- More than 4,500 schoolchildren, over 1,200 attendees at talks and conferences, and nearly 1,300 athletes competing in the Hyathlon and Gran Canaria Challenge alone establish the fair as a national benchmark for the sports sector
ExpoDeca, the Canary Islands Physical Activity and Sports Fair, brought its third edition to a close this Sunday with results that reinforce its position as a national benchmark for the sports sector. Held in and around Plaza de la Música in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, ExpoDeca 2026 welcomed a total of 48,764 visitors. This figure is almost double the 24,866 attendees recorded at last year’s edition in Santa Cruz de Tenerife and confirms the event’s continued growth since its debut in 2024, when it attracted 17,465 visitors.
ExpoDeca 2026 has also received recognition from several national sports organisations, further strengthening its position as an emerging benchmark for the sector. Representatives of participating organisations highlighted the significance of an event that hosted the National Sports Management Congress organised by the Spanish Federation of Sports Management Associations (FAGDE), a delegation from Sports Summit Madrid, and the Spanish Sports Forum promoted by the Spanish Sports Association (ADESP).
The fair also provided the setting for top-level sporting competitions, including the third event in the inaugural national Hyathlon circuit, which brought together 800 participants, and the fourth edition of the Gran Canaria Challenge CrossFit competition, featuring approximately 500 athletes. These were joined by an open-water swimming event at Las Canteras beach, with 187 participants, as well as grassroots competitions and high-level exhibitions in disciplines such as padel, mini tennis and volleyball.
The final day also provided spectacular scenes as paragliders took off from Los Giles and landed in the Espigón area.
Participation
ExpoDeca 2026 covered an area of 34,000 square metres, featuring 50 sporting disciplines and 400 activities open to the public, all with free admission. Plaza de la Música was the focal point of a programme that extended to Plaza del Espigón, Parque del Rincón, the Manuel Naranjo Sosa football pitches and the waters off Las Canteras beach. This marked the first time the fair had organised competitions and activities at sea.
During its first two days, the event welcomed almost 100 educational centres and more than 4,500 students, who took part in educational visits that brought considerable activity to the venue. Meanwhile, the Alfredo Kraus Auditorium hosted more than 50 conferences, meetings, presentations and talks, attracting a total audience of over 1,200 people.
The fair also brought together around 100 companies, brands, federations and public and private organisations to showcase their products and services related to the sports sector, ranging from clothing, footwear and sporting equipment to consultancy, training and event organisation.
ExpoDeca’s programme began extending beyond the main venue on 9 November, when Las Arenas Shopping Centre opened the Legends of Sport exhibition to the public as part of the fair. The exhibition featured more than 200 items associated with major achievements and leading figures in national and international sport.
It was complemented by two additional exhibitions focusing on traditional Canarian games and sports, and classic rally cars. These initiatives also attracted large numbers of visitors.
A visit from Granca
Basketball had a dedicated presence at the fair, with matches involving youth teams and inclusive teams, a 3×3 tournament and the participation of SUMA, Club Baloncesto Gran Canaria’s inclusive basketball project. On this occasion, SUMA was joined by members of the i+i project run by the Unión Deportiva Las Palmas Foundation and children from Pequeño Valiente.
As a highlight of this programme, Gran Canaria’s first team visited the fair on Sunday. The players toured the Plaza de la Música area, attracting considerable attention from visitors, and stopped at the Cabildo de Gran Canaria stand and the 3×3 basketball court set up for the event.
Club president José Miguel Álamo, who accompanied the players, highlighted Gran Canaria’s involvement in the fair, including its own stand, a basketball tournament, the SUMA project and the first team’s visit.
He praised the institutional cooperation that had made the event possible, stating: “This collaboration between public administrations has helped turn this event into a benchmark and a meeting point that represents what sport means across our islands.”
Gran Canaria-born centre Fran Guerra also shared a message with young players, encouraging them to enjoy sport and persevere in pursuing their goals.
“Enjoy the journey, because that’s incredibly important, and stay focused on reaching your goals. A sporting career isn’t easy, but with sacrifice and dedication, you can get there,” he said.
Youth volleyball
Volleyball also played a prominent role on ExpoDeca’s final day, reflecting the growth of the sport in the Canary Islands, particularly at grassroots level, where the number of registered players and teams continues to increase, even among the youngest age groups.
During this edition, under-12 and under-10 teams played several official league matches. Up to ten matches took place between Saturday and Sunday, involving fourteen clubs.
Tennis
The Canary Islands Tennis Federation maintained a varied and well-attended programme throughout this edition of the Canary Islands Physical Activity and Sports Fair.
Its mini tennis court proved particularly popular among visitors looking to try this adapted version of the racket sport. The highlight came on Sunday, the final day of the fair, with an exhibition match featuring beach tennis players Eva Santana and Néstor Santana, European champions in their discipline.
