Seven months before it opens, FEINDEF 27 has already booked 94% of its exhibition space. Spain’s International Defence and Security Exhibition will be its largest edition to date, and the window for international companies that want to be in Madrid is closing fast.
Madrid, Spain — FEINDEF 27 will take place from 18 to 20 May 2027 at IFEMA Madrid, across five halls and more than 89,000 m², 46% more than in 2025. More than 746 exhibitors have already confirmed, over 250 of them from abroad, with 14 international pavilions. The figures were announced on 26 October 2026 at the official presentation of the fifth edition, held at the Rafael del Pino Auditorium and chaired by the Secretary of State for Defence, María Amparo Valcarce, together with Fundación Feindef, TEDAE, AESMIDE and the chief executives of Spain’s leading defence companies. ACK3, Strategic Partner of FEINDEF 27, supports international companies that want to exhibit and do business in Madrid.
What is FEINDEF?
FEINDEF is the International Defence and Security Exhibition of Spain. Organised by Fundación Feindef with the institutional support of the Spanish Ministry of Defence and the industry associations TEDAE and AESMIDE, it has been held every two years at IFEMA Madrid since 2019. It brings together the Armed Forces, public administrations, prime contractors, SMEs, start-ups, universities, research centres and official delegations from around the world, and covers land, air, naval, space, cyber defence, autonomous systems, artificial intelligence and secure communications.
already booked
+46% on 2025
+19% on 2025
expected
Source: Fundación Feindef, 26 October 2026.
A larger, younger and more international show
The figures tell more than the headline. Floor space is growing more than twice as fast as the number of exhibitors (46% against 19%), which means companies are not only returning but booking larger stands. At the same time, 37% of confirmed exhibitors will be at FEINDEF for the first time, many of them from electronics, software, drones and components, and more than 250, about one in three, come from abroad. Two new areas reflect where the sector is heading: Innova for Def&Sec, for start-ups, emerging technologies and new industrial capabilities, and Hub Talento, which connects students and young professionals with careers in defence and security.
From 12,873 to 63,000 visitors in eight years
FEINDEF has more than tripled its audience since its first edition. It welcomed 12,873 professionals in 2019 and 43,323 in 2025, when 628 exhibitors from 68 countries and 91 international delegations from 49 countries met in Madrid. In 2025 those delegations were headed by ministers, secretaries of state and national armaments directors. For 2027, the organisers expect 63,000 professional attendees and around 100 international delegations.
Europe wants more defence industry, and Spain is ready
FEINDEF 27 arrives as Europe and NATO push industry to produce more and faster. Speaking to industry leaders at NATO Headquarters in June 2026, Secretary General Mark Rutte was direct:
“When you, all of you, produce more, our deterrence and defence posture is stronger, and we are all safer.”
— Mark Rutte, Secretary General of NATO
Spain is part of that answer. The European Commissioner for Defence and Space, Andrius Kubilius, has said it plainly: “Spain has a very strong defence industry.” According to TEDAE, the sector is growing at double-digit rates and exports around half of what it produces.
What Spain’s defence leaders said in Madrid
The presentation turned into a frank debate on speed, investment and Europe’s place in the world. For the President of TEDAE, Alberto Gutiérrez, the money stays at home:
“Thinking about our security again is not a sign of fear, it is a sign of maturity. Out of every 10 euros in modernisation programmes, eight stay in Spanish industry and nine in European industry.”
— Alberto Gutiérrez, President of TEDAE and Vice-President of Fundación Feindef
“It is far cheaper, in economic terms, to deter than to resolve a conflict.”
— Ángel Olivares, President of Fundación Feindef
The President of AESMIDE, Gerardo Sánchez Revenga, summed up the purpose of the show: FEINDEF exists “to turn encounters into cooperation, and cooperation into capabilities.”
Company leaders went further. Indra Group CEO Josep María Recasens urged firms to invest before programmes arrive and said Spain should compete with Paris, Berlin and Rome, “in the Champions League of defence”. EM&E Group CEO Fernando Fernández warned that “having excellent systems is no longer enough; you have to have them in time”. Oesía’s executive chairman Luis Furnells said the problem is not money but certainty, and Telefónica Defensa y Seguridad CEO Javier López called communications “the nervous system of military operations” (El Debate).
Who you will meet at FEINDEF 27
Government
Ministries of Defence and Interior, procurement and armaments authorities.
Armed Forces
Army, Navy, Air and Space Force, Guardia Civil and National Police.
Industry
Indra, Airbus, Navantia, EM&E, Sener and 740+ exhibitors.
Delegations
Around 100 international delegations expected; NATO and the EDA attended in 2025.
Why exhibit at FEINDEF 27 through ACK3
With 94% of the floor sold, the last stands will go to the companies that move first, and those that arrive with a clear agenda will get the most out of three days in Madrid. As Strategic Partner of FEINDEF 27, ACK3 accompanies international exhibitors from the first contact to the follow-up after the show:
- Stand booking and contracting: access to the remaining space, official floor plans and rates, with support in English.
- B2B agenda in Madrid: meetings with Spanish primes, SMEs, the Ministry of Defence and official delegations, arranged before you land.
- Operational Deployment & Logistics Coordination: delegation protocol, secure transport and on-site coordination during the show.
- Market entry beyond the show: market intelligence, partner identification and support with industrial security clearances and restricted-access rooms (ZAR) to bid for Spanish programmes.
“FEINDEF 27 confirms that Spain is no longer a market to watch, but a market to be in. Our role is to make sure international companies arrive in Madrid with the right meetings, the right partners and the right information, and turn three days at IFEMA into long-term business.”
— Jorge Quintana, CEO and founder of ACK3
Frequently asked questions
- When and where is FEINDEF 27? From 18 to 20 May 2027 at IFEMA Madrid, Spain, across five halls and more than 89,000 m².
- Is there still space to exhibit? Yes, but little. On 26 October 2026, 94% of the exhibition space had been booked. ACK3 can share the current floor plans and the stands still available.
- How many visitors are expected? The organisers expect 63,000 professional attendees and around 100 international delegations, up from 43,323 attendees and 91 delegations in 2025.
- What is new in 2027? Innova for Def&Sec, an area for start-ups and emerging technologies, and Hub Talento, which connects young talent with the sector.
Do you want to be in Madrid in May 2027?
Secure one of the last stands at FEINDEF 27 and arrive with your agenda ready, with ACK3, Strategic Partner of the show.
