take part in the activities.
Visit the official map for this edition by clicking on the map below :
Tips and information for the European Night of Museums in Barcelona
Planning and queues
The fact that the museums in Barcelona can be visited for free, and that the event is one of the most attractive and eagerly awaited by all Barcelonans, often leads to long queues to access some of them, especially those considered the most important or located in more central areas of the city.
For this reason, we encourage you to carefully check the programme for Museums Night, as this will allow you to plan your cultural night better. This way, you can choose the different places and/or activities you want to attend, prioritise the visits you wish to make, and find the best way to get around.
Timings and bookings
To enter certain museums, house-museums, or cultural spaces for free, it is necessary to book in advance, as is the case with Casa Batlló.
It is also important to note that several activities are only organised during specific afternoon and evening times (lectures, musical performances, explanations, and/or guided tours, etc.), and that for some of them, even though they are always free, it may be necessary to book in advance.
Proposals for International Museum Day
Free visits to the museums: The vast majority of the city’s museums also offer free entry to their facilities and collections during their usual opening hours on International Museum Day, which, as mentioned earlier, is on 18th May.
Other activities : Lectures, special and free guided tours, family activities, concerts… these are just some of the activities that a museum in Barcelona might surprise you with if you visit it on International Museum Day.
Visit the official website of the museums: We recommend taking a look at the official website of the museum you’re interested in visiting to ensure that entry is free on International Museum Day (18th May), as well as any potential parallel activities it may organise.