Next year’s global meeting of the Rotary community will now be held in Barcelona, which was originally announced as the host for the Rotary International Convention in 2029.
Rotary International flagged the “current uncertainty in the region” as the reason to delay hosting its meeting in Dubai, as the conflict between the US, Israel and Iran continues into its eighth week, disrupting the wider region.
“With enthusiasm and energy, we are prepared to pivot quickly to host the international convention in 2027,” said chair of the Barcelona host committee, Sergio Aragón.
“We look forward to welcoming our international guests and delivering an exceptional experience.”
To be held at Fira de Barcelona, the 2027 convention is expected to draw as many as 20,000 delegates from 140 countries and deliver a €68 million economic injection to its host destination.
This is the second destination change for the 2027 Rotary International Convention. It was originally set to be hosted in Honolulu, Hawaii, after the US city’s hosting duties for the 2020 event were quashed by the pandemic, however, renovations at the Hawaii Convention Center forced a second cancellation.
Dubai was appointed as a replacement host for the 2027 conference less than a year ago.
