Palacio de Ferias y Congresos: What Happened to Lanzarote's Big Project?
For years, Lanzarote has talked about a Palacio de Ferias y Congresos – a trade-fair and convention centre meant to move the island into the lucrative meetings-and-conventions market (MICE). To date, nothing has been built. Now the Confederación Empresarial de Lanzarote (CEL), the island's business confederation, has put the plan back on the table.
Photo: Erin Kotecki Vest, CC BY 2.0 (Symbolbild).
What began as an award-winning architecture project has, according to local media, drifted for more than a decade and a half through announcements, budget lines and planning hurdles. Here is an overview of the idea, its history, why it stalled and where it stands today.
What it is: a convention centre for business tourism
The Palacio de Ferias y Congresos is envisaged as a multi-purpose trade-fair and convention centre in Arrecife. The target is so-called MICE tourism (meetings, incentives, conventions, events): conferences, corporate gatherings and industry fairs bring visitors outside the classic sun-and-beach season and, on average, spend more than leisure holidaymakers.
Supporters argue such a venue would extend the season, broaden the economy and allow year-round operation. Island politicians have also noted that Lanzarote is, according to Lancelot Digital, the only Canary Island without an auditorium or congress hall of this scale.
The backstory: from the 2009 competition to the land transfer
The idea dates back around fifteen years. According to Lancelot Digital and Diario de Lanzarote, architect Carlos Morales won the 2009 ideas competition together with the Henning Larsen studio with a design called "Fractal". The competition originated with the Canary Islands tourism authorities at the time.
After years of stagnation, in 2019 the Cabildo de Lanzarote reportedly awarded the project update to Carlos Morales again, budgeted at roughly €150,000. Also in 2019, the public company Gesplan delivered the paperwork for the "island interest" (interés insular) declaration. In 2023, according to Diario de Lanzarote, the Arrecife council approved the cession of the plot.
Why it stalled
The sources point to several reasons. The island-interest declaration has, according to Diario de Lanzarote, sat "in the drawer" since 2019, and there were planning blockages around how the land is classified. The Cabildo recently asked Arrecife for certificates on ownership and soil category to align the project with current building rules.
Financing was another problem: the €1.2 million earmarked in the Canary Islands budget vanished in 2024, according to Canarias7 and La Voz de Lanzarote. Cabildo president Oswaldo Betancort had the centre in his electoral programme but later, per Diario de Lanzarote, floated buying the Agramar plot as a "cultural lung" instead – a possible change of direction.
Why it matters for the island's economy
The potential payoff is in the calendar: congresses and trade fairs often take place in spring and autumn and could help fill the low season. That would benefit hotels, restaurants, transport and local retail, and would diversify an economy heavily dependent on beach tourism.
The CEL, according to Canarias7, cites job creation and a broader tourism offer as its main arguments.
Where the project stands today
On 10 August 2026, the CEL called for the project to be definitively resumed. CEL president Beatriz Salazar, according to Canarias7 and La Voz de Lanzarote, is asking not for another announcement but for a binding roadmap with financing and clear deadlines, plus talks between government and the business sector.
Nothing has been built so far. The project remains a plan on paper – with a refreshed design, an intended site and a long list of open questions on permits and money.
For travellers, that means a convention centre would mainly strengthen the spring and autumn offer – not the summer peak.
Based on the current sources, there is no officially committed construction start or completion date.
Key facts
- 2009: Ideas competition; "Fractal" design by Carlos Morales with Henning Larsen (per Lancelot Digital / Diario de Lanzarote).
- 2019: Cabildo awards the project update to Carlos Morales, around €150,000 (per Lancelot Digital); Gesplan delivers the island-interest paperwork.
- Location: a plot of about 15,260 m² in Arrecife near the Cabildo/Reducto (per Diario de Lanzarote).
- Cost estimate: initially about €30 million, later up to €41 million (per Diario de Lanzarote, Dec 2023).
- 2024: the €1.2 million earmarked in the Canary Islands budget vanishes (per Canarias7 / La Voz de Lanzarote).
- 10 Aug 2026: CEL president Beatriz Salazar demands a binding roadmap (per Canarias7).
FAQ
- What is the Palacio de Ferias y Congresos?
- A planned trade-fair and convention centre in Arrecife, intended for meetings-and-conventions (MICE) tourism, to extend the season and diversify the economy.
- Has it been built yet?
- No. Based on current sources, the centre exists only as a project; a construction start is not confirmed.
- Where would it be located?
- In Arrecife, near the Cabildo and the El Reducto area; a plot of about 15,260 m² is cited (per Diario de Lanzarote).
- What would it cost?
- Earlier reporting cites roughly €30 to €41 million (per Diario de Lanzarote). There is no confirmed final figure.
- Who is pushing it now?
- The Confederación Empresarial de Lanzarote (CEL) under Beatriz Salazar is demanding a roadmap; on the political side, Jacobo Medina (PP) drove the update forward.
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