Sagrada Família: when does the light look like the photo?
Short answer: 6 Nov 2026: Red, orange and yellow light reaches deep inside from 12:50 to 17:05, strongest around 16:25; book the 15:15 slot.
Gaudí gave the basilica cool blue and green glass on the Nativity (north-east) side and warm red, orange and yellow glass on the Passion (south-west) side. The famous photos of coloured light pouring across the columns only happen when the sun shines straight into one of those walls from low in the sky.
Fri 6 November 2026 · open 09:00–18:00
Book 15:15
Red, orange and yellow light reaches deep inside from 12:50 to 17:05, strongest around 16:25; book the 15:15 slot.
| Nativity side windows (north-east) blue and green | No direct sun | 09:00–09:00 Book 09:00 |
|---|---|---|
| Passion side windows (south-west) red, orange and yellow | Strong: colour deep inside | 12:50–17:05 Book 15:15 |
Hour by hour
| Time | Sun | Nativity side windows | Passion side windows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 09:00 | 14° south-east | ||
| 09:30 | 18° south-east | ||
| 10:00 | 22° south-east | ||
| 10:30 | 25° south-east | ||
| 11:00 | 28° south-east | ||
| 11:30 | 30° south | ||
| 12:00 | 32° south | ||
| 12:30 | 33° south | ||
| 13:00 | 32° south | ||
| 13:30 | 31° south | ||
| 14:00 | 29° south-west | ||
| 14:30 | 27° south-west | ||
| 15:00 | 24° south-west | ||
| 15:30 | 20° south-west | ||
| 16:00 | 16° south-west | ||
| 16:30 | 11° south-west | ||
| 17:00 | 6° south-west | ||
| 17:30 | 1° south-west | ||
| 18:00 | -4° west |
Tickets
Tickets are timed in 15-minute slots and the afternoon ones sell out first. Allow 15 minutes for security before you reach the nave. On an overcast day there are no coloured patches at all, only a soft glow.
Through the year
| Month (15th) | Nativity side windows | Passion side windows |
|---|---|---|
| January | 09:00–09:00 · book 09:00 | 12:50–17:10 · book 15:45 |
| February | 09:00–09:05 · book 09:00 | 13:35–17:50 · book 15:45 |
| March | 09:00–09:05 · book 09:00 | 14:25–18:25 · book 15:45 |
| April | 09:00–09:25 · book 09:00 | 16:30–20:00 · book 17:00 |
| May | 09:00–09:25 · book 09:00 | 18:00–20:00 · book 18:00 |
| June | 09:00–09:30 · book 09:00 | 18:20–20:00 · book 18:45 |
| July | 09:00–09:35 · book 09:00 | 19:00–20:00 · book 18:45 |
| August | 10:30–10:35 · book 10:30 | 17:10–20:00 · book 17:30 |
| September | 09:00–09:20 · book 09:00 | 15:40–19:30 · book 16:30 |
| October | 09:00–09:20 · book 09:00 | 14:30–18:40 · book 16:15 |
| November | — | 12:35–16:55 · book 15:15 |
| December | 09:00–09:00 · book 09:00 | 12:20–16:45 · book 15:30 |
Sagrada Família light by month
Questions
What is the best time to see the light inside Sagrada Família?
Red, orange and yellow light reaches deep inside from 12:50 to 17:05, strongest around 16:25; book the 15:15 slot. That is for 6 November 2026; the time changes through the year, so pick your own date above.
Which months are best for the stained-glass light at Sagrada Família?
For the passion side windows (south-west), December, January, November give the deepest, strongest colour; May, July, June the weakest. Low sun facing the windows throws colour furthest.
Which side of Sagrada Família is lit in the morning and which in the afternoon?
The nativity side windows (north-east) (blue and green) catch the morning sun. The passion side windows (south-west) (red, orange and yellow) catch the afternoon sun.
Why does the time of day matter so much?
You may read that light only reaches the middle of a church when the sun is between about 18° and 32° high. The idea behind it is right: the lower the sun, the further its light travels across the floor. The exact band depends on how high the windows are and which way they face, so we work it out for each building instead of using one rule.
What if it is cloudy?
Then there are no coloured patches on the floor or columns, only a soft glow in the glass. Check the forecast the day before and keep a flexible ticket if you can.
Calculated from the sun's position for Barcelona, Spain and the building's orientation measured from OpenStreetMap outlines. Light levels are a geometric estimate: they assume a clear sky and do not model every pillar or neighbouring roof. Opening hours can change for services and events; times are local (Europe/Madrid).