Three days of nine-ball at Fira Barcelona Gran Via, with 64 players and a $100,000 prize fund.
Professional pool is heading to the trade show floor. From 18 to 20 January 2027, Fira Barcelona Gran Via will host the World Grand Prix, a new major event on the World Nineball Tour, staged alongside ICE Barcelona, the leading international event for the gaming technology industry. For the tour, it marks a return to Spain.
The initiative stems from a partnership between Matchroom and WorldGaming, which announced the news in a press release. The tournament, dedicated to the nine-ball discipline, will feature 64 players in a single-elimination format across eight tables, with a total prize fund of $100,000. The three days of competition will take place on the show floor, outside Hall 7. Details on the player field, broadcast coverage, schedule and tickets will be announced at a later date.
The decision to bring sport to the event reflects the growing weight of sports betting, now one of the fastest-growing segments at ICE, where operators, suppliers and data providers powering wagering on sport worldwide are present. Margaret Dunn, Portfolio Director responsible for ICE Barcelona, said: “Sport sits at the heart of today’s gaming industry. Many of the companies on our show floor power sports betting, streaming and fan engagement for audiences around the world, so bringing live, world-class sport into ICE is a natural next step.” According to Dunn, putting elite nine-ball on the show floor gives visitors “the chance to experience the product at its source”, and the discipline is “a fantastic fit for ICE”.
On the sporting side, Emily Frazer, CEO of Matchroom Multi Sport, said: “We’re incredibly excited to bring the World Nineball Tour back to Spain and launch the World Grand Prix in Barcelona.” For Frazer, the new event offers “a real opportunity to build something bigger and introduce nine-ball to a completely new audience”, thanks to the platform of one of the most important fixtures in the international gaming and entertainment calendar.
