- The fair has welcomed students from almost one hundred educational centres, who have taken part in a wide range of sporting activities across the 34,000-square-metre venue
- The launch of the national Hyatlón circuit, inclusive sport and the presentation of the new Rally Islas Canarias image, with Dani Sordo among the main participants, were some of the highlights of the second day
More than 4,000 schoolchildren and students from almost one hundred educational centres across the Canary Islands have taken part in the first two days of ExpoDeca 2026, the Canary Islands Physical Activity and Sports Fair, which continues until this Sunday at Plaza de la Música and the surrounding area in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
The third edition of the event, promoted by the Canary Islands Government and organised by the Cabildo de Gran Canaria through Infecar, has turned this area of the island’s capital into a major meeting point for sport, with more than 400 activities and over 50 sporting disciplines available to the public.
The educational community has been one of the main features of the opening days of the fair. A total of 46 coaches have transported pupils from different educational stages to the venue, where they have been able to take part in activities such as climbing, badminton, mini tennis and traditional Canarian sports, among many others.
This strong participation reflects one of ExpoDeca’s main objectives: to encourage physical activity from an early age and promote healthy lifestyles through practical experiences.
Hyatlón makes its debut
The second day, held this Friday, was also marked by the start of the national Hyatlón competition, inclusive sport activities, a strong motorsport presence and a number of initiatives aimed at older people.
All of this is taking place across a 34,000-square-metre venue that continues to offer exhibitions, workshops and competitions for people of different ages.
One of the major new features of this year’s edition is the staging of an event in the national Hyatlón circuit, a discipline that combines running with high-intensity functional strength and endurance stations.
The competition has attracted 810 registered athletes to Gran Canaria and forms part of the first national circuit for this discipline, which began in October with events in Madrid and La Nucía and will conclude at the end of November in Zaragoza.
The President of the Spanish Triathlon Federation, José Hidalgo, highlighted the growth ExpoDeca has experienced since its first edition during his visit to the fair.
“Something as innovative as this discipline had to be part of ExpoDeca, which in just three years has become the leading reference point for sport in the Canary Islands, and increasingly so at national level,” he said.
Hidalgo also described the fair as an established platform for sports event organisation and innovation, and highlighted Hyatlón’s potential as a discipline based on personal challenge, partner competition and functional training.
Passion for motorsport
Motorsport also played a prominent role during the day, particularly with the presentation of the new plate design for Rally Islas Canarias – Rally de España, which will return to the traditional blue and yellow colour combination for its 2027 edition.
Spanish driver Dani Sordo, who finished seventh in the 2026 Rally Islas Canarias, took part in the presentation of the competition’s new image at ExpoDeca.
Also attending were Regional Minister Poli Suárez; the Cabildo de Gran Canaria’s Sports Councillor, Aridany Romero; and the promoter and organiser of the event, Germán Morales.
The new plate replaces the special gold design used to commemorate the competition’s 50th anniversary and brings back the colours traditionally used over the past decade.
Rally Islas Canarias will celebrate its 51st edition from 6 to 9 May 2027 and will form part of the World Rally Championship for the third consecutive year.
Motorsport activity also continued in the 350-square-metre area dedicated to the discipline in Plaza de la Música, where Dakar participants Pedro Peñate and Rafael Lesmes held an autograph session with fans.
They were joined by Pablo Suárez, who also has experience of the international competition and presented his advanced driving school.
The area also features the Rally Islas de los Volcanes, part of the Spanish Rally Super Championship, and Eco Rally Canarias, dedicated to electric and hybrid vehicles.
It also includes a photographic exhibition on the participation of women in the history of Canarian motorsport since 1954.
The President of the Canary Islands Motorsport Federation, Miguel Ángel Domínguez, welcomed the growing presence of motorsport at ExpoDeca and highlighted the talks and workshops aimed both at the general public and professionals and specialists in the sector.
Sporting stars
ExpoDeca 2026 also became a meeting point this Friday for some of the best-known figures in Spanish sport.
