Barcelona receives 2025 with an embrace of light and fire

More than 500 drones, 800 kilos of pyrotechnics, high-altitude lights and a beating heart over Montjuïc have accompanied thousands of Barcelona residents to bid farewell to 2024 and usher in the new year from Avenida Maria Cristina in the Catalan capital.

Named Barcelona batega (Barcelona beats), the light and fire show by the French company Groupe F aimed to mark the turn of the year with love and hugs as its central theme. At the foot of the MNAC, the spectacle thrilled attendees from ten minutes before midnight, to welcome the chimes amidst fireworks.

The scale of the pyrotechnics and the number of drones made the show visible not only from the vicinity of Montjuïc, but from various points in the Catalan capital. The 500 drones with pyrotechnic effects flew up to 180 meters high, dancing in coordination with the fireworks to the rhythm of a soundtrack composed for the occasion.

This synchronized dance draws from artistic creativity and technology, which have combined to make possible a show that required more than 15,000 commands to coordinate its various elements and details.

And this dance began with art as the protagonist: coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the Fundació Miró in 2025, the show paid tribute to the artist, inspired by some of his emblematic works, such as the mosaic of La Rambla and the sculpture Dona i Ocell (Woman and Bird).

In addition to Miró, the Barcelona sky also paid tribute to authors of emblematic works in the city's streets, such as photographer and conceptual artist Joan Fontcuberta, and New York graffiti icon Keith Haring.

But not only art and the city were the protagonists of the display of lights and music, which also made references to nature, coexistence, friendship, and solidarity. As Groupe F director Christophe Berthonneau explained, the show was imbued with the wish that peace may accompany the arrival of 2025.

Again, the show was performed without the jets of the Magic Fountain, which is undergoing repair after the drought. However, this year it did not remain a mere passive decorative element, but exchanged water for fire: 15 mobile flame machines added drama and warmth to a show that closed the year with the hope and purpose, as always, that the next one will be better.