Barcelona's cultural institutions are preparing to launch over 40 new exhibitions throughout 2026, offering a wide range of experiences from art and photography to history and science. Many of these cultural programmes will include free entry options, according to local news outlet betevé.
Among the highlights is a major exhibition on filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard, a pioneer of the French New Wave, at La Virreina Centre de la Imatge until 4 October. This show will feature an extensive collection of his films, unreleased materials, work notebooks, personal photographs, and unproduced projects.
KBr Fundación Mapfre's photography centre will present 217 photographs by Walker Evans, spanning from his early self-portraits in the 1920s to his experimental work with Polaroid in the 1970s. This exhibition runs until 24 May.
Art and History on Display
CaixaForum will host an exhibition exploring the career, evolution, scope, and influence of French painter Henri Matisse on international artists and avant-garde movements. The show highlights the extensive dialogue surrounding Matisse's name in 20th and 21st-century art, from his first self-portrait to the artistic freedom of his later paintings and gouache works. It will be open until 16 August.
Palau Güell is celebrating the centenary of Antoni Gaudí's death with the exhibition "Gaudí: Windows to the Future". Located in the building's attic, visitors can discover real window decorations and stained glass used in his buildings, along with interactive replicas of windows and handles. This exhibition is available until 25 October.
Individual sculptor Samuel Salcedo will have 18 new works on display at 3 Punts Galeria until 30 May. The collection includes large-format heads made of cast iron and cement, five polished aluminium faces with a glossy finish, three white resin pieces suspended on the wall, and a large-scale black resin head.
Celebrating Cinema and Local Heritage
The Verdi Cinemas in Gràcia are marking their 100th anniversary with an exhibition at the Jaume Fuster Library until 23 May. The cinemas opened in 1926 as Salón Ateneo Cine. The exhibition highlights key moments in the venues' history, such as the 1983 decision to focus on original language versions, which helped the Verdi cinemas gain a loyal following in Gràcia and across Barcelona.
A permanent exhibition of a significant part of the Ròmul Gavarró Collection will open on 18 April at Casa de l'Aigua de Trinitat Nova. The Martorell Exhibition Centre in Parc de la Ciutadella will host an exhibition from 16 April to 30 July 2026, inviting collective reflection on the nature of time. This exhibition is free every Thursday afternoon from 3pm to 8pm.
Diverse Themes and Scientific Exploration
The National Art Museum of Catalonia (MNAC) has presented "Recovered from the Enemy: Francoist Deposits at the MNAC", running until 28 June. Another exhibition, "Beatus Ille: Living the Light", explores contemplative life through fifteen paintings from the 15th to 20th centuries, featuring artists like Titian, Zurbarán, and Goya. This show closes on 24 May.
From 22 April to 5 July 2026, an exhibition at the Frederic Marès Museum will use historical objects from its collection. Artist Michael Kleine creates a setting where elements like light intensity, room circulation, and acoustics define the presence in the space. The exhibition "The Assault of Illusion" at Centre d'Art Santa Mònica, until 27 September, explores images that have shaped desire and reality in our imagination, featuring twenty projects by local and international artists.
An exhibition at the Ciutadella Greenhouse, until 31 May, invites visitors into Darwin's laboratory, featuring a hundred live plant species he experimented with, alongside illustrations, models, and scent devices. The CCCB will host a full exhibition on Mercè Rodoreda's work, connecting her stories with 400 artistic pieces from other authors and disciplines, until 25 May.
Free Access and New Cultural Spaces
The Gabriel García Márquez Library is displaying a diorama based on Francisco Ibáñez's self-portrait in his studio, published in Bruguelandia magazine in 1983, as a tribute to the creator of Mortadelo and Filemón.
Barcelona's former Model Prison will host an exhibition until 19 July 2026, offering a journey through the last 10 years of Francoism. The Can Framis Museum features a permanent exhibition providing a new perspective on 224 works by 130 artists and a space dedicated to the Barcelona businessman and patron, Antoni Vila Casas.
The exhibition "The Nabis: From Bonnard to Vuillard" explores the aesthetic principles and influences of this artistic group, active between 1888 and 1900, until 28 June 2026. CaixaForum also presents an exhibition until 7 June 2026, which highlights the heritage value of home cinema in society, featuring materials from various film archives.
The Photographic Archive of Barcelona will show the ironic gaze of Barcelona photographer César Malet (1941-2015), who captured the modernity and intellectuality of Barcelona "buried by Francoism", according to his friend and photographer Pilar Aymerich. This exhibition runs until 24 May 2026.
The new Victoria Museum in Raval offers a wide collection of 19th and 20th-century dresses and accessories, aiming to "bring history to life" through clothing. Palau Moja (Espai Moja) offers a free immersive journey through Catalan cultural heritage using holograms, interactive games, and virtual reality, showcasing unique characters, emblematic monuments, and popular traditions.
The basement of the Barcelona School of Informatics (FIB) at UPC's Campus Nord houses a free permanent exhibition of antique computers. It features 200 devices, from mechanical calculators to early desktop computers and Atari video game consoles. Cosmocaixa has a new permanent exhibition, "Sala Univers", divided into three sections: Kósmos, on the origin of matter; Evolution, on the creation of life; and Frontiers, showcasing 21st-century scientific advances. The Frederic Marès Museum has also reopened its Sala de les Diversions on the third floor.
Many Barcelona museums offer free entry on the first Sunday of each month, providing residents and visitors with opportunities to explore these cultural offerings.
