Barcelona, selected as the host venue for the 37th America’s Cup
The Generalitat de Catalunya, Barcelona City Council, Port of Barcelona, and Barcelona & Partners, the Barcelona Global's investment agency, congratulate themselves for having secured the right to host this World sporting event with a high economic impact.
The public private collaboration stated in the bid, the quality of the Port's infrastructure and the commitment of the Generalitat and the City Council who have helped to win the hosting opportunity in favour of Barcelona.
Barcelona has been appointed as the Host Venue for the 37th edition of the America's Cup to be held in 2024, as announced today in Barcelona by Grant Dalton, CEO of Emirates Team New Zealand (ETNZ).
Emirates Team New Zealand is the winning team of the last edition of the America's Cup, held in Auckland (New Zealand) in 2021 and holds the rights to the organisation of the 37th edition of this world leading event.
Barcelona has been selected for the quality of its port facilities, the diversity of spaces allocated for the competition, the city's experience in hosting major sporting events, its love for nautical sports and its educational and leisure offerings.
The financial support from the local institutions -Generalitat de Catalunya and Barcelona City Council -, and the contribution of a group of private investors, together with the leadership of the candidacy by Barcelona & Partners, the Barcelona Global’s investment agency, has been another of the aspects that has tilted the balance in favour of Barcelona.
The organisers of the 37th edition of the America’s Cup valued the public-private collaboration demonstrated in the bid, the infrastructures that Barcelona already has and will put in place ahead of the event and the strength of the Barcelona brand.
The announcement of the appointment of Barcelona as the venue for the America's Cup 2024 has been celebrated in the city, whose institutions have highly valued this decision, describing this development as “great news” for the profile and legacy of the city.
The president of the Generalitat, Pere Aragonès, explained that the celebration of the America's Cup in Barcelona is excellent news for the city, the region and for the whole country: "It is an historic sporting event, which has a great profile and recognition worldwide at an international level, from both the economic and tourism point of view.” Aragonès has recalled that the America’s Cup is not just a sporting activity, of a few months, but an event it can generate a return over years and can leave a very important legacy for Catalonia. He is also very pleased that for the first time, the America’s Cupwill include a women's regatta in Barcelona.
The Mayor of the City, Ada Colau, celebrated the selection of Barcelona as the venue for the 37th edition of the America's Cup, the oldest international sporting event, as "Great news!" exclaimed the mayor, “This should serve to promote the city in the world after the pandemic, to benefit Barcelona’s tradition of this sport in a maritime city and, in addition, will boost the emerging sector of innovation and technology, linked to maritime activities. I want to thank all the public and private institutions for their supportand complicity in this project”, she added.
The president of the Port of Barcelona, Damià Calvet, has made Port Vell available to the city and the country to be able to celebrate the America's Cup that will project Barcelona to the world and that has innovation and sustainability as its flagship. Calvet confirmed, “We will make the most of the infrastructures that we already have in place in the Port and will deliver for the event, and we will boost the economy and employment and, will ensure the America’s Cup will leave an enduring legacy".
Public-private collaboration
Meanwhile, the president of Barcelona Global, Aurora Catà, has emphasised that Barcelona and the America’s Cup share the main values of inclusion, diversity, sustainability, creativity and innovation. “The association of Barcelona’s brand with the America’s Cup is a demonstration of how much can be achieved through a public private partnership. I am convinced that this union will be the guarantee of success in every aspect: economic, social, organisational and for the public.”
Initial estimates suggest the America’s Cup in Barcelona would have an economic impact of around $900M to $1,000M. The economic value from the previous competition, hosted in Auckland (New Zealand), generated significant economic andcultural benefits and attracted a media audience of 940M of spectators.
The celebration of this prestigious sport event will attract around 2,500 people engaged in the sporting and event organisation teams who will be spending significant time in the venue, organising the competition and the teams. In addition to competing America’s Cup teams, for the first time in history of the America’s Cup, the Women’s America’s Cup regatta will take place as well as the hugely popular Youth America’s Cup regatta will take place.
In parallel to the event being hosted in Barcelona, the edition will feature the Hydrogen Project, which focuses on the development of hydrogen engines for support vessels.
The institutions that support Barcelona’s candidacy would like to recognise the quality of all bid venues that competed against the Ciudad Condal, to become the host venue of the 37th edition of the America’s Cup.
