MotoGP does not forget its roots - collaboration with EICMA 2026

The press conference in Mugello to announce the partnership between MotoGP and EICMA, the world's biggest motorbike show, was one of those little "Oh yes, of course..." moments at the Italian Grand Prix. The series had a short-lived involvement at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in the UK three years ago, but strangely has barely had an official presence at the Milan event.

The EICMA is a huge event. Organisers are seeing rising visitor numbers at the six-day show, which brings together more than 730 exhibitors, over 2000 brands and 43,000 trade visitors in the halls of the Fiera exhibition centre. In 2025, 600,000 visitors streamed through the gates. In order to be present at EICMA, every major brand in the two-wheeler industry had to spend a considerable part of its annual marketing budget, as the stands were elaborately designed and the staging was pompous.

The MotoGP riders always take part in the event from time to time, but the calendar with the Grand Prix in Valencia has made participation difficult in recent years. When personalities such as Marc Márquez, Jorge Lorenzo and Andrea Dovizioso have travelled to Milan, it has usually been at the request of sponsors or their employers and not on the initiative of MotoGP itself.

Since the confirmation of the takeover of Dorna Sports by Liberty Media in 2025, there has been speculation about how the championship will change. A new visual identity (already in place before the arrival of Liberty), internal personnel measures and adjustments to improve entertainment (organisation of the paddock, an additional pit area for guests) have been the only signs outside of the confidential meetings between the teams, the MSMA, the MotoGP Group and Liberty for the next five-year contract, which begins in 2027.

Expansion and new audiences are MotoGP's mantra as the championship continues to transform into an 'entertainment brand'. "Show elements" are increasingly taking up a larger part of the riders' agenda at the Grands Prix, and it could well be that the focus will be much more on promotion in the future. For the established forces, this may be a chore, but for riders like David Alonso, Izan Guevara and the next generation of Grand Prix riders, this will soon become the norm. The move from Phillip Island to Albert Park is a coincidence, but the city centre location for the 2027 Australian Grand Prix is a good example of Liberty's aim to attract more fans and appeal to a wider audience.

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Most fans might resist change for fear that the features that originally excited them about the championship could be diluted. But the MotoGP Sports Entertainment Group's involvement at EICMA means that they are working on a comprehensive promotional approach, rather than just focussing on non-sports related channels to reach more viewers. At Mugello, it seemed strange that MotoGP had not utilised the EICMA platform earlier or more regularly.

Carlos Ezpeleta

Foto: Gold & Goose

"It's a bit of a surprise," smiled CSO Carlos Ezpeleta. "The EICMA is a huge event. MotoGP and our fan community are made up of much more than just people who ride motorbikes - but we still have a lot of work to do with those who do. Millions and millions of bikes are sold every day and the people who buy them are not as connected to MotoGP as we would like them to be. It's a more targeted initiative than others we do ... but from a brand perspective, EICMA is the best in the world at what it does, and we're the best in the world at what we do, so it makes sense."

This connection was reflected in the advertising campaign for the 83rd edition of the show, which featured a partially covered sports bike. This is not an obvious move, considering that interest in the motorbike market is currently focused primarily on scooters, electric mobility and models suitable for everyday use such as naked bikes, tourers and high-quality adventure bikes. The aim of MotoGP is not only to increase interest in Grand Prix racing at EICMA, but also to work with the players and investors in the paddock.

"It's an event you have to be at to inform the public and show that the manufacturers in this paddock are in a class of their own," added Carlos exclusively. "We want to help with that and that's important."

EICMA, which takes place from 5-8 November for the general public (with two extra days for trade visitors and an expected media attendance of over 8000 people), falls on the postponed date of the Qatar Grand Prix and is currently one of MotoGP's few off-season commitments for this type of event. "I think we will definitely do more off-track with different audiences and different targets ... but I don't think we will look at many other shows," Ezpeleta noted.

What can visitors to the EICMA expect? The usual exhibition repertoire of motorbikes, faces, fan merchandise and more, but also some historic race bikes, some of which have been borrowed from the new FIM museum in Switzerland. The details will be announced on the weekend of the San Marino Grand Prix in Misano in September.

As far as MotoGP is concerned, is this gesture to a predominantly motorbike fan audience (who are also based in a stronghold country for the sport) a move that the MotoGP Sports Entertainment Group felt was necessary to dampen some of the concern over future changes to the Grands Prix? At the very least, EICMA provides an opportunity for contact and dialogue with a wide range of European fans.

"I don't think we need a gesture," Carlos emphasised. "There is always scepticism and people who like to divide, and we have made it very clear that we don't feel we have to choose between our fans. In this new era, we are in a tremendous position of strength as we don't have to change the sport to find new audiences. It's the best motorsport there is and we are constantly evolving it to make it better, safer and more fun. The new rules [from 2027] are proof of this. We want to make this sport bigger, from grassroots to MotoGP. We think that makes sense. We are definitely not forgetting our most loyal fans and those who have helped us build the sport to what it is today."