There is a night when museums stop being what they were. A night when light transforms known spaces and gives us a new way of experiencing culture. It is a night that extends through the towns, municipalities and cities of Catalunya. Even, if we open the perspective, we will see that it is done all over the world! It is about La Nit dels Museus.
In fact, the initiative was born in Berlin in 1997 with the aim of bringing new audiences closer to culture. Almost thirty years later, it has consolidated itself as one of the most special events on the European cultural calendar. In Esplugues de Llobregat, the initiative has been celebrated since 2010 and has been building its own identity based on the capacity to transform municipal heritage into places - even more - extraordinary, even if only for one night.
Taking advantage that May 18 is International Museum Day, the celebration usually coincides with the weekend closest to the anniversary. This year, the marked date is next Saturday, May 16. Under the slogan “A night to discover, get emotional and let yourself be surprised”, the proposal emphasizes Esplugues' relationship with modernism and with the figure of Antoni Gaudí, also coinciding with the celebration of the Gaudí Year. The Ceramics Museum La Rajoleta and the Jardins de Can Tinturé will become the visual heart of this nocturnal atmosphere, with an ambiance inspired by the mosaics, organic forms and the chromatic richness of the architect's universe.
But the night will not be lived only from contemplation. Music will also occupy the streets and cultural spaces with concerts and itinerant parades that will bring rhythm and movement throughout the municipality.
If you are from Esplugues, or want to come visit us, here you have the complete program of The Night of the Museums 2026. Otherwise, you can always look for the point closest to you: other cities in the metropolitan area that also participate in this tradition are Barcelona, l'Hospitalet, Badalona, Cornellà de Llobregat, Sant Adrià del Besòs, Santa Coloma de Gramenet and Sant Joan Despí.
In Esplugues and in all these municipalities, for one night, the museums and gardens of the municipality will cease to be simple cultural spaces to become stages full of fantasy, music and color, where heritage will dialogue with contemporary art and lighting. An invitation to look at the usual spaces with different eyes. Because, after all, have you ever visited a museum when the city changes its rhythm?
