Video: @parctibidabo / IG
Commemorative Event Held Ahead of Official Anniversary
The Parc d’Atraccions Tibidabo celebrated its 125th anniversary with a public event on Monday 12 October 2026, drawing nearly 2,500 attendees to the mountain-top site. The celebration, originally scheduled for 4 October but postponed due to heavy rain, featured music, character parades and a large birthday cake crafted by renowned pastry chef Christian Escribà. Although the official anniversary date falls on 29 October 2026, marking 125 years since the 1901 inauguration of the Funicular del Tibidabo, the first funicular railway in Spain, the early festivities served as a symbolic gathering for families, park staff and city representatives.
Emblematic Figures and City Leaders Attend
The event included appearances by iconic park characters such as the Marionetarium puppets, the Tibidabo mascots, figures from the Hotel 666 attraction and the automaton 'la Moños'. Maria Eugènia Gay, second deputy mayor and councillor for Sarrià-Sant Gervasi, attended and praised the park’s enduring role in Barcelona’s cultural memory.
Tibidabo occupies a special place in the collective memory of many families across generations.
Gay highlighted the park’s ability to evolve while preserving its heritage, integrating new attractions and technologies without losing its historic identity. Albert Batlle, deputy mayor for Security and chair of the park, reaffirmed the significance of the city council’s acquisition of Tibidabo in 2000 under then-mayor Joan Clos. He noted that public ownership has ensured the continuity of one of Barcelona’s most cherished recreational spaces.
From Private Ownership to Municipal Asset
Prior to 2000, the park was operated by Grand Tibidabo, a company led by Javier de la Rosa that collapsed amid financial difficulties. The park was put up for auction, and although an envoy from the Chupa Chups company briefly acquired it, the Barcelona City Council exercised its right of pre-emption, securing the site for public management. Since 2002, the park has been managed by PATSA (Parque de Atracciones Tibidabo S.A.), a municipal company integrated within Barcelona de Serveis Municipals (B:SM), which became the direct owner in 2023. Under B:SM’s stewardship, Tibidabo has undergone modernisation, including the opening of the Panoramic Area, the introduction of new rides like the Virtual Express in 2017, the first roller coaster in the park to feature virtual reality, and the launch of the Cuca de Llum funicular railway in 2021, which replaced the original wooden funicular that operated from 1901 to 2019.
Historic Legacy and Ongoing Evolution
Opened in 1901, Tibidabo is the oldest operating amusement park in Spain and the second oldest in Europe, after Tivoli Gardens in Denmark. Its founding is closely tied to the development of Barcelona and the expansion of public access to Collserola. The Funicular del Tibidabo, inaugurated on 29 October 1901, connected Plaça del Doctor Andreu, named after Dr Salvador Andreu, considered the park’s founder, with the summit, making the site accessible to the general public and establishing the foundation for its century-long legacy. Today, the park continues to balance preservation with innovation, aligning with city values in sustainability, education, experiences and solidarity, according to B:SM’s published sustainability reports.
Primary sources: Ajuntament de Barcelona. Reported by elperiodico.com, bsmsa.cat, es.wikipedia.org, trenscat.com, transparencia.bsmsa.cat, daniel.roca, simplonpc.co.uk, El Periódico Barcelona.
