Rio de Janeiro will see the development of an entertainment hub in the coming years, anchored by the new Guaratiba Park Motorsports Circuit.
Populous, the architectural and design firm behind live music venues such as the Las Vegas Sphere and London’s Wembley Stadium, has been appointed to lead the technical and conceptual development of the new circuit in Rio’s West Zone.
Rock World, the company behind the Rock in Rio festivals, will be in charge of the initial project management. The firm has valuable experience producing live music events at racetracks, having launched the 105,000-capacity festival The Town at São Paulo’s Interlagos Circuit in 2023.
A consortium of companies, spearheaded by Brazilian private equity group Genial Investimentos, will also be involved in the development of the project.
According to the stakeholders, the Guaratiba Park Motorsports Circuit aims to reposition the city on the international motorsport map and create an entertainment hub in Rio’s West Zone.
“Rock World, the company behind the Rock in Rio festivals, will be in charge of the initial project management”
The project is divided into five themed areas, each inspired by Rio de Janeiro’s landscapes: the boardwalk, the mangrove, the Atlantic Forest, the city centre, and the city’s iconic avenues.
It also incorporates accessibility resources, environmental compensation measures, and the creation of an Autodrome Park with public areas integrated into the track layout, says Populous.
The circuit itself – which follows the demolition of the original Jacarepagua circuit in 2012 – has been designed to host all existing motorsport competitions, according to Populous.
Currently, Formula 1’s Brazilian Grand Prix is staged at the Interlagos circuit in São Paulo as part of a deal that runs until 2030.
Last year, MotoGP announced that it would return to Brazil in 2026 as part of a five-year deal to race at the Autódromo Internacional Ayrton Senna track in Goiânia.
The project is now set to move on to the required licensing stages, with construction expected to begin in the first half of 2026.
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‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.iqmagazine.com ’
