MotoGP: the Misano Grand Prix set to break records for attendance and economic impact
The Red Bull San Marino and Rimini Riviera Grand Prix, scheduled for Friday 11 September to Sunday 13 September, generates around 85 million euros over the three days of racing
Eighty-five million euros in three days. This is the economic impact that the Misano World Circuit attributes to the Red Bull Grand Prix of San Marino and the Rimini Riviera, which takes place from Friday 11 September to Sunday 13 September as the 14th round of the championship.
MotoGP arrives in Romagna in search of a winner: Jorge Martín leads the standings with 256 points, but Marc Márquez, the reigning world champion, won both the Sprint (the second qualifying session, which acts as a mini-race) and the main race at Aragón, closing the gap to just nineteen points. In third place is Marco Bezzecchi from Rimini, who, twelve months ago, in front of his home crowd, secured pole position and finished second.
Behind the three days of entertainment lies an economic engine which, according to studies commissioned by the Misano World Circuit from Trademark Italia, generated 212,000 tourist visits in 2024 and a steadily increasing economic impact on the local area: available figures show 62.6 million for the 2015 event and 65 for the 2018 edition; following the pandemic-related hiatus, the estimate rose to 80.3 million in 2023 and exceeded 85 million in 2024, representing a 36 per cent increase over ten years.
It is attendance figures that are driving the sector. In fact, over the past four years, Misano has seen an increase of 73,000 spectators: there were 101,140 on the first weekend at full capacity following the Covid pandemic, 141,056 the following year, 163,558 in 2024 and 174,821 in 2025 – an all-time record for the event. The most marked increase has been on Saturday, with attendance rising from 25,300 to almost 52,000 since the Sprint race added further competitive excitement to the second day. Based on the trend of the last three years, the 180,000 mark is well within reach for the upcoming event.
The ratio between the economic impact and the expenditure required to organise the event has since risen from 7.1 to 9.5: according to studies, for every euro invested, the local area generates nearly ten. This growth has been achieved without any price increases, as the cheapest ticket for general admission has remained unchanged from 2023 to 2026. Moreover, when breaking down the circuit’s total economic impact, expenditure on accommodation and catering accounts for 42.6 per cent and 26 per cent respectively, whilst ticket sales remain a marginal item.
