Zaragoza, awarded in a prestigious international competition for the celebration of the Monumental Tour

On the night of October 25, 2025, the Plaza del Pilar hosted one of the most impactful cultural and innovative events, Michael Canitrot’s Monumental Tour, a project never before seen in Zaragoza and which, last night, took home one of the awards at the Heavent Awards 2025. This competition, which recognizes the best shows internationally, recognized Zaragoza City Council as the driving force behind this idea, which had never been held in Spain.

Specifically, these French awards have recognized Monumental Tour in the category “Award for the best production or co-production of a destination, exhibition center, or convention center.” More than 45,000 people watched this large-scale projection on the Basilica’s façade for over three hours, featuring compositions and mixes by the show’s producer, Michael Canitrot. This international recognition confirms the council’s commitment to large-scale cultural events that combine heritage, digital art, and electronic music, as was the case with this tour, which transformed heritage spaces into unique immersive settings.

The Monumental Tour has amazed local and international audiences and reinforced Zaragoza’s image as an innovative, creative city committed to a comprehensive cultural program, from emerging local talent to major cutting-edge programming. Mayor Natalia Chueca expressed her gratitude for this award because “it encourages us to continue investing in culture as a driving force for the development and promotion of our city. It’s great news that we were able to share internationally the dazzling and exciting evening that the Monumental Tour brought to the people of Zaragoza and to the visitors who enjoyed the city, drawn by this unique event.”

The Heaven Awards, held in Cannes, recognize the best international events each year, and Zaragoza has stood out among high-profile nominations from all over Europe.

In 2025, dozens of applications were submitted from France, Germany, Latvia, Turkey, Norway, Portugal, Italy, and the Netherlands, in addition to the Spanish presence represented by the Zaragoza City Council. The council won the award against a distinguished selection of international projects, including the Le Relais du Goût Festival promoted by Destination Reims (France), the urban event Le Gardien du Temple – Opus II: La Porte des Ténèbres in Toulouse, the spectacular Ice Cross Val Thorens extreme sports event in the Alps, the Village du Vendée Globe Challenge 2024 in Vendée, and the RVAFQ 2024 organized by the Quebec City Convention Center (Canada).

AN EVENT FOR HISTORY

Monumental Tour, which combines heritage, video art, and electronic music, brought together 45,000 people in Plaza del Pilar, the largest event of all those created by Canitrot. The €380,000 investment came from the Zaragoza City Council, the Government of Aragon, the Telefónica Foundation, and the European Union’s Next Generation funds.

According to data compiled by Zaragoza City Council after consulting with various sectors, this event generated a direct and indirect economic return for the Aragonese capital of almost €5 million. This figure was based, among other factors, on the 6,000 people who traveled specifically to Zaragoza to attend the show and who spent the night in the various establishments.

Monumental Tour is an immersive experience on the façade of the Basilica of El Pilar, supported by the French National Commission for UNESCO. It celebrates cultural heritage and explores digital art through the catalyst of electronic music. Promoted by DJ and producer Michael Canitrot, the initiative has also been held at the Eiffel Tower in Paris and has toured several French cities and other European capitals, including Lisbon, with tens of thousands of attendees.