Sagrada Família welcomes 3,781,845 visitors in 2022

This morning, the Sagrada Família held a press conference to present its 2022 annual report, sharing the year’s figures with full transparency. The event featured Mr Esteve Camps, Executive Chairman of the Junta Constructora de la Sagrada Família; Mr Xavier Martínez, general director; Mr Jordi Faulí, head architect of the Sagrada Família and Ms Anna Roig, director of Communications.

At the press conference, Mr Esteve Camps highlighted that in all the years of construction of the Sagrada Família, which broke ground in 1882, the works and activity had only been halted between 1936 and 1939 and in March 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic forced it to close its doors and down tools.

Currently, there has been a progressive return to the pre-pandemic number of visitors, which are the main source of income for the Junta Constructora de la Sagrada Família to build the Basilica.

Sagrada Família welcomes 3,781,845 visitors in 2022

Mr Martínez, general director, highlighted the universal nature of the Sagrada Família by breaking down visitor figures. Of the 3,781,845 visitors, 82.5% were from other countries: United States (13.8%), France (11.2%) and Italy (9.4%). Spaniards were the top nationality among visitors to the Sagrada Família, making up 17.5% of the total. “We’re happy with the number of visitors, which although only 80% of pre-pandemic levels surpassed our expectations of 72%.” He added a fun fact, “Since the Sagrada Família began welcoming visitors in 1915, 82.5 million people have visited us.”

In 2022, two of the four towers of the Evangelists were completed. And work is under way on the other two and the tower of Jesus Christ. The Chapel of the Assumption is also being built behind the Basilica apse, as is the cloister joining it to the sacristy on Carrer de Provença. Work has also begun to restore the Nativity façade, starting with the cloister of Our Lady of the Rosary and two of the four pinnacles on the towers of the Apostles.

In terms of financial numbers, the Sagrada Família finished 2022 with income of €100.7 million. Of this sum, €53.9 million went to construction and management of the Basilica. The remainder went into savings for three purposes: first, to have a buffer in case of any unforeseen setbacks (such as the pandemic); second, for construction and works over the coming years; and third, to cover the financial commitments made to the Barcelona City Council in 2018. “As you can see, 100% of the Basilica of the Sagrada Família revenue is from private sources,” concluded Mr Martínez.

In addition to the diversity of visitors to the Sagrada Família, the Temple’s universal nature is also reflected in its programme of cultural, social and educational activities. In total, 105,018 people took part in activities organised at the Basilica, including Open Doors Days, concerts, children’s activities, social visits, student visits and cultural celebrations. Plus, the international masses, other religious services and visits to the Chapel of the Holy Sacrament attracted 391,579 people.

All of this action is thanks to the hard work and commitment to the project of the generations before us. There are currently 89 employees working on the project and 1,300 people collaborating regularly to support the various areas of the Foundation. Interest in the Sagrada Família is a universal phenomenon, as we’ve seen, and that is also reflected in communications, as our digital presence has grown exponentially with a total of 3,689,217 visits to our website and 410,435 followers on social media.

Universal cultural programme

Over the coming quarter, the Basilica of the Sagrada Família will offer a top-notch cultural programme in line with the spirit of universality.

One noteworthy event will be a concert by the Orfeón Donostiarra, singing at the Sagrada Família for the first time ever on 26 March, the core event of the Easter Week schedule that will be open to the public through a draw to give out free tickets.

We will also have the honour of hosting a concert by the Berlin Philharmonic, one of the most important symphony orchestras in the world. The Berlin Philharmonic holds its traditional European Concert at a different emblematic location in Europe each year. And this year it will be at the Basilica of the Sagrada Família. The concert will be on 1 May at 11:00 am, with a dress rehearsal on Sunday evening, 30 April.

Plus, on 13 June, an exhibition on Gaudí and the Sagrada Família will open in Tokyo, put together by Japan’s public media organization NHK and the Tokyo National Museum of Modern Art. It will be a travelling exhibition that will visit two Japanese cities through late March 2024. This initiative aims to share the work of this genius architect in Asia and raise awareness of the meaning and current construction status of his masterpiece, the Sagrada Família.

Throughout 2023, there will continue to be opportunities for residents to visit the Basilica of the Sagrada Família and take part in an extensive programme of cultural, social, educational and family activities.

More information HERE