SBC has signed an agreement that keeps SBC Summit in Lisbon until 2030, adding the 2028, 2029 and 2030 editions to the 2027 edition it had already confirmed for the Portuguese capital.
The deal was signed with Turismo de Portugal, the Municipality of Lisbon and Lisboa FCE, the non-profit association that manages the city’s main exhibition and congress venues. According to SBC, dates and support for each of the three additional editions are now agreed.
For exhibitors, sponsors and delegates, the practical effect is that the venue question is settled for the next four editions of SBC’s flagship event.
Signed on the final day
The parties signed the agreement on the closing day of this year’s Summit, held at Feira Internacional de Lisboa (FIL) and the MEO Arena.
The City of Lisbon was represented by Gonçalo Reis, Vice President, and Maria Luísa Aldim, Deputy Mayor for Innovation Social Development. FIL sent António Ramalho, President of its Executive Board, and Executive Board member Carlos Oliveira. Teresa Monteiro, a member of the board, attended for Turismo de Portugal.
SBC’s case for a fixed home
SBC presents the deal as a planning tool. Rasmus Sojmark, CEO and Founder of SBC, tied the agreement directly to investment decisions for the organiser and its partners.
“We’re happy to formalise the way we feel by committing to this city till 2030. Onwards and upwards. The agreement gives SBC and our attendees and partners the stability to plan and invest for the future. Knowing exactly where we’ll be and for how long means we can keep pouring everything into making the Summit bigger, better and more valuable for everyone who comes through the doors.”
Sojmark also credited the city’s backing since the move.
“We are very happy to have the support of the city we have chosen to host our biggest and most ambitious event. Year on year, Lisbon is proving to be the perfect fit, and we’re grateful for all the support we’ve received from the city so far.”
The venue side
SBC said the combined space at FIL and the MEO Arena gives it the capacity to keep running the exhibition, conference, networking and entertainment programme in one location.
For FIL, the agreement locks in a recurring international booking. Ramalho said the venue operator would work to give the Summit room to grow.
“We are committed to working alongside SBC, supporting its ambitions and creating the conditions for the Summit to continue growing in Lisbon. Events of this scale and international reach are key to positioning Lisbon, Parque das Nações and FIL at the forefront of the global events industry, reinforcing our city’s ability to attract and successfully host some of the world’s leading events.”
What the Summit brings to Lisbon
SBC Summit moved to Lisbon in 2024. This year was its third edition in the city.
According to SBC, attendees at the 2026 edition travelled from 178 countries and generated an estimated 85,000 room nights across the capital. SBC has not yet released final attendance figures for the event.
SBC cites the room-night estimate as evidence of the Summit’s growing impact on the city since its arrival in 2024.
The 2026 programme
The 2026 Summit’s headline session was a Leadership in Sports Business keynote with Michael Jordan, Sportradar founder and CEO Carsten Koerl, and DraftKings co-founder, CEO and Chairman Jason Robins. Broadcaster Kirsty Gallacher moderated.
SBC added several new strands this year. The Affiliate Leaders Summit ran as a standalone event for the affiliate and performance marketing community, alongside the new Global Prediction Markets Forum and African Gaming Forum. The organiser also introduced a structured networking programme.
Other keynote speakers included football transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano and UFC champion Charles Oliveira. The event closed with INFINITY Lisbon, headlined by Tiësto.
Next dates
SBC Summit returns to FIL and the MEO Arena on 21-23 September 2027. SBC said dates for 2028, 2029 and 2030 have been agreed, though it has not published them.
The final attendance count for 2026, once released, will set the baseline against which SBC and its Lisbon partners measure the growth they have now committed to deliver through 2030.
Source: SBC
