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Anyone who visits Barcelona is probably wondering: when will the Sagrada Familia be finished? Locals have been asking that question for 144 years. The cranes have become so permanent a part of the Barcelona skyline that people joke they were part of Gaudí's original design.
But something genuinely historic just happened. On 20 February 2026, workers installed the final section of the cross on top of the Tower of Jesus Christ — the tallest point of the basilica, at 172.5 metres. For the first time in its history, the Sagrada Familia has reached its full height.
So: is it finished? Not quite. But we're closer than we've ever been, and 2026 is shaping up to be the most significant year in the building's entire 144-year existence.
What's already been finished (more than you might think)
The Sagrada Familia has been a working basilica since 2010, when Pope Benedict XVI consecrated it — scaffolding, cranes and all. By the time you read this, these major elements are complete:
- All 18 towers are now externally finished, including the six central towers that dominate the skyline
- The central nave and interior have been complete since 2010
- The Nativity Façade (facing northeast, towards Gràcia) — mostly finished by Gaudí himself, the only façade he lived to see substantially built
- The Passion Façade (facing southwest) — completed between 1954 and 1976
- The 12-point star atop the Tower of the Virgin Mary — completed 2021
- The Chapel of the Assumption — completed 2025
- The cross on the Tower of Jesus Christ — completed 20 February 2026, making the Sagrada Familia the world's tallest church at 172.5 metres, surpassing Ulm Minster in Germany
That last point is worth pausing on. Barcelona now has the tallest church in the world. And most people visiting the city this year have no idea.
So, when will the Sagrada Familia be finished?
The official line from the Sagrada Família Foundation is that the main construction — all 18 towers, the central nave, the chapel — will be complete in 2026. This coincides with the centenary of Antoni Gaudí's death, which is clearly the symbolic target the project has been building toward.
The big ceremonial moment is set for 10 June 2026, the 100th anniversary of Gaudí's death, when a formal celebration will mark the completion of the Tower of Jesus Christ.
But anyone telling you the basilica will be fully finished in 2026 is being optimistic. The Glory Façade — the main entrance on Carrer de Mallorca, which Gaudí considered the most important of the three facades — is expected to take another decade, with completion projected somewhere around 2030 to 2034. And then there's the controversial grand entrance stairway, which would require demolishing roughly 150 homes. That one is, to put it diplomatically, unresolved.
So the honest answer is: the skeleton is done in 2026; the skin takes another decade.
What's still left to do
The remaining work is substantial but mostly cosmetic and decorative rather than structural. The key items outstanding are:
The Glory Façade is the biggest. It faces Carrer de Mallorca and was always intended to be the main entrance — the one through which most worshippers would arrive. Gaudí's vision for it was the most elaborate of the three facades, representing death, final judgement and the path to eternal glory. Work is ongoing but completion is still a decade away.
Interior decorative elements on the Tower of Jesus Christ will continue through 2027 and 2028. The cross is up, but the inside of the tower still has work to do.
The grand entrance stairway is Gaudí's original plan for a monumental approach to the Glory Façade, but it would require demolishing two blocks of existing buildings and rehousing around 3,000 residents. Barcelona's city government and the Sagrada Familia Foundation have not yet reached agreement on this. It may never happen as originally envisioned.
A bit of context on why it's taken so long
The Sagrada Familia was started in 1882. Gaudí took over in 1883 and radically redesigned the project, transforming what was intended to be a fairly conventional neo-Gothic church into something the world had never seen. He worked on it for the rest of his life — 43 years — before being killed by a tram on Gran Via in 1926. At the time of his death, less than a quarter of the building was complete.
What came next was a cascade of disasters. The Spanish Civil War saw Gaudí's workshop burned to the ground, destroying most of the original plans and models. Builders had to reconstruct his vision from fragments of photographs and plaster models — a painstaking process that took decades and left much open to interpretation.
Funding was always the constraint. The Sagrada Familia receives no government money — it is built entirely through ticket sales and private donations. At around €150 million in annual revenue, roughly half of which goes toward construction, the pace of work has accelerated dramatically in recent decades. What took 75 years to build in the 20th century was matched in roughly 20 years in the 21st, thanks to modern technology, computer modelling, and the boom in Barcelona tourism.
Why 2026 is actually a great time to visit
Here's the thing locals will tell you that the tour guides won't: visiting a building under construction is its own kind of experience. For 144 years, visitors have seen the Sagrada Familia with cranes. Most of us who live in Barcelona have never known it any other way.
By the end of 2026, those cranes will be gone from the central section. The skyline will change. And the basilica you'll see then will look different — more finished, more complete — than anything any living person has seen before.
The commemorative events running throughout 2026 are worth timing your visit around. There are concerts, exhibitions, and special masses planned for the centenary year, and the 10 June ceremony will be a historic moment for the city.
If you're planning a trip and want the full picture on things to do in Barcelona, the Sagrada Familia absolutely earns its place at the top of the list — but book your tickets weeks in advance. On busy days, same-day entry simply doesn't exist.
Practical information
Tickets: Book directly on the official Sagrada Familia website — sagradafamilia.org. Prices start at €26 for basic entry. Tower access costs extra (€9) and sells out fast; book that at the same time.
Best time to visit: Arrive at 9am when it opens. The morning light through the stained glass on the Nativity side is extraordinary, and the crowds don't arrive until around 11am. Evening tickets for the illuminated exterior are also worth considering.
How long to spend: Budget a minimum of 90 minutes. Two hours if you want to take it properly. The museum in the basement is genuinely excellent and often skipped.
Getting there: Metro L2 or L5 to Sagrada Familia. It's also a very walkable 25–30 minutes from Plaça Catalunya through the Eixample grid — and the walk itself is part of the experience.
Staying nearby: If you want to wake up with the basilica outside your window, we have a guide to the best hotels near the Sagrada Familia and a full Sagrada Família visitor guide covering everything from skip-the-line tips to what the different facades actually mean.
Last updated: May 2026. The Tower of Jesus Christ cross was completed on 20 February 2026. Construction status and ticket prices are subject to change — always verify on the official website before visiting.
