- May 15
- 6 min read
THE FORMULA 1 LENOVO GRAND PRIX DU CANADA 2026: BELL GPCANADA UNVEILS AN ENHANCED ON-SITE FAN EXPERIENCE
Village Bell, immersive activations, the CGV Experience, social and sustainable initiatives, CGV merchandise and the F1GPCanada mobile app will support fans from May 22 to 24 at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve
Montreal, May 15, 2026 — With just seven days to go before the Formula 1 Lenovo Grand Prix du Canada 2026, taking place from May 22 to 24 at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in parc Jean-Drapeau, Bell GPCanada is unveiling the new features and services that will shape the spectator experience on site. From arrival via Jean-Drapeau metro station to activation zones, including Village Bell, CGV merchandise boutiques, the CGV Experience, relaxation areas, social initiatives and digital tools, the event has been designed to offer a fluid, welcoming and memorable journey.
This year, the experience is built around a clear thread: helping fans move around more easily, plan better and make the most of every moment, whether between on-track sessions, within partner activations, at Village Bell, at the CGV Experience or in the food and relaxation areas.
“With just a few days to go before the site opens, our priority is simple: to offer spectators an experience that reflects the energy of Montreal and the prestige of Formula 1. Every detail, from wayfinding to the F1GPCanada app, from Village Bell to partner activations, and from social and sustainable initiatives to the food offering, is designed to make the weekend more enjoyable, more seamless and more memorable for everyone.” — Sandrine Garneau, Chief Operating Officer – Brand and Strategy, Bell GPCanada
THE F1GPCANADA APP: THE BEST TOOL TO GET AROUND AND PLAN YOUR EXPERIENCE
Spectators are invited to download the official F1GPCanada mobile app before they arrive. Available on Apple and Android, it brings together the essential information needed to organize the weekend: mobile tickets, schedules, programming, real-time notifications, transportation and weather, as well as information on services, food offerings and experiences to discover on site.
Designed as a comprehensive reference tool, the app will serve as a central guide to plan movements, consult the official site map, adjust one's route and make the most of the experience between on-track sessions.
PARTNERSHIPS AND FAN EXPERIENCES THAT ENRICH THE ON-SITE JOURNEY
Partner activations will play a central role in the on-site experience, with spaces designed to entertain, guide, surprise and support spectators throughout the weekend.
Across the circuit, spectators will have the opportunity to discover a variety of activation kiosks and relaxation areas, including eight stations and points of interest at Village Bell, as well as more than 130 food kiosks and dining points that will showcase the best of Montreal gastronomy.
“Our partners directly contribute to the quality of the experience spectators enjoy on site. This year, we wanted to create a richer, more immersive journey, where every activation adds real value, whether by making access easier, extending the action around the track, creating memories to share or offering moments of relaxation between sessions.” — Marie-Pier Bergevin, Vice-President, Sales, Customer Service and Chief Revenue Officer, Bell GPCanada
Along the route, fans will be able to enjoy race-related mini-games, track accessory customization workshops, photo booths, practical race-day giveaways, road and race cars on display, as well as relaxation, shade and viewing areas with giant screens.
VILLAGE BELL: EXPERIENCE SPEED WITH A CAPITAL B
At Village Bell, fans will gather around the theme Speed with a capital B. The space will feature a museum-style installation dedicated to Gilles Villeneuve, with a selection of archival photographs retracing key moments in his career, physical reproductions of his helmets and a video component featuring a trailer for the upcoming film about his life.
The route will also include several interactive experiences: GP Revolution, a cockpit-based timing game inspired by rhythm games; Create Your Team, an AI-powered experience that generates a personalized team identity; Pedal to the Metal, a reaction-time duel; Power Turn, a physical steering challenge; a memory game in versus or cooperative mode; and a virtual reality roller-coaster experience inspired by the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve layout. A prize counter will complete the experience.
Bell customers will also be able to benefit from the dedicated Bell entrance, under the signature “Skip the line at the Grand Prix with Bell.” By accessing the MyBell app, they will be able to present the dedicated QR code upon arrival; once the code is validated, the Bell customer and one guest will be able to access the site more quickly.
THE CGV EXPERIENCE: TOTAL IMMERSION
Already announced, the CGV Experience redefines the way to experience the Grand Prix by combining sport and entertainment in a unique environment. Taking place on a floating space at Jean-Doré Beach, it will feature a 100% Canadian music lineup (Bryan Adams, Simple Plan, Alessia Cara, The Beaches, Matt Lang, Dean Brody), as well as three days of activities combining racing and concerts in premium installations for spectators.
