Where innovation and design meet, in Frankfurt am Main from 8 to 13 March 2026
Where innovation and design meet, new perspectives emerge at Light + Building 2026, companies, planners and creative minds will present the future of lighting and building technology in Frankfurt am Main from 8 to 13 March. The diverse event programme, featuring forums, special exhibitions and guided tours, will address the topics that are driving the industry – from sustainable energy and smart networking to visionary design. This is where knowledge and inspiration come together to set ideas in motion. Light + Building will turn Frankfurt am Main into an international industry hub 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 will cover the current and future developments in the industry. They form the common thread for a diverse event programme that combines knowledge, inspiration and practice. This highlights key aspects of design, architecture, craftsmanship and technology, making the world’s leading trade fair a platform for exchange, innovation and sustainable future strategies.
With the new special exhibition ‘The Living Light’, Light + Building shows how light shapes everyday life and brings rooms to life. The concept was developed by the Berlin based lighting design office Lichtvision Design under the direction of Carla Wilkins. The area in Hall 3.1 consists of four zones: ‘Home’, ‘Education’, ‘Workplace’ and ‘Communication’ and highlights how light provides orientation, creates atmosphere and facilitates encounters. A central, green pathway connects the zones and symbolises growth, change and the close relationship between people and the environment. Different lighting moods, interactive elements and natural materials demonstrate how light goes beyond its pure function and becomes a living part of everyday life.
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. In March 2026, the 43rd awards ceremony will take place for the first time in cooperation with Light + Building in Frankfurt am Main as a festive evening event at ‘Depot 1899’ parallel to the trade fair. This will give the topic of lighting design new prominence at the world’s leading trade fair and bring the creative dimension of light even more into focus.
When Light + Building 2026 explores light in all its facets, the Design Plaza in Hall 3.1 will be an unmissable destination. It forms the heart of the events in the eastern section of the fairground and serves as the central meeting point for experts from the fields of architecture, planning, design, and lighting. In daily trend lectures, the style agency bora.herke.palmisano will present the colours, shapes, and materials that will define lighting design for 2026/27. A special highlight will be the presentation of the Designplus Awards by Light + Building on Sunday, 8 March. In cooperation with Stylepark, Messe Frankfurt will honour products and concepts that combine design quality, technical innovation and future-oriented thinking. Coinciding with International Women’s Day, the Women in Lighting initiative will also use the stage to highlight female perspectives in lighting design. The programme includes Talks by World-Architects, which shed light on current projects and developments and are recognised with continuing education credits for architects. Also part of the programme is the Design Talks by Architonic, which bring together perspectives from architecture and product design. The ZVEI Lighting Association is organising the programme on the Wednesday of the fair with specialist lectures and industry dialogues. New this year is the cooperation with the Virtual Lighting Design Community (VLDC), which will bring together international lighting designers on Thursday with lectures and dialogue formats.
The guided tours of Light + Building 2026 start right at the Design Plaza in Hall 3.1. They offer visitors exclusive insights into the innovations and trends at this industry gathering and are accompanied by internationally renowned lighting designers. The Guided Tours by World-Architects take place from Sunday to Wednesday (8 to 11 March 2026) and combine compact presentations with tours to selected exhibitors. The guides include Carla Wilkins (Lichtvision Design, Berlin), Jonas Godehardt (Reflexion, Zurich), Jan Nielsen (CONCEPTLICHT, Traunstein) and Andreas Schulz (Licht Kunst Licht, Bonn). Registration is possible since December 2025.
The AI Lounge is a practical forum for the future for all experts from the electrical trade and industry. In cooperation with handwerk.live, it shows how artificial intelligence can make daily work easier for specialist companies. Visitors can try out digital tools for time recording, planning software, process automation and smart customer communication and take them back to their own businesses. Every day, compact keynote speeches explain how AI creates real added value – in a way that is understandable, implementable and practical.
On the stages in the building area in Hall 9.0 and in the lighting area in Hall 4.1, exhibitors will present the latest developments, products and solutions in lighting and building technology. Specialist talks and presentations will provide direct insights into trends and applications – compact, informative and practical.
All information on the Light + Building 2026 event programme can be found here
Light + Building – the world’s leading trade fair for lighting and building services technology – will take place in Frankfurt am Main from 8 to 13 March 2026
