The CCIB is Preparing to Host the Year’s Major International Medical Congresses
After the first five months of intense activity, the Barcelona International Convention Centre (CCIB) is heading into the second half of 2025 marked by a surge in major international congresses, particularly in the medical and scientific fields, reinforcing its position as a leading venue for this type of event.
The upcoming congresses stand out for their larger scale, impact, and international reach compared to previous years. Specifically, medical and scientific events are expected to bring a 55% increase in attendance compared to 2024.
In total, the CCIB expects to host nearly eighty events this year and welcome around 450,000 visitors and delegates, representing a 10% increase compared to the previous year. 2025 will undoubtedly be the year of congresses. Of these, twelve will be in the medical and scientific fields, bringing together more than 207,000 professionals—an increase of 55% in medical delegates.
The convention centre is preparing to host some of the most prominent events of the year. These include the ESMO Gastrointestinal Cancers Congress, a European benchmark in digestive oncology, taking place this July; CIRSE, focused on interventional radiology, in September; ECTRIMS, dedicated to multiple sclerosis, also in September; the World Stroke Congress, focused on stroke, in October; and EANM, on nuclear medicine, also in October.
These strong prospects align with the latest ranking from the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), which places Barcelona as the global leader in the number of delegates and, for the first time, as the world’s number one city for medical congresses. In 2024, 56 medical congresses were held in the city, 17 of which took place at the CCIB, reinforcing its specialisation and international standing.
Beyond medical congresses
In parallel, the upcoming autumn calendar will also feature major congresses in various fields, such as Mondiacult, UNESCO’s World Conference on Cultural Policies; the Biostimulants World Congress (BSWC), focused on agricultural biotechnology; and the International Congress on Archives (ICA), a key event for archival professionals.
And although congresses will define 2025, corporate events, such as conventions and business meetings, will maintain a positive trend and account for 45% of the venue’s activity. Among them are major tech gatherings like the Gartner IT/Symposium Xpo (November) and CineEurope (June), the leading film industry convention.
From an economic perspective, across all types of events hosted this year, congresses are expected to generate around 50% of the CCIB’s revenue in 2025, compared to 42.75% in 2024, with the majority coming from medical congresses.
Finally, 45 events have already been held in the first half of the year, matching the number in 2024, but with nearly 10% more attendees. This growth reflects a clear strategy focused on higher quality, scale, prestige, and international reach—further strengthening Barcelona’s global standing and consolidating its position as a leading congress destination in Europe and worldwide.
Published by Meeting Media Group, the publisher of Headquarters Magazine (HQ) – a leading international publication based in Brussels, serving the global MICE industry and association community.
