The last big week of the padel year happens in Barcelona. The best 16 men and 16 women of the season, one indoor arena, four days of matches. And it's a two-hour flight from most of the UK.
This is the trip version: who's on court, how to get there, when to sit down, the weather, and where to play yourself.
Padelism is not affiliated with Premier Padel or the FIP. This is a fan's planner, written by a padel player who makes clothes.
The key facts
| Match days | Thursday 10 to Sunday 13 December 2026 (FIP calendar) |
| Venue | Palau Sant Jordi, Passeig Olímpic 5-7, Montjuïc, Barcelona |
| Who plays | The top 16 men and top 16 women in the FIP Race |
| Courts | One central court. Every match is played on it |
| Tickets | Premier Padel's own website, one session per ticket |
| Time difference | Barcelona is one hour ahead of the UK in December |
Padel Addict's write-up of the 2026 calendar gives the event week as 7 to 13 December. The FIP calendar lists play from the 10th. Plan around the 10th to 13th and check again before you book flights.
One court makes it easy. You never miss a match on another court. Every match of your session comes to you.
How players get there: the FIP Race
The field comes from the FIP Race, the FIP's ranking of results across the calendar year.
Points come from two tours. Per the FIP, a winning pair takes:
| Event | Race points for the winners |
|---|---|
| Premier Padel Major | 2,000 |
| Premier Padel P1 | 1,000 |
| Premier Padel P2 | 600 |
| CUPRA FIP Tour Platinum | 300 |
| CUPRA FIP Tour Gold | 150 |
Sixteen men and sixteen women make it. In practice that's eight pairs in each draw, which is why the sessions start at the quarter-finals.
Who's in contention
At time of writing, the newest Race summary on padelfip.com is from 15 September 2026. It said 13 players had already booked their place:
- Men: Arturo Coello, Agustin Tapia, Fede Chingotto, Ale Galan, Juan Lebron, Leo Augsburger.
- Women: Gemma Triay, Delfi Brea, Bea Gonzalez, Paula Josemaria, Andrea Ustero, Ari Sanchez, Claudia Fernandez.
On the men's side, Coello and Tapia led with 12,620 points, ahead of Chingotto and Galan on 11,350 and Lebron and Augsburger on 5,655. On the women's side, Gonzalez and Josemaria were on 8,480, just 400 ahead of Sanchez and Ustero on 8,080.
The FIP says the 2025 titles went to Coello and Tapia, and to Claudia Fernandez and Bea Gonzalez. Upsets happen here too. Premier Padel's Finals page recalls 2024, when Jon Sanz and Coki Nieto beat Coello and Tapia, then world number 1, in the men's final.
The last spots are still open. As of 18 October, the FIP calendar still has the Kuwait Major (26 to 31 October), the Dubai P1 (8 to 15 November) and the Mexico Major in Acapulco (23 to 29 November) to come. The FIP also lists a Platinum event in Aguascalientes in the week before Acapulco. Two Majors are worth 4,000 points to the winners between them, so the bottom of the list can change a lot. Check the Race on padelfip.com after Acapulco for the final field.
If you want to follow those last events from home first, our guide on how to watch Premier Padel in the UK has the channels and UK times.
Tickets: the rules worth knowing
Premier Padel's Finals page is clear on a few things:
- Its own website is the only authorised sales channel. The box office also sells on the day if any seats are left.
- Each ticket covers one session, and seats are numbered. You can stay for the whole day's play.
- You can buy up to 10 tickets in one go.
- All sales are final. No changes or refunds unless the organiser is at fault, though you can add purchase insurance at checkout.
- Reselling is banned and can get you refused entry. So skip the resale sites.
- Under 6s go free with a child ticket chosen at purchase. Ages 6 to 14 get 50% off. Under 16s need an adult with them.
Prices change by session and seating zone, and the page doesn't publish a list.
Food and drink. Packaged food that needs no cutlery is allowed. Drinks must be in a plastic bottle of 50cl or less, with the cap removed. No glass and no alcohol. Re-entry is allowed under the organiser's conditions, so you can step out for lunch.
When to be in your seat
Barcelona City Council's events listing gives the shape of the four days:
| Day | Session |
|---|---|
| Thursday 10 December | Quarter-finals, from 13:00 |
| Friday 11 December | Quarter-finals, from 13:00 |
| Saturday 12 December | Semi-finals, from 11:00 |
| Sunday 13 December | Finals |
Parts of that listing are carried over from earlier years. Premier Padel says the time on your ticket is when the session's first match starts, and timings can move. Trust your ticket.
Take an hour off for UK time. A 13:00 start is midday back home, which matters if you're sending the group chat updates.
