Barcelona is significantly expanding its network of public CCTV cameras. A further 99 cameras are due to be installed in particularly sensitive areas by the end of this year. These include the popular El Born district, the Bunkers del Carmel and Parc de Pegaso. By 2027, the number of cameras in public spaces is expected to rise to around 500.
Spain Expat Press Editorial Team
by Marlon Gallego Bosbach
Barcelona is stepping up its use of CCTV to improve safety in particularly busy areas of the city and locations deemed to be sensitive. Deputy Mayor for Prevention and Security Albert Batlle has announced the next locations to be included in the expansion of the city’s CCTV network.
A total of 99 new cameras are due to be installed before the end of the year. According to the city, the locations have been selected based on factors including visitor numbers, recorded crime, security risks and problems in public spaces.
Almost 100 new cameras across five areas
The new cameras will be distributed across several busy areas and locations considered relevant to public safety. Nine cameras are planned for Passeig del Born, while a further 11 will be installed at the popular Bunkers del Carmel. The Anella Olímpica will receive 30 cameras. Another 19 cameras are planned for Parc de Pegaso, while a further 30 will be added in the Fira de Bellcaire and Fort Pienc area. This brings the total to 99 new CCTV cameras.
At popular attractions such as the Bunkers del Carmel, the high number of visitors is also a factor alongside the local crime situation.
Parc de Pegaso will also be monitored
Particular attention is being paid to Parc de Pegaso. The park was already known as a problematic area before a fatal shooting on 2 July 2026. A 15-year-old boy was killed in the incident.
According to Albert Batlle, the installation of cameras there had already been requested before the shooting. The decision was based on police information about criminal activity in the area that had been gathered beforehand. The new cameras should therefore not be seen as a direct response to the individual incident, but rather as part of a longer-term security strategy.
Barcelona plans to significantly increase the number of cameras
The 99 new cameras are just part of a much larger plan. Barcelona currently has 186 active CCTV cameras in public spaces. Under the city’s video surveillance plan, a total of 500 new cameras are due to be added by 2027. This could bring the total number of cameras to around 660.
The city says the expansion is intended to support the police in preventing and investigating crime. At the same time, the authorities emphasise that CCTV will be deployed in targeted areas rather than across the city as a whole.
According to the city, the cameras will ultimately cover around 5.16 per cent of Barcelona’s public space.
No AI-powered facial recognition
An important aspect of the planned expansion concerns data protection. The new cameras will not use facial recognition or AI-based identification of individuals. Security Councillor Albert Batlle has explicitly confirmed this.
Instead, the cameras will serve two main purposes: they are intended to act as a deterrent and to support investigations and provide evidence when crimes have already been committed. Barcelona is therefore relying on conventional CCTV without officially equipping the new systems with automated facial recognition.
More cameras already in the pipeline
In addition to the 99 cameras now announced, further projects are already under way. As part of an initial phase, 26 cameras have been installed at Plaça Catalunya and the Front Marítim. A further six cameras are due to be added along Avinguda de la Catedral, while work is already under way to install another 20 devices at Plaça Reial.
An expansion is also planned for Rambla del Raval, where 21 new cameras are set to be installed. In addition, the existing surveillance system in the city hall building is due to undergo a comprehensive upgrade.
Further locations have also received approval in principle. These include Plaça Universitat in the Eixample district, as well as Parc de la Guineueta, Plaça Àngel Pestaña and Plaça Roja in Nou Barris. Some of these projects are still awaiting additional permits.
Why these locations in particular?
Barcelona does not intend to distribute the cameras randomly across the city. According to the city authorities, the selection of locations takes into account factors such as how many people visit each area, the level of recorded crime and whether there have been repeated conflicts or other problems in public spaces.
Particular security risks, potential targets for terrorist attacks and other police intelligence also factor into the decision. The cameras are therefore primarily intended for locations where the authorities identify a heightened need for security.
CCTV as part of a broader security strategy
The expansion of the CCTV network is just one part of Barcelona’s wider security strategy. The city is also increasing the presence of the Guàrdia Urbana, taking measures against repeat offenders and implementing programmes to tackle drug trafficking and drug use in public spaces.
CCTV is intended to provide additional technical support, both as a deterrent and to help investigate serious incidents after they have occurred.
What does this mean for residents and tourists?
For residents and visitors to Barcelona, the development means they may increasingly be captured on public CCTV in more areas of the city. The expansion is not limited to traditional trouble spots, with popular destinations such as El Born, the Bunkers del Carmel and the Anella Olímpica also included.
However, the city stresses that this does not amount to blanket surveillance across Barcelona. Instead, the cameras will be concentrated in selected areas identified using various security criteria.
At the same time, the expansion is likely to fuel further debate over data protection and the right balance between security and privacy.
Barcelona opts for more CCTV – but without facial recognition
With the planned addition of 99 new cameras, Barcelona is taking another step towards expanding its public CCTV network. The cameras are due to be installed across five further areas by the end of this year. In the longer term, the city has a much more ambitious target: by 2027, the surveillance network is expected to grow to around 660 cameras in total.
For the city, the main priorities are security, deterrence and supporting police investigations. At the same time, the use of facial recognition and AI-based identification is set to remain excluded.
Barcelona is therefore opting for a significant expansion of conventional CCTV, focused specifically on locations deemed particularly sensitive by the authorities.
