18 May 2026. International Museum Day

Museums Uniting a Divided World

Each year, International Museum Day focuses on one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals to highlight the role of museums in achieving them. In 2026, the theme is ‘Museums Uniting a Divided World’, an invitation to recognise them as spaces for encounter, learning and dialogue. Open and accessible places that connect people and perspectives, where ideas can be shared, other realities understood, and inclusion, respect and coexistence promoted.

Free access from 10.00 to 19.00

If you're in Madrid on May 18, enjoy free admission to the museum. Don’t forget to book your ticket from 14 May onwards to ensure you can visit, as places are limited.

BOOK NOW (FREE)

Fachada del Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza

Free exhibitions and activities

Celebrate 18 May at the Museo Thyssen and enjoy these free exhibitions and activities. Don’t forget to book your ticket from 14 May onwards to see the Hammershøi exhibition (subject to capacity)

Permanent collection

First and second floor

Carmen Thyssen Collection

Ground floor

Temporary exhibition

Hammershøi. The Eye that Listens

Ground floor

Temporary exhibition

Roman Khimei and Yarema Malashchuk. Pedagogies of War

Level -1

Special display

Rauschenberg: Express. On the Move

Room 33

Small format exhibition

Guercino and his Biblical Heroines

Room 12

Special display

Gaza, where life endures

Central Hall

Activities

Join us for the free activities we’ve organized to celebrate International Museum Day

Guided visit

Five works to unite a divided world

11.00 and 16.00 / Rooms 17, 33, 34, 37 and 45 / Free admission until capacity is reached

Guided visit

Pedagogies of War

11.30, 12.00, 17.00 and 17.30 / Level -1 / Free activity, prior booking request

Guided visit

Gaza, where life endures

12.30, 13.30, 16.00 and 17.00 / Central hall / Free admission until capacity is reached

Concert

Choir of the Royal Casino of Madrid

13.00 / Auditorium / Free admission until capacity is reached

Discover much more with our audioguide

Choose your experience: visit the Hammershøi temporary exhibition and the permanent collection, or explore the museum’s collection on your own at your own pace.

Get your free ticket and buy the audioguide

Hammershøi.The Eye that Listens

You will be able to enter the entire museum free of charge (by reserving your time for the exhibition Hammershøi. The Eye that Listens ) and you will also be able to enjoy all the contents of this audioguide.

Price €5 (€4.5 for Friends of the Museum)

BUY

Get your free ticket and buy the audioguide