MWC26 Barcelona Draws 105,000 Global Tech Leaders as Connectivity Industry Charts Future

MWC26, the world’s largest and most influential connectivity event, this year celebrated 20 years in Barcelona, bringing together exhibitors, thought leaders, startups, and policymakers all under one roof.

Despite global travel disruptions, it welcomed nearly 105,000 attendees from around the world to Fira de Barcelona’s Gran Via.

John Hoffman, CEO, GSMA Ltd, said, “Twenty years in Barcelona and MWC continues to surprise and surpass expectations. From the very beginning, the GSMA and host city parties shared a common vision: to build something that would matter to the world. Barcelona was the city with the infrastructure, the ecosystem, and the commitment to grow with us, and I’m particularly proud of the local impact we’ve had along the way. My thanks go to our partners in Barcelona, Catalonia, and Spain; to every exhibitor, speaker, attendee, and member of staff who made this week possible; and to the people of this extraordinary city for welcoming us once again.”

MWC26 Barcelona in numbers

· Nearly 105,000 attendees from 207 countries and territories

· 2,900 exhibitors, sponsors, and partners

· Over 1,700 speakers and thought leaders, including 40% C-level speakers and 35% female speakers

· The GSMA Ministerial Programme convened 188 delegations, 45 intergovernmental organisations, 54 ministers, and 118 heads of regulatory authorities.

· 58% of attendees representing industries adjacent to the core mobile ecosystem

· 17% C-suite attendees; 45% director level and above.

· 27% female attendees

· Nearly 2,600 journalists and industry analysts from around the world

· Over 1,300,000 views of the keynotes and live sessions on the MWC Barcelona website and social channels, the MWC app, Mobile World Live and media partners’ platforms.

· 4YFN, co-located with MWC26 in Hall 8, welcomed over 1,000 exhibitors from leading startups and corporations, over 300 speakers and hundreds of investors with collective funds totalling $70 billion.

· Separately, Talent Arena, organised by Mobile World Capital Barcelona (MWCapital) and co-located with MWC26 at Fira Montjuïc, welcomed more than 25,000 attendees.

Marking his first MWC Barcelona as GSMA Director General, Vivek Badrinath said, “One week. Hundreds of stages and exhibitors. And thousands of conversations. It’s clear the global connectivity industry has never been more energised or more purposeful. MWC26 has shown us what happens when the world’s brightest minds come together around genuinely hard problems – from open and inclusive AI and realising the full potential of 5G to keeping the world safe from the growing threat of fraud and cybercrime. I leave this week inspired by what I’ve seen and more convinced than ever about the role our amazing industry plays in shaping a safer and better-connected world.”

MWC26 Barcelona signals the start of the GSMA’s global event calendar, with major gatherings taking place across four continents throughout the year.

MWC Kigali returns on 16-18 June, once again serving as Africa’s most influential mid-year connectivity event. MWC Shanghai follows on 24-26 June as Asia’s premier mobile gathering brings together industry leaders, innovators, and policymakers from across the region. MWC Doha will return to Qatar on 8-11 November.

The GSMA’s M360 regional series offers two major events in the coming months. M360 LATAM takes place in Mexico City on 13-14 May, while M360 Eurasia makes its debut in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on 20-21 May – the first time the event will be held in the historic city. M360 ASEAN will return to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from 9 to 10 September.

All keynote sessions from MWC26 Barcelona will be available on-demand via the website, app, and Mobile World Live. News, updates, B-roll, and photography are available in the Press Zone.

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