Official: Rio de Janeiro to host launch event for MotoGP season 2027

– After the official season launch, the ceremonial opening event with all teams ahead of a new MotoGP season, which took place in the past two years in Bangkok (2025) and Kuala Lumpur (2026) respectively, Miami was long considered the favorite for the third edition of the event.

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The metropolis in the US state of Florida seemed to meet all the requirements to be awarded the venue for the MotoGP Season Launch 2027 – especially in the eyes of Liberty Media, the new owner of the motorcycle world championship.

Besides Miami, Rio de Janeiro in Brazil was also one of the options considered by the officials of the MotoGP Sports Entertainment Group (MotoGP SEG), and thus the holder of the commercial rights to the motorcycle world championship.

According to information from our colleagues at Motorsport.com Spain, a sister platform of Motorsport-Total.com in the Motorsport Network, Rio has emerged as the favorite in recent days from an option. Although the contract with the local organizers has not yet been signed, several MotoGP teams already expect to travel to Brazil at the beginning of 2027.

UPDATE, August 11, 2026: Following the original report dated July 16, the MotoGP SEG officially confirmed on August 11 that the launch event ahead of the 2027 MotoGP season will take place in Rio de Janeiro. The date is Sunday, February 21. The season launch will thus take place exactly two weeks before the season opener. The MotoGP season opener is scheduled for the weekend of March 6/7 in Buriram (Thailand).

The 2026 MotoGP presentation in Kuala Lumpur with all teams

Below is the further text of the original report from July 16:

After the first edition in 2025 in Bangkok (Thailand), the launch event ahead of the current MotoGP season 2026 was originally also supposed to take place there again. But obstacles of various kinds prompted the organizers to change course. Ultimately, teams and riders stayed in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), where the winter testing for the new season had started shortly before at the nearby Sepang International Circuit.

Looking ahead to 2027, holding the launch event in Rio de Janeiro would make commercial sense, especially after this year’s MotoGP return to Brazil and the rise of Diogo Moreira to the premier class. On the other hand, the Rio option presents a major challenge for the teams, as the schedules at this time of year are extremely tight and leave little room for maneuver.

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Although the exact date for the launch event has not yet been finalized, Motorsport.com Spain assumes that the basic plan of the MotoGP SEG is to bring the event forward as much as possible and hold it before the first winter tests.

The start of the 2027 MotoGP winter testing is planned for the last week of January in Sepang. This would mean that the riders would have to interrupt their personal preparations for the new season to first fly to Brazil and a few days later to the other side of the world to Malaysia.

In this scenario, the teams would have to ship their brand-new 850cc bikes to Brazil several days in advance, followed by the technicians needed for setup and maintenance. Riders and team leaders would arrive last.

One of the main problems for the teams would be planning their own presentations. These are very important for their sponsors because they are in the spotlight there and do not have to share the stage with anyone.

The schedule would of course also be tight if the season launch with all teams took place only after the winter tests and thus shortly before the first Grand Prix of the year.

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