Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona: Tickets, Events, and Visitor Information

Palau de la Música Catalana Overview

Palau de la Musica Catalana is one of the best examples of the Catalan modernism in Barcelona. Built between 1905 and 1908 by the emblematic Barcelonian Lluís Domènech i Montaner, it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Palau de la Música Catalana is owned by the Orfeón Catalán association, which aims to promote Catalan culture, especially in the musical aspect and with a preferential attention to choral music.

The concert hall was originally used for orchestral and instrumental music concerts, as well as choral performances and recitals. And from time to time it hosted cultural and political events, theater plays and musical performances.

Palau de la Música Catalana History and Architectural Significance

Lluís Domènech i Montaner is one of the most original architects known for his own unique style that features some characteristics proper to modernism mixing them with his own creative details and elements. The palace can be called attractive or appealing and both would be justified. One can not stay calm when passing by this building.

The facade is full of colorful elements and statues, mosaics and beautifully decorated columns. The iron structure allows the use of glass and introduces different decoration elements.

There are sculptures that allude to the world of music, and purely decorative elements, modernist or characteristic of free baroque. Inside, Domènech i Montaner combined the various construction materials with ceramics and glass typical of modernism. The hall and the stage form a whole, integrating into each other. The stage is dominated by the organ pipes, which in turn become a decorative element by themselves. All look so harmonious that once you are inside, you feel like a part of a never-ending fairytale.

The old facade located behind the corner is decorated with a sculptural group called “La cançó popular catalana” (The Catalan Popular Song), in the form of a prow, in which a Saint George is represented, below a female figure in the center, surrounded by a group of characters: the sailor, the peasant, the old man, the children, the nobles, symbolizing that the Palace of Catalan Music and the music itself should be available for everyone.

Role of the Music Hall in Barcelona’s Culture

The Barcelona scene would not be complete without the Palau de la Musica Catalana. Located in the very center of the city, in the historic La Ribera district, this music hall is really hard to miss. And even if you get lost in the maze of the medieval streets, you will most likely finally run out into a red brick facade decorated with intricate details.

The building is one of the most important examples of the Catalan modernism, a movement that developed in Europe at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries culminating the process of renaissance. European art at a certain point was flashing back to the classic forms of art. The architecture, painting, sculpture, literature and music were transforming once again borrowing the elements of the gothic style, baroque, classicism.

Modernism was an international movement, sharing the same characteristics but varying from country to country: Art Nouveau in France, Modern Style in the United Kingdom, Jugendstil in Germany, Sezession in Austria or Liberty in Italy.

In Spain and especially in Catalunya, modernism acquired a unique very special form characterized firstly by the world-famous art figures, such as Antoni Gaudí, Josep Puig i Cadafalch and Lluís Domènech i Montaner. They did not really bring in anything new at the structural level. But, departing from the gothic style, baroque, orientalism or eclectics they ended up with a new very romantic way to decorate the buildings, at the exterior and in the interior. A lot of naturalistic elements, floral and animalistic decor, new materials such as iron or glass. The Catalan modernism is in this sense very different compared to any other European modernism. And even from one artist to another the features and characteristics change drastically, making this every work unique.

UNESCO World Heritage Status of the Catalan Music Palace

In 1971 the Catalan Music Palace was declared a UNESCO World Heritage, status only given to the places of Outstanding Universal Value to Humanity. This is the way to protect them from future modifications or changes and to designate that they are of a great value to humanity. At the present moment there are only 1223 objects under the protection of UNESCO in the whole world, part of them being natural and another part cultural.

Palau de la Música Catalana Tickets and Events

You can visit Palau de la Musica Catalana on your own, with a guided tour or for a concert.

Types of Palau de la Música Tickets

If you choose a touristic visit, there are three different options available:

The cheapest one is to get a simple ticket and visit the museum at your own pace. The prices are as follows:

• Adult 18 €
• Child up to 10 years Free
• Disabled ( +65% ) Free

For a small supplement you can get a ticket with an audio guide included. The audio guide is available in the following languages: catalan, Spanish, English, French, Italian, Korean, German and Chinese. Please note that it's important to bring your own headphones!

