F1 Arcade opens Madrid
Europe’s first F1 Arcade opened in Madrid and combines 70 race simulators with a luxury bar and restaurant. The new entertainment-hospitality concept was announced on social media this week (x.com).
F1 Arcade has opened in Madrid, giving the Spanish capital the brand’s first mainland Europe venue. (f1arcade.com) The site is at Paseo de la Castellana 103, near Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, and F1 Arcade said the Madrid launch was announced on April 7. The company’s Spain page lists daily opening hours from noon to midnight early in the week, with later closes from Thursday to Saturday. (f1arcade.com 1) (f1arcade.com 2) F1 Arcade’s own launch post says the venue has 68 full-motion simulators. Madrid’s tourism office describes the space as 1,500 square meters across two floors with 71 next-generation simulators, two VIP areas and a 12-meter bar. (f1arcade.com) (esmadrid.com) The format is built around turning Formula 1 fandom into a year-round night out, with simulator races, Grand Prix watch parties, food, cocktails and private events under one roof. Madrid’s tourism office says the venue can host events for up to 400 people. (f1arcade.com) (esmadrid.com) Madrid is a logical test market for that pitch because the city is already pushing deeper into Formula 1. Formula 1 announced in January 2024 that Madrid will join the race calendar from 2026 under a deal that runs through 2035. (formula1.com) That means the arcade is arriving in the same year Madrid is due to host the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix, giving the city both an official race weekend and a permanent branded venue. F1 Arcade said that timing was part of the appeal of opening in Spain now. (formula1.com) (f1arcade.com) The Madrid opening also extends a rollout that started in Britain and then accelerated in the United States. F1 Arcade’s official location pages list London and Birmingham in the United Kingdom, plus Boston, Washington, Philadelphia, Denver, Las Vegas, Atlanta and Chicago in the United States. (f1arcade.com 1) (f1arcade.com 2) The venue is also trying to broaden the audience beyond hard-core race fans. F1 Arcade’s Madrid page says children can enter until 8 p.m., with a minimum simulator age of 7, before the venue switches to adults only later at night. (f1arcade.com) For Madrid, the bet is that Formula 1 can sell not just tickets for one September race, but a weekly social ritual on one of the city’s main boulevards. (f1arcade.com) (formula1.com)
