Overview
- MWC26 runs March 2–5 at Fira Gran Via in Barcelona for the event’s 20th year in the city under the “The IQ era” banner with six AI-focused tracks.
- GSMA expects to top last year’s 109,000 attendees and says floor space is tight, with Fira de Barcelona’s new Hall 0 not available for MWC use until 2028.
- The show will debut a New Frontiers zone in Pavilion 6 dedicated to satellite communications and the broader space sector, including quantum technologies and AI.
- Senior SpaceX and Starlink executives Gwynne Shotwell and Michael Nicolls are confirmed to attend, while Elon Musk’s participation is not confirmed.
- To ease capacity pressure, GSMA is adding off-site activations including an Airport of the Future showcase with Airbus by the south entrance and a CircuitX pre-event at Circuit Barcelona-Catalunya.