MotoGP Signs On for Three More Seasons at Portimão, Keeping the Portuguese Grand Prix Until 2029
A new deal with the Algarve International Circuit keeps MotoGP in Portugal to 2029. This year's race runs 20 to 22 November, after a record 166,000 fans in 2025.
MotoGP will keep racing at Portimão until 2029. The championship and the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve (Algarve International Circuit, AIA) announced on Thursday a new agreement that keeps the Portuguese Grand Prix on the calendar for a further three seasons.
This year's race, the Repsol MotoGP Grand Prix of Portugal, runs from 20 to 22 November, later than usual after the calendar was reshuffled in March. The extension then covers three more seasons, through 2029. Dates for 2027 onwards have not been announced.
Why the Algarve wants it
According to MotoGP's announcement, the 2025 Portuguese Grand Prix drew more than 166,000 fans across the weekend, an attendance record for the event at the circuit. Portimão first hosted MotoGP in 2020, which was also the championship's first race in Portugal since 2012. It returned in 2021 and has held a longer-term place on the calendar since 2023.
The tourism bodies quoted in the announcement all made the same case: the race fills hotels, restaurants and transport at a quiet time of year. André Gomes, president of Turismo do Algarve (the regional tourism board), said the event "has the advantage of taking place outside the peak season, at a time when we want to continue to grow", and helps the Algarve establish itself as a year-round destination.
Pedro Machado, Secretary of State for Tourism, called the renewal "a sign of confidence in the country's future" and in the tourism sector's ability to generate value. Carlos Abade, president of Turismo de Portugal (the national tourism authority), said the race has raised Portugal's profile "amongst millions of fans around the world".
Jaime Costa, the circuit's chief executive, said the three-year extension means "Portugal and the Algarve will consolidate their place on the map of the major global sporting events". Carlos Ezpeleta, MotoGP's deputy chief executive, said the demanding layout had "quickly made it a favourite among riders and fans alike".
The announcement does not say what the agreement costs or who pays for it, and no figure has been published.
A busy few years for the circuit
The MotoGP deal comes barely a week after Formula One confirmed its own return: the Portuguese Formula One Grand Prix is set for Portimão on 20 June 2027, six years after its last race there. That puts both of the world's top motorsport championships at the same Algarve circuit in 2027, although MotoGP has not yet given its own date for that year.
If you are planning to go this November
- Dates: Friday 20 to Sunday 22 November 2026, at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve, north of Portimão.
- Book early: MotoGP itself says the race boosts demand for accommodation, catering and transport in the region, and last year's crowd topped 166,000.
- Tickets are sold through the circuit and the official Portuguese Grand Prix channels.
Source: MotoGP, "MotoGP to race in Portugal until 2029", 24 September 2026 (motogp.com), including statements by the Algarve International Circuit, Turismo de Portugal, Turismo do Algarve and the Secretary of State for Tourism.
