The Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències (City of Arts and Science) in Valencia has sold more than 3.5 million tickets in 2024, exceeding last year’s figures. By building, a total of 1,125,954 sales have been recorded at the Museu de les Ciències, which is 4.3% more than in 2023, while at the Oceanogràfic this figure rises to 1,952,916 tickets, 3% more.

In 2024, the Hemisfèric stands out in ticket sales with a total of 479,415, 18% more than in 2023. The commitment to renew the cinema offer of the Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències has led to the premiere of three films: the nature documentary ‘Animal Kingdom’, the screening ‘Auroras. Luces del norte’ and the musical planetarium ‘Pink Floyd. The Dark Side of the Moon’, which has attracted more than 18,776 spectators, on the billboard from July to December. New editions of the live planetarium ‘Las Nocturnas’ have also been launched, both winter and summer.

Looking to 2024, in addition to the good results of the summer, with a total of 1,251,662 tickets sold from June to August, reservations for school tickets stood out, with 12% more than the previous year.

The flood on 29 October affected bookings and ticket sales in November, with school visits and general public visits cancelled during the first few weeks and around 50% of the total for the month. In addition, the Museu de les Ciències, the Hemisfèric and the Oceanogràfic were closed on 2 and 3 November.

During the Christmas period, from 20 December 2024 to 6 January 2025, more than 143,817 ticket sales have been recorded. It is also worth noting that during these festive weeks, a total of 11,487 people from towns affected by the COVID-19 pandemic visited the Museu de les Ciències free of charge. Of the total number of invitations handed out, 8,022 were for adults and 3,465 for children.  

Content renewal in 2024

In 2024, the Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències has dedicated a large part of its content to space with new exhibitions and activities linked to this theme. The Museu de les Ciències’ offer has been renewed with three new exhibitions on space exploration (‘Up to Space. Space Mission’, ‘The Moon within reach of your hands’, ‘Mediterranea’), new educational activities such as observations with telescopes and scientific workshops, and the launch of the competition dedicated to astrophotography ‘AstroCiutat’, which also includes the exhibition of the award-winning photographs. 

Also noteworthy in 2024 is the public art exhibition outside the complex ‘Hacia el futuro’, with sculptures by the artist Pablo Atchugarry and the installation of a baby grand piano on Calle Menor, which was a great success among the visiting public. 

For its part, Oceanogràfic reaffirms its commitment to marine conservation and animal welfare. Among the most relevant milestones is the international rescue of the two belugas from the NEMO aquarium in Kharkiv, Ukraine, which will soon be seen alongside the other two resident animals, Kylu and Yulka.

In the area of ​​dissemination, initiatives such as the OceanFest festival and the dialogue series ‘The Tide of Change’ have been maintained and strengthened, attracting broad participation from the public. In addition, educational experiences have continued to arouse great interest among visitors, with proposals such as the ‘Backstage Tour’ and the visit to the Sea Animal Recovery Centre, where the work of rehabilitating sea turtles can be observed first-hand.

We have some wonderful news for Eurovision fans: Benidorm Fest 2025 will be a magnificent weekend of fun for everyone!

Let us tell you the story in case you’re unfamiliar. One of the ways that RTVE chooses the acts that will represent Spain in Eurovision is through its Benidorm Fest music event. The Micrófono de Bronce is presented to the victorious artist in the final round after two semi-finals. You know who it is. Be the first to know by attending one of sixteen concerts covering a broad variety of musical styles.

The event will fill the location with a fantastic vibe and fantastic activities that everyone will like, and it will be held not far from the beaches of Benidorm. Yet more rationale to visit the Mediterranean.

From January 28th through February 1st, Benidorm’s Palacio de Deportes l’Illa will host an extraordinary array of Spanish music and performances.

Between April and November 2024, law enforcement, judicial, customs, medical and anti-doping authorities from 30 countries joined forces in Operation SHIELD V. Europol coordinated this global effort targeting the trafficking of counterfeit and misused medicines and illicit doping substances. As in the previous editions, the 2024 operation was supported by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), Frontex, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and national medicine agencies.

Operation SHIELD’s 2024 edition was led by a steering group composed of French, Greek, Italian and Spanish law enforcement authorities. Europol supported this wide-reaching operation with several operational meetings and the deployment of experts with mobile offices offering analytical and forensic support.

Preliminary results of Operation SHIELD V

• 418 individuals arrested, charged, or under prosecution
• 52 organised crime groups investigated
• 4 underground labs dismantled
• Total seizures worth above EUR 11.1 million, including:
• 426 016 illegal packages of illegal pharmaceuticals
• 4 111 kilograms of powder and raw material
• 108 litres of active ingredient
• 174 968 vials and ampoules
• over 4 683 426 tablets and pills
• 4 083 anti-doping “in and out competition” controls carried out

Pharmaceutical crime is a growing threat in the EU

Pharmaceutical crime has a direct impact on public health and safety, as it affects individuals, communities and national healthcare systems. It generates enormous financial losses for legitimate companies, undermines brand credibility but also endangers investments in research. To emphasise this growing threat, Europol has launched a dedicated report on intellectual property crime (IPC) targeting the production and marketing of pharmaceutical products.

Selling sub-standard, falsely labelled, or falsified pharmaceutical products, as well as products diverted from the legal supply chain, organised crime networks are behind a wide range of illicit medicines and doping substances.

Purchasing fake medicines pays criminals, risks the consumers’ health, and undermines the economy

Fake medicines traded in the EU are on the rise, which comes with a huge cost for the individual and society. Europol, the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) have come together to raise awareness about the issue of fake medicines and how they work to protect consumers against this threat.

Social media and online marketplaces, both on the surface and on the dark web, continue to be central to the trade of counterfeit pharmaceuticals. These platforms provide various degrees of anonymity and target wide audiences, making it challenging to identify the criminal actors involved.

Purchasing fake medicines pays criminals, risks consumers’ health, and undermines the economy. Consumers are warned to be mindful to not fund organised crime or harm themselves by buying fake medicines.