City guides
Business events in Cologne in 2026–27: the trade fair calendar at Koelnmesse
Cologne's 2026–27 trade fairs month by month: Anuga, gamescom, IDS, imm cologne, DMEXCO and more, plus tickets, transport and how to plan.
By the atndr teamPublished 6 min read
The short answer
Business events in Cologne are trade fairs at Koelnmesse, the exhibition centre in Deutz. The best known are Anuga 2027 (food and drink, 9–13 October), gamescom 2027 (games, business days from 25 August), IDS 2027 (dental, 16–20 March), imm cologne and interzum (furniture), ISM (sweets and snacks) and DMEXCO (digital marketing). The season runs January to April and September to November. Most fairs are trade-only, and many tickets include free local transport.
Key takeaways
- Nearly every business event in Cologne takes place at Koelnmesse in Deutz, which has 290,000 m² of exhibition space.
- The busiest months are January to April and September to November; July and December are quiet.
- 2027 is a heavy year: biennial fairs Anuga, IDS, interzum and Asia-Pacific Sourcing all return.
- Most fairs are trade-only and need proof of trade status; buy tickets online before you travel.
- Köln Messe/Deutz station is next to the grounds, and many tickets include free VRS public transport.
On this page
When is the trade fair season in Cologne?
Cologne's trade fair season runs almost all year, with the busiest stretch from January to April and a second peak from September to November. Only July and December are quiet. Almost every major business event in the city takes place at Koelnmesse, the exhibition centre in Deutz, so the calendar is really the Koelnmesse calendar.
Several of the big fairs are biennial: Anuga 2027, IDS 2027, interzum 2027 and Asia-Pacific Sourcing 2027 all run every two years, so 2027 is a heavy year in Cologne.
| Month | Notable events on atndr | Industries |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 2026 | ORGATEC 2026 | Office and workplace furniture |
| Nov 2026 | BIO-Europe 2026, European Taxi Fair 2026, PMW Expo 2026, PMRExpo 2026 | Biotech partnering, mobility, motorsport engineering, critical communications |
| Jan 2027 | PSI 2027, imm cologne 2027, spoga horse 2027, ISM 2027 | Promotional products, furniture, equestrian, sweets and snacks |
| Feb 2027 | Anuga FoodTec 2027 | Food and beverage technology |
| Mar 2027 | Asia-Pacific Sourcing 2027, IAW March 2027, IDS 2027 | Import sourcing, retail promotions, dental |
| Apr 2027 | h+h cologne 2027, FIBO 2027, RDA Group Travel Expo 2027 | Craft and hobby, fitness, group travel |
| May–Jun 2027 | interzum 2027, ANGA COM 2027, spoga+gafa 2027 | Furniture production, broadband, garden and BBQ |
| Aug–Sep 2027 | gamescom 2027, towards tomorrow – European Bike Show 2027, Kind + Jugend 2027, DMEXCO 2027 | Games, bicycles, baby products, digital marketing |
| Oct 2027 | Anuga 2027, FSB 2027, aquanale 2027 | Food and drink, public space and sports facilities, pools and spas |
The live list is on atndr's business events in Cologne page.
Which Cologne trade fairs are worth attending?
Cologne's strongest sectors are food, furniture and interiors, digital media and games, and dental and life sciences. These are the fairs to know in each.
Food and beverages
Anuga 2027 (9–13 October 2027) is the city's largest fair and one of the world's main food and drink marketplaces. It splits into 10 trade shows under one roof, from Anuga Meat and Anuga Dairy to Anuga Alternatives. Anuga reports 8,000+ exhibitors from 110 countries and more than 145,000 visitors from 190 countries. ISM 2027 (31 January–3 February) covers sweets and snacks and, from 2027, runs as a trio: ISM Ingredients, ISM Manufacturing and ISM Snacks & Sweets. Anuga FoodTec 2027 (23–26 February) is for processing, filling and packaging technology.
Furniture, interiors and the workplace
imm cologne 2027 (19–22 January) is restructured for 2027 into Global Sourcing and Retail Furniture. interzum 2027 (11–14 May) is for the suppliers behind furniture production: materials, fittings and components. ORGATEC 2026 (27–30 October 2026) covers offices and contract interiors.
Digital, media and games
gamescom 2027 is the world's largest games event; its trade-only business area is open 25–27 August 2027, with gamescom dev starting on 23 August. DMEXCO 2027 (22–23 September) is the main European expo and conference for digital marketing. ANGA COM 2027 (1–3 June) is for broadband and fibre network operators.
