Leipzig Book Fair in difficult times for the industry

The book industry will be meeting at the Leipzig Book Fair over the next few days in difficult times. "The situation on the book market is still very tense," said Peter Kraus vom Cleff, Managing Director of the German Publishers and Booksellers Association before the opening of the spring show. From Thursday to Sunday, 2,040 exhibitors from 45 countries will present their new products at the fair. In 2024 there were 2,085 exhibitors. The guest country is Norway.

Fewer books sold

In the first few months of 2025, sales in the book market were on a par with the previous year, said Kraus vom Cleff. However, fewer books were sold in 2024 than in the previous year. Despite this 1.7 percent decline, total sales increased by 0.8 percent according to the Börsenverein. This was simply due to the fact that books became more expensive.

The CEO of the Börsenverein called on politicians to take action. On the one hand, the excessive bureaucracy must be reduced, said Kraus vom Cleff. On the other hand, structural support for publishers is needed and the federal government's culture pass for young people must be continued. In 2024, all 18-year-olds would receive a budget of 100 euros, which they could invest in cultural activities.

Drop in exhibitor numbers shows change in the industry

The Book Fair is also feeling the effects of the concentration processes in the book industry, said Martin Buhl-Wagner, Managing Director of Leipziger Messe. The fact that the number of exhibitors fell slightly compared to the previous year shows the changes in the market. Book Fair Director Astrid Böhmisch emphasized that all major publishers will be present in Leipzig.

High demand - ticket sales for Saturday limited

In contrast, the public's interest in the fair seems unbroken. Due to high demand, ticket sales have been limited for the first time. Only a remaining contingent of tickets is available in advance for the traditionally busy Saturday, as well as for season tickets. The limitation has become necessary to ensure that a visit to the Book Fair remains safe and enjoyable for everyone.

This is actually a "very nice problem", said Book Fair Director Böhmisch. It's also not about setting new visitor records every year. In 2024, 283,000 visitors came to the fair and the associated festival "Leipzig liest".