SANYA, China, June 23, 2026 — With the excitement of the Sanya E-Prix still resonating along Haitang Bay, the city received another major boost today: Sanya has been officially confirmed as the Asian opening round of the 2026/27 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, with Round 7 scheduled for April 17, 2027.

The announcement, made as Formula E and the FIA unveiled a record-breaking 21-race calendar for Season 13, marks the China debut of the all-new GEN4 race car. The championship’s move from the Americas to Asia will begin on one of the most visually striking coastal street circuits on the international motorsport calendar.

A High-Stakes Stage for GEN4

“The Sanya round will be the first appearance of the GEN4 car in China,” said Alberto Longo, Co-Founder and Chief Championship Officer of Formula E. “Racing in China is deeply embedded in Formula E’s DNA. This compact coastal circuit will provide an outstanding early-season test for our drivers. It is a highly challenging track that pushes competitors to the limit, and we are confident it will deliver a tense, high-speed spectacle for fans around the world.”

More Than a Race

The Sanya E-Prix that concluded just days ago marked Formula E’s return to Haitang Bay after a seven-year absence. The race coincided with another significant milestone: the six-month anniversary of the Hainan Free Trade Port’s island-wide independent customs operations.

Broadcast live to 195 countries and regions, the event offered global audiences more than the speed and energy of electric motorsport. It also presented a vivid picture of a city accelerating its integration into the world community.

Unlike most Formula E circuits that thread through city centers, Sanya’s 2.25-kilometer track is built directly along the coastline, shaded by coconut groves. On one side, electric race cars reached peak speeds; on the other, luxury hotels and the Sanya International Duty Free Shopping Complex lined the shore. For spectators in the grandstands, the roar of engines merged with clear blue seas and skies—an experience that is genuinely unique on the global calendar.

Visitor and Driver Reactions

Egor Fomishkin, a Russian tourist who traveled with his family to attend the race, said: “The new cars are incredibly cool, and our whole family are FE fans. The beach scenery is picturesque, and encountering a top-tier sporting event while on vacation is simply a double surprise.”

Jake Dennis, the British driver for Andretti Formula E who won the Sanya round, added: “Sanya is undeniably a world-class resort destination. The hotel we stayed in is right next to the beach, and you can see vacationing families everywhere—it’s extremely relaxing. That atmosphere adds a rare sense of calm to an otherwise intense race week.”

A City Built for Global Events

The success of the Sanya E-Prix is no isolated achievement. The city is systematically building the infrastructure and expertise needed to host major international events.

In April 2026, Sanya successfully hosted the 6th Asian Beach Games. During the event, customs, foreign affairs, tourism, transport, and other departments coordinated to create a full-chain, standardized operational system covering foreign entry support, on-site management, and post-event venue use. That system has since been refined and is now standard procedure for every international event hosted by the city.

The results of open policies and strengthened services are already visible. In the six months since the Hainan Free Trade Port’s independent customs operations began, Hainan has processed 1.654 million inbound and outbound passenger trips, up 31.2% year-on-year. Foreign arrivals reached 913,000, an increase of 36.1%. The rising flow of international visitors continues to test and improve the city’s global hospitality capacity.

Hardware upgrades are keeping pace. The Bailu Gymnasium features a professional-grade sports floor, 360-degree ring screen, and concert-level sound system, enabling it to host international ball-game competitions for up to 10,000 spectators. The Haitang Bay coastal circuit is purpose-built for Formula E and can also be adapted for outdoor festivals, sports carnivals, and youth culture events after the race. Together with the venue legacy of the Asian Beach Games and the professional hosting, security, and media teams developed through multiple events, Sanya is steadily evolving from a one-off event host into a city capable of systematically welcoming international spectacles.

So far in 2026 alone, Sanya has hosted or confirmed major international events including the Asian Beach Games, the Hainan Island International Film Festival, the HYROX International Fitness World Tour Final (December 2026), and the 2026 China AOPA Drone Soccer Championship.

“We have moved from occasionally hosting an event to a stage where international sports bodies are actively seeking partnerships with us,” said a senior representative of the Sanya municipal authorities. “The Hainan Free Trade Port policy advantages—including visa-free entry for citizens of 86 countries—give us a competitive edge, but what really earns us repeat business is proven operational reliability.”

Systemic Support

Behind Sanya’s events economy are three structural strengths working in coordination:

Policy Gateway — Hainan Free Trade Port’s visa-free entry policy for 86 countries removes the single largest travel barrier for international participants and spectators. Combined with open aviation rights, Sanya now operates dozens of stable international routes connecting Southeast Asia, Russian-speaking markets, Central Asia, and Central and Eastern Europe.

Global Promotion Network — Sanya has established 23 overseas tourism promotion offices in over ten countries, including Germany, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, and Kazakhstan. These offices act as global information nodes, tracking international travel market trends and the sports events industry in real time, and connecting Sanya with overseas event organizers and resources.

Institutional Innovation — Sanya has introduced a one-stop approval service for cultural, sports, and entertainment events, along with dedicated management and support mechanisms for such activities, backed by funding and digital platforms. For event organizers, processes that once required visits to multiple government departments can now be completed through a single window.

Looking Ahead

On April 17, 2027, the GEN4 car will roar onto the Sanya Haitang Bay circuit for the first time. With 600 kW (more than 815 horsepower), active all-wheel drive, and a 0–100 km/h acceleration time of just 1.8 seconds, the new generation of cars will push the limits of performance through every corner of this compact coastal track. Global audiences will once again witness the fusion of high-speed racing and tropical coastal scenery.

“Sanya already offers everything people imagine when they think of a tropical island destination,” the Sanya representative added. “But we are building something more than a postcard. We are building a city where international top-tier events can enter, succeed, and return year after year. We warmly welcome global events of all kinds to come to Sanya, share the opportunities of the Free Trade Port, and experience for themselves the unique charm of a city that is livable, visitable, and business-friendly.”