Spanish football giant FC Barcelona has reached a deal to open a number of Barça-themed “experience spaces” around the world.

Club president Josep Maria Bartomeu has signed a five-year agreement with leisure park developer Parques Reunidos to get the ball rolling on the project, which will see indoor parks, between 3,000 and 10,000sq m in size, opened in “busy shopping malls and iconic establishments in the centres of cities with high numbers of pedestrian traffic.”

Each will be dedicated exclusively to FC Barcelona, with visitors able to enjoy immersive
experiences “based on the history, values, players and memorable moments of the club, blending interaction, new technologies, education and fun.”

To begin with, five of the attractions will be built in strategic regions for the club, with the first scheduled to open in the US and Asia in 2020.

“The agreement with Parques Reunidos will help us to project our image in strategic territories, offering our supporters a 100 per cent Barça experience, and at the same generating a major source of income,” said club vice president Manel Arroyo.

“Parques Reunidos are a leading company in their sector, and they have worked with Nickelodeon and Lionsgate on indoor entertainment parks like the ones that Barça will have. That means we’ll be able to continue to set new trends in the entertainment industry”.



Fernando Eiroa, the delegate councillor for Parques Reunidos, added: “Our company is constantly looking for new opportunities to expand in order to offer unforgettable experiences for all the family. At these centres, we will be the first company to offer, hand in hand with one of the best teams in the world, an innovative and thrilling sport and leisure experience for football lovers in Asia, the US and Europe”.

The developer has a total of 61 parks in 14 countries, including the US, UK, Spain, France, Germany, Italy, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam and Argentina. Its properties include Miami Seaquarium, Parque Warner Madrid, Movie Park Germany, Tusenfryd Norway and Sea Life Park Hawaii.

FC Barcelona, which won Spain’s La Liga championship this year, is also currently developing a vibrant district dedicated to the club and its brand around a redeveloped Camp Nou stadium, with the city council recently greenlighting its ambitious plans.

Meanwhile, the team’s star player, Lionel Messi, has inspired a new theme park in Nanjing, China, with a consortium of developers, including China’s Phoenix Group and Spanish conglomerate Mediapro, backing the “unique global experience.”