The construction cost of the new Fira de Barcelona enclosure increases by €165M

BarcelonaThe Governing Council of the Generalitat has given the green light this Tuesday to the new collaboration agreement between the Catalan executive and the other shareholder entities of Fira 2000 for the financing of the expansion of the Fira de Barcelona venues. Within the agreement, it stands out that the cost of the so-called Hall Zero, the new Fira building at the Gran Via site in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, will increase from the initially planned 200.8 million euros to 365.4 million, as reported by the Generalitat this same Tuesday. This "variation in the budget" for the construction of the building, amounting to nearly 165 million euros, is due to "the increase in construction costs and expropriations, and the built surface area of the project," according to a statement from the Government. The complex, located just opposite the Fira de Barcelona's current venue in L'Hospitalet, will feature an exhibition hall and an office building, and is approximately halfway through construction. The construction of the new Hall Zero pavilion on Gran Via is intended to expand Fira de Barcelona's capacity to host large congresses. Currently, world-class trade fairs such as the Mobile World Congress (MWC), held this week, or ISE, which took place last month, have expressed their desire to remain in the Catalan capital while continuing to grow in visitors and exhibitors, which will require more space. Furthermore, the office tower will initially be occupied by the Generalitat and Fira itself, although the door remains open to renting it out to third parties.

The Government has approved that the Department of Economy and Finance can sign the new collaboration agreement for Fira 2000, the Fira de Barcelona company that is carrying out the expansion and renovation works of its venues. Among these works is also the renovation of the Montjuïc congress area in Barcelona, where a first part of the 250 million euro project is already renovating the Alfons XIII pavilion and building a new one with the aim of having them ready for the centenary of the 1929 Universal Exposition, which will be celebrated in three years. Additionally, between 2030 and 2035, two more pavilions will be renovated.

Investment of 615 million

In total, the set of investments in Gran Via and Montjuïc will amount to 615 million over ten years, according to the Generalitat. The agreement to be signed soon includes the investment schedule, to which the Generalitat will contribute 75.04 million euros, Barcelona City Council 33.65 million, and the L'Hospitalet de Llobregat City Council, the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona (AMB), and the Barcelona Provincial Council 10.41 million each. The Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, whose shares were bought by the Catalan executive in June 2025, is excluded. Thus, the Generalitat controls 53.63% of the company's capital, the Barcelona council 24.9%, and the other three entities 7.44% each.

Furthermore, the Government anticipates that part of the expansions will be financed through debt, with a maximum ceiling of 345 million euros. Of this amount, the Generalitat expects 125 million to be a loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the other 215 million to be obtained through loans from private financial institutions. Another 40 million will come from European Feder funds.

In addition to investments, the new agreement increases the annual fee paid by Fira de Barcelona for the use of the facilities, which will increase from 15.5 million to 21 million until 2029.