The designs were created by the winners of the competition held in collaboration with ADI-FAD, the Industrial Design Association. The winners are:

• Vía Laietana: Ester Pujol (Nahtrang Studio) and Marta Cerdà
• Plaça de Catalunya: ARTEC Light Studio
• Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes (between Muntaner and Passeig de Sant Joan): APO – Antoni Pallejà Office studio
• Carrer d’Aragó (between Muntaner and Passeig de Sant Joan): SMLXL and MA-MA studios
• Passeig de Sant Joan: Brosmind

Bigger budget: 15% more than in 2024

The budget allocation for all lighting proposals this year is €3.8 million, 15% higher than last year’s. The largest portion, €2.3 million, is earmarked for the production, installation, maintenance and removal of lighting displays across all districts. Over €1.3 million has been allocated to the designer light installations.

For the sixth consecutive year, the City Council is maintaining the special 75% subsidy for Christmas lighting installed by retailers’ associations. The total funding set aside for these grants is €1.3 million, and applications can be submitted starting on 26 June.

A citywide model

‘Barcelona, Christmas Lights’ will reach every district and neighbourhood in the city, with a total of 126 kilometres of illuminated areas—16 kilometres more than last year.

To prioritise less central areas, over 20 Christmas-themed light structures will be distributed across different parts of the city. In the same spirit, the façades of 14 notable buildings will also be lit up, including the Torre de les Aigües del Besòs, the Torre Llobeta farmhouse, the Vallcarca viaduct, and Casa Golferichs in L’Eixample.

Once again, special attention will be given to areas where local businesses may be affected by long-term construction works. These interventions, with a planned budget of €157,905, will take place in around 20 public spaces and on various streets across seven city districts and various neighbourhoods.

In an effort to support local businesses, 28 street sections in the different districts will be illuminated, with interventions planned for streets in Ciutat Vella, Sants, Horta-Guinardó, Nou Barris, Sant Andreu and Sant Martí, and a total budget of €135,455.

Additionally, 63 streets will be illuminated as part of the Pla de Barris programme, and the façades of all 39 municipal markets will once again feature Christmas lighting.

The overall budget for district and neighbourhood lighting installations amounts to nearly €2.3 million.

This year also brings a special project to light up the Mistral and Gregal quays at the Olympic Port. Proposals for the project are still being accepted by BSM until 26 June.

Finally, over 50 ornamental fountains across all the city’s districts will be adorned with special lighting designs for the Christmas season.

New routes to enjoy the city’s lights

The city’s Christmas website will feature a map of the different routes for exploring and enjoying the Christmas lighting displays. These include routes featuring iconic shops, illuminated fountains, designer installations and main shopping streets, as well as shop windows created by design schools, among others.

For the second consecutive year, there will be routes highlighting iconic shops in the Gothic Quarter, Raval and Born, with the aim of preserving and promoting these establishments. The City Council hopes to expand this initiative in the coming years to include famous shops, cafés, and bars in other neighbourhoods as well.

Around 20 shop windows in the Poble-sec, Paral·lel and Sant Antoni shopping areas will feature displays designed in collaboration with Barcelona Centre de Disseny. Christmas lighting will play an important role in the project, with contributions from higher education and master’s students from around ten design and architecture schools across the city.

Christmas lights Schedule

This Christmas season, the extended lighting hours introduced last year will be maintained: the lights will stay on until 1 am from Sunday to Thursday, and until 2 am on Fridays, Saturdays and the eves of public holidays.

The official lighting ceremony will take place at the end of November, and the illuminated streets will remain lit until Three Kings Day.

In terms of sustainability, the city’s lights will use LED bulbs to reduce energy consumption, a practice that’s been in place for many years now. This applies to all municipal installations, as well as the vast majority of displays organised by retailers’ associations and shopping areas.