New York Post
No TikToks allowed!
Recording TikTok videos has been banned at the Sagrada Familia metro station in Barcelona.
“POV: they put a sign saying no filming with a man telling you off for doing it, so you can’t do the viral TikTok escalator video,” read a TikTok video posted by @thatonegirldarcie on April 4.
@thatonegirldarcie/ TikTok
The subway station leading to the popular attraction recently posted signs warning that recording videos within the public transportation stop is indeed prohibited.
The reason: a viral trend encouraged tourists to place their phones on the escalator steps to record the view as visitors emerged above ground with a beautiful view of the Sagrada Familia in the background.
Authorities worried that the social media distraction was crowding the station and could lead to injuries.
No such incidents have been reported yet, but non-TikTokers complained of related “inconveniences” at the station.
The decision was made by the public transportation department — the Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB) — and the church had “nothing to do with the decision, as it’s something that happens outside the premises,” a representative told Thrillist.
“To avoid a security problem and any accident, because there are many visitors around the Sagrada Família, the sign has been put up and security personnel have been placed on site,” a TMB spokesperson told Thrillist of the signs, posted at the beginning of the month.
Tourists will not be fined but will be stopped by local authorities.
However, travelers wanting to show off on TikTok can still recreate a similar version of the trend by holding their phones out with their hands, a selfie stick or a friend’s help.
Construction of the Sagrada Familia Basilica is believed to have begun in 1882 and is expected to finally be finished in 2026, the church announced earlier this year.
The church was originally built by famed architect Antoni Gaudi but was only about 10% to 15% completed when he died in 1926.
However, the unfinished monument has become one of the world’s most well-known Roman Catholic churches and tourist attractions earning a UNESCO World Heritage site designation in 1984.
The church reported that more than 4,7 million people visited the Basilica last year alone.
Once completed, the Sagrada Familia will become the world’s tallest church — overtaking Ulm Minster in Germany.
This was originally published on The New York Post
