The Vitoria-Gasteiz City Council has announced its program for civic centers and municipal facilities for the 2026-27 academic year, featuring a total of 38,502 places distributed across 2,445 groups. These include over 583 different activities in sports, culture, social inclusion, and leisure. Registration for activities involving a lottery will open on July 10th and close on September 3rd, while registration for non-lottery courses begins on September 16th.
This year, the lottery system for place allocation includes novelties aimed at ensuring fairer results, easier information access, and significant queue reduction. During the presentation, Miren Fernández de Landa, Councilor for Open Government and Civic Centers, stated that the offering is "very good, both in quantity and quality," striving to "reach all people and all tastes" to improve health, provide further training, meet leisure demands, or facilitate social connections.
The 2026-27 academic year will see the reopening of the Judimendi civic center after its renovation, and the temporary closure of Aldabe for the same reason. Judimendi's phased reopening will begin in October, while Aldabe's activity suspension is scheduled for January, provided the works' adjudication process meets deadlines. Alternative locations have already been planned.
The Sports Service offers the largest number of places, with 17,390 spread across 938 courses, an increase of 90 from last season, and 90 different activities for all ages. This offering extends to the capital and 14 municipal districts. New programs include "Actívate y sonríe" and "Alarga tu vida activa" aimed at seniors to maintain physical and mental activity.
The Municipal Public Health Service will provide 113 workshops, totaling 1,676 places, to promote healthy lifestyle habits. The program includes activities on healthy eating, emotional well-being, and first aid/CPR training. A new workshop, "Repostería saludable para txikis" (Healthy Baking for Kids), is introduced for children aged 8 to 14.
The cultural offering encompasses a wide range of options: Introduction to Artistic Practice Courses (225 courses, 9,869 places), Cultural Courses (21 courses, 625 places), Reading Clubs (7), and Open Workshops (21). New additions include "Introduction to Breaking" and "Illustration for Youth." Councilor Sonia Díaz de Corcuera mentioned that "nearly 300 proposals will be offered" to meet citizen demand.
In Social Promotion, 98 activities are offered, generating nearly 1,550 places per quarter across 63 different subjects. Workshops for children and families, support for separated/divorced families, and activities fostering parent-child relationships are maintained. New workshops focus on promoting early childhood attachment and parenting while reducing screen exposure.
Lucho Royero, Councilor for Social Policies, emphasized that "activities for older adults are reinforced, with a special focus on improving cognitive abilities and fostering a positive aging process."
The BIZAN network, aimed at seniors, contributes nearly 5,200 places in 366 courses and workshops, focusing on integral health, physical and mental well-being, combating loneliness, and digital inclusion.
The Euskera Service offers 744 places in courses to promote the learning and use of the Basque language, targeting various groups. Councilor María Nanclares explained that the aim is to "bring our language closer to citizens' daily lives".
Finally, the network of civic center playrooms introduces "Ludokuadrilla," an activity for children aged 9 to 12, providing a stable space for play, expression, and coexistence.
Out of the 38,502 places offered, 32,889 will be allocated by lottery. Registration opens July 10th and closes September 3rd. The lottery will take place on September 4th. Registration can be done via the municipal website, the 010 phone line, or in person.
A key novelty in the new system is the creation of a "single registration block" where individuals can select up to 20 activities by priority. After the lottery, automatic allocation rounds will occur in a virtual queue, respecting stated preferences. Unassigned places will be announced on September 15th and made available from September 18th onwards.
