Bilbao hosts the “Your city is full of pianos” initiative once again

"On Friday 5 June, the “Your city is full of pianos” initiative, organised by Fundación Occident and the Maria Canals International Competition, will bring 8 grand pianos to squares and streets across Bilbao. "

On Friday 5 June, the “Your city is full of pianos” initiative, organised by Fundación Occident and the Maria Canals International Competition, will bring 8 grand pianos to squares and streets across Bilbao. The event will be held in collaboration with Bilbao City Council, as well as the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, Alhóndiga Bilbao and the Bilbao Symphony Orchestra (BOS).

Bilbao is the third stop on the 2026 “Your city is full of pianos” tour. On 5 June, the 8 grand pianos will be placed at well-known locations around the city, including the Guggenheim Museum, Alhóndiga and the Provincial Council building (Diputación), as well as new locations such as Plaza Jado, Plaza Santiago and Plaza San Nicolás. 

The pianos will be available for everyone to enjoy. Between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m., professional musicians, music students, amateurs, children and anyone wishing to enjoy playing or listening to piano music in the streets of Bilbao will be able to take part in this cultural and participatory initiative.

The 8 pianos will be located at the following venues:

1. Guggenheim Museum Bilbao (Puppy)

2. Guggenheim Museum Bilbao (esplanade)

3. Azkuna Zentroa - Alhóndiga 

4. Diputación/Arbieto

5. Ercilla/Rodríguez Arias

6. Plaza Jado

7. Plaza Santiago

8. Plaza San Nicolás

The day's highlights can be shared on social media with the hashtag #PianosBilbao.

This initiative is part of the 'Your city is full of pianos' project, which aims to promote the dissemination and universal practice of music through the citizens' involvement. It is one of the leading activities organised jointly by Fundación Occident and the Maria Canals Competition to bring music closer to the entire Spanish population and is materialised through five annual actions.

Ignacio Gallardo-Bravo, Director of Fundación Occident, notes that “with ‘Your city is full of pianos’ we want to bring music back to the streets, the place where it is truly born and comes to life. The initiative encourages the public to approach the pianos, play, experiment and share music in a spontaneous and participatory way, transforming public spaces into places for cultural and social interaction. This initiative also complements the ‘Soy Clave’ scholarship programme that we are developing in Bilbao, in the Otxarkoaga-Txurdinaga district, with the aim of turning the piano into an instrument for community cohesion, integration and social transformation”.

The director of the Maria Canals Competition, Jordi Vivancos, adds, “With this initiative, we want to turn the city of Bilbao into a great stage where the grand pianos take centre stage alongside everyone walking through the streets, giving people the opportunity to play this instrument and thereby break down the cultural, mental and social barriers associated with musical practice”.

The close collaboration between Fundación Occident and the Maria Canals Competition has allowed this cultural activity to take place in cities all over Spain, including Barcelona, Madrid, Bilbao, Seville, Cádiz, Málaga, Salamanca, Toledo, Santiago de Compostela, Valencia, León, Granada, San Sebastián, Zaragoza, Cáceres, Santander, Córdoba, Palma de Mallorca, Valladolid Girona and Oviedo. After Bilbao, the initiative will be held in A Coruña on 12 June.