INDYCAR announced a new “marquee international event” for the 2027 season, a new race at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Spain as the “centerpiece” of Phase Two of the 2027 INDYCAR schedule.

The inaugural INDYCAR Grand Prix of Barcelona is slated for Sunday, July 18, bringing the North American open-wheel series to Spain for the first time. The race will also serve as a home event for Barcelona native and five-time series champion Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing.

This race will mark the first event for INDYCAR outside North America since 2013, when James Hinchcliffe won on the streets of São Paulo, Brazil. It is also a return to Europe for the series, which last raced at the TT Circuit Assen in the Netherlands in 2007.

“This is a monumental day for our sport,” Penske Entertainment Corp. President and CEO Mark Miles said in the announcement. “We are pleased to be able to take our ultra-competitive brand of wheel-to-wheel racing to Europe and thrilled that we can showcase INDYCAR in Alex Palou’s hometown. We have seen Alex’s remarkable skill and talent for several years and know his fans in Spain have been clamoring to watch him race in person.

“We cannot wait to see the NTT INDYCAR SERIES compete at one of the world’s most recognizable motorsports venues set against the backdrop of a very historic and breathtaking international destination like Barcelona.”

“I’m so excited to be part of INDYCAR’s first race in Barcelona,” said Palou. “It is an amazing opportunity, and it means so much to me to have a race at home in Barcelona, it’s hard to put into words. I know the fans are going to love it, and I think we are going to put on a great show. We’re going to try hard with the team at Chip Ganassi Racing to bring home the trophy in July.”

“The arrival of INDYCAR is a major milestone and an exciting challenge for the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya,” Chairman of the Board of Fira de Barcelona and Fira Circuit Pau Relat said. “Bringing one of the most prestigious and spectacular championships in global motorsport to our venue strengthens our international positioning, connects us with new audiences and markets, and reinforces our strategy of diversifying the circuit’s activity through world-class events. We are working with a long-term vision to make INDYCAR Grand Prix of Barcelona a benchmark event on the international racing calendar for years to come.”

The announcement comes in the wake of Formula 1 moving away from the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, with the 2027 schedule including just one stop in Spain, at the new Madring street course in Madrid. That ends a run of over two decades at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for the F1 grid, but the circuit’s permanent presence presented an opportunity for INDYCAR.

Speaking during Thursday’s media day in Austin at the United States Grand Prix, Spanish driver Fernando Alonso talked about the series adding a stop in Barcelona.

“I think it’s gonna be good, you know, obviously a historic event for our country and Barcelona. That’s the benefit of having a permanent circuit, that you have that opportunity to, to test any day in the year, but also to host races here and there,” said Alonso to the media, including SB Nation, in Austin on Thursday. “They did the WEC race last week, now Indy, they do MotoGP.

“That’s why, you know, when we compare the street circuits to the normal conventional circuits, that’s the biggest advantage. And that’s why Barcelona is crucial to motorsport in Spain.”

The rest of Phase Two of the 2027 INDYCAR schedule will be confirmed and announced at a later date.