News / 23 December, 2025
The city continues to consolidate its position as a host for high-value congresses and professional events linked to knowledge, science, innovation and creativity.
Kursaal Congress Centre closes 2025 with an outstanding balance in the field of professional events. Throughout the year, Kursaal and Miramar Palace hosted a total of 339 events —including congresses, conventions, trade fairs and meetings— bringing together more than 140,000 attendees. These figures further consolidate Donostia / San Sebastián as a benchmark MICE destination.
Of the total events held, 38 were congresses and conventions, more than 50% of which had an international profile. This highlights the city’s growing international reach and its ability to attract professional gatherings of global scope.
The two venues managed by Kursaal Congress Centre play a key role in hosting professional events in the city. In this regard, the refurbishment of Miramar Palace stands out: the venue has regained its original splendour while being adapted to current needs through the incorporation of advanced technological improvements.
Expert, international and diverse Knowledge
In terms of the type of events hosted, Donostia / San Sebastián continues to reinforce its positioning as a city of knowledge, science and innovation. Throughout 2025, numerous national and international benchmark congresses chose the city for their annual meetings, strengthening its role as a hub for the exchange of expert knowledge and international visibility.
In the medical field, notable events included the AEA / SEROD 2025 Congress, organised by the Spanish Arthroscopy Association and the Spanish Knee Society; the 32nd National Congress of SEAP-IAP, led by the Spanish Society of Pathology; and the 23rd Congress of the Spanish Federation of Midwives’ Associations (FAME).
Scientific and technological events also played a significant role, with international congresses focused on cutting-edge areas such as new materials, artificial intelligence applied to industry and research, and advanced technology. Highlights included Graphene Conference 2025, which featured the participation of Konstantin Novoselov, Nobel Prize in Physics laureate in 2010 for his pioneering work on graphene; AI4AM, focused on the use of artificial intelligence in industrial and scientific environments; and GOLD 2025, dedicated to the applications of gold in high technology.
At an international level, Donostia / San Sebastián also hosted highly relevant events such as the International Symposium on Bilingualism (ISB 2025) and the FEICA 2025 European Adhesives and Sealants Conference and Exhibition, further reinforcing the city’s profile as an open hub for global knowledge.
Alongside congresses, the city hosted conventions and corporate meetings from strategic sectors such as banking, finance and IT throughout the year. Companies including Laboral Kutxa, Kutxabank, Angulas Aguinaga, Arrow Electronics and Createch Medical (Straumann Group) chose Donostia / San Sebastián for their professional gatherings.
The city also welcomed major events linked to culture, creativity and gastronomy, such as Dantz Network, the C Day organised by the Club de Creatividad, San Sebastian Gastronomika and the San Sebastián International Film Festival, once again with Kursaal serving as one of its main venues.
2026: A Year of Great Activity and Impact
In 2025, Kursaal Congress Centre reaffirmed its role as a leading driver of the MICE sector and as a platform for economic development and social transformation in Donostia / San Sebastián. According to the organisation, the city offers exceptional potential to deliver authentic and distinctive experiences in the field of professional events: “The key lies in the experience. Donostia is a city that welcomes, inspires and projects value.”
Events, they underline, attract knowledge, talent and economic value to the city. Looking ahead to 2026, Kursaal and Miramar Palace face the coming year with the goal of maximising the impact of the events they host, focusing on larger-scale and higher-profile gatherings and on generating a positive and lasting effect on the territory.
In this context, the refurbished Miramar Palace experienced a particularly strong year in 2025, positioning itself as an especially attractive venue for high-level corporate meetings and incentive events.
