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The Hollywood actor, owner of the Visit Angola Westbrook Racing team, announced yesterday, Thursday 26 March, during a presentation event in the Angolan capital —which was attended by E1 founder and chairman Alejandro Agag and Márcio de Jesus Lopes Daniel, Minister of Tourism of the Republic of Angola— that Angola will join the UIM E1 World Championship calendar presented by PIF. The E1 Luanda GP 2026 is scheduled for the weekend of 12–13 September 2026, joining an international calendar that already includes cities such as Monaco, Miami and Lake Como, among others. This announcement marks a milestone, making Angola the first host of the championship in Southern Africa.
Madrid, 27 March 2026. – The E1 Series, the world’s first all-electric powerboat championship and a new benchmark in sporting luxury —which features global figures such as Will Smith, Rafael Nadal, LeBron James, Tom Brady, Marc Anthony and Steve Aoki among the star-studded line-up of team owners— has officially announced Angola as a new host destination, with the E1 Luanda Grand Prix 2026 set to take place over the weekend of 12–13 September. This milestone positions Angola as the first host of the championship in Southern Africa.
The announcement was made by American actor and producer Will Smith, owner of the Visit Angola Westbrook Racing team, who presided over the official launch event held yesterday, Thursday 26 March, in Luanda alongside Alejandro Agag, founder and chairman of the E1 League, and Márcio de Jesus Lopes Daniel, Minister of Tourism of the Republic of Angola. “Africa has always embodied passion and unstoppable determination. E1 in Angola is more than a moment; it’s a movement. This September, the world will be watching, and I’m thrilled to be part of it,” said Will Smith.
Beyond the official announcement, the visit includes an institutional and cultural agenda designed to highlight the destination’s potential. This includes the “Blue Dinner”, an event focused on attracting investment in nautical tourism —a strategic segment whose roadmap was approved in December 2025 by the Council of Ministers— as well as visits to emblematic sites such as the National Museum of Slavery, Mussulo Island and the National Museum of Military History, showcasing the country’s rich cultural, historical and natural heritage. With more than 1,600 kilometres of Atlantic coastline, Luanda is positioning itself as one of Africa’s main gateways and a natural setting to host a competition such as E1. The city will work alongside the championship to strengthen its commitment to a sustainable development model, supported by key investments —such as hydropower— and a long-term vision that places innovation and environmental protection at the core of its growth.
“We are proud that Angola is the new destination for the E1 Championship. With its international reach, E1 represents a key platform to showcase our country’s potential and future. Angola is building its tourism industry from the ground up, with a structured and progressive approach that prioritises sustainability, innovation and long-term value creation —principles we share with E1 and that guide our development model. This milestone reinforces our international positioning in the sports arena. We look forward to seeing the E1 RaceBirds competing in our waters,” said Márcio de Jesus Lopes Daniel, Minister of Tourism.
For his part, Alejandro Agag, founder and chairman of E1, stated: “We are delighted to welcome Luanda, Angola, as a key new stop on the global E1 calendar and as a statement of our ambition to continue expanding internationally. It is fantastic to have Will Smith as a team owner supporting this exciting new location, and to see both his enthusiasm and that of the local community for this unique form of racing on water.”
Teams and broadcast of the E1 Luanda WC 2026
The E1 Championship features ten teams led by prominent figures from international sport and entertainment, including Rafa Nadal —who was one of the first to join the competition in 2023 with Team Rafa— as well as Visit Angola Westbrook Racing (owned by Will Smith); Team Miami, sponsored by Magnus and owned by Marc Anthony; Aoki Racing Team (owned by Steve Aoki); Team Drogba (owned by Didier Drogba); Team Brady (owned by Tom Brady); and Team AlUla (owned by LeBron James), among others. These are just some of the teams and their electric RaceBird powerboats, piloted by mixed-gender crews, which will make their debut in Angolan waters next September, bringing this innovative competition to the country’s Atlantic coast. The global expansion of the sport has been one of the founders’ key goals since its inception, and according to organisers, that vision is now becoming a reality. The team owners collectively reach more than 1.2 billion followers on social media, and the championship is broadcast to fans in over 230 territories via platforms such as DAZN and SuperSport, as well as through the official E1 YouTube channel.
View the full E1 World Championship calendar here.
Tickets for the E1 Angola GP 2026 will be available via the following link: https://www.e1series.com/tickets
Picture rights: Will Smith & E1 founder and Chairman Alejandro Agag ©UIM E1 World Championship presented by PIF