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Barcelona will install two giant screens to follow the Pope’s visit without going near La Sagrada Família
Barcelona does not want everyone to try to get close to La Sagrada Família on the most anticipated day of Leo XIV’s visit. To spread the public out and avoid crowds, the city will install two giant screens in Plaça de les Glòries and near Arc de Triomf, two large, well-connected spaces from which the events can be followed live.
The measure is intended for residents, visitors and pilgrims who want to experience the day without entering the more restricted perimeter of the Eixample. The area around the basilica will be subject to access controls, traffic closures and strict security measures, so the screens will serve as a more convenient alternative for many people.
The broadcast will be provided by betevé, which will offer a live signal of the main moments of the papal agenda in Barcelona. The idea is that those who go to Glòries or Arc de Triomf can follow the visit without having to depend on finding a place beside the popemobile’s route or on the streets closest to the church.
On 9 June, the screens will connect to the events planned at Barcelona Cathedral and to the mass vigil at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys de Montjuïc. It will be the first major day of a visit that has already required transport, access and security to be reorganised at different points in the city.
The central moment will come on 10 June, with the popemobile’s route through the Eixample, the solemn Mass at the Sagrada Família and the blessing of the Torre de Jesucrist. The largest crowds are expected that day, especially around the basilica and the streets along which the pontiff will pass.
Glòries and Arc de Triomf were not chosen by chance. They are open spaces, well connected by public transport and capable of accommodating people without creating the same pressure as the narrow streets around the Sagrada Família. For many families, older people or visitors who do not want to spend hours among barriers, they may be the most reasonable option.
Leo XIV’s visit will have a strong symbolic charge for Barcelona, especially because of its link with Gaudí and the completion of the Torre de Jesucrist. But it will also be a test of urban organisation. The giant screens neatly summarise that balance: allowing more people to take part without turning the heart of the Eixample into an impossible bottleneck.