Events

IFEMA Madrid opts for Match Hospitality

Featured Image: James Watson on Unsplash

IFEMA Madrid has selected Match Hospitality to operate the hospitality programme for the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix, which will switch to the Spanish capital from 2026.

Match Hospitality will design the products and experiences to be utilised in the VIP and hospitality areas of the event.

The agreement will see an investment of €400m (£331m/$420m) across ten years for the assembly, operation and marketing of these areas.

Match Hospitality has previously developed and distributed packages and experiences for major events such as the men’s FIFA World Cup in Qatar in 2022, and the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand last year. The company has also worked with the Formula 1 British Grand Prix since 2019, the British MotoGP Grand Prix and the ATP Finals in London.

The news that the Spanish F1 Grand Prix would be staged in Madrid until at least 2035 was announced in January.

A 5.47km track will be built around the IFEMA exhibition centre and feature 20 corners. Madrid last hosted the Spanish Grand Prix in 1981 at the Circuito del Jarama.

The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya had hosted the event since 1991, with its last edition to be held from May 30 to June 1 during Formula 1’s 75th anniversary season.

It is expected that the Madrid circuit will have a capacity of more than 110,000 fans per day across grandstands, general admission and VIP hospitality. There are plans to grow the daily capacity to 140,000 over the first half of the agreement, making Madrid one of the largest venues on the F1 calendar.c