Light + Building will turn Frankfurt am Main into an international industry hotspot from 8 to 13 March 2026. Under the motto ‘Be Electrified – Electrifying Places. Illuminating Spaces.’, the world's leading trade fair for lighting and building services technology will present innovations, trends and visions that show how technology and design interact to create sustainable, connected and vibrant spaces.
With its three key themes of ‘Sustainable Transformation’, ‘Smart Connectivity’ and ‘Living Light’, Light + Building 2026 covers the current and future developments in the industry. They form the common thread for a diverse event programme that combines knowledge, inspiration and practical application. It highlights key aspects of design, architecture, craftsmanship and technology, making the world's leading trade fair a platform for exchange, innovation and sustainable strategies for the future.
Light & Design – events at a glance
The Living Light – Light as a living companion in everyday life
With its new special exhibition, „The Living Light”, Light + Building shows how light shapes everyday life and brings rooms to life. The concept was developed by Berlin-based lighting design agency Lichtvision Design under the direction of Carla Wilkins. The area in Hall 3.1 B10 consists of four themed areas, ‘Home’, ‘Education’, ‘Workplace’, and ‘Communication’, and highlights how light provides orientation, creates atmosphere and enables encounters. Guided tours start daily at 11 a.m. and 2.30 p.m. directly at the special show.
IALD Awards – Excellent lighting design in an international spotlight
The IALD International Lighting Design Awards are among the world's most prestigious awards for architectural lighting design. Presented by the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD), they recognise projects that impress with their creative design, technical precision and atmospheric effect. On 10 March, the 43rd awards ceremony will take place for the first time in cooperation with Light + Building as a festive evening event at the Location Depot 1899. This will give the topic of lighting design a new radiance at the world's leading trade fair and bring the design dimension of light even more into focus.
Design Plaza – stage for design, knowledge and inspiration
When it comes to light in all its facets at Light + Building, there is no way around the Design Plaza in Hall 3.1 B40. It forms the heart of the events in the east section of the exhibition grounds and offers a varied programme for experts from the fields of architecture, planning, design and lighting on all days of the fair.
A special highlight is the presentation of the Designplus Awards by Light + Building on Sunday, 8 March. Together with Stylepark, Messe Frankfurt honours products and concepts that combine design quality, technical innovation and future-oriented thinking.
In daily trend presentations, the style agency bora.herke.palmisano will reveal the colours, shapes and materials that will shape lighting design 2026/27.
In celebration of International Women's Day, the Women in Lighting initiative utilises the platform to highlight female perspectives in lighting design. The German Lighting Design Award presents its nominees during the trade fair, accompanied by a public vote.
By honouring the winners of the ‘40 Under 40 Awards’ 2025, Design Plaza is putting the spotlight on the next generation of international lighting design talent.
In addition, on 10 March, Daniel Hodierne (The Nordic Lighting Associations) will show how light, in combination with architecture and acoustics, can charge rooms with emotion and intensify cultural experiences.
The Design Plaza programme also includes Talks by World-Architects, which highlight current projects and developments. The Design Talks by Architonic combine perspectives from architecture and product design. The ZVEI Lighting Association is organising the Wednesday of the fair with specialist lectures and industry dialogues. A new addition is the cooperation with the Virtual Lighting Design Community (VLDC), which will bring together international lighting designers on Thursday with lectures and dialogue formats.
Guided Tours – compact und thematically focused
The guided tours at Light + Building offer trade visitors a concise overview of current developments, new products and perspectives in planning, design and technology. The various formats combine expert insights with curated tours of selected exhibitors and thematic focal points.
The Guided Tours by World-Architects are aimed at architects, designers, engineers and interior designers. Talk & Tour formats address current issues such as lighting design in existing buildings, circular economy and AI, and sustainable outdoor lighting. Offered in German and English. Meeting point is the Design Plaza.
Advance registration is required for most guided tours. All information on dates and registration is available at www.light-building.com/guided-tours.
Building services technology & skilled crafts – events at a glance
ZVEI Technology forum – Industry in Dialogue
The ZVEI (German Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers’ Association) Technology forum offers daily discussions, presentations and exchanges on topics that are relevant to the industry (Hall 12.1, Stand D 86). Experts from ZVEI member companies present innovative solutions and new standards across manufacturers – independently, thoroughly and practically. In 2026, the programme will focus on building type E, the Digital Product Passport (DPP) and energy management systems. Further details can be found at zvei.org.
