Formula 1 brought Baku a record number of foreign tourists – 10-year figures
In 2026, more than 16,000 foreign tourists came to Baku for the Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix — a record for the entire history of the event. That is at least 2,000 more than in 2025.
Abdulrahman Sadikhli3 min read
Holding the Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku has become one of the key international events influencing tourist flows to the capital. In 2026, more than 16,000 foreign tourists came to the race — a record figure for the entire history of the event in the country.
The 2026 record
According to Baku City Circuit Operating Company, the number of overseas tourists who arrived in Baku for the 2026 race exceeded 16,000 people. This is the highest result in the entire history of Formula 1 in Azerbaijan.
The 2026 figure is at least 2,000 people, or 14.3 percent, higher than in 2025. International interest in the race was also reflected in ticket sales: fans from more than 120 countries bought tickets for the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, indicating a broadening geography of participants.
The tenth anniversary Azerbaijan Grand Prix brought a record number of foreign visitors to Baku and drew the attention of fans from around the world to the Azerbaijani capital.
How the figures changed
The first Formula 1 race in Baku took place in 2016. At that time, more than 25,000 fans from 47 countries came to the European Grand Prix, but that number also included local spectators, so it cannot be presented as the number of foreign tourists.
In 2017, the total number of spectators at the race was 71,541 people, with foreign fans accounting for about 35 percent. In 2018, 94,000 people in total watched the race and the concert programme, and the number of foreign visitors rose by 31 percent compared with the previous year.
In 2020, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix was not held because of the pandemic. In 2021, the race took place again, but because of the pandemic the figures for that period are difficult to compare directly with previous years.
In 2022, more than 10,000 foreign tourists came to Baku in connection with Formula 1. In 2023, the share of foreign fans in ticket purchases was about 70 percent, and fans from more than 100 countries showed interest in the race. In 2024, 77 percent of tickets were bought by foreign nationals, but the final number of tourists who came to Baku specifically for Formula 1 that year was not announced separately.
In 2025, more than 14,000 foreign tourists came to Baku for Formula 1. Looking only at recent years for which a specific number of overseas tourists was cited, the trend looks like this: more than 10,000 in 2022, more than 14,000 in 2025 and more than 16,000 in 2026.
Data limitations
It should be noted that the number of foreign tourists for all years from 2016 to 2026 was reported using different methodologies, so it is impossible to calculate precisely the total number of tourists who came to Baku because of Formula 1 over 10 years.
Source: musavat.com
