Global Urban Leaders Converge in Barcelona
More than 1,000 cities, 600 speakers and over 1,100 exhibitors will attend the Smart City Expo World Congress (SCEWC) 2026, taking place from Tuesday 3rd November to Thursday 5th November at Fira de Barcelona’s Gran Via venue. The event, organised by Fira de Barcelona, will focus on the theme “Urban Solutions, Real Impact”, showcasing technologies already addressing urgent urban challenges such as climate change, housing affordability and mobility.
Mayors to Shape Global Urban Agenda
Former mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo will headline the political programme, joined by mayors from four continents including Andre Dickens of Atlanta, Haris Doukas of Athens, Giuseppe Sala of Milan, Gergely Karácsony of Budapest, Daryl Barron of Dublin and Yvonne Aki-Sawyer of Freetown.
The political dimension of the 2026 edition is embodied by Anne Hidalgo, former Mayor of Paris and Global Ambassador of the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy.
These leaders will participate in high-level dialogues on climate action, housing and quality of life. The Housing World Summit (HOWS Barcelona), hosted by Barcelona City Council, will feature a Housing Mayors Meeting and Roundtable to foster cooperation on affordable housing policies.
Seven Thematic Focus Areas
The congress will be structured around seven thematic axes: Enabling Technologies; Energy and Environment; Mobility; Governance and Economy; Living and Inclusion; Infrastructure and Buildings; and Blue Economy. Key sessions will run alongside co-located events including Tomorrow.Mobility World Congress, EIT Urban Mobility, Tomorrow.Blue Economy, Barcelona Deep Tech Summit and the Barcelona Cybersecurity Congress. Nikolas Badminton, Chief Futurist at Futurist.com, will deliver the main keynote address.
What This Means for Barcelona
Local residents and professionals in urban planning, tech and sustainability sectors can expect increased international visibility and networking opportunities. While the event is primarily for industry and policy professionals, public sessions and city-wide side events may be announced via smartcityexpo.com, where full speaker and session details are available.
Sources: Europa Press, firabarcelona.com.
