MWC 2026
As we do every year, MWC 2026 is almost here, and it’s time to get ready. Mobile World Congress remains the key meeting point for connectivity, networks, and digital services, bringing the industry back to Barcelona and Fira Gran Via. We’re sharing our practical advice again to help you plan smarter and get more value from your time on site.
This year’s theme, The IQ Era, frames MWC 2026 around smarter decision-making, where human insight and technology move forward together across AI, networks, policy, and business. Add to that the 20th anniversary of MWC in Barcelona, and this edition carries extra weight for the industry and the city alike. As regular attendees, we’ll be there again this year, and experience shows that good preparation makes a real difference. Here are five things you should know before heading to MWC 2026.
1. Dressing for MWC 2026: What to Wear at Fira Gran Via in Early March
MWC 2026 runs from 2–5 March, right at the start of spring in Barcelona. Expect mild but changeable weather. Daytime temperatures usually sit around 15–18 °C (59–64 °F), with mornings and evenings closer to 7–10 °C (45–50 °F).
For MWC 2026 at Fira Gran Via, consider the following attire:
Clothing: Opt for business or smart-casual attire, as recommended by the event organizers.
Footwear: Wear comfortable shoes to navigate the expansive venue.
Layers: Bring a light jacket or sweater for cooler mornings and evenings.
Accessories: Bring a small umbrella in case of brief rain.
By dressing appropriately, you’ll ensure comfort and professionalism throughout the event.
2. Chart Your Path to Success During MWC 2026:
MWC presents an unparalleled gathering of industry leaders, innovators, and visionaries, making it imperative to meticulously plan your schedule for an optimized event experience.
It is essential to pinpoint sessions and keynotes that closely align with your business objectives and areas of interest. Consider taking comprehensive notes on speakers, events, and booths you wish to explore, tailoring your focus to your specific needs. If you have a particular solution in mind, compile a list of companies providing that solution, ensuring you strategize your booth visits to fully investigate the best fit for your company.
Furthermore, due to the immense scale of the event, it is highly recommended to organize your booth visits by hall or areas of interest. MWC spans multiple halls, and navigating from one to another can be time-consuming. By tactically planning your visits, you can minimize time spent on navigation and maximize your engagement with exhibitors, workshops, and sessions.
To optimize your valuable time, create a well-structured timetable and allocate visits per hall or per day . This strategic approach will facilitate efficient navigation throughout the event, enabling you to fully immerse yourself in the vibrant atmosphere and engage extensively with exhibitors, workshops, and sessions that perfectly align with your objectives.
💡Tips: Don’t forget to download the official MWC mobile app, which will assist you in easily locating exhibitor booth numbers on the site. This user-friendly app allows you to input the exhibitor’s name, guiding you effortlessly from point A to point B by providing clear directions.
3. Stay Informed About Connectivity Trends:
This year’s theme, The IQ Era, is less about shiny concepts and more about how intelligence gets applied across networks, services, and operations.
Across the show, discussions centre on practical challenges operators and content providers face as traffic keeps growing, especially video. Expect a strong focus on:
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AI as an operational tool, used to improve network efficiency, automate decisions, and support planning, rather than headline-driven use cases.
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5G evolution, with attention on how existing 5G networks can better support video quality, capacity, and consistency at scale.
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Network efficiency, including ways to manage traffic growth without constantly adding cost or energy consumption.
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Video delivery performance, covering quality, latency, and reliability across different devices and access networks.
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Business models, with operators looking for realistic ways to monetize video while keeping user experience stable.
These topics matter because video continues to dominate network usage, and expectations keep rising. At MWC 2026, the conversation is about making video delivery smarter and easier to operate in real networks.
💡Tips: You can contact the Broadpeak team ahead of the event at contact@broadpeak.tv to set up a conversation. Or you can simply book a meeting HERE.
4. Video is Key: It Drives the Network and the Business
As mentioned, making video smarter will be in the center of the discussions. Video traffic keeps growing and puts steady pressure on mobile networks. Users expect high quality, fast start-up, and a consistent experience on any of their multiple devices. MWC 2026 is where operators look for practical ways to meet these expectations without driving up costs, squeezing margins, or hurting network performance. Broadpeak will be there to help tackle exactly these challenges.
