L'Auditori de Barcelona has closed the 2025–2026 season with figures that speak for themselves: 584 concerts, more than 402,000 spectators, and an average occupancy rate of 83% across its concert halls.
The strong results come at a pivotal moment for the institution, which has officially entered a new chapter under the leadership of director Víctor Medem and managing director Ànnia Pons. Both find everything ready and very well on track. The project works, maintains its essence, and, at the same time, continues to bet on new ideas. Undoubtedly, a good foundation to face everything that comes now.
A successful season for subscriptions and the OBC
During this season, L'Auditori has registered a total of 6,337 subscriptions. Of these, the vast majority (5,715) correspond to the stable seasons of the Barcelona Symphony and National Orchestra of Catalonia (OBC), the Barcelona Municipal Band (BMB), and the Chamber, Early, and Family series.
But if there is one piece of data that invites optimism, it is the response of the young public. Discount subscription packages for those under 25 and 35 have totaled 622 users. This figure shows the success of access policies and the new dissemination formulas that have been implemented in recent months. This is the case, for example, of the Nou Tast d'Orquestra series, designed to break down barriers and make symphonic music more accessible to younger audiences.
For the OBC, this season has had a special meaning. It has been the fourth season of Ludovic Morlot as principal conductor. Years of constant work that are very noticeable: the orchestra has reached a new level of artistic excellence, has welcomed many new musicians, and has developed a remarkable sense of cohesion on stage that can be felt just by entering Sala 1 Pau Casals. The ensemble has offered 70 concerts (including the OBC Chamber format) and has attracted 78,753 spectators.
The orchestra also starred in a tour of Germany, with stops in reference cities such as Stuttgart, Hamburg, and Düsseldorf, returned to the Basque Country for the first time in two decades, and triumphed at the Ibermúsica series in Madrid performing Olivier Messiaen's Turangalila under the baton of Jonathan Nott.
The orchestra has also remained highly active in the recording studio. The OBC has published the third volume of its complete works dedicated to Maurice Ravel and has recorded symphonic works by four contemporary reference composers: Raquel García Tomás, Betsy Jolas, Cassandra Miller, and Gabriela Smith. All of this accompanied by numerous guest conductors such as Eun Sun Kim, Anja Bihlmaier, or Thomas Søndergård, and international soloists such as Augustin Hadelich or Kian Soltani.
The 140th anniversary of the Barcelona Municipal Band
The Barcelona Municipal Band (BMB) also concludes a landmark season coinciding with its 140th anniversary. Its programming has attracted 17,200 spectators and achieved an average occupancy of 76.6%, a figure that surpasses last year's records.
This year's performances have left unforgettable images. The most notable, without a doubt, was the commemorative concert that brought together for the first time on the same stage the BMB and the Escolania de Montserrat. But the ensemble has also paid tribute to cinematic heritage on the 40th anniversary of the Goya Awards, has played its music at the Sagrada Família Basilica, has traveled to the Valencian Country as a guest of honor at the Valencia Competition, and has closed the year collaborating with the Grec Festival in La Nit del Músic Alt.
Education, heritage and innovation
Educational programmes also continued to perform strongly. The Educational Service has accumulated 331 concerts and 161,814 attendees. Among these figures, the 37th edition of Cantània stands out, which had 44,642 children from over 1,000 schools throughout the territory singing (of which 30,539 performed directly in Hall 1). The educational year has been completed with the success of the production Música en dansa —in alliance with the JONC and the Institut del Teatre— and the celebration of the first Spring Festival.
This season, L'Auditori hosted 10 world premieres and 15 Spanish premieres, commissioned eight new works and revived 65 pieces from the musical heritage repertoire. In addition, the digital commitment has been strengthened with the remodeling of the audiovisual platform L'Auditori Play, now under the direction of Ígor Cortadellas' studio.
L'Auditori's social commitment has also been reflected in the Museu de la Música, which has reached almost 49,000 visitors with proposals such as the centenary of Montserrat Torrent or the Trànsits cycle, and in the social work of Apropa Cultura. In its 20th anniversary, this initiative has allowed 4,600 people in vulnerable situations to enjoy music inside the venue.
L'Auditori closes the season on a high note. It now turns its attention to the 2026–2027 programme, launched under the motto Legacy and Discovery, with the challenge of maintaining the exceptionally high standards it has set this year. Judging by this season's results, it is well placed to do so.
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