Abu Dhabi to host Euroleague Final Four again in 2027 and 2029

The announcement

Euroleague and the Department of Culture and Tourism of Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) said on Tuesday, 27 October 2026 that the Final Four will return to the Emirati capital in 2027 and 2029. The 2027 edition is set for the Etihad Arena between 28 and 30 May. The two semifinals will be played on Friday, 28 May 2027, and the weekend closes on Sunday, 30 May 2027 with the adidas NextGen EuroLeague final, followed by the EuroLeague championship game. The sources confirm the 2029 hosting but do not give its dates.

Abu Dhabi's first Final Four

The 2025 Final Four was the first the emirate staged, and it took place at the same arena in May 2025. Fenerbahce won the title there before about 12,000 spectators. Abu Dhabi paid about $25 million to Euroleague for that edition, the highest fee ever paid to host the final weekend. Real Madrid and Olympiacos voted against the move, which EL PAÍS describes as based on economic reasons. The first EuroLeague Super Cup also took place at the Etihad Arena in September 2026, when Real Madrid beat Olympiacos 89-83.

Tourism strategy

The agreement sits within Abu Dhabi's Tourism Strategy 2030. Its stated goals are to lift visitor numbers by more than 50% between 2023 and 2030 and to create 178,000 new jobs. It also aims to raise the tourism sector's contribution to the emirate's GDP from an initial 49,000 million dirhams (about 12,300 million euros) to 90,000 million dirhams a year. The same season also saw Dubai Basketball enter the 2025/26 campaign.

Initial contribution49,000

Annual target90,000

Initial contribution

49000 million dirhams

Annual target

90000 million dirhams

Data from the article text

Officials' reactions

Euroleague president Dejan Bodiroga welcomed the return and thanked Abu Dhabi for its continued backing. He said the 2025 edition was one of the best Final Fours in the league's 26 years of history.

“It is a huge pleasure to announce that the Final Four will return to Abu Dhabi.”

Saleh Mohamed Al Geziry, director general of Culture and Tourism at DCT Abu Dhabi, pointed to the wider effects of the event.

“The value of events of this magnitude goes far beyond the court, attracting investment, creating jobs and supporting local businesses.”

Euroleague chief executive Chus Bueno called Abu Dhabi "a key partner for this vision" and said the league would keep bringing club basketball to a global audience.

What comes next

EL PAÍS reports that the 2027 Final Four follows the 2026 edition in Athens. Greek outlets report that the four strongest teams of the season will compete for the title in the 2027 weekend. The sources give no further details on the format or dates of the 2029 weekend.