Munich Book Show

67 Years of Münchner Bücherschau

The Münchner Bücherschau was first held in 1959 and has since been one of the oldest and most traditional book exhibitions in the German-speaking world. The organizer is the Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels – Landesverband Bayern e.V. (German Publishers and Booksellers Association – Bavarian Chapter), which operates the book show as an annual showcase of the Bavarian and supra-regional publishing landscape. In 2026, the 67th Bücherschau will take place from November 12th to 29th in the West Wing of the Haus der Kunst.

Publisher Exhibition at Haus der Kunst

The Haus der Kunst – an architectural monument from the first half of the 20th century and today one of Munich's important art museums – houses the large publisher exhibition in its West Wing during the book show. Over 10,000 books are laid out on the exhibition tables – accessible free of charge, for browsing, sampling, and discovering. Important: There is no on-site sales – the book show is an information and inspiration platform that strengthens independent Munich bookstores.

Themes and Genres

The thematic diversity covers practically the entire spectrum of the German-speaking book trade: Fiction (novels, poetry, crime), Non-fiction (politics, economics, science), Children's and Young Adult Books, Art and Photography Books, Travel Literature, Cookbooks, Audiobooks, Theater and Film Books, Comics and Manga, Spirituality and Esotericism. Around 250–300 publishers are regularly represented.

Accompanying Program

The book show is embedded in the Literaturfest München (Munich Literature Festival), which complements the event with a dense program of author readings, discussions, workshop talks, and live events. Daily events take place in the Forum area – readings of current bestsellers, conversations with publishers, workshops on book making, and special literary days on topics such as crime fiction, children's books, or poetry.

Munich and Literary Life

Munich is the capital of the Free State of Bavaria and, with 1.5 million inhabitants, the third-largest city in Germany. The city is one of the most important publishing centers in the German-speaking world – publishers such as Hanser, Beck, Piper, Knesebeck, and many smaller houses are based here. The book show at the Haus der Kunst reflects this publishing landscape and connects it with Munich's broad audience interested in literature.