2026 Cultural Funding Guaranteed

Barcelona will receive €20 million in state funding for culture in 2026, after the Spanish government approved the amount by royal decree on 29 September. The measure became official upon publication in the BOE (State Official Bulletin) on 1 October. The funding, allocated by Culture Minister Ernest Urtasun, supports Barcelona as a cultural co-capital alongside Madrid. It marks the sixth consecutive year the sum has been granted since its revival in 2021 under Mayor Ada Colau and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. Unlike housing measures, which require parliamentary approval and stalled due to the election call, this royal decree does not need a vote in Congress.

Major Institutions to Receive Support

The €20 million will fund 49 specific projects across 26 cultural entities in the city. Recipients include:

  • MACBA (Museum of Contemporary Art): €1.4 million
  • Joan Miró Foundation: €700,000
  • CCCB (Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona): €500,000
  • Fundació Teatre Lliure: €500,000
  • Gran Teatre del Liceu: €300,000
  • MNAC (National Art Museum of Catalonia): €245,000
  • Orfeó Català: €200,000
  • Consorci de Biblioteques: €230,000

The largest share, €10.875 million, goes to ICUB (Institut de Cultura de Barcelona), a body under the Barcelona City Council. This includes €1.275 million for the Festival Grec. Entities have up to 15 days from the decree’s entry into force to apply for funds, after which award resolutions must be issued and payments ordered. The process is expected to proceed without delay despite the upcoming general election.

Future Funding in Doubt

Despite the 2026 allocation being secure, uncertainty looms for future years. The cultural co-capital agreement was first signed in 2009 under Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero and Barcelona Mayor Jordi Hereu. It was suspended during Mariano Rajoy’s tenure, resulting in a loss of €200 million to Barcelona’s cultural sector over a decade. A return to that scenario is feared if a new government led by Alberto Núñez Feijóo’s PP, potentially with Vox, takes power.

We have already prepared the proposal for the 2027 co-capitality, and it is clear that it is in danger if there is a change in government.

Xavier Marcé, Barcelona’s Councillor for Culture, expressed optimism but warned that relationships between the Ministry and Barcelona’s cultural institutions could be threatened. "Withdrawing from Macba, MNAC, or Liceu would be of colossal magnitude," he said. The Department of Culture stated it does not anticipate disruptions, noting that major projects like the State Public Library near França station remain on track.

Other Cultural Initiatives Halted

Several national cultural initiatives have been paused due to the election call:

  • The new film law, previously delayed in 2023 by early elections, remains unpassed. The 2007 regulation stays in force.
  • A bill by Sumar to remove bullfighting from cultural heritage status, based on a popular legislative initiative, is now on hold.
  • The decolonisation review of state museums, including the National Museum of Anthropology and the Museum of America, is suspended.
  • A draft law on regulating generative AI in culture has stalled after initial opposition forced Urtasun to withdraw an earlier decree.
  • A proposed hyper-reduced fee for self-employed artists, raising the minimum income threshold to benefit from a €167 annual rate from €3,000 to €4,000, is no longer progressing.

These measures may not resume until after the formation of a new government.

Primary sources: lamoncloa.gob.es. Reported by lavanguardia.com, abc.es, [email protected], macba.cat, Web design, La Vanguardia Catalonia.