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GSMA Sets MWC 2026 Plans in Barcelona With AI Focus and €585 Million Impact

Attendance growth remains capped pending Hall Zero’s completion in 2028.

Overview

  • MWC 2026 runs March 2–5 at Fira Gran Via, with organizers expecting more than 100,000 visitors from over 200 countries and roughly 2,900 exhibitors.
  • GSMA projects about €585 million in economic impact for Barcelona from this year’s edition.
  • AI is positioned as the headline theme with an unprecedented level of debate, deployment and device demonstrations across the showfloor.
  • New features include the ‘Nuevas Fronteras’ space zone with SpaceX’s Gwynne Shotwell and Starlink’s Michael Nicolls, plus an ‘Airport of the Future’ program with industry partners.
  • 4YFN introduces a dedicated ticket of about €399 for access to the startup hall during the first two days and to the main show on the final two, a change aimed at sharpening business focus as larger scale is constrained until 2028.