Barcelona's Sagrada Família completes tallest tower, Pope blesses and drones light show dazzles crowds

On June 10 2026, the central Tower of Jesus Christ of Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia was completed, reaching 172.5 metres and making the basilica the tallest church in the world. The inauguration coincided with the centenary of architect Antoni Gaudí’s death and was marked by a papal blessing from Pope Leo XIV, attended by King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. A nighttime drone and light spectacle projected an animated image of Gaudí over the city and displayed his motto “First love, then technique” to an estimated 120 000 spectators.

During the ceremony, about 600 choir singers were expelled from the interior after some had placed paper fireworks in their scores. The singers issued a joint letter demanding an explanation and a public apology, criticizing the security presence and the indiscriminate removal of participants, including children. The tower’s completion does not finish the whole project; interior work and the controversial “Façade of Glory” entrance, which may require the demolition of nearby houses, remain pending.