AI Lounge – Artificial intelligence hands-on for the electrical trade
The AI Lounge in Hall 9.0 A70 is the practical future forum for electrical trade. In cooperation with handwerk.live, it shows how artificial intelligence can make everyday work easier for specialist companies. Visitors can experience digital tools for time recording, planning software, process automation and smart customer communication, which they can try out for themselves and take back to their own businesses. Every day, compact keynote speeches explain how AI creates real added value.
ZVEH E-House – smart, efficient and connected thinking
The ZVEH (Central Association of German Electrical and Information Technology Trades) E-House in Hall 11.0 C07 shows what sustainable building services technologies look like today. The walk-in model house brings to life how intelligent applications and energy-efficient systems will shape the way we live and work in the future – from smart home controls and photovoltaics to heat pump solutions.
Exhibitor Stage – First-hand innovations
On the stage in the building area in Hall 9.0 D50, exhibitors will be presenting the latest developments, products and solutions in lighting and building services technology from Monday, 9 March to Thursday, 12 March. Specialist talks and presentations will provide direct insights into trends and applications – compact, informative and practical.
Ventilation in Hospitals – Human-Centric Design
The specialist conference organised by REHVA (Federation of European Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Associations) will take place on 12 March 2026 in the Portalhaus Level 1, Room Transparenz 2, as part of Light + Building. The focus will be on the special requirements for ventilation and HVAC systems in hospitals and the influence of human behaviour on safety, comfort and energy efficiency. Specialist presentations, a keynote speech and a panel discussion will highlight current European developments and future-oriented, sustainable concepts for healthcare buildings.
IEECB&SC’26 and European ESCO Conference 2026 – Focus on energy efficiency
The IEECB&SC'26 and European ESCO Conference will take place at Portalhaus, Level Via, Room Frequenz on 11 and 12 March and is being organised in cooperation with the EU Commission Joint Research Centre. At this international expert forum, specialists from research, industry and politics will exchange ideas on strategies and technologies that contribute to improving energy efficiency in non-residential buildings.
House of Energy Congress – Focus on the Future
On 11 and 12 March the House of Energy Congress will take place at the exhibition grounds in the Congress Centre on Level 2. Under the motto ‘Focus on the Future: Visions, Trends, Feasibility’, the event will address key issues relating to the energy transition. Participants can expect a varied programme with expert presentations, discussion panels and an accompanying start-up exhibition. A special feature of the programme is ‘Meet & Match: Young Professionals meet Members’, which connects students and companies and promotes exchange between research, young talent and industry.
ZVEH hot air balloon – a highlight at the Agora
A special eye-catcher awaits visitors at the Agora: the ZVEH hot air balloon rises several times a day on a rope above the exhibition grounds and then gently returns – an attention-grabbing symbol of new beginnings and energy in the crafts sector.
Young talents – a stage for young ideas and innovations
Light + Building puts the spotlight on young talent. With the Young Design Area in Hall 3.1 B30 and the LiTG (German Society for Lighting Technology and Lighting Design) University Area in Hall 3.0 A19, the trade fair offers two formats that give university students and young talents from the disciplines of design, architecture, lighting and building services technology a space for creative ideas. In the Young Design Area, ‘Design Interactive – Sketching the Future’ provides an immediate insight into the creative process of industrial design: industrial designers demonstrate live how analogue sketches, as a central, dialogue-oriented tool of modern product development, structure ideas and drive innovation.
The complete event calendar for Light + Building 2026 can be found at:
http://light-building.com/event-calendar.
Frankfurt: 2026 World Design Capital
For further information and details of events, visit: https://wdc2026.org/en
Light + Building – the world's leading trade fair for lighting and building services technology
Light + Building 2026 will take place from 8 to 13 March.
www.light-building.com
Building. Technology. Solutions.
Industry Insights 24/7 – One platform, all trends. Get fresh ideas from the world of smart building technology. Relevant. Neutral. Customizable: Building. Technology. Solutions.
Information and photographs for the press:
Social media:
www.light-building.com/facebook
www.light-building.com/youtube
www.light-building.com/linkedin
www.light-building.com/instagram
www.instagram.com/building.technologies.messeffm
Background information on Messe Frankfurt
Sustainability at Messe Frankfurt
Downloads
