The upcoming edition of the Louis Vuitton 38th America’s Cup in 2027 could generate a total economic impact of between €1.4 billion and €1.7 billion for Naples, according to estimates by Sport e Salute, the government department overseeing the event.
These figures follow the massive success of the second Preliminary Regatta held in Naples, where a combination of top-tier competition, an enthusiastic crowd, and one of the most spectacular natural amphitheaters for sailing drove extraordinary attendance both onshore and across the Bay of Naples.
During the event, 252,520 people visited the Race Village, while another 26,373 spectators watched from the water. An average of 623 spectator boats per day sailed the waters of the Bay of Naples, with a total of 2,490 vessels participating in the event, including 22 superyachts daily.
The final day offered perhaps the clearest demonstration of Naples' enthusiasm for the America’s Cup, drawing over 120,000 spectators. The comparison with the Preliminary Regatta held in Barcelona during the previous America’s Cup cycle is striking: approximately 33,000 people attended the Barcelona Race Village, compared to 252,520 in Naples—roughly 7.5 times as many.
Average daily attendance rose from around 8,000 people in Barcelona to approximately 63,000 in Naples, while peak daily attendance jumped from 15,000 to over 120,000. The spectator fleet showed a similar trend. Barcelona recorded an average of 131 spectator boats per day, whereas Naples attracted 623 per day—nearly five times as many. In total, 278,893 people attended the Naples Preliminary Regatta, demonstrating the extraordinary enthusiasm that already exists for the America’s Cup in southern Italy.
The Preliminary Regatta attracted 225 accredited media outlets representing 14 countries, while social media content related to the event generated over 20 million views, bringing images of Naples, the bay’s beautiful architecture, and the America’s Cup to audiences worldwide.
Accidents—with no human casualties—were part of the America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta.
The Preliminary Regatta featured a Race Village covering approximately 70,000 m², team bases at Nisida spanning some 8,900 m², and teams hosted in Naples for about two weeks. This investment totaled around €10 million, with an attendance of over 250,000 people.
For the 38th Louis Vuitton America’s Cup in 2027, those figures will increase dramatically. The new team bases in Bagnoli will cover approximately 37,000 m², while the Race and Fan Village will span roughly 100,000 m².
The event is expected to last 62 days—including 40 days of racing—with teams based in Naples for about a year. Most notably, total attendance is projected to reach between 3 and 3.5 million visitors. In terms of attendance alone, this represents a 12- to 14-fold increase compared to the Preliminary Regatta, illustrating the extraordinary leap in scale expected when the America’s Cup returns to Naples in 2027.
Furthermore, an analysis by Sport e Salute—factoring in direct spending, indirect economic activity, and the effects generated by hosting the competition—estimates a total economic impact of between €1.4 billion and €1.7 billion. By contrast, the 2024 America’s Cup in Barcelona generated an estimated economic impact of €1.034 billion and attracted approximately 1.8 million visitors over 59 days of competition and activities.
Naples is preparing for an event forecast to attract nearly twice as many visitors, with potential benefits extending to hotels, restaurants, transport, retail, maritime services, tourism, and the broader regional economy—not to mention the immense international exposure that comes with hosting one of global sport’s most historic trophies.