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2024 was a very positive year for the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao thanks to the support obtained from the public, as shown in its 1.301.343 visitors, barely 2% under the all-time record of 2023. May and June were the best months in the Museum’s history, while July and August were next in line; a great balance and the culmination for Juan Ignacio Vidarte of his brilliant career as Director General of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao.
By geographical origin, there was a rise in foreign visitors (67% of the total) compared to the previous year. They came mainly from France (16%), Germany (8%), Great Britain (7%), the United States (6%) and Italy (5%). Visitors from the Basque Country accounted for 11% of the total, while the remaining 22% came from the rest of Spain, with Catalonia (4%) and Madrid (4%) as the top regions of origin, just as in previous years.
The Museum’s main attraction for the public in 2024 was its ambitious and varied art program. Signs and Objects. Pop Art from the Guggenheim Collection, sponsored by BBK, was seen by 882.658 people between February and September, making it the most attended exhibition in the Museum in total number of visitors. Yoshitomo Nara, sponsored by the BBVA Foundation, was enjoyed by 648.237 people between June and November, and Martha Jungwirth was seen by 549.094 visitors from June to September. Worthy of note are the remarkable attendance figures for the Hilma af Klint exhibition inaugurated last October. Sponsored by Iberdrola, it has already been visited by 212.398 people, notable figures for this time of the year. Furthermore, throughout the year, all Museum visitors could enjoy the Collection show entitled Works from the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao Collection thanks to the sponsorship of BBK.
In the digital realm, the guggenheim-bilbao.eus website recorded a total of 2.893.452 visits and 10.850.342 page views in 2024. The Museum continues to expand its community and influence on social media, with 866.431 followers on Instagram, 364.820 on X (formerly Twitter) and 389.315 on Facebook.
As for the educational programs, in 2024, 80.192 people participated in the different face-to-face and online activities offered by the Museum, and 1.015.742 made use of the educational spaces that complement the art program. New this year were the renewal of the Museum’s volunteer program, the creation of new activities targeting over-65s, such as Breakfast & Art, and intergenerational meetings. The Museum’s offering was also expanded with new activities for children, such as the Sensory Play workshops on nature and sustainability, and new propositions for pre-teens, such as the Digital Imaging Course. As far as school tours are concerned, 25.965 children visited the museum. Family programs and schoolchildren’s activities were sponsored by ITP Aero and Occident, respectively. Furthermore, Educators Community, the free online community for teachers, reached 4.744 members, a 27% rise from 2023.
In the area of ​​social programs, the Museum partnered with a growing number of centres, providing 3.116 people in a vulnerable situation or with a disability the opportunity to visit the museum and participate in creative activities that promote their resilience and integration.
A great community
The Community created by the Museum around art and culture now has 345.185 individual members. By groups, the Community consists of: 23.690 Museum Members, the highest figure since the Museum was opened, proof of its ample local social support; 321.060 Followers, a way to establish a relationship with the Museum that is free of charge; and 497 beneficiaries of the Erdu Program, which provides free access to the Museum for unemployed people.
In 2024, the Museum received extraordinary support from the business community. There was a noteworthy increase in structural partnerships, with 129 Corporate Members. In addition, numerous exhibitions and activities were sponsored through corporate support. As on previous years, these financial contributions were crucial for the annual budget.
economical driver
The 2024 results relating to the local economic impact of the operation of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao were as follows:
- The total demand generated as a result of the Museum’s activities in the Basque Country amounted to €777.6 million.
- The contribution to GDP was €672.7 million.
- These figures generated additional income for the Basque public treasuries amounting to €105.5 million.
- The Museum’s activities helped maintain 14,236 jobs.
Once again this year, the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao continued to be the leader in self-financing among European cultural institutions, with a figure of around 78% in 2024.
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