• The third Canary Islands Physical Activity and Sports Fair will bring together more than 400 activities, around fifty sporting disciplines and 130 organisations, brands and companies across 34,000 square metres until this Sunday.
• Antonio Morales: “Sport is a cross-cutting element that helps a society grow in values, health and, crucially, social cohesion.”

Poli Suárez said during the opening that “sport brings us together” and thanked federations, clubs, athletes, institutions and companies for their involvement in making the event possible.

Gran Canaria, 12 November 2026. ExpoDeca 2026 opened its doors to the public this Thursday with the largest edition to date of the Canary Islands Physical Activity and Sports Fair, which will occupy 34,000 square metres around Plaza de la Música in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria until Sunday 15 November.

The event, which will offer more than 400 free activities and around fifty sporting disciplines, was officially opened by the President of the Cabildo de Gran Canaria, Antonio Morales; the Canary Islands Government’s Regional Minister for Education, Vocational Training, Physical Activity and Sports, Poli Suárez; and the Mayor of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Carolina Darias.

The fair, promoted by the Regional Ministry of Education, Vocational Training, Physical Activity and Sports and organised by the Cabildo de Gran Canaria through Infecar, Feria de Gran Canaria, once again brings together athletes, federations, clubs, companies and members of the public of all ages over four days.

During his address, the President of the Cabildo de Gran Canaria, Antonio Morales, highlighted the importance of sport as a tool for social transformation. “We are talking about a cross-cutting element that helps a society grow in values, health and, crucially, social cohesion,” he said.

Morales also underlined sport’s ability to stimulate and diversify the islands’ economy, as well as the need to continue supporting both major infrastructure and events and grassroots sport.

For his part, Canary Islands Government Regional Minister Poli Suárez highlighted the growth ExpoDeca has experienced since its first edition and thanked all those involved in making the event possible.

“We have more than 34,000 square metres to showcase, promote, raise awareness of, respect and recognise the work of federations, clubs, athletes and institutions, as well as the business sector,” he said.

Suárez also highlighted the presence of more than fifty sporting disciplines and the participation of more than one hundred schools during the opening days.

The Mayor of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Carolina Darias, highlighted the city’s commitment to physical activity and said that “when we talk about sport, we are not only talking about physical activity; we are also talking about education in values”.

She also thanked the different public administrations for their collaboration in making a new edition of the fair possible in the capital of Gran Canaria.

A record edition

ExpoDeca reaches its third edition after attracting more than 17,000 visitors in Gran Canaria in 2024 and more than 24,000 in Tenerife in 2025.

This year, the fair significantly expands both its footprint and its programme, combining participatory activities, exhibitions and official competitions with initiatives designed to promote inclusion and equal opportunities in sport.

Plaza de la Música will be the main hub of the event, with a broad representation of traditional Canarian games and sports, including Canarian wrestling, shepherd’s leap, lucha del garrote, juego del palo and Canarian bowls.

This area will also host handball, football, climbing, athletics, gymnastics and other disciplines, as well as a 350-square-metre motorsport area.

The programme will extend to Plaza del Espigón, where sailing, cycling, combat sports and different adapted disciplines will take place; Parque de El Rincón, with skateboarding, calisthenics, padel and basketball; and the Manuel Naranjo Sosa football pitches, which will host baseball, softball, rugby and air sports, among other activities.

One of the main new features of this year’s edition is the inclusion of the sea in the programme, with activities at Las Canteras beach such as bodyboarding, adaptive surfing, beach tennis and canoeing, making use of this setting for the first time to broaden the range of participation opportunities.

Major competitions

ExpoDeca 2026 will also host national-level competitions, including an event from the first Hyatlón circuit, with more than 400 registered athletes, and the fourth edition of the Gran Canaria Challenge, one of the leading events on the crosstraining calendar.

The programme is complemented by an exhibition area featuring 130 organisations, brands and companies linked to the sports sector, showcasing products, services and new initiatives related to equipment, training and event organisation.

Professional meeting point

The Alfredo Kraus Auditorium will host an extensive programme of professional meetings, conferences and presentations, including the National Sports Management Congress organised by the Spanish Federation of Sports Management Associations (FAGDE) and the Spanish Sport Conference organised by the Spanish Sports Association (ADESP).

Both events will bring together federation representatives, public-sector decision-makers and specialists from across the sports sector to discuss key issues in sports management, technological innovation, sports tourism and opportunities for collaboration between public authorities and private organisations.

The Auditorium programme will also include activities open to the public, such as HADO demonstrations, a Japanese-origin discipline combining physical activity with augmented reality.

Las Arenas Shopping Centre will also broaden ExpoDeca’s programme with the Legends of Sport exhibition, bringing together more than 200 items linked to leading figures in Spanish and international sport, alongside additional displays dedicated to traditional Canarian sports and classic rally cars.

Sport and sustainability

The third edition of ExpoDeca includes a specific sustainability plan, with measures aimed at reducing energy consumption, encouraging recycling and promoting walking, cycling and public transport.

The organisation has set up recycling points throughout the venue and will carry out initiatives to encourage the reuse of materials and sports clothing.

Volunteers will also play a key role in the running of the fair, helping to guide visitors, support activities, assist people with specific needs and collaborate with the organisation.

Awards

One of the highlights of ExpoDeca’s programme will take place this Friday with the third edition of the Canary Islands Sports Awards, to be held at the Pérez Galdós Theatre in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

The gala will recognise some of the most outstanding figures in sport across the islands through twelve categories, nine of them general awards and three dedicated to traditional Canarian games and sports, in a ceremony that has become the fair’s main institutional event.

ExpoDeca 2026 is supported by Las Arenas Shopping Centre, Fundación DISA, Provital, Fred. Olsen, Binter, Tirma, Firgas, Ahembo, Ybarra, Citroën and Gofio La Piña as sponsors, while Proexca and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria City Council are participating as collaborating organisations.

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