Well Prepared for the 2026 Frankfurter Buchmesse: App, Map of the Halls, and Tips for Visiting the Fair

Before visiting: Schedule, Ticket, and Travel 

The Frankfurter Buchmesse App, Event Calendar, and Exhibitor Directory 
The Frankfurter Buchmesse event calendar features more than 3.000 events. It also includes an exhibitor directory and information on more than 1.000 speakers. Registered users can save events and mark exhibitors and speakers as favorites, both on the web and in the app, to plan their visit to the fair. The interactive hall map shows the fastest route to a destination. 
Go to the app: https://www.buchmesse.de/app(opens in a new window) 
Go to the event calendar: Programs and Event Calendar | Frankfurt Book Fair 2026(opens in a new window) 

New hall layout 
The Frankfurt Book Fair is reorganising its hall layout. Sections aimed at the general public will be located on a single level. This will enable readers to find their favourite genres and authors more quickly. The business sectors will be allocated their own, quieter workspaces. There, publishers, rights agents and service providers will find space for discussions, meetings and focused work. 
View the hall plan: The hall plan of Frankfurter Buchmesse(opens in a new window) 

Getting there and back 
To travel to the fair in an environmentally friendly way, we recommend using public transport. Use of public transport is included in trade visitor and exhibitor tickets. The ‘Messe’ stop is served by S-Bahn trains and buses, whilst the ‘Festhalle/Messe’ stop is served by underground trains, trams and buses. To enable that long-distance travel is also climate-friendly, the Frankfurt Book Fair has arranged special fares with Deutsche Bahn. 
More: Arrival at Frankfurter Buchmesse(opens in a new window) 

Limited tickets for members of the public 
Numerous literature fans are once again expected to attend the public days from Friday onwards in 2026. Thanks to the revised hall layout, even more members of the public will be able to visit the fair at the weekend. In consultation with Messe Frankfurt, the sale of tickets for members of the public is limited. On days when tickets are sold out, there will be no ticket sales at the venue. We therefore recommend securing tickets for chosen days in advance via the online ticket shop. New this year: children aged 7 to 12 can purchase their own discounted children’s ticket. 
More: Your entrance ticket to Frankfurter Buchmesse(opens in a new window) 

Free tickets for stand events (book signings) 
Some publishers organise their own book signings or book sales via their own ticketing systems. These free tickets for stand events are available directly from the publishers. Further details can be found in the relevant event listing in the calendar of events, on the Frankfurter Buchmesse website or on the publisher’s website. No separate ticket is required for ‘Meet the Author’ book signings on the Agora. Please note: a separate ticket is required to gain entry to the Frankfurt Book Fair. 
More: Book signings at #fbm26 | Frankfurter Buchmesse(opens in a new window) 

At the fair: finding the way around, meeting people, buying books 

Queuing areas for popular attractions 
Specially designated queuing areas for popular attractions ensure an optimal fair experience in the busiest halls. This arrangement applies to both selected book-signing sessions and book sales. 
Further information and an overview of the queuing areas: Waiting areas | Frankfurter Buchmesse(opens in a new window) 

Creator Lounge 
In 2026, the Steinerner Saal in the Festhalle will host the new Creator Lounge organised by Frankfurter Buchmesse and Bastei Lübbe. Here, creators can work on their content in peace and quiet whilst recharging their mobile phones and their ‘social battery’. The lounge will be open from Friday at 2 pm until Sunday at 4 pm for all holders of a press pass. As usual, the Press Centre in the Torhaus will be open every day of the fair as a quiet workspace for media representatives. 

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 Hessian Police, Messe Frankfurt and the security company commissioned by it, as well as the city’s fire brigade and emergency services. Security measures are constantly adapted to the current situation. Visitors should expect bag checks at all entrances to the exhibition grounds and take this into account when planning their time. Weapons, replica weapons (‘imitation weapons’), pocket knives and pepper spray are prohibited on the exhibition grounds. It is also advised to leave bulky items of luggage, such as trolleys, at home or hand them in at the cloakrooms before entering, in order to minimise the scope of the bag checks. 

