Useful Information for attendees of Frankfurter Buchmesse (15-19 October 2025)

Frankfurter Buchmesse App 

The Frankfurter Buchmesse app will be available from mid-September onwards and can be downloaded for free from iOS and Android app stores. It contains exhibitors, events, speakers, the hall plan and practical information about the fair. As a new feature, the app provides users recommendations based on their user behaviour. Thanks to its matchmaking function, visitors can extend their networks and make appointments for the fair.  

More information: https://www.buchmesse.de/en/app(opens in a new window) 

How to get to the fairgrounds 

Coming from the train station or the airport, we recommend using public transport for an easy and environmentally friendly journey to the fairgrounds. The use of public transport in Frankfurt is included in trade visitor and exhibitor tickets. The stop “Messe” is served by S-Bahn trains and buses, while the stop “Festhalle/Messe" is served by underground trains, trams and buses. To ensure that long-distance travel to Frankfurt is also climate-friendly, the Frankfurter Buchmesse has arranged special fares with Deutsche Bahn.  

More information: https://www.buchmesse.de/en/visit/arrival-accommodation(opens in a new window) 

Important: The Offenbach City Tunnel will be closed during the fair. For further information on rail replacement services, please visit the RMW website: https://www.rmv.de/c/en/timetables(opens in a new window) 

Accessibility  

Reducing barriers is one of the book fair’s top priorities. A wide range of measures have been implemented, such as special services and guided tours for blind and visually impaired people and priority seating for people with physical disabilities at the fair’s stages.  

More information: https://www.buchmesse.de/en/visit/accessibility(opens in a new window) 

Sustainability  

Frankfurter Buchmesse is implementing a wide range of measures to ensure that the event is as sustainable and environmentally friendly as possible. Visitors can fill up their own water bottles free of charge at drinking water stations on the Agora. Other measures include reducing carpets in the halls, regional catering, reducing print materials and the upcycling of used trade fair materials.  

More information: https://www.buchmesse.de/en/about-us/sustainability(opens in a new window) 

Private visitor tickets only available online  

Numerous literature fans are expected to attend the fair over the public visiting days. To ensure that the fair is a safe and positive experience for everyone, the number of private visitor tickets is limited. Tickets for Saturday in particular are expected to sell out before the fair. On sold-out days, there will be no ticket sales at the venue. Private visitors are therefore advised to secure tickets for their desired day in advance from the online ticket shop.  

More information: https://www.buchmesse.de/en/visit/tickets(opens in a new window) 

Free tickets for book signings   

Some publishers organise their own book signings or book sales via their own ticketing systems. These free tickets are available directly from the publishers. Details can be found in the respective event in the book fair's online calendar of events or on the publishers’ websites.   

Waiting areas for Halls 1.2/3.0 on the weekend 

To ensure a good fair experience on the public visiting days, also in the more crowded halls, there will be waiting areas. For Hall 1.2 with the New Adult Area, there will be waiting areas in the hall itself and in Hall 1.1. For Hall 3.0, waiting areas will also be provided in the outdoor area directly adjacent to Hall 3.0 and near Hall 4.0. This year, the Meet the Author area will be located in the Festhalle and has its own waiting areas at the signing tables.    

More information: https://www.buchmesse.de/en/waiting-areas(opens in a new window) 

Safety information  

Safety is a top priority at the Frankfurter Buchmesse. To ensure safety at the world's largest international book fair, the Frankfurter Buchmesse team works closely with various partners: the Hesse police, Messe Frankfurt and its security company, as well as the city fire brigade and emergency services. Security measures are constantly adapted to the current situation. Fair attendees should be prepared for bag checks at all entrances to the exhibition grounds and take this into account when planning their visit. Weapons, replica weapons (“imitation weapons”), pocket knives and pepper spray are prohibited on the exhibition grounds. It is also advisable to leave bulky items of luggage such as backpacks or trolleys at home or to hand them in at the cloakrooms before entering the exhibition grounds in order to reduce the time for bag checks.  

Emergency services and Operation & Security Centre  

Police officers and security personnel will be on duty in all exhibition halls throughout the trade fair. Medical care is provided by the medical station on the exhibition grounds with a doctor on duty (DRK, Hall 4.0 South/West, entrance to the Operation & Security Centre (OSC), tel.: +49 (0) 69 7575-6500). At the Operation & Security Centre, representatives of the police, Messe Frankfurt, security services, fire brigade and emergency services monitor the progress of the trade fair, including via video cameras. They are in close contact with the emergency services in the halls and on the grounds, as well as with the trade fair management office. The police (110) and fire brigade/emergency services (112) can be reached via the usual German emergency numbers. These emergency numbers can also be used from foreign mobile devices without an area code.  

Awareness Team and Code of Conduct 

We want to offer all participants of Frankfurter Buchmesse a good experience at the book fair. Therefore, an awareness team consisting of employees of the Federal Anti-Discrimination and Educational Work Association (BDB) is on duty throughout the book fair. The team is located in the foyer of Hall 4.1 next to the information stand there. If book fair visitors feel discriminated against during their visit they can contact the awareness team. The security staff and the local police are responsible for security-related issues.  

The fair’s Code of Conduct sums up the rules at the fair to guarantee an appreciative and respectful environment: 

https://www.buchmesse.de/en/about-us/code-conduct(opens in a new window) 

New: Book sales 

Selling books is permitted on all days of the fair, subject to price fixing. Exhibitors will clearly indicate at their stands whether or not they are participating in the sale. We ask visitors to be considerate when entering stands where business meetings are taking place. 

New: Admission from 10 a.m. for private visitors on Friday 

Admission for the general public is possible from 10 a.m. on Friday. 

New: FBM merchandise 

From the “unreliable narrator cap” to our “running on books socks”: all of this is now available in the FBM merchandise shop.  

Fair guide   

All important information about FBM25 can be found in the fair guide.   

More information: https://www.buchmesse.de/en/visit/fair-guide(opens in a new window) 

Further information on your book fair visit and tickets: https://www.buchmesse.de/en/visit 

Exhibitors and events at the fair can be found in the exhibitor directory (https://www.buchmesse.de/en/visit/exhibitor-directory(opens in a new window)) and the online calendar of events (www.buchmesse.de/events(opens in a new window))