• Access to exclusive concerts
• Giant screens to follow racing events live
• Comfort areas, shaded zones and premium installations
• Exclusive food offerings
Tickets are now available for evening concerts only, as well as tickets combining daytime and evening access. In addition to the races, the daytime programming will feature exclusive panels on the CGV Concerts Bell GPCanada stage, with the participation of drivers from the F2 and F1 Academy series. The panels offered to the public will be announced in the official schedule, which will be published in the F1GPCanada app.
CGV: AN OFFICIAL COLLECTION AT THE HEART OF THE EXPERIENCE
The new CGV clothing and accessories collection is now available for fans getting ready to step onto Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve. More than a simple acronym, CGV celebrates the circuit’s heritage, pride and unique energy through a distinctive, 100% Canadian visual identity, designed for motorsport fans as well as design enthusiasts.
This year, a limited-edition item will bridge the CGV collection and the event’s sustainable initiatives: a handcrafted CGV cushion made in Quebec, with a cover cut from the banners that adorned Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve during last year’s Grand Prix. True collector’s items, only 100 numbered units will be offered for sale at a price of $60.00 plus taxes, available online next week and in boutiques on the circuit only during Grand Prix weekend.
While trackside banners are coveted objects among fans, Bell GPCanada chose to give them a second life and transform them into a unique, useful and comfortable item for true F1 enthusiasts. All profits from the sale of these cushions will be reinvested in the Grand Prix’s waste-sorting efforts.
The collection is available now at www.boutiquecgv.ca, as well as at CGV boutiques on site during race weekend. In Montreal, fans will also be able to find it at the Metro Square Victoria-OACI Pop-Up from May 18 to 24 inclusive, at Royalmount — at the concierge service — from May 9 to 24, and at Sport Expert Sainte-Catherine from May 18 to 24.
SOCIAL AND SUSTAINABLE INITIATIVES
Bell GPCanada also continues its commitment to accessibility, inclusion, the next generation and reducing the event’s environmental footprint through a series of social and sustainable initiatives deployed throughout the weekend.
The Grid Kids program, carried out in collaboration with Folie Technique, a non-profit organization specializing in science outreach that has offered camps and workshops to thousands of young people for more than thirty years, will give youth privileged immersion in the world of Formula 1, including a guided tour of the pit lane and garages. The initiative aims to establish concrete links between science and technology learning and their applications in motorsport.
The Awabots activity will make Formula 1 accessible to young people who cannot travel to the site by offering them remote immersion in the paddock and the opportunity to discover the sport behind the scenes through mobile computers in which users can embody themselves to interact and move around remotely as if they were physically present. It is deployed in collaboration with the Fondation de l’Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal and the Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation.
In collaboration with Make-A-Wish, four young people and their companions will enjoy an immersive experience at the heart of the Grand Prix du Canada, including special moments over several days, exclusive visits and meetings with drivers, creating meaningful and uplifting memories.
Around F1 Academy, four students from relevant post-secondary programs will have the opportunity to join teams in engineering, commerce, marketing and operations, and contribute to real assignments in an international context. A career workshop will also bring together around fifty students from Montreal universities in the F1 Academy paddock, with the contribution of Anne Roy, to present different professional pathways and encourage greater representation of women in motorsport and STEM.
On the environmental front, the Green Squad, composed of 70 volunteers trained in advance, will raise spectator awareness of eco-responsible practices, encourage waste sorting and support environmental management efforts on site.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Bell GPCanada would like to take this opportunity to thank Société du parc Jean-Drapeau, Tourisme Montréal, the Government of Quebec, the Government of Canada, its founding-partner Bell, all of our valued partners and sponsors, as well as our loyal fans.
To learn more and plan your experience, visit gpcanada.ca
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ABOUT BELL GPCANADA
Bell GPCanada, based in Montréal, is the official promoter of the Formula 1 Grand Prix Du Canada under an agreement with Formula One Administration Limited and Formula 1 World Championship Limited. Bell acquired the operations of the organization in 2021, and in 2026 adopted the Bell GPCanada identity, operating independently within the Bell group of companies.
Source : Bell GPCanada
For more information :
PHILIP VANDEN BRANDE | Executive Publicist, annexe média
+1 438 402 7391 | phil@annexe.media
EDOUARD BARBEAU | Advisor, Corporate Communications, annexe média
+1 514 795 5575 | edouard@annexe.media
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