The 2026 Frankfurt Book Fair in figures

The 78th Frankfurt Book Fair maintained the high standard set last year. 236,000 visitors from 137 countries attended the event, which featured around 4,000 exhibitors and more than 3,800 events. Just over half of the guests were trade visitors, and the new hall layout was well received by all, according to the organisers – who highlighted in particular the clear wayfinding and the appealing layout of the halls. Jo Lendle, publisher at Hanser and chair of the Publishers’ Committee, spoke of more space and less congestion. Frankfurt, he said, retains its relevance as a trade fair and is taking a big step towards becoming a festival of reading. The public days were noticeably more relaxed – lively, but not overcrowded.

With 137 countries represented, visitor numbers were higher than in the previous year. Visitors from 16 countries and territories attended for the first time, including Botswana, Namibia, Senegal, Guatemala and Greenland.

Other trends:

• The audiobook section attracted more exhibitors than last year.

• Book-to-Screen Day brought together publishers, agencies, production companies and filmmakers to discuss source material, rights and adaptations. Highlights included the panel discussion ‘European Adaptation Trends’ and a conversation between Volker Schlöndorff, Regina Ziegler and Jenny Erpenbeck about the film adaptation of ‘Heimsuchung’. As an example of how books can reach a new audience, the fair cites the upcoming Netflix release of Melanie Raabe’s novel *Die Falle*.

• The cultural policy programme ‘Frankfurt Calling’ comprised 125 events at 14 venues across Frankfurt. Topics discussed included digital surveillance, the protection of democratic institutions, international law and freedom of the press, with contributions from, amongst others, the historian Jill Lepore, the author and human rights lawyer Philippe Sands, and Melissa Fleming, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications.

• Women’s voices were strongly represented. Gisèle Pelicot spoke about sexual violence and said that the shame must be shifted to the other side. The SHEROES talk with Natalie Amiri, Düzen Tekkal and Alexa Hennig von Lange explored the influence of one’s background, whilst the international PublisHer specialist programme focused on career paths and the visibility of female perspectives within the industry. Whilst Anne Carson was announced as the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in Stockholm, these discussions were taking place in Frankfurt.

• The Czech Republic was the guest of honour, presenting itself under the theme ‘A Country by the Sea’ with more than 100 events and 75 authors. The pavilion covered 2,300 square metres, featured two stages and brought Czech literature to life with the help of AI.

• The trade fair describes the new Community Stage in the Festhalle as a crowd-puller. In collaboration with Bastei Lübbe, a Content Creator Lounge has also been created as a place for creators to relax and network.

The outlook: In the statement, Juergen Boos concludes that the future of the book is being shaped in several places at once: at the negotiating tables of rights agents, in the debate on AI and freedom of publication, and in encounters with readers. Sebastian Guggolz, Chairman of the Börsenverein, cites the declining reading skills among young people and the implications of AI as causes for concern. He says that, despite all the economic challenges, the high level of public interest allows him to look to the future with confidence.

The 79th Frankfurt Book Fair will take place from 6 to 10 October 2027. Chile is the guest of honour.