Among those visiting the venue were gymnast Ray Zapata, an Olympic medallist in Tokyo; former Gran Canaria footballer Jonathan Viera, one of the leading figures in the recent history of UD Las Palmas; and former athlete Abel Antón, a two-time world marathon champion.
Antón was also the ambassador for **Pasos por la Vida**, an initiative that brought together participants of different ages in a symbolic walk between the Alfredo Kraus Auditorium and Plaza de la Música.
The activity turned the ExpoDeca area into a meeting and community space, highlighting the value of walking, sharing and staying active as simple ways to look after health and improve quality of life.
It was a day in which major sporting stars shared the spotlight with people who see physical activity as an opportunity to enjoy themselves and challenge their own limits.
Inclusive sport
Inclusion once again played a central role in the programme through the participation of the SUMA project, developed by Club Baloncesto Gran Canaria in collaboration with the Regional Ministry of Education, Vocational Training, Physical Activity and Sports.
The initiative took part in an inclusive basketball activity alongside the Las Palmas i+i (Ilusión + Inclusión) project run by Fundación Canaria UD Las Palmas and the Pequeño Valiente association.
SUMA director Javi Choren celebrated the project’s presence at the fair and recalled that the initiative is now in its eighth season, having reached 1,773 people and their families.
Choren highlighted that the programme aims to encourage participation and social interaction for people with disabilities within sport, while promoting their integration into the everyday activity of a professional club.
Sport has no age limit
Older people also played an important role in the second day of ExpoDeca through the Neurolimpiadas exhibitions, an initiative combining physical and mental challenges that has grown considerably in the Canary Islands in recent years.
Teams from the municipalities of Telde, Moya, San Bartolomé de Tirajana, Agüimes and Santa María de Guía took part in a range of challenges designed to promote active ageing, social interaction and physical and cognitive stimulation.
Besay Rodríguez, from Asociación Neurolímpica, which organises the competitions, highlighted the visibility ExpoDeca provides for older people and their athletes.
The exhibitions also served as a preview of the next regional championship, which will take place in Pájara, Fuerteventura, with the top three teams from each island taking part.
Documentary series
Friday’s programme also included the presentation of the documentary series **Historias del Deporte Canario**, a production promoted by the Canary Islands Government that explores different disciplines and focuses on the people who have contributed to the development of sport across the archipelago.
The presentation took place in the Canary Islands Government area at the Alfredo Kraus Auditorium, where the first episode was screened.
The episode focuses on lucha del garrote canario and was produced in collaboration with the La Pila de Garrote Ichasagua association.
Members of the organisation attended the screening alongside Nanda Donate, one of the main figures featured in the documentary.
Produced by El Nuevo Insular, the series consists of five 15-minute episodes covering lucha del garrote through Pila Ichasauga, Canarian wrestling with Bamba Gueye, sailing with Marta Mansito, football with Misa Rodríguez and the career of diver Carlos Gimeno.
Director Carlos Pérez explained that the series aims to reveal the more human side of its protagonists, exploring their personal and family experiences to tell the story of Canarian sport from a closer perspective.
The series is due to be broadcast shortly on Televisión Canaria.
Sports management
ExpoDeca also hosted a new session of the Canary Islands Sports Council, which brings together representatives from public administrations, universities, federations, athletes and professionals from the sector.
The meeting provided an opportunity to share proposals and ideas on sports planning and management in the Canary Islands.
Noemí Rodríguez, a member of the Council and President of the Canary Islands Association of Sports Management Professionals (ACAGEDE), highlighted the importance of providing meeting spaces for the different stakeholders in the sector to discuss their needs and future areas of work.
The third edition of ExpoDeca will continue until this Sunday, 15 November, with a wide programme of sporting activities, exhibitions and competitions open to the public, with free admission.
Las Arenas Shopping Centre, Fundación DISA, Provital, Fred. Olsen, Binter, Tirma, Firgas, Ahembo, Ybarra, Citroën and Gofio La Piña support ExpoDeca 2026 as sponsors, while Proexca and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria City Council are participating as collaborating organisations.