Health and life sciences
IDS 2027 (16–20 March) is the dental industry's global trade fair, held every two years. BIO-Europe 2026 (9–11 November 2026) is a biotech partnering conference built around pre-booked one-to-one meetings. FIBO 2027 (8–11 April) covers fitness, wellness and health; the organizer counted 1,015 exhibitors and 175,000 visitors at its most recent edition.
Retail, sourcing and consumer goods
Asia-Pacific Sourcing 2027 connects European and North American buyers with Asian manufacturers of home, garden and leisure goods. PSI 2027 is for promotional products. spoga+gafa 2027 (15–17 June) covers garden and BBQ, and Kind + Jugend 2027 (7–9 September) baby and toddler products.
Where do business events in Cologne take place?
Koelnmesse is the venue for nearly every business event in Cologne. It sits in Deutz on the east bank of the Rhine at Messeplatz 1, 50679 Cologne, and offers 290,000 m² of exhibition space according to Koelnmesse. Most fairs are organised by Koelnmesse itself; others, such as PSI and FIBO (RX), BIO-Europe (EBD Group) and ANGA COM (ANGA Services), rent the halls.
| What you need | At Koelnmesse |
|---|---|
| Address | Messeplatz 1, 50679 Cologne (Deutz) |
| Nearest station | Köln Messe/Deutz, served by high-speed trains, right next to the grounds |
| Airport | Cologne Bonn Airport is nearby; Düsseldorf Airport is the long-haul alternative |
| Local transport | Many fair tickets include free 2nd-class travel in the VRS network (for example Anuga, ISM and spoga+gafa) |
| Luggage | At Anuga, suitcases, trolleys and backpacks must go to the free cloakroom |
Because the station is next to the halls, many visitors stay in Düsseldorf or Bonn during the biggest fairs and commute by train when Cologne hotels are full or expensive.
How do tickets and access work at Cologne trade fairs?
Most Cologne fairs are trade-only: you must prove you work in the industry when buying a ticket or at the entrance. A business card, trade registration or employer letter usually works. Buy tickets online before you travel; several shows sell only online.
- Ticket prices vary by fair. ISM 2027 lists a day ticket at EUR 92 and a season ticket at EUR 113. ORGATEC 2026 lists EUR 75 for a day and EUR 105 for the season.
- Exhibitor vouchers are the usual way to get in free: suppliers you already work with often send ticket codes, which you redeem in the fair's ticket shop.
- Opening hours are typically 9:00 to 18:00, with a shorter last day.
- Partnering events work differently. BIO-Europe sells passes that include one-to-one meetings booked through its partneringONE platform, and gamescom offers B2B matchmaking in its business area.
- Visas. Visitors who need a Schengen visa can ask the organizer for an official invitation letter; Asia-Pacific Sourcing, for example, says participants must include one from Koelnmesse in their application.
Watch for fake ticket offers: DMEXCO warns of phishing emails offering supposedly free tickets and sells only through its official channels.
How do you make the most of a Cologne fair?
Plan around the fair, not the city. Three habits help:
- Book hotels as soon as your dates are fixed. Large fairs such as Anuga, gamescom and imm cologne fill hotels across the region.
- Pick one goal per day. Large fairs spread over many halls; Anuga groups its 10 shows by hall, and IDS uses halls 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10 and 11. Map your exhibitors before you arrive.
- Use the side programme. Anuga runs stages and an innovation show, interzum has a full events programme, and ORGATEC runs a work culture festival with talks and workshops.
Combining fairs is easy: Düsseldorf (ProWein 2027) and Essen are a short train ride away. For a wider view of Germany's fair calendar, see atndr's guide to trade fairs in Germany.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the biggest trade fair in Cologne?
- Anuga, the food and beverage fair held every two years at Koelnmesse. The 2027 edition runs 9–13 October and Anuga reports more than 8,000 exhibitors and over 145,000 visitors.
- Is gamescom a business event?
- Yes and no. gamescom 2027 has a trade-only business area for exhibitors, trade visitors and media, open 25–27 August, plus the gamescom dev conference. The public days run 26–29 August.
- How do I get to Koelnmesse?
- Take a train to Köln Messe/Deutz station, which is right next to the grounds. Many trade fair tickets include free 2nd-class travel on VRS public transport.
- Can anyone visit Cologne trade fairs?
- Most are trade-only, including Anuga, ISM, IDS, interzum and imm cologne. You need to prove you work in the industry when buying a ticket or at the entrance.
- When is IDS 2027?
- IDS 2027, the International Dental Show, runs 16–20 March 2027 at Koelnmesse. It is held every two years and is open to trade visitors only.
Sources
Written and fact-checked by the atndr team. Dates, venues and organizers are checked against each event’s official website; the figures in “At a glance” come live from the atndr calendar. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
