78th Frankfurter Buchmesse: An Update

The book fair is catering to the growing programmes for trade visitors and the public with 10 curated stages. In addition, there will be stages hosted by numerous partners and exhibitors, including the literary stage hosted by broadcasters ARD, ZDF and 3sat, the Reading Zone of Independent Publishers, and the Centre of Words. The Frankfurt Rights Meeting is celebrating its 40th anniversary. Under the theme “Rights Then. Rights Now,” rights and licensing professionals from around the world will gather online in September and in person in Frankfurt on 6 October. The focus will be on AI in the rights trade, business with French-speaking markets, media for children and young adults, and the sale of rights in English-speaking markets.

For the first time, manga, cosplay and Japanese pop culture will have their own featured spot on the Matsuri Stage. The Kira Kira Pop Art Event will host drawing classes and hands-on activities; artists from Japan and Germany will perform. Daily cosplay contests will bring costume art and literary characters to the stage.

The Czech Republic is the book fair’s Guest of Honour in 2026. Under the theme “A Country on the Coast”, 75 authors across all genres will travel to Frankfurt. The 2,300-square-metre pavilion, titled “Imagination Interface,” transports visitors to a poetic coastal landscape featuring round, inflatable elements, interactive buoys and a poetic lighthouse. Artificial intelligence will bring Czech literature to life in its own unique way; live artworks will be created with the help of a robot, among other methods.