At the show, Broadpeak will show concrete ways operators can run video more efficiently and turn it into a business asset, not just a cost line. This year, we’re showcasing solutions that address everyday network, video, and revenue challenges:
Handling large-scale live streaming traffic without overbuilding the network.
Turning existing video delivery capacity into a monetizable asset, instead of adding infrastructure.
Multi-view streaming on any device, at scale, with a live demo at our booth.
AI-based contextual advertising, also with a live demo, to create new revenue without hurting user experience.
New approaches to fight video piracy, helping protect content and prevent revenue loss.
These solutions are designed to lower video delivery costs, improve quality of experience, and support sustainability goals, while keeping networks secure and performant.
💡 Tip: Visit the Broadpeak booth at Hall 5 – B61-51 to see live demos and talk through your video traffic, performance, and monetization challenges with our team.
5. Book as much as possible before you go!
Alongside planning your agenda and meetings with the right people to address your real needs, it’s worth thinking ahead about dinners too. During MWC, Barcelona fills up fast, and popular restaurants are often fully booked days in advance, especially for groups.
If you can, plan your dinners early and book as many as possible before you arrive. It saves time, avoids last-minute stress, and guarantees a table at the places you actually want to try. If this is your first time in Barcelona, here are a few recommendations tested by our team over many MWC editions.
Mana 75 – You simply cannot visit Spain without indulging in some authentic Paella, right? It’s a must-try!
Pg. de Joan de Borbó, 101 (Ciutat Vella)
La Maroteca – This restaurant serves only the freshest local seafood they catch themselves. No sauces or sides—just top-quality fish and shellfish. A few wines, one dessert. Private rooms for meetings and presentations. Everything is local, with amazing service from the family owners. A unique experience worth the price.
Carrer Mallorca, 314 (L’Eixample)
La Selva Braseria – If you’re a meat lover, this place is a dream come true. The decor is stunning, and the food is simply divine. You’ll find them at two locations:
C/ Industria, 138 and C/ Corcega, 235.
Feroz – If you’re looking for a more upscale dining experience, Feroz is the place to be. The ambiance is fantastic, and the food is absolutely delicious. Just a word of caution, the portions might be a tad bit small if you’re really famished, and it can be a bit pricey.
Carrer de Tuset, 27 (Sarrià-Sant Gervasi).
Fastuc – We all know that finding a restaurant that pleases everyone in a group can be challenging, but Italian cuisine is a crowd-pleaser. That’s why you should head over to one of the best Italian spots in Barcelona.
Carrer d’Oliana 14 (Sarria-Sant Gervasi).
No visit to Barcelona would be complete without enjoying a rooftop experience. Don’t forget to make a reservation at the stunning ‘Terrace of Sercotel Rosellón’ for a breathtaking view of the iconic la Sagrada Familia.
C/ del Rosselló, 390 (L’Eixample).
And don’t forget the great tapas restaurants:
Got Extra Time to Enjoy the City?
If you’ve got some extra time to enjoy Barcelona after MWC and you’re visiting for the first time, start with the Sagrada Família—Gaudí’s masterpiece is a must (if you want to go inside, book your tickets at least two weeks in advance).
Walk down La Rambla, but watch out for tourist traps. Explore the Gothic Quarter for its historic streets and hidden squares.
Visit Park Güell for more of Gaudí’s surreal architecture and great city views. Head to Passeig de Gràcia to see Casa Batlló and La Pedrera.
For a beachside break, check out Barceloneta, it’s not the best beach around, but it’s the closest. End your day at Montjuïc hill for panoramic views or you can choose one of the rooftop bar.
If you’ve already visited Barcelona a few times and are looking for something different, check out the Saint Felipe Neri square, a historic spot with a beautiful church dedicated to the saint.
Another option is a guided tour of the Estrella Damm Old Brewery, where you can discover the origins of Estrella Damm. The tour takes you through various spaces of the iconic Antiga Fàbrica de Barcelona, including the bronze boiler room, the machinery room, and historical archives, to show you how Damm beer was originally made.
At the end of the tour, you’ll take part in a sensory tasting of five Damm beers. Ever wondered why Estrella tastes better in Spain? You’ll find out on this tour.
