“The place where the world comes together”

The 77th Frankfurter Buchmesse will serve as the global marketplace for licensing and rights, and the sounding board for political debates in turbulent times. It will also be a festival of stories, authors and readers.

The 77th Frankfurter Buchmesse (15–19 October 2025) will be all about connection and conversation. In times of escalating global conflicts, the international publishing industry’s most important gathering will promote dialogue. “The book fair in Frankfurt is the place where the world comes together,” says Juergen Boos, Director of Frankfurter Buchmesse. “In times of global tension, we need spaces for exchange, listening and cooperation more than ever before. Our mission is to connect people – as an international marketplace for rights and licensing, a stage for social debate, and a festival of compelling stories. In Frankfurt, we celebrate books and the power of dialogue across all borders.” 

Redesigned opening ceremony on 14 October

The book fair in Frankfurt will begin on 14 October 2025 with a redesigned opening ceremony featuring words and music, light and sound. In keeping with this year’s Guest of Honour, the Philippines, and its motto – “The imagination peoples the air” – the ceremony will focus on the relationship between imagination and reality. In addition to representatives from politics and culture, participants will include the Philippine Madrigal Singers, Frankfurt musician and artist Jan Hennig alias Kabuki, and three Filipino poets: Merlie M. Alunan, Marjorie Evasco and Mookie Katigbak-Lacuesta.

Culture and politics on the new Centre Stage

One of the new developments at the book fair is the Centre Stage in Hall 4.1. Among other topics, the stage will feature Frankfurter Buchmesse’s programme “Frankfurt Calling – Perspectives on Culture and Politics”. It will serve as the forum for dialogue on human rights and freedom of expression, on the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, on authoritarianism and strategies of democratic resistance, and on the significance of artificial intelligence for the future of work and society. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Ressa will be in attendance, as will former NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Palestinian bookseller Mahmoud Muna and German Minister of Justice Dr. Stefanie Hubig.

Book signings in the Festhalle, sales every day of the fair 

A trend has arrived that is here to stay: the growing interest in literature among the younger generation of readers, as demonstrated by the popular genres New Adult and Fantasy. Products and services for the “Romantasy” community and others are gaining in importance as a result. Hall 1.2 and the Festhalle will therefore provide space for fans to interact with their favourite authors. Well-known writers such as Bianca Iosivoni, Cassandra Clare and Abby Jimenez will put in an appearance in the Meet the Author area, which will be located in the Festhalle for the first time. 

On Saturday evening, 18 October, the TikTok Book Awards will be presented on the fairgrounds.

This year, the book fair will be open to the general public from 10 am on Friday. Exhibitors will be permitted to sell books on all five days of the fair.

Book-to-Screen Day with Caroline Wahl and Mia Maariel Meyer

Book-to-Screen Day at Frankfurter Buchmesse continues to grow. The initiative is building bridges between the international book industry, on the one hand, and film producers and screenwriters, on the other. In addition to masterclasses, networking events and matchmaking sessions, there will be a special highlight at this year’s fair: a conversation between bestselling author Caroline Wahl, Mia Maariel Meyer, director of the film 22 Bahnen (22 Lengths) which is based on Wahl’s novel, and the film’s screenwriter Elena Hell. The film will be awarded the “Frankfurter Buchmesse Prize for Best Adaptation” on 17 October at the Alte Oper concert hall in Frankfurt.

Frankfurt Kids Conference with Axel Scheffler

The Frankfurt Kids Conference will be responding to current political events by focusing discussion on “Children’s Books in a Fragile World”. On Wednesday, 15 October, the topics explored on the Centre Stage will range from promoting reading and writing skills to political and ideological attacks on children’s literature. Bestselling picture book illustrator Axel Scheffler (The Gruffalo) will deliver the keynote address. 

The Frankfurt Kids Festival will provide an extra-terrestrial perspective for families. From Friday to Sunday, when the fair is open to the general public, children can try their hand at being astronauts without even leaving the ground. Astronaut Matthias Maurer from the European Space Agency will also be on hand on Sunday.

Professional programme from audio to AI

The professional programme at Frankfurter Buchmesse 2025 invites decision-makers from the international publishing sector to attend presentations and talks on industry topics. The trends and strategies transforming publishing will be among the subjects discussed, along with current issues ranging from audio to AI. Speakers and panellists will include the CEOs of major publishing houses, such as Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, Bonnier, and Simon & Schuster. The Frankfurt Rights Meeting, the central gathering spot for the international rights and licensing business, will focus this year on Spanish-speaking markets, among other topics. Frankfurt’s importance for the international rights business is also reflected in the fact that all 540 tables in the Literary Agents & Scouts Centre were already fully booked months before the start of the fair.

Guest of Honour Philippines: Programme across and beyond Frankfurt

Traditionally, the Guest of Honour’s cultural programme extends beyond Frankfurt’s fairgrounds and even beyond its city limits. In keeping with the Guest of Honour motto “The imagination peoples the air”, the Philippines has prepared a diverse cultural programme. In addition to literature, the programme’s offerings include architecture, photography, films and concerts. Events and exhibitions will take place in Berlin and Heidelberg as well as in Frankfurt. This year’s Guest of Honour will bring more than 100 writers, artists, illustrators and other creatives to Frankfurt in October. One attraction in the city centre will be the “Jeepney Journey” on Rossmarkt square, for which a jeepney – one of the colourful collective public transport vehicles that are part of everyday life in the Philippines – will be transformed into a stage and meeting place for interaction, workshops and cultural exchange. The Guest of Honour Pavilion on the fairgrounds, built with sustainable, locally sourced materials such as bamboo and pineapple fibres, is designed as a walkable archipelago – an architectural concept that underscores the importance of coming together and sharing in Filipino communities.