Frankfurt Book Fair sees steady attendance

The Frankfurt Book Fair, the world's largest professional book fair, welcomed 65,000 professional visitors from 130 countries during its first two days, matching last year's attendance. Despite some disruptions, visitor numbers continued to grow slightly in the following days.

Exhibitor numbers remain strong

The fair featured 4,000 exhibitors and over 3,800 events, with the only decline noted in the number of rights sold, dropping from 591 tables in 2025 to 582 this year. This suggests a slight slowdown in publishing deals, but overall participation remains robust.

New layout divides opinions

The fair's new layout, including wider aisles, was praised by German media, but some professionals criticized the distance between hall 3.1 and the agent center. French publishers also missed the Anglo-Saxon stand, which had previously been a key meeting point.

Technology and data tracking introduced

For the first time, the fair used a mobile phone geolocation system to track visitor movements more precisely. This data should help improve the layout and visitor experience in future editions of the event.

Business challenges and trends

Juergen Boos, the fair's director, highlighted growing fragmentation in rights sales and pressure on margins from audio subscriptions priced around seven or eight euros. He also noted a rising interest in audiovisual adaptations, with a dedicated day set aside for the topic.

Leadership change and new passions

After 21 years leading the Buchmesse, Boos will step down on November 1, passing the role to Joachim Kaufmann. Boos plans to focus more on his passion for motorcycles, while AI and audiobooks dominated much of the fair's discussion.

Audiobooks gain prominence

Audiobooks continued to grow in importance, with their area expanded to two levels in hall 4. Major platforms like Audible and Spotify were present, along with new exhibitors using voice synthesis technology. A dedicated space for youth publishing was also established in the same hall.

Youth publishing under review

The fair offered an early assessment of the youth publishing sector, six months before the Bologna Children's Book Fair. Concerns about declining birth rates and reduced reading engagement were raised, prompting new initiatives like the Frankfurt Kids Conference to address these challenges.

Quotes highlight industry challenges

Notable statements included a French publisher's comment on the language barrier in business, and Piers Pickard of Lonely Planet emphasizing the role of curation in publishing. Vincent Montagne called for stronger copyright enforcement against AI, while Joachim Kaufmann acknowledged the need for a more flexible management approach.

Travel publishing adapts to change

Travel publishers discussed their evolving role in a market where information is spread across the internet, books, and AI. Industry leaders stressed the importance of quality over quantity, rejecting pessimism about the future of publishing while acknowledging the potential of digital tools to connect books with readers.