Llum BCN returns, Barcelona’s major light arts festival
Llum BCN, Barcelona’s renowned light art festival, returns from 6 to 8 February, once again filling the streets of Poblenou and Glòries with magic and experimentation. Organised by the Barcelona City Council’s Institut de Cultura, the festival celebrates its fifteenth edition, firmly establishing itself as one of Europe’s most innovative events, where contemporary art, design, architecture, technology and scenography converge under one powerful protagonist: light.
Night Landscapes: art, architecture and emotion
With this year’s theme, “Night Landscapes”, the festival invites the public to experience the city at night through a poetic, sensorial and imaginative lens. For three evenings — from 7 pm to midnight on Friday and Saturday, and from 7 pm to 11 pm on Sunday — visitors can explore around 30 light installations, mostly outdoors and free to access, created by twelve renowned national and international artists, alongside eighteen university schools of art, design and architecture based in Barcelona.
“This edition will feature 12 installations by acclaimed artists, along with 18 proposals from university schools.”
Directed by Maria Güell — who bids farewell to the festival this year — and with international curation by Birgit Lill-Schnabl, director of Austria’s Klanglicht festival, Llum BCN will feature works by prominent names such as filmmaker Albert Serra, with Esta noche (sponsored by ISE); artist Laia Estruch, with Aüc (in collaboration with Benito and Barcelona 2026); and the creative duo STUDIO MO:YA — Roland Mariacher and Werner Huber — with Mantra Intervention, in partnership with BARCO.
Three routes, three service zones, and a city to discover
To make the experience more accessible, the festival offers three themed itineraries connected via the T4 Tram line, guiding visitors between key creative hubs such as the DHub, MediaTIC, and the Parc del Centre del Poblenou. In addition, three service areas have been set up with rest zones, food stalls, toilets, and information points: on Irena Sendler Street, Roc Boronat Street, and within the Parc del Centre del Poblenou.
New works, new spaces, and returning favourites
Among this year’s highlights:
– “Bulla” by Lola Solanilla, at the new space in Parc de les Glòries.
– “The Whispering Mountains”, inflatable sculptures by ENESS.
– “Fremor” by Marc Vilanova, exploring subterranean vibrations.
– “The Rhythm of the Ocean” by Desilence, featuring music by Suzanne Ciani.
– “Postmachina” by Clàudia Raurell, a pulsating light and movement experience.
– “Aurelius” on Tour by nueveojos, a roaming light installation inspired by the Tour de France, travelling through Almogàvers Street and Plaça de Dolors Piera.
The programme also revives memorable installations from previous editions, including “Láser Fases” by Antoni Arola (at Mirador Torre Glòries), “Sierras” by cabosanroque, and “Next Nature II” by Rotor Studio.
A new image for a new vision
The festival’s graphic identity this year has been created by DAQ Studio, offering a dreamlike and ethereal visual world where light becomes a dynamic force that transforms space. The aim: to convey the emotional and subjective power of light, inviting audiences into a new way of perceiving the city through visual contemplation and immersive design.
+Llum, World Capital of Architecture and Llum BCN Pro
Alongside the main programme, Llum BCN also features:
– +Llum, with three additional installations: “Memòria I Llum” by the Institut Tecnològic d’Arts Escèniques de Barcelona; Alrededor by Gracias Grecia; and “Inspired in Barcelona: Luce” by Stefano Colli and Carles Novell.
– 10 site-specific light installations across all ten districts of Barcelona, part of the Barcelona 2026 World Capital of Architecture initiative, featuring works by artists such as Toni Mira, Sacude Danza, Xavi Bobé, Bayona Studio and MID Studio.
– Llum BCN Pro, the festival’s professional gathering for cultural agents, curators and artists, held on 6 and 7 February and coordinated by Antònia Folguera.
An immersive experience that transforms the city
Llum BCN doesn’t simply light up the city — it reinterprets it, transforms it, and turns it into an emotional landscape. Through the convergence of light, architecture, technology and artistic vision, the festival challenges our perception of urban space and reveals its most imaginative potential.
“Llum BCN doesn’t simply light up the city, it reinterprets it, transforms it, and turns it into an emotional landscape.”
Mark 6, 7 and 8 February in your calendar, explore the full programme on the official website and get ready to experience Barcelona like never before — illuminated by art, movement and emotion.
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