Barcelona’s Fira de Barcelona has been valued at more than €6.8 billion in economic impact, according to a study by the University of Barcelona. The figure reflects activity across its venues in 2024 and points to further growth as new projects move ahead.
The study puts the impact at more than €6.14 billion from the Montjuïc, Gran Via and Barcelona International Convention Centre, or CCIB, venues. It also adds a further €675 million expected from Hall Zero once it starts operating in 2027.
The expansion is centred on the Gran Via site in L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, where Hall Zero is due to become operational in just over a year. The historic Montjuïc venue in Barcelona is also set for change, with a reorganisation of its pavilions, which date back to the 1929 International Exposition.
Fira’s current scale builds on a long history of large events in Barcelona. The city first recognised the value of this kind of activity 140 years ago with the 1888 Universal Exposition, which helped support the internationalisation of Catalan industry as Barcelona expanded into the Eixample after the demolition of its walls.
The 1929 exposition, by contrast, left major financial losses. It was affected by delays linked to the First World War, the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera and the Wall Street Crash, and the debt lasted until the 1990s. The city later hosted the Trade Fair, which helped lay the groundwork for the modern Fira.
Today, Fira de Barcelona is presented as an example of public-private cooperation, alongside bodies such as the Consorci de la Zona Franca and Turisme de Barcelona. Its metropolitan reach has also helped attract major events including Mobile World Congress, ISE, Smart City Expo World Congress and Alimentaria. For more Catalonia business and city news, see our news coverage.
