HANNOVER MESSE 2026 closes with 110,000 visitors, down from 123,000

HANNOVER MESSE 2026 drew a total of 110,000 visitors from around the world, below the 123,000 recorded in 2025, a decline the organiser attributed to airline and public transport strikes that complicated travel. Around 40% of guests came from abroad, with China, Brazil, the United States, Japan and South Korea contributing the most international visitors. Deutsche Messe said the quality of encounters and the atmosphere in the halls showed that the technologies are in place and the approaches tested, leaving consistent implementation as the remaining task. Exhibits centred on artificial intelligence, robotics, automation and energy infrastructure, including AI-supported production systems able to automate processes and predict failures, humanoid robots that have mastered complex motion sequences, and solutions for energy efficiency and grid expansion. The organiser noted an unusually high-profile attendance, with more DAX company board members and political decision-makers than ever before, among them German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Brazilian President Lula da Silva.