Frankfurter Buchmesse 2027 - international book fair

Frankfurter Buchmesse (the Frankfurt Book Fair) takes place every October in Frankfurt am Main; according to its organiser, it is the largest book fair in the world. It is both a rights and licensing marketplace for publishers, literary agents and film and games producers, and a literary festival for readers. The fair has been held since 1949 and now takes place at the Messe Frankfurt exhibition centre.

What to see at Frankfurt Buchmesse

• The Guest of Honour pavilion: every year the fair presents the literature of a different country.
• Since 2026 the halls have been split: the lower floors hold stages and publishers for the public, the upper floors international business; the Literary Agents & Scouts Centre and the Publishers Rights Centre, where rights and licences are traded, are in Hall 1.2.
• Frankfurt Calling: a cultural and political programme at venues across the fair and the city.

See more book fairs and publishing trade shows.

Buchmesse Frankfurt 2026: how it went

According to the organiser:

• 236,000 visitors from 137 countries: 119,000 trade visitors and 117,000 members of the public;
• 4,000 exhibitors and more than 3,800 events at the fair and around the city;
• the Guest of Honour was Czechia, with a 2,300 m² pavilion, more than 100 events and 75 authors;
• a literary weekend for the public, with romance and fantasy in the Festhalle, manga, cosplay and live podcasts.

Who should attend the Frankfurt Book Fair

• Publishers, literary agents and scouts — to trade translation, audiobook and film rights; producers — for Book-to-Screen Day and meetings with publishers.
• Readers — to meet authors and find children's books on the public days.

Tickets and entry. Trade visitors are admitted on all five days, and the public from Friday, as in previous years. Entry is paid, with separate tickets for trade visitors and the public; sales open in the summer. Public tickets are limited and may sell out before the fair. The organiser provides a visa invitation letter on request, but says that one is usually not needed for a business visa.