Madrid reinforces its position as one of the leading international arbitration hubs with the twelfth edition of the Open Arbitration Conference, which will take place at the Gran Teatro Príncipe Pío Station on May 6 and 7. Over two days, the capital will bring together prominent legal, business, and economic professionals, consolidating its role as a strategic meeting point for commercial and investment arbitration.
With its most ambitious program to date, the 2026 Arbitration Open will structure its content around a central theme inspired by Formula 1 and its upcoming arrival in Madrid. Under this narrative, the congress will address the current challenges of arbitration from a “high-precision” perspective, combining legal strategy, anticipation, and speed in decision-making.
The sessions will analyze key issues such as the enforcement of arbitral awards, disputes in strategic sectors (especially energy and infrastructure), the evolving geopolitical landscape, litigation financing, damage assessment, and conflicts arising from M&A transactions. They will also address the growing impact of artificial intelligence on arbitration practice and the adaptation of different legal systems to an increasingly sophisticated global environment.
In this context, the Open will host a particularly important session focused on the arrival of Formula 1 in Madrid, entitled “From MADRING to the Sky.” The Mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, and Luis García Abad, General Manager of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix MADRING, will participate in a dialogue moderated by Javier Íscar de Hoyos, President of the Open. The discussion will analyze the strategic, economic, and international implications of this project for the city.
Beyond its technical content, the Arbitration Open has established itself as a forum connecting legal practice and the business world, with the participation of international firms, arbitration institutions, economic experts, and a growing presence of in-house lawyers. Its format, which combines technical rigor with carefully designed networking spaces, reinforces its value as a platform for generating opportunities and knowledge.
As a prelude, the Pre-Open event will be held on May 5 at Garrigues’ headquarters, focusing on arbitration in the Portuguese-speaking world. This meeting will bring together professionals from the Spain-Portugal-Brazil axis and other Portuguese-speaking countries, including emerging markets in Africa, and will be free of charge and separate from the main congress.
With this new edition, the Arbitration Open reinforces its position and consolidates Madrid as one of the main epicenters of global arbitration, at a key moment for the evolution of dispute resolution at the international level.
