About This Show
MWC Shanghai is Asia's largest mobile and connectivity event, organised by the GSMA at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC). It showcases 5G, AI, cloud and digital transformation for the Asia-Pacific market, drawing the major telecom operators, device makers and, increasingly, the robotics and satellite supply chains.
2026 Recap
MWC Shanghai 2026 ran June 24-26, 2026 and closed with 37,300 attendees from 143 countries and territories, with international attendance up 33% year on year, 400+ exhibitors, sponsors and partners, around 300 speakers and roughly 700 international media outlets. Around 35% of attendees were director level or above and 33% came from industries beyond mobile.
GSMA Director General Vivek Badrinath used his keynote to move the industry's stated mission from connecting people to enabling intelligent machines, naming humanoid robotics, the low-altitude drone economy and autonomous vehicles as the three frontiers. HONOR's humanoid robots Vita Boy and Flash helped open the show. The edition also hosted the global MWC debut of a dedicated 6G Zone, staged ahead of WRC-27 with ZTE, CIIC Mobile, Samsung and Ericsson, alongside further new zones including Mobile AI Innovation Frontiers and the Constellations of the Future satellite zone. The Mobile Economy China 2026 report, published at the show, put China at more than 40% of the world's 5G connections, with 5G-Advanced commercialised across 330+ cities and past 30 million users. The inaugural GLOMO Awards Asia named Lenovo Best in Show for its stand and the vivo X Fold6 Best in Show product.
Next edition: MWC Shanghai 2027 runs June 23-25, 2027 at SNIEC.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was MWC Shanghai 2026 held?+
MWC Shanghai 2026 ran June 24-26, 2026 at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC).
How many people attended MWC Shanghai 2026?+
The show drew 37,300 attendees from 143 countries and territories, with international attendance up 33% year over year, alongside 400-plus exhibitors, sponsors and partners and around 300 speakers.
What were the biggest themes at MWC Shanghai 2026?+
GSMA framed the event around a shift from connecting people to enabling intelligent machines, with three frontiers in focus: humanoid robotics, the low-altitude drone economy and autonomous vehicles, all underpinned by 5G-Advanced. The edition also hosted the global MWC debut of a dedicated 6G Zone ahead of WRC-27.
When is the next MWC Shanghai?+
MWC Shanghai 2027 takes place June 23-25, 2027 at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre in Shanghai, China.
Which other GSMA events follow MWC Shanghai 2026?+
GSMA announced M360 ASEAN in Kuala Lumpur (September 9-10, 2026) and MWC26 Doha in Qatar (November 8-10, 2026).