Grand Prix (Magic: The Gathering)

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Grands Prix (GPs) were professional Magic: The Gathering tournaments, awarding cash prizes, Pro Points and invitations to Pro Tours. They were open to all players and were usually the biggest Magic tournaments by participant count. The first Grand Prix was held on 22–23 March 1997 in Amsterdam (Netherlands). Until their cancellation, 702 Grand Prix events were held, the biggest being GP Las Vegas 2015 with 7,551 competitors,^[1] making it the biggest trading card game tournament held at the time.

Grand Prix tournaments were the main event of a minimum three-day mini-convention. The term "Grand Prix" could refer to either the tournament or to the entire weekend. Starting in 2019, as part of a broader re-branding, the term MagicFest was introduced to refer to the overall event, which includes both the Grand Prix main event and a number of Side Events, which last for only a few hours and which have comparatively smaller prize pools.^[2][3] Due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, Grand Prix events were cancelled in 2020. Due to, during the pandemic years, Wizards of the Coast deciding to move the marketing and focus of the game away from competitive play towards the much larger 'casual', often multiplayer-focused audience, Grand Prix events have not returned. However, on 20th August 2024, Wizards of the Coast announced a new tournament series called Magic Spotlight Series, starting in 2025. They are open events with a $50,000 price pool, also rewarding the top 8 finishers with a Pro Tour invitation, so they can be seen as spiritual successors for the Grand Prix series. ^[4]