Trade Fairs in Germany 2026–2027: Calendar by City

German fairs are run by exhibition companies, many of them publicly owned by their city and federal state. Each company owns its grounds and builds a calendar around a few leading fairs in fixed sectors. A handful of terms come up again and again:

Messe

German for trade fair, and part of most organiser names, such as Messe Frankfurt or Messe München.

Leading fair

The fair that sets the agenda for its sector worldwide (Leitmesse). Exhibitors plan launches around it.

Cycle

How often a fair takes place. Many run every year; some run every two, three or four years, so not every fair appears in both 2026 and 2027.

AUMA

The Association of the German Trade Fair Industry. It publishes a database of trade fairs held in Germany.

The count below is the number of fairs with confirmed 2026 or 2027 dates in our directory, per city. It depends on which fairs fall in which year, so the order can change when multi-year fairs return.

The exhibition grounds of Messe Frankfurt are a short walk from the main station. The city is known for consumer goods, automotive aftermarket, building services and books, with fairs such as Ambiente, Automechanika, Light + Building and the Frankfurt Book Fair.

All upcoming trade fairs in Frankfurt

Koelnmesse is on the right bank of the Rhine in Deutz, opposite the cathedral. Food, furniture supply and games are strong themes: Anuga, ISM, interzum and gamescom are among its best-known events.

Showing the first 12 of 23 fairs. All upcoming trade fairs in Cologne

Messe Düsseldorf lies in the north of the city, between the Rhine and the airport. Its calendar leans towards medical technology, wine, packaging, printing and plastics, with MEDICA, ProWein, interpack, drupa, K and the boat show boot.

Showing the first 12 of 22 fairs. All upcoming trade fairs in Düsseldorf

Messe München occupies the site of the former airport in Riem, in the east of the city. Construction machinery, building materials, electronics, environmental technology and logistics dominate, with bauma, BAU, electronica, IFAT and transport logistic.

Showing the first 12 of 22 fairs. All upcoming trade fairs in Munich

Deutsche Messe runs one of the largest exhibition sites in Germany, in the south of Hanover. Industrial technology and agriculture are its core: HANNOVER MESSE, AGRITECHNICA, EuroTier and LIGNA take place here.

All upcoming trade fairs in Hanover

NürnbergMesse sits in the south-east of the city, next to the underground line to the centre. Organic food, toys, embedded systems and IT security are its signature themes, with BIOFACH, Spielwarenmesse, embedded world and it-sa.

Showing the first 12 of 23 fairs. All upcoming trade fairs in Nuremberg

Messe Berlin is in the west of the city, beneath the radio tower (Funkturm). Travel, fresh produce, consumer electronics and rail technology are the main themes: ITB Berlin, FRUIT LOGISTICA, IFA and InnoTrans.

Showing the first 12 of 15 fairs. All upcoming trade fairs in Berlin

The tables show the next fairs in each city by date. Click a name to open the fair page with its dates, venue and, where available, the number of exhibitors. The city pages list every upcoming fair and can be filtered by sector and month.

Keep the cycle in mind: many leading fairs take place every two or three years. If a well-known fair is missing from a table, its next edition often falls outside 2026 and 2027 or has not yet been confirmed by the organiser. Always compare important dates with the official fair website before you book travel or a stand.

Large fairs fill hotels across the whole city, and prices rise sharply during fair weeks. Plan travel as soon as the dates are confirmed, and consider staying in a neighbouring town with a good train connection.

• Several months ahead: book travel and accommodation, and apply for a visa if you need one. Organisers usually provide an invitation letter for the application.
• Six to eight weeks ahead: review the exhibitor directory, pick the companies you want to meet and note their hall and stand.
• Three to four weeks ahead: request meetings. Exhibitors fill their stand diaries before the fair, and a fixed slot is worth more than a chance visit.
• After the fair: follow up while the conversation is fresh. Our guide on following up with trade fair contacts covers timing and the rules.

These time frames are rough practical guidance, not measured figures.

Be careful here. Under German unfair competition law, marketing emails generally need the recipient's prior consent, even when the recipient is a company. A request for a meeting at the stand can already count as marketing. Exhibitors from other countries fall under the rules of their own country, which are often different.

Our guide Is It Legal to Email Trade Fair Exhibitors? explains the UK and EU rules, and How to Get a Trade Fair Exhibitor List compares the sources of exhibitor data. This article is general information, not legal advice.

A ready list means that the exhibitors of that edition have been compiled and their business email addresses checked. You can open the fair page to see the number of companies and the coverage before deciding anything; the list itself is opened in your Expomatik account, and the price is shown before you open it.

Which German city has the most trade fairs?

Frankfurt, Cologne, Düsseldorf, Munich, Hanover, Nuremberg and Berlin all run large exhibition centres, and the ranking changes from year to year because many fairs run every two or three years. The table in this article counts the fairs with confirmed dates in our directory.

Do I need a visa to visit a trade fair in Germany?

Visitors from outside the Schengen area may need a Schengen visa, depending on their nationality. Organisers usually offer an invitation letter for visa applications once you have registered or bought a ticket. Apply early, because consulates get busy before large fairs.

How reliable are the dates in this calendar?

The calendar only lists fairs with a confirmed start and end date from the organiser. Organisers do occasionally move or cancel events, so check the official fair website before you book travel.

Where can I see the exhibitors of a German trade fair?

Most organisers publish an online exhibitor directory before the fair. In the tables below, fairs marked with a ready exhibitor list can also be reviewed in Expomatik, where the list is opened in your account.