The GSMA has confirmed that the Mobile World Congress (MWC) will remain in Barcelona until at least 2030.
The Catalan capital has hosted the sector’s mega event since 2006, moving to the current location of the Fira de Barcelona Gran Via in 2013.
The previous deal was scheduled to expire in 2023, before the two parties agreed to a one-year extension to take into account the cancellation of the 2020 event. (opens in new tab) due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
MWC in Barcelona
The final pre-pandemic iteration saw more than 100,000 people visit the fair, which is attended by handset vendors, operators, equipment manufacturers, car manufacturers, major IT providers, application developers and anyone with a remote interest in the mobile ecosystem.
Big new smartphones and partnerships are frequently announced during the week, as hundreds of companies showcase their wares, and countless meetings and casual conversations take place in Fira’s various halls.
A summer edition was held in 2021 before returning to its traditional spring window earlier this year, attracting 60,000 visitors.
“We are excited to announce that the MWC will remain in Barcelona until 2030,” said Mats Granryd, Director General of the GSMA. “Recent global circumstances have created some of the toughest challenges we have faced with MWC, and the strength of our partnership with the host city’s parties has been a critical element in being able to bring the show back.
“In fact, Barcelona are so intertwined with the MWC experience that it’s hard for me to think of one and not the other.”
“Barcelona is much more than the city where the MWC takes place,” added John Hoffman, Chief Executive of the GSMA. “We have not only grown the event since our move to Barcelona, but we have developed it to include an entire ecosystem. The hospitality and people of the city and the true partnership we experience at all levels means that Barcelona is an intricate part of what the GSMA wants to create through the MWC.”
