MWC Barcelona 2027
Fira Gran Via, 1 to 4 March. GSMA. 4YFN sits next to it
A reference page. GSMA runs this event, not Aspire. We publish it because our community attends, and we keep it updated. Official site
- Dates
- 1 to 4 March 2027
- Venue
- Fira Gran Via
- City
- Barcelona, Spain
- Run by
- GSMA
- Tickets from
- EUR 899 before VAT, exhibition pass
MWC by the numbers
Every figure links to where it came from. Attendance for an event that has not happened is a projection, and each row says so rather than presenting it as a count.
- Dates1 to 4 Mar
Official 2027 dates on mwcbarcelona.com and on GSMA event pages. MWC Barcelona
- Attendance, 2026~105,000
GSMA's figure for MWC26, from 207 countries, described as achieved despite global travel disruption. Down about 4 per cent on 109,000 in 2025 and up on 101,000 in 2024. Exhibitors and partners held near 2,900 across both years. GSMA, MWC26 close
- Startup layer4YFN
The GSMA startup event co-located with MWC. Included in the main passes, and with its own site and its own side-event list. 4YFN
- VenueFira Gran Via
L'Hospitalet, not the city-centre Fira. Official about page. MWC about
What is MWC?
MWC Barcelona is the GSMA's connectivity show. The 2027 edition is 1 to 4 March at Fira Gran Via. It is a mobile-operator and device week, not a general startup conference, though 4YFN runs beside it for founders. MWC26 drew nearly 105,000 people from 207 countries, down about 4 per cent on 2025 but above 2024, with exhibitor numbers flat.
Who goes to MWC?
Operators, device makers, and the vendors who sell into that stack. 4YFN pulls the startup and investor layer into the same week without putting them on the main operator floor. If you need protocol developers, Devcon or ETHDenver is the better comparison. If you need telecom buyers, this is the week.
MWC side events
Search MWC side event or 4YFN side event and you will find a published unofficial week: hotel nights in Eixample and the beach, operator parties, and a 4YFN list that in 2025 was long enough for its own recap. 4yfn.com has a side-events page. Independent guides republish the grid every February. Official MWC hospitality is on-site. The useful founder nights are usually 4YFN or off-site. Aspire does not run those nights.
MWC tickets and costs
Register on mwcbarcelona.com. The Exhibition Pass is 899 euros before VAT and covers the floor, the summits and 4YFN; the Leaders Conference Pass at 2,199 is what buys the keynote and session programme. Fira Gran Via is not in the Gothic Quarter. Metro to Europa-Fira or a taxi from the centre. Hotels in L'Hospitalet are closer than they look. Late February into March in Barcelona is mild and can be wet.
- Exhibition PassEUR 899 before VAT
EUR 989 including VAT. Covers the showfloor, the summits and 4YFN. This is the tier most people need, and it does not include the keynote and conference programme. MWC Barcelona
- Leaders Conference PassEUR 2,199 before VAT
EUR 2,419 including VAT. Adds every keynote, session and workshop plus the lounges. The step up from Exhibition is what buys the programme rather than the floor. MWC Barcelona
- VIP PassEUR 4,999 before VAT
EUR 5,499 including VAT. Travel perks, priority access and exclusive areas. MWC Barcelona
Getting to Fira Gran Via
Fira Gran Via is in L'Hospitalet, not in the city centre. Metro line 9 to Europa|Fira, or line 8 and the FGC to Ildefons Cerda. From the Gothic Quarter it is a genuine commute rather than a walk, and during MWC the metro is faster than a taxi in both directions. El Prat airport is closer to the Fira than the city centre is.
Where to stay for MWC
L'Hospitalet and Plaza Europa are closer than they look on a map and are the pragmatic choice. Eixample is where the evening programme is and adds a daily metro run. Barcelona hotel pricing during MWC is the most aggressive on this list and rooms go a year out, so booking during the previous edition is not an exaggeration.
What to know before booking MWC
Do not book a meeting 'at MWC' without a hall and a stand number. The site is large. The side-event you actually want may be in a hotel an hour from your last hall meeting. Build the day around one geography.
What runs alongside MWC
Named events on their own dates, and in several cases their own tickets. Booking the main days only is how people miss them.
- 4YFN1 to 4 March 2027
GSMA's startup event, co-located with MWC across the same days and covered by the main passes. It keeps its own site and its own side-event calendar, and has historically also been sold as a standalone registration.
MWC: common questions
When is MWC Barcelona 2027?
1 to 4 March 2027 at Fira Gran Via in L'Hospitalet. The dates are published on mwcbarcelona.com and on GSMA event pages. 4YFN, the startup event, runs alongside it across the same days on a separate registration.
Is 4YFN included in an MWC pass?
Yes. The Exhibition Pass at EUR 899 before VAT covers the showfloor, the summits and 4YFN. GSMA has historically also sold 4YFN registration on its own for people who only want the startup event, so check which you are buying, but you do not need both.
How much is an MWC pass?
EUR 899 before VAT for the Exhibition Pass, which covers the showfloor, the summits and 4YFN but not the conference programme. The Leaders Conference Pass at EUR 2,199 adds every keynote, session and workshop. VIP is EUR 4,999. Add 10 per cent for VAT on all three.
How do I get to Fira Gran Via?
Metro line 9 to Europa|Fira, or line 8 and the FGC to Ildefons Cerda. The venue is in L'Hospitalet, not the Gothic Quarter, and it is a commute rather than a walk. During MWC the metro beats a taxi comfortably in both directions.
Where should I stay for MWC?
L'Hospitalet and Plaza Europa are nearest the venue and less painful than they sound. Eixample is where the evenings are and costs a daily metro run. Rooms go roughly a year out and Barcelona's MWC pricing is the most aggressive of any event in this directory.
How many people attend MWC?
Nearly 105,000 at MWC26 from 207 countries, against 109,000 in 2025 and over 101,000 in 2024. GSMA described the 2026 figure as achieved despite global travel disruption. Exhibitors, sponsors and partners held near 2,900 across both years, so the floor did not shrink with the crowd.
Is MWC worth attending without pre-booked meetings?
Almost never. More of MWC's business happens in private meeting rooms than on the floor, seniority skews high and diaries are arranged months ahead. Of every event in this directory, MWC punishes turning up without a schedule the hardest. If the meetings cannot be booked, reconsider the trip.
Official sources
Conferences worth reading next
- CESLas Vegas, 6 to 9 January. Consumer Technology Association6 to 9 January 2027
- GITEXDubai, 7 to 11 December. Summit at DWTC, expo at Expo City7 to 11 December 2026
- Web SummitMEO Arena and FIL, 9 to 12 November. Seventy thousand plus on the official site9 to 12 November 2026
- SlushHelsinki, 18 to 19 November. Founders and investors, with a Day 0 on the 17th18 to 19 November 2026
Last checked against its sources on . Dates, venues and ticket tiers are set by GSMA and can change. Confirm on the official site before booking travel.
These lists change, and we post when they do
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