Emergency Services and the Operation & Security Centre 
Throughout the fair, police officers and security staff will be on duty in all exhibition halls. Medical care is provided by the first-aid post on the exhibition grounds, which has a doctor on duty (German Red Cross, Hall 4.0 South/West, entrance to the Operation & Security Centre (OSC), Tel.: +49 (0) 69 7575-6500). At the Operation & Security Centre, representatives from the police, Messe Frankfurt, the security service, the fire brigade and the emergency medical services monitor the proceedings of the fair, including via CCTV cameras. They are in close contact with the emergency services in the halls and on the grounds, as well as with the fair management office. The police (110) and the fire service/ambulance service (112) can be reached via the usual emergency numbers. These emergency numbers can also be dialled from foreign mobile phones without an area code. 

Safety guidelines for cosplayers 
Cosplay is very welcome at Frankfurter Buchmesse. No registration is required. Props and imitation weapons will be checked and labelled at the entrances. Visitors may leave any items that are not permitted on the premises at the cloakrooms free of charge. The Frankfurter Buchmesse weapons regulations set out which props are permitted. 
More: https://www.buchmesse.de/cosplay(opens in a new window) 

Awareness Team and Code of Conduct 
An Awareness Team, comprising R.I.C.E. staff, will be on duty throughout the Book Fair. The team is based in the foyer of Hall 4.1, next to the information stand there, but is also on the move throughout the halls and can be reached by telephone (+4916097566522) and e-mail (awareness@buchmesse.de). Should visitors feel they have been discriminated against, they can approach the Awareness Team. Security staff and the police on site are responsible for security-related matters. 
Our rules for treating one another with respect and consideration: Code of Conduct | Frankfurter Buchmesse(opens in a new window) 

Accessibility 
Frankfurter Buchmesse attaches great importance to the issue of removing barriers. A wide range of measures are being implemented, such as simultaneous interpreting of selected events into German Sign Language, priority seating for people with physical disabilities at the fair’s stages, and low-stimulus quiet rooms where visitors can take a break from the hustle and bustle of the fair. Using the new Auracast™ Bluetooth technology, the sound from the Dialogue Stage in the Hall 4.0 foyer can, for the first time, be streamed directly to visitors’ hearing aids or headphones. Since this year, Frankfurter Buchmesse has also been providing information on its website in German Sign Language and in plain language. 
More: Accessibility | Frankfurter Buchmesse(opens in a new window) 

Drinking water taps 
Visitors can refill their own water bottles free of charge at four drinking water taps on the Agora. Reusable water bottles can also be purchased from the Fair Shop (Hall 4.1 foyer). Purchasing these bottles (made from sugar cane and BPA-free) supports the ‘Join the Pipe’ water project, which campaigns for access to clean drinking water for all and for a reduction in plastic waste. 

Audio Tour 
New this year: an audio tour guides visitors through Frankfurter Buchmesse will be available from the start of the fair on all major podcast platforms and on the Frankfurter Buchmesse website. 

Book sales 
Sales are permitted on all days of the fair, subject to fixed book prices. Exhibitors will clearly indicate at their stands whether or not they are taking part in sales. We ask visitors to be considerate when entering stands where work is in progress and negotiations are taking place regarding future favourite titles. 

Doors open to members of the public from Friday, 11.00 am 
Doors open to the general public on Friday from 11.00 am, and on Saturday and Sunday from 9.00 am. 
Doors open to trade visitors every day from 9.00 am. 

All further important information about FBM26 can be found in the fair guide. 
More: Fair Guide | Frankfurter Buchmesse(opens in a new window) 

Contact for the media: 
Press and Corporate Communication, Frankfurter Buchmesse, press@buchmesse.de 
Dr Torsten Casimir, Vice President | Communications & Content, casmir@buchmesse.de 
Katharina Crass, PR Trainee, Phone: +49 69 2102 173, crass@buchmesse.de 

About Frankfurter Buchmesse 
Frankfurter Buchmesse is the international publishing industry’s biggest trade fair and the most important international marketplace for content – from novels and children’s books to academic databases and stories for films, games and virtual reality experiences. Publishing professionals from around the world meet here with partners from the technology sector and from related creative and cultural industries, sparking new partnerships and business models. Since 1976, the book fair has featured an annual Guest of Honour country, which showcases its book market, literature and culture to attendees in a variety of ways. Frankfurter Buchmesse organises the participation of German publishers at international book fairs and hosts trade events throughout the year in major international markets. Frankfurter Buchmesse is a subsidiary of the Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels (German Publishers & Booksellers Association). buchmesse.de/en