Messe Frankfurt
Frankfurt, Germany
Messe Frankfurt is a well-established event organiser with nearly 50 trade shows and exhibitions in Germany and over 100 events in other locations around the globe. All of them enjoy international popularity. Its own exhibition grounds are quite impressive, occupying a total of 592,127 sq m (400,237 sq m of indoor area plus 59,506 sq m of open space).
The trade fair complex consists of over 90 congress, conference and exhibition halls. The connection between them is achieved via a covered moving walkway - Via Mobile. The comfort of Messe Frankfurt’s guests is guaranteed by its first-class infrastructure and facilities. There are more than 25 on-site restaurants and around 70 cafes, food stands and bars. As for the safety, a 24-hour Operation and Security Centre plus 3 first-aid stations are available.
Frankfurt has been known as a trade fair location since the 13th century. Because of the rich traditions in that aspect, it is not surprising that Frankfurt followed the example of London and Paris, becoming one of the pioneering cities to host industrial exhibitions. The history of Messe Frankfurt began in 1909 with the opening of the Festhalle in the presence of the last German Emperor. The renovated building remains part of the fairgrounds, accommodating meetings, trade shows and concerts.
The venue has grown significantly since the beginning of the 20th century. In fact, it continues to grow and develop its premises and services. Some of the latest transformations of Messe Frankfurt include the renovation of Hall 6 in 2019 as well as the demolition of Hall 5 and its rebuilding. The new hall opened its doors in 2023.
Getting around
Benefiting from a location in the heart of Europe, the venue is easily accessible from Germany and abroad. It is within a 15-minute drive of Frankfurt Airport; many of the events held in Messe Frankfurt have shuttle buses running from the bus station in Terminal 1 via Terminal 2 to the trade fair complex.
Messe Frankfurt’s proximity to the central station (Hauptbahnhof) adds to the convenient public transport connections it already offers. All S-Bahn lines from S1 to S9 and trains EC, ECE, IC, ICE, ICE International, RB, RE, RJ, RJX and TGV stop there. It is a 10-minute walk from Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof to the fairgrounds. Alternatively, visitors can transfer to any of the lines listed below.
Festhalle/Messe underground station, opposite the City Entrance, is where U-Bahn line U4 stops. There is a tram stop of the same name nearby. Tram lines 16 and 17 stop there.
Frankfurt (Main) Messe S-Bahn station is located close to the Torhaus Entrance. S-Bahn lines S3, S4, S5 and S6 stop there.
There are several multi-level car parks in the vicinity of the exhibition grounds for visitors arriving by car. Over 15,000 parking spaces are available altogether.
Halls of Messe Frankfurt
Messe Frankfurt’s covered space of over 400,000 sq m is distributed among 12 modern exhibition halls. The characteristics of each hall have distinctive benefits:
- Hall 1 - set by the City Entrance, 9000 sq m, 2 levels, column-free, natural light, linked to the Festhelle, Hall 3 and the Forum;
- Festhalle - Messe Frankfurt’s historic hall, 6000 sq m, glass dome (natural light), suitable for up to 15,000 people, connected to Hall 1 and the Forum;
- Hall 3 - 38,000 sq m, 2 levels, column-free, natural light on level 1, 14 conference rooms, 46 office rooms, 2 restaurants, catering zones;
- Hall 4 - 42,000+ sq m, 3 levels, natural light, 11 conference rooms, connected to halls 3, 5 and 6, 1200 parking spaces nearby;
- Hall 5 - 20,000+ sq m, 2 levels, linked to Congress Center Messe Frankfurt, access through the Ludwig-Erhard-Anlage Entrance;
- Hall 6, currently closed for renovations - 35,000+ sq m, 4 levels, 3 restaurants, connected to halls 4 and 5, access through the Torhaus Entrance;
- Hall 8 and Galleria - 30,000 sq m, ground level, natural light, 4 conference rooms, 16 office rooms, access through Torhaus and Galleria Entrances;
- Hall 9 and Galleria - 56,000 sq m, 4 levels, 17 conference rooms, 4 restaurants, connected to halls 8, 10 and 11, access through the Galleria Entrance, 800 adjacent parking spaces;
- Hall 10 - 52,000+ sq m, 5 levels, natural light, conference rooms, restaurants, linked to Hall 11, the Galleria and the Portalhaus; 250 adjacent parking spaces;
- Hall 11 and Portalhaus - 24,000 sq m, 2 levels, column-free level 1, 3 meeting rooms, 23 office rooms, restaurants and cafes, linked to halls 9 and 10, access through the Portalhaus Entrance;
- Hall 12 - Messe Frankfurt’s newest hall, 33,600 sq m, 2 levels, 2 restaurants, 2 bistros, access through the Portalhaus Entrance, multi-level car park with 800 parking spaces.
Quick info
| Year Built: | 1909 |
| Total Area: | 592,127 m2 |
| Indoor Area: | 400,237 m2 |
| Outdoor Area: | 59,506 m2 |
| Number of Halls: | 12 |
| Parking Spaces: | 15,000 |
| Official Website: | Messe Frankfurt |
| Halls Map: | View map |
| Health & Safety: | View documents |
Important exhibitions
As an organiser, Messe Frankfurt arranges some of the largest and most influential events in their respective sectors. These few trade shows represent a small part of its portfolio:
- Ambiente, the trade show for the novelties in consumer goods;
- Automechanika Frankfurt, the top meeting platform for the automotive service industry, plus its accompanying REIFEN;
- Heimtextil, the event dedicated to home and contract textiles;
- IFFA, the trade show gathering the meat industry;
- ISH, the largest industry event focused on water and energy management in buildings;
- Light + Building, the major exhibition of lighting and building services technology.
Events by other organisers, taking place at Messe Frankfurt, include:
- ACHEMA, the global forum for the process industries;
- CPhI Worldwide, the undisputed leader among pharmaceutical events, featuring Messe Frankfurt as one of its rotating locations;
- Frankfurt Book Fair, known as Frankfurter Buchmesse in German, the leading platform for the publishing industry.
Upcoming trade fairs