• Adult 22 €
• Child up to 10 years Free
• Disabled ( +65% ) Free

And finally for the most curious visitors there's is an option of a guided tour in Catalan, Spanish, French, English, German, Italian or Chinese

• Adult 25 €
• 11 - 35 years 17€
• Child up to 10 years Free
• Senior over 65 years 17€
• Student with a valid identification 15€
• Disabled ( +65% ) Free

How to Skip the Line for Palau de la Música Catalana Tickets

Whenever you buy your ticket in advance you will have to choose a timeslot that must be respected. You usually have a margin of 30 minutes to enter the palace, but it is important to be punctual.

This is not officially a skip the line ticket, but the venue allocates you with a timeslot in order to avoid queues, so you can wait to get inside on time.

Check out the available products for more information and not forget to book your tickets in advance.

The Palau de la Musica Catalana is fully accessible for disabled people. It is equipped with elevators and ramps.

Palau de la Música Catalana Events and Concerts

Another way to visit the Palau de la Musica Catalana is to attend one of the numerous concerts or events that take place in the venue.

One of the perfect options for a visit is the Spanish guitar concert or the Flamenco show.

Make sure you buy your tickets online in advance and choose the official website or the authorized vendors such as Entradas.com and Atrápalo.es.

Visiting Palau de la Música Catalana

Palau de la Música Catalana Opening Hours and Visitor Information

The palace is open for the visits between 9.00 am and 3.30 pm

The concerts and musical events usually take place in the evening, but the schedules vary according to the type of event and the day.

As for the guided tour, it takes approximately 50 minutes, the time that you will need to explore the building and get a deeper understanding of the history and the importance of this place.

Self-Guided Tours include an audio guide available in different languages. They allow the visitor to explore the palace at their own pace. Count with 1-1,5 hour if you want to see everything.

How to Get to the Catalan Music Palace in Barcelona

The Palace is located 5 minutes from the very center of Barcelona, the Plaça Catalunya.

Take the Metro: Estació Urquinaona Línia 1 (L1) or Línia 4 (L4)

Take the train RENFE to: Estació Plaça Catalunya

Palau de la Música Catalana Photos

You have probably never heard about the Palau de la Musica Catalana, but once you browse the internet, you will find many pictures of the building itself as well as the concert hall. The palace has always inspired photographers, bloggers and visitors to take wonderful pictures. The palace is considered to be one of the most instagrammable places in Barcelona.

Palau de la Música Impact on Catalan Music

The Catalan Music Tradition and Its Connection to the Palau

The very goal of the Palau de la Musica Catalana has always been to develop and promote Catalan music and art. Created under the guidance of the Orfeo Catalan, the venue had to help local authors and performers to reach a broader audience.

During the years, many world-renowned musicians such as Pau Casals, Enric Granados, and Montserrat Caballé have performed on this stage, taking Catalan art to the new level.

The palace has acquired various musical genres, from flamenco and jazz to classical and choral music, thus following the always evolving musical scene.

Palau de la Música Contribution to Classical and Modern Music in Barcelona

Among other features Palau de la Musica Catalana has excellent acoustics. Many of the world's performers of the last century (for exemple Richard Strauss, Daniel Barenboim, Igor Stravinsky Arthur Rubinstein, Pau Casals and Frederic Mompou) have performed in this auditorium, a true sanctuary of Catalan music and at the same time a benchmark concert hall on the international artistic scene.

Catalan Music Palace: A Symbol of Catalonia’s Cultural Identity

Palau de la Música Catalana has also played an important role in the formation of national Catalan consciousness. During the civil war it was the only place where the hymn of the Orfeón Catalán “Cant de la Senyera” was performed secretly. When the dictator Franco visited the city in 1960, it was forbidden to perform the hymn.

The last-minute ban by the authorities led the audience to stand up and sing the hymn. This led to numerous detentions. The next time the “Cant de la Senyera” was performed legally was in 1967.