Portugal Rally parked for 2027 as WRC calendar undergoes shake-up

Rally de Portugal will not feature in the 2027 World Rally Championship, ending a long run on the championship calendar — but organizers are already discussing a possible return in 2028.

The event was part of the very first WRC season in 1973 and became a regular fixture again in 2007 after dropping off the calendar at the end of 2001.

The 2027 edition had been scheduled for May 13 to 16, with plans for the rally to move its base from Matosinhos to Viseu.

However, organizers confirmed that the event will not go ahead next year following changes to the WRC schedule.

“With a date scheduled between May 13 and 16, the result of changes made by the promoter on the last day of preparation for the next season of the World Rally Championship (WRC), with the aim of making it as geographically diverse and intercontinental as possible, the Vodafone Rally of Portugal was one of the events whose scheduling was affected,” the statement read.

“The first talks between the Automobile Club of Portugal and the WRC Promoter have already taken place, aiming to evaluate the possibility of the Vodafone Rally of Portugal returning to the World Rally Championship in 2028.”

According to the Automobile Club of Portugal, the changes are intended to make the championship more geographically diverse and intercontinental, with Rally de Portugal among the events affected.

The club has already begun discussions with the WRC Promoter to assess the possibility of returning to the championship in 2028.

The full 2027 WRC calendar has yet to be confirmed, but it is expected to include several changes, with Rally Scotland and a potential Rally USA among the events being considered.