The Palau de la Música defines a new strategic plan to grow by 50%

The Palau de la Música Catalana wants to consolidate itself as "an essential cultural and musical center in Barcelona". With this objective, the new board of directors, chosen just over a year ago, has drawn up a strategic plan that is "aspirational and very ambitious". Leaning on business terms, such as benchmarking and SWOT analysis, its president, Joaquim Uriach, outlines lines of action that coincide with the institution's assets, from choral singing and musical programming to architectural heritage.

The 2023-2026 strategic plan must serve to "take a leap forward" for a cultural institution that has been tainted by corruption and, like the rest, has been affected by the impact of the pandemic. Despite this, Uriach emphasizes that they have found "a healthy situation with great assets" thanks to the two previous strategic plans that served to change course. Regarding the Palau case, the general director of the Palau de la Música, Joan Oller, points out that the entity has already recovered 13 million euros of the 23.7 million euros that justice recognized had been diverted by Fèlix Millet's presidency.

The path to advance the Palau de la Música involves gaining more audience and securing new sources of funding, always without losing its hallmarks. Among them, choral singing, with plans to promote it more in schools and harmonize the work of the different choirs, and a varied musical program, strengthening its own and trying to ensure it does not clash with that organized by third parties.

Firstly, the goal is to increase the current 400,000 concert attendees per year to 600,000 by 2026, which would represent a 50% increase. To this end, different initiatives are on the table to attract new profiles, with the focus always on young audiences. For example, a permanent show is being studied, very much designed to attract more tourists, or an immersive night show, aimed at seducing those spectators who at first glance do not feel interested in the scheduled concerts.

Likewise, the aim is to strengthen cultural visits, with which it is hoped to reach 400,000 users within three years, double what was registered in 2019, before COVID. Immersive experiences are also to be applied there to complement the content and adapt to new times in which this technology abounds in the cultural sphere. In addition, one of the pending issues that the new board of the Palau de la Música wants to resolve is to have access to Via Laietana, which is undergoing renovation to be more walkable, as can already be seen on Jonqueres street. A premises has been rented that will face the artery, where the ticket offices and the shop will be located, making it easier to find the architectural gem, which many tourists are always asking about.

Both creating new activities and strengthening visits must serve to gain more public and generate more income, but the board of directors wants to go further. In this sense, it is studying the possibility of organizing an annual concert that serves to increase the notoriety of the cultural institution and raise funds. A new area will also be developed within the organizational chart to develop a specific individual patronage program to seek new benefactors.