Getting there from the UK
Flights. Direct flights to Barcelona take around two hours. A Radical Storage travel guide lists British Airways, easyJet, Ryanair and Vueling from London, easyJet, British Airways and Vueling from Gatwick, and Ryanair, easyJet, Jet2 and Vueling from Manchester. Bristol and Birmingham have direct routes too. Routes change, so check the airline before you plan around one.
Airport to the city. Barcelona Turisme lists a few ways in:
- Aerobús: to Plaça de Catalunya in around 35 minutes, every 8 minutes on the A1 and every 15 on the A2, 24 hours a day.
- Bus 46: the one for the arena end of town. Around 35 to 40 minutes to Plaça d'Espanya, every 20 to 30 minutes.
- R2 Nord train: from Terminal 2 to Barcelona-Sants in around 20 minutes, about every half hour.
- Metro L9 Sud: TMB puts it at around 32 minutes to the centre. Single tickets and the T-casual don't cover the airport stations, so you need TMB's Airport ticket or a Hola Barcelona Travel Card.
To the arena. The Palau Sant Jordi sits on Montjuïc, above Plaça d'Espanya. In past years TMB has run shuttle buses between Plaça d'Espanya and the arena on the busiest Finals days, according to the City Council's listing. Check TMB's service notices that week.
Three ways to do it.
- The full four days. Fly Wednesday, every session, home Monday. You see all 14 matches across the two draws.
- The weekend. Fly Friday, semis Saturday, final Sunday. Two sessions, the biggest matches, one day off work.
- The quick one. Fly Saturday morning, final Sunday, home Sunday night. Tight, and the final has no published start time, so check the last flight home before you book.
Can't make Barcelona? Our UK padel events calendar lists what's on closer to home.
Barcelona in December
Mild, not warm. Average figures from the AEMET station at Barcelona airport for 2016 to 2025 put December at a high of 15.8°C and a low of 7.4°C, with 34 mm of rain over the month. Daylight runs at a bit over nine hours.
Daytime is fine for a walk. The walk down Montjuïc after the last match can be heading towards that 7°C low. Spain sounds like T-shirt weather. In December evenings, it isn't. For a wider take on dressing for the cold, see our winter padel guide.
Play while you're there
Your mornings are free, so book a court. Playtomic is the easy route, and many UK clubs use it too. Two options that suit this week:
- Top Padel Barcelona, in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, has five indoor courts. It describes itself as the first indoor club to open in Barcelona. Indoor is useful in December if it rains.
- Club Natació Barcelona, on Passeig Joan de Borbó in Barceloneta, has four outdoor courts and lists equipment rental, so you could travel without a racket.
A morning game on Friday and the 13:00 quarter-finals fit in the same day. I've played in Malaga and Madrid, and on a short trip the simple move is to book your court before you fly. Our padel in Spain guide covers booking as a visitor, and the padel holiday packing list covers taking a racket on a plane.
What to pack for the cold bits
The Mk1 Box Hoodie is the one I'd fly in. It's 350 g/m² with a fleeced inside and an oversized boxy fit, so it goes over a tee and works for dinner after the final. It's £75, and that alone gets free UK delivery. If you'd rather a crew neck, our sweatshirts are £60, including the Sunday Padel Club Sweatshirt. For the walk down Montjuïc after dark, add something from headwear. The organic ribbed beanie is the easy add.
One timing note. Our clothing is made to order, which takes 7 to 10 working days in the UK. Thursday 10 December is the first day of the Finals and also our last UK order date for Christmas. If you want it in your bag for the flight, order in November.
FAQ
When are the Premier Padel Finals 2026? The FIP calendar lists Thursday 10 to Sunday 13 December 2026. Quarter-finals are on the Thursday and Friday, semi-finals on Saturday and the finals on Sunday.
Where are the Premier Padel Finals held? At the Palau Sant Jordi on Montjuïc in Barcelona. All matches are played on a single central court. The nearest major transport stop is Plaça d'Espanya.
How do players qualify for the Finals? Through the FIP Race, a ranking of results across the calendar year from Premier Padel and CUPRA FIP Tour events. The top 16 men and top 16 women qualify.
Can I buy Finals tickets from a resale site? Premier Padel says its own website is the only authorised seller and that resold tickets can lead to being refused entry. Buy direct.
What's the weather like in Barcelona in December? Mild days and cool nights. Long-run averages put highs around 16°C and lows around 7°C, with some rain. Pack a warm layer for evenings.
Padelism is not affiliated with Premier Padel or the FIP. Tour details are from the sources listed and were correct as of 18 October 2026.
