Guggenheim Bilbao Sees Second-Busiest Summer Ever With Nearly 480,000 Visitors in 2025
The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao has reported a strong summer season, welcoming 478,315 visitors between June and August — the second-highest summer attendance since the museum opened its doors in 1997.
The total marks a slight increase of 4,822 compared to last summer, with both June and July setting new monthly records. June saw 117,508 visitors — the best June in the museum’s history — while July reached 165,853, another all-time high. August attendance stood at 194,954, slightly lower than last year’s figure but still one of the museum’s strongest months to date.
International visitors made up the bulk of the audience, accounting for 78% of all attendees — a 2% rise compared to 2024. France contributed the largest number of foreign visitors (16%), followed by the United Kingdom (10%), Germany (9%), the Netherlands (8%), Italy (7%), and the United States (6%). Among domestic visitors, the largest groups came from the Basque Country, Catalonia, and Madrid, each representing 3–4% of the total.
Photo: Erika Ede
The single busiest day of the summer was Wednesday, 13 August, when 8,472 people visited the museum. As of 31 August, the museum had received 921,971 visitors in 2025 — the highest year-to-date figure in its history, fuelled by particularly strong numbers in May, June, and July.
The summer’s success was underpinned by a diverse and ambitious programme of exhibitions. Highlights included Helen Frankenthaler: Painting Without Rules (on view until 28 September), in situ: Refik Anadol (until 12 October), and Barbara Kruger: Another Day. Another Night., which runs until 9 November. The permanent collection remains on view, alongside Vito Acconci / Sergio Prego: YOU, which closes on 7 September.
The museum’s Art & Music series, held on the terrace and sponsored by Kutxabank, also proved a draw. All eight sessions sold out, attracting 1,200 attendees in total. With a record-setting year already under way, and a strong autumn season ahead, the Guggenheim Bilbao continues to reinforce its status as one of Europe’s premier cultural institutions.
©2025 Guggenheim Bilbao
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