BARCELONA, Spain — The city of Barcelona has announced it will not pursue hosting the upcoming America’s Cup event again, following the recent victory of Emirates Team New Zealand, which marked their third consecutive win. City hall representative Jordi Valls expressed that it would not be logical to try to capitalize on the successes of the previous two-month regatta.
Barcelona will not make a bid for the 38th America’s Cup, allowing New Zealand to take charge of organizing the next competition, including the selection of the location. Valencia, located further south along Spain’s Mediterranean coast, has expressed interest in hosting the cup after successfully holding the event in 2007 and 2010. Jeddah in Saudi Arabia is also a contender, having recently organized a preliminary regatta in 2023 on the Red Sea.
Valls termed the separation between the city and the historic event, which has been ongoing since 1851, as an “amicable parting.” He emphasized that the 2024 edition of the cup was a triumph for Barcelona. However, he clarified that it was always intended to be a singular event, and there were no plans for Barcelona to serve as the venue again in the future. Instead, he highlighted the city’s intentions to host other international events, such as the opening stage of the Tour de France in 2026.
Concerns have been raised by New Zealand regarding Barcelona’s capability to host the event due to the port infrastructure, which they believe could only accommodate the six teams that participated this past year. The goal for the cup organizers is to allow more teams to join the next regatta. Grant Dalton, the chief executive of the New Zealand team, commented on the challenge of supporting an increased number of competitors in Barcelona’s current infrastructure setup, which has prompted considerations of other potential host locations that could enhance the reach and scale of the event.
There has been criticism in New Zealand regarding Dalton’s choice to not conduct the cup in Auckland. He mentioned that the competition could return to his home city if Auckland can meet the financial proposals presented by other bidding cities.
The recent races in Barcelona attracted approximately 2.5 million spectators, starting in late August, with teams from the UK, Italy, the US, Switzerland, and France competing against the Kiwis. However, the decision taken by Barcelona’s city officials comes amidst a rising awareness of “overtourism” and escalating rental prices, sparking concern among residents. While approximately 60,000 attendees celebrated the opening ceremony, there was also a significant public protest with thousands rallying against the event.