• The venue’s own event programme and the activity at the Congress Centre recorded strong growth during the first six months of the year.
• The venue is now preparing for a new phase of growth and modernisation with the future construction of a new exhibition hall.

Infecar, Gran Canaria Trade Fair, concluded the first half of 2026 with a busy programme of trade fairs, congresses, business and social events, attracting more than 156,000 attendees across events organised directly by Infecar and those hosted through the Gran Canaria Congress Centre.

This milestone comes in a particularly significant year for the venue, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary while making final preparations for a new phase of growth and modernisation. During this period, part of its programme was held at the Agüimes Exhibition Grounds, allowing Infecar to maintain its schedule while bringing some of its flagship events to other parts of the island.

In this regard, the Councillor for Economic Development, Industry, Trade and Crafts, Minerva Alonso, said: “Almost 160,000 people attended events organised by Infecar, Gran Canaria Trade Fair, during the first half of the year. Once again, Infecar has become a hub for business exchange and a driver of the island’s economy, successfully relocating part of its programme to the Agüimes Exhibition Grounds in order to continue hosting trade fairs and congresses, while looking ahead to the construction of what will become a landmark exhibition hall for the Canary Islands in the coming years.”

During the first six months of the year, Infecar organised ten events that attracted 81,446 attendees and featured 475 exhibitors. A significant part of this programme took place outside the venue’s usual facilities, with events held in the municipalities of Agüimes, San Bartolomé de Tirajana, Santa Lucía and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, expanding Infecar’s presence across the island while maintaining its strong ability to attract visitors.

The calendar opened with the 31st Gran Canaria Crafts Fair – San Telmo, bringing together 107 artisans from 17 municipalities and welcoming 8,000 visitors. This was followed by the Gran Canaria Spring Crafts Fair in Maspalomas, which attracted 10,500 visitors and featured 52 artisans.

In the business and economic sphere, the inaugural Canary Islands Logistics Innovation Fair (FILCA) welcomed 1,348 attendees and brought together around 50 exhibiting companies, while DigiON Canarias once again consolidated its position as one of the archipelago’s leading digital transformation events, attracting 863 professionals and 49 technology companies. The programme also included Canarias Comunica, a forum created to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the communications sector, bringing together 171 professionals and industry experts.

Sustainability once again played a central role in the exhibition programme with Movelec, the Canary Islands Electric Vehicle Show, which welcomed 2,489 visitors—its highest attendance in the last five editions—reflecting growing public interest in sustainable mobility. This was complemented by the Global Sustainable Islands Summit (GSIS), which brought together more than 400 experts, institutional representatives and professionals in Gran Canaria to address the key challenges and opportunities facing island territories in the field of sustainability.

Local products and the proximity economy also demonstrated their strong appeal, including at the Agüimes Exhibition Grounds. Gran Canaria Me Gusta welcomed 11,736 visitors, while Fisaldo, the Opportunities Fair, attracted 23,866 attendees, reinforcing its position as one of the island’s leading platforms for promoting and stimulating local commerce.

Meanwhile, Fimar – the International Sea Fair once again transformed the Sanapú Pier into a meeting point for the blue economy, attracting 15,273 visitors and 61 exhibitors representing the maritime, nautical, scientific and business sectors.

The semester’s programme also included initiatives aimed at strengthening Gran Canaria’s cultural identity. The La Isla de Mi Vida School and Family Festival brought together more than 1,200 students, teachers and family members around the island’s traditional music and cultural heritage. This was followed by the La Isla de Mi Vida Festival, held to mark Canary Islands Day in Santa Ana Square, which attracted around 6,000 people for the premiere of Attindamana, a major musical, choreographic and theatrical production involving more than 500 performers and paying tribute to the identity of Gran Canaria’s 21 municipalities.

Congress activity and third-party events

Alongside its own programme, the Gran Canaria Congress Centre hosted 36 events during the first half of the year, attracting 76,860 attendees and reinforcing its position as one of the island’s leading venues for congresses, professional meetings, live entertainment and corporate events.

Among the highlights were The Champions Burger, which welcomed 60,000 visitors, and World Rock Music, attended by 4,000 people, alongside a wide range of business meetings, training events and conferences linked to strategic sectors of the island’s economy.

Congress activity also helped strengthen Gran Canaria’s international profile through specialised events such as the International Cheese Forum, which brought together experts and participants from several countries.

This period of intense activity also coincides with the 32nd anniversary of the Gran Canaria Congress Centre, inaugurated on 3 July 1994 and now established as one of the island’s leading venues for congresses, conventions and major events.

Sixty years of history and a vision for the future

The strong results achieved during the first half of the year come at a particularly symbolic moment for Infecar. In 2026, the venue celebrates 60 years since opening its doors with the First Spanish Atlantic Fair in 1966. Since then, it has evolved alongside Gran Canaria’s economic, business and social development to become one of the Canary Islands’ leading meeting and events venues.

Six decades later, Infecar continues to evolve to meet the needs of the island’s economic and professional sectors. The venue is now preparing to begin a major redevelopment project that includes the construction of a 7,500-square-metre exhibition hall, designed in line with the highest standards of innovation, design and sustainability.

The expansion will increase the venue’s operational capacity, attract larger-scale events and further strengthen Gran Canaria’s position within the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) industry. At the same time, the modernisation of the venue will generate new economic and social opportunities in its surrounding area, reinforcing its role as a strategic infrastructure for the island’s development.

With these results, Infecar enters the second half of the year reaffirming its commitment to promoting economic activity, creating opportunities for businesses and professionals, and organising events that showcase Gran Canaria both nationally and internationally.