Malaga takes first decisive step towards expanding Fycma trade and fair centre

The plan involves extending the current building into the car park area next to the Cortijo de Torres fairgrounds.

The aim is to almost double the venue's current exhibition space (19,500 square metres) by adding a further 18,000 square metres and to create an auditorium seating over 2,000 people. The largest auditorium currently has 901 seats, which means that some events find it difficult to choose this venue.

The local ruling team is initially approving the "detailed study" on Tuesday. This is a preliminary step prior to the start of the works, as it will still take several months (perhaps a year or more) for it to receive final approval.

Preliminary studies at the design stage are the work of architect Ángel Asenjo. He has already made significant progress on the design of the extension.

The detailed study that has received the initial green light allocates the necessary buildable square metres to the plot on which the extension is to be built, enabling construction to go ahead.

In recent years, the city council's budget has included allocations for this project, but these funds have not been spent. In the 2023 accounts, 1.2 million euros were set aside. The following year, in 2024, the budget of the municipal urban planning department included 261,308 euros for the drafting of the preliminary design for the Fycma's extension. However, no progress was made on this either.

Last year, following the obvious overcrowding at the centre during the first San Diego Comic-Con Málaga, Mayor Francisco De la Torre acknowledged the urgent need to promote the expansion of the building.

However, it is only this financial year that the city council has taken the decisive step to make an extension of the venue a reality. Proof of this is that the regional government of Andalucía has set aside 600,000 euros in its 2026 budget for the preparation of the feasibility study for the extension, the cost of which could be around 55 million euros.

The current car park site is the logical area for expansion. There, two underground car park levels could be built and a new building could be constructed above the ground.

The expansion of the exhibition space at Palacio de Ferias and its capacity to host events is key to maintainingits activities.

Despite its proximity to the Ronda Oeste route, the entry and exit points to and from the exhibition centre's surroundings have remained unchanged in recent years. One project that could significantly improve road links is a proposed junction connecting the motorway to the AVE underground rail corridor.

However, the city council has confirmed that national road legislation is an obstacle for this connection because it does not comply with the minimum distances required for similar junctions.

Read dedicated local reporting for Malaga city