The federation also organised several open beach tennis sessions around Las Canteras during ExpoDeca 2026. In addition, introductory tennis and pickleball sessions were held at the Carla Suárez courts, near the López Socas sports centre in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, as part of the fair’s programme.
Another highlight was a touchtennis exhibition by Mar Díaz Sosa, the Canary Islands wheelchair tennis champion, at Plaza de la Música. Touchtennis is played with a foam ball, on a smaller court and using smaller rackets.
José Juan Sepúlveda, president of the Canary Islands Tennis Federation, gave a positive assessment of the organisation’s participation in ExpoDeca, highlighting the opportunity to introduce visitors to different forms of tennis across several areas of the fair.
“This time, we have been able to bring together all our disciplines: beach tennis, wheelchair tennis, pickleball and tennis,” he explained.
Padel tournament
The Canary Islands Padel Federation also featured prominently throughout the weekend. After offering instructor-led sessions open to the public and welcoming numerous informal matches on its portable court, the federation hosted a men’s tournament involving ten high-level pairs.
The final was contested between Rubén García and Omar Vera, and Jorge García and Andrés Plaza. The latter pair secured victory following a high-quality match.
Padel was therefore among the highlights of the final day, alongside disciplines such as fencing, skateboarding, and rhythmic and artistic gymnastics, which attracted large audiences to the main stage at Plaza de la Música.
Urban dance
ExpoDeca 2026 also hosted the second final of the Canary Islands Urban Dance Championship during its third edition.
The competition brought together leading groups and dancers who had previously stood out at the Weekend Urban Dance events held in Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
Baby Solano, director of the championship, highlighted the growth of urban dance in the Canary Islands and the increasingly high standards achieved by local dance schools, which are gaining a stronger presence in national competitions.
He also thanked the Canary Islands Regional Ministry of Education, Vocational Training, Physical Activity and Sport for its support in holding the competition at ExpoDeca.
“We’ve been doing it this way for two years now, and the results have been incredible,” he said.
In terms of results, Wonder Minis won the Baby category; Sirius took first place in Infantil A, while Wonder Queens won Infantil B.
Now finished first in Junior A, while Wonder Beats won Junior B. The Wonder Dynasty won the Youth category, Wonder took the Absolute category, and Wonder Family secured first place in Premium.
In the individual and pairs categories, Lucía Suárez won Mini Soloist, Te Fiti took first place in Mini Pairs, and Joel Tejera won the Soloist category.
The event also featured a performance by Rodrigo Félix.
Traditional Canarian lateen sailing
This edition of ExpoDeca 2026 also hosted the first ExpoDeca Canarian Lateen Sailing Dinghy Regatta.
The race started opposite Real Club Victoria, at Las Canteras beach, and finished at the other end of the beach, in front of the fair venue.
The winning boats were Felipeva VI, skippered by Felipe del Rosario, and Xilvia, skippered by Fernando Ojeda.
Inclusive sport
On the final day of ExpoDeca 2026, the Alfredo Kraus Auditorium continued to host the last presentations and talks.
Among them was Inclusive Sport for the LGTBIQA+ Community, organised by Asociación Equidades Canarias, a social organisation focused on defending the rights, equality and inclusion of trans, non-binary and LGTBIQA+ people in the Canary Islands.
Several members of Equidades shared their personal experiences with the audience.
Alejandra Izquierdo explained the association’s work in defending the rights of trans and non-binary people, as well as people with disabilities, within sport.
Drawing on her own experience, she highlighted the importance of having a supportive environment that helps athletes overcome difficulties and continue participating in sport.
Adonay Quintana, meanwhile, emphasised the need to challenge prejudice surrounding the participation of trans people in sport. Quintana also highlighted the importance of personal, social and family support systems in making sporting activities more inclusive.
Alexia Hi, a member of Equidades Canarias and a specialist in physical activity and sport, welcomed the opportunity to participate in an event of this kind and raise awareness of the community.
“Although there is still a long way to go, having a space for dialogue is a step forward,” she said.
Air sports
One of the most spectacular moments of the closing day came from the paragliding displays organised by the Canary Islands Air Sports Federation.
Several athletes took off from Los Giles and flew over the fairgrounds before landing in the Espigón area, watched by numerous visitors.
Among them, paraglider Fabián Déniz achieved a precision landing on the target, providing a memorable finale to a programme that also included model aircraft and paragliding workshops, featuring a real paraglider on display, particularly aimed at children, as well as a seminar on packing emergency parachutes.
Alberto Parra, president of the Canary Islands Air Sports Federation, gave a positive assessment of the discipline’s participation in ExpoDeca and highlighted the possibilities offered by the venue for organising different activities.
“The space chosen this year is very large, and the number of activities that have been organised is incredible,” he said.
Sponsors and partners
ExpoDeca 2026 was promoted by the Government of the Canary Islands, through the Regional Ministry of Education, Vocational Training, Physical Activity and Sport, and organised by the Cabildo de Gran Canaria through Infecar, Feria de Gran Canaria.
The event was 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 participated as partners.
