EQT is preparing to sell its controlling stake in Parques Reunidos in a deal valued at about €1.7 billion. The Swedish private equity firm has appointed JPMorgan to manage the process. The sale could bring a major ownership change for one of Spain's best-known leisure operators.
The sale has not been completed. Expansión cited market sources when reporting the planned disposal and the bank selected to handle it. Reuters also reported the proposed €1.7 billion deal, saying the process is at an early stage and no buyer has been identified.
EQT took control of Parques Reunidos in 2019 through a public offer and the Piolin BidCo structure. The proposed sale would mark a potential exit from an existing investment, following that acquisition of control.
Parques Reunidos runs dozens of theme parks across Europe, alongside zoos and water parks. Its assets include Parque Warner and Parque de Atracciones de Madrid, giving the company a broad presence in the European leisure market.
The shareholder structure indicates the scale of the proposed deal. EQT controls about 51% to 52% of Parques Reunidos. Corporación Financiera Alba owns 25%. The remaining 23% is controlled by Belgian investment fund Groep Brussel Lambert. EQT's controlling stake puts it at the center of any ownership change.
JPMorgan's appointment gives the process a named financial adviser. Spanish media have mentioned Merlin Entertainments and Compagnie des Alpes as possible interested parties, but those names remain market speculation, not confirmation of negotiations. No buyer or definitive transaction terms have been disclosed. The available information does not say whether the other shareholders plan to sell. The reported valuation applies to the stake EQT is marketing and is also put at about 1.9 billion dollars.
Neither EQT nor Parques Reunidos has issued an official comment in the reports. The coverage relies on market sources, not a company announcement or a completed regulatory filing.
The deal would involve a company operating across several leisure formats and European markets. Its portfolio spans a range of leisure sites. Parque Warner and Parque de Atracciones de Madrid are two of its most prominent Spanish assets.
EQT has also appeared in an earlier market report about a joint bid for Acciona Energía. In the Parques Reunidos case, the reported move is a sale of an existing controlling stake, rather than an announced acquisition.
The proposed sale comes as EQT remains active in Spain. Expansión separately reported that EQT had completed the acquisition of Urbaser with Blackstone for €5.6 billion during the same week. That deal offers broader context for the firm's current activity in the Spanish market.
Reports so far identify the seller and adviser, estimate the value and outline the shareholder breakdown. They do not name a buyer or give final terms.
For Parques Reunidos, the immediate issue is ownership; no changes to its parks or operating model have been announced. For EQT, the reported decision puts a valuable leisure asset into a formal sale process. Until a buyer and definitive agreement are disclosed, the €1.7 billion figure remains the market valuation attached to the proposed deal, not the price of a completed sale.
