The Portuguese Grand Prix returns to Portimão from June 18–20, 2027—giving Formula 1 fans another reason to linger on Portugal’s southern coast.
There are few places where a Formula 1 weekend feels quite so naturally at home. In Portugal’s Algarve, the road from racetrack to coastline is a short one: from the dramatic climbs and plunging corners of the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve to golden beaches, seafood restaurants and Atlantic sunsets, the region has all the ingredients for a trip that extends well beyond the chequered flag.
Now, there is an official date to plan around. The Formula 1 Portuguese Grand Prix will return to Portimão from June 18 to 20, 2027, bringing the FIA Formula 1 World Championship back to Portugal after a six-year absence. The event will also return in 2028, following an agreement signed between Formula 1 and the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve in December 2025.
For Formula 1 fans, the setting is part of the appeal. Opened in 2008, the 4.653-kilometre circuit is one of Europe’s more distinctive modern tracks, with 15 corners, pronounced elevation changes, blind crests and steep descents. Its undulating layout has earned it the affectionate nickname of the “roller coaster” among drivers and teams—and makes for a race that is as visually dramatic as it is technically demanding.
Portugal last hosted Formula 1 at the circuit in 2020 and 2021, when the Algarve became an unlikely star of the pandemic-era calendar. The 2020 race, in particular, entered the sport’s history books when Lewis Hamilton claimed his 92nd Grand Prix victory, moving him beyond Michael Schumacher’s then-record tally.
But the 2027 edition arrives under very different circumstances. Rather than a race weekend defined by extraordinary restrictions, the Portuguese Grand Prix is being positioned as a major international event for the Algarve, with activity extending throughout the week and a programme of events surrounding the racing itself.
“We finally have a date we have been working towards for a very long time,” says Jaime Costa, chief executive officer of the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve. “The last season held here, in 2021, left drivers, teams and fans impressed by our facilities, but above all by the excitement that our circuit delivers.”
A Grand Prix with a holiday attached
For anyone travelling to Portugal for the race, the appeal is obvious: the Algarve is hardly a destination that requires much persuasion.
The region stretches along Portugal’s southern coast, where Atlantic beaches give way to whitewashed towns, fishing villages, cliff-top walks and a food culture built around the sea. Away from the track, days can be spent surfing, cycling, hiking or simply lingering over grilled fish and a glass of something cold as the sun drops into the Atlantic.
And unlike many Grand Prix destinations, where the circuit can feel detached from the place itself, Portimão offers the possibility of making the race one chapter of a longer Portuguese escape.
“Come and stay for a week, not just for the race,” says Costa. “This is a Grand Prix at the meeting point of the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, with the perfect combination of beautiful beaches, gastronomy, culture and now, the FORMULA 1 Portuguese Grand Prix.”
The timing is equally appealing. June places the race at the beginning of the European summer, when the Algarve is already firmly in its sun-soaked season but before the height of the traditional July and August rush.
For the region, the return of Formula 1 is expected to bring a substantial economic and tourism boost. André Gomes, president of Turismo do Algarve, estimates the event could attract hundreds of thousands of people across the days surrounding the Grand Prix and generate around €150 million in economic potential, benefiting hotels, restaurants, transport, retail, services and regional suppliers.
Carlos Abade, president of Turismo de Portugal, describes the event as an opportunity to put Portugal in front of international audiences and highlight the country’s infrastructure and tourism offering.
The Algarve is also unusually accessible for an international sporting event. Faro Airport has direct connections with more than 30 European cities, making the journey from European capitals to the region relatively straightforward.
When and where is the Portuguese Grand Prix?
The 2027 Formula 1 Portuguese Grand Prix will take place from Friday, June 18, to Sunday, June 20, 2027, at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimão.
The circuit sits within a larger motorsport and leisure complex that includes a karting track, off-road circuit, technology park and tourist resort. Its location also puts visitors within easy reach of the Algarve’s beaches, restaurants and towns.
Tickets will go on sale from September 21, 2026, through the event’s official ticketing platform. The first release will include three-day general admission, reserved grandstand seating and hospitality packages.
For anyone considering going, the advice from the organisers is simple: don’t treat it as a three-day race weekend. Treat it as an excuse to spend a week in the Algarve.
Because when the engines fall silent on Sunday afternoon, there is still an entire coastline waiting beyond the circuit.
Leave a comment