Barcelona is preparing to engage the sense of smell in a new way. The Barcelona Olfaction Week (BOW) will take place from 18 to 24 May 2026, with a programme across 20 iconic locations to introduce the public to the perfume and fragrance industry. Museums, bookshops, gardens, Modernist palaces, urban routes, and immersive spaces will be part of a week dedicated to fragrances, art, science, and emotional memory.
The initiative, driven by the Beauty Cluster, has become a major international meeting point for perfumery. It reinforces Barcelona's ambition to be a capital of perfume culture, according to organisers. Spain is a significant player in this sector, remaining the world's second-largest exporter of perfumes and fragrances, with over €10.124 billion in exports in 2025, behind only France. Perfume sales grew by 9.5% last year, now representing 21% of Spain's beauty market. These figures surpass those of other well-known sectors like wine, olive oil, and footwear.
From the Beauty Cluster, a private association representing over 250 companies in the cosmetics, perfumery, and personal care value chain, officials said this is a strategic and competitive industry. It connects business, science, culture, and the region. "Spanish perfumery is experiencing one of its greatest moments of growth and international projection in recent years," said Eva Lluch, Vice-President of the Beauty Cluster.
Unveiling the Invisible Industry
During the official presentation, held at Iberchem's offices, a central theme of BOW was emphasised: the sector wants to stop being invisible. Behind every fragrance lies research, raw materials, creativity, technology, regulation, and a network of businesses, many of which are small and medium-sized enterprises or family companies. This shift in perspective has been a driving force behind the Barcelona Olfaction Week.
The event was created to bring perfume culture closer to society and has become a biennial reference. "BOW was born with the aim of reclaiming perfume from a much more transversal perspective, connecting industry, creativity, science, and culture," explained Irene Gisbert, a Beauty Cluster board member. For this edition, the organisation has planned a new stage: larger, more urban, and more international.
The main week will run from 18 to 24 May, though some activities will start earlier, coinciding with Museum Night on the preceding Saturday. The programme will offer proposals for industry professionals, curious individuals, art lovers, readers, families, and the general public who wish to discover the universe of perfume from a cultural perspective.
Exploring Barcelona Through Scent
Exhibitions will be held at the CCCB, immersive experiences at IDEAL Montjuïc, and book presentations at Alibri and Altaïr. There will also be guided tours of Barcelona and activities at Palau Güell, Casa Vicens, Park Güell, the Rosaleda del Parc de Cervantes, Palau de la Música, and Poble Espanyol. A key event will be Barcelona Perfume Day, a professional conference focusing on raw materials, creativity, sustainability, and the evolution of modern perfumery.
The 9th International Perfumery Competition Mouillette d'Argent will also take place on 20 May. This is a significant event in the sector. This year, the finalist perfumes will feature patchouli as the main note, and the public can participate in voting for their award. The cultural programme will aim to teach people how to "smell" Barcelona. Some urban routes will incorporate fragrances to explain how aromas have been part of the city's history from Roman times to the present day.
The Rosaleda del Parc de Cervantes will allow visitors to discover one of perfumery's most iconic raw materials in full bloom: roses. BOW will also connect perfume with neuroscience, gastronomy, contemporary art, music, architecture, and literature, incorporating scent as another language within the artistic experience. Among all the proposals, the Poble Espanyol's offering stands out, allowing visitors to travel through Spain via its smells.
A Sensory Journey Across Spain
The Montjuïc site, conceived as an architectural synthesis of the country, will now incorporate a sensory dimension. Visitors will not only see squares, streets, and buildings inspired by different territories, but they will also be able to smell them. The experience will offer a journey through the north, south, centre, and Mediterranean regions through ambient fragrances. The Mediterranean will be presented as a bright, summery, and saline cove, with notes of sea breeze and Mediterranean vegetation.
The south will evoke a summer night alongside jasmine, with the floral and warm intensity of an Andalusian patio. The centre will seek the dry smell of Castile's wheat fields, with nuances of cereal, earth, and sun. The north, however, will be wilder: a "wild sea" with notes of seaweed, storm, humidity, and the Cantabrian Sea. The event aims to highlight the often-unseen complexity and cultural significance of the perfume industry.
