Automechanika Frankfurt 2028 – Germany

What to expect

Automechanika Frankfurt is the world’s leading trade fair for the automotive aftermarket, recognized as the pivotal meeting place for the automotive industry since its inception in 1971. It is far more than a traditional trade fair. It is an innovation platform where products and solutions for sustainable and zero-emission mobility are presented, where workshops meet suppliers, and where the transformation of the mobility industry becomes tangible.

You can expect a fully booked exhibition centre covering around 300,000 square meters with approximately 4,400 exhibitors from over 80 nations and more than 112,000 trade visitors from 173 countries in the most recent edition, an increase of roughly 4 percent in visitors and 5 percent in exhibitors over the previous edition. Around 70 percent of trade visitors come from abroad, making Frankfurt the global hub for parts, repair, maintenance, and after-sales services.

The experience combines strategic business with hands-on experience. The new formats broadened industry horizons with Future Mobility Park, a test circuit for the mobility of tomorrow, the 200-metre-long Automechanika Pit Lane beneath the arcades of Hall 4 showcasing race cars, mechanics and well-known figures from motorsport, and the Experience Park in front of Halls 9 and 11 with off-road mobility, Unimog courses, interactive challenges, rollover simulator, monster trucks, caravanning exhibits, and classic cars. The programme focuses on key issues currently shaping the industry: innovation, transformation, sustainability, and training, further education and recruitment.

Event dates

Event Name: Automechanika Frankfurt 2028 – Germany

Organizer: Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH

Venue: Messe Frankfurt, Ludwig-Erhard-Anlage 1, 60327 Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Dates: September 5–9, 2028

Show Hours: 09:00 to 18:00 hrs from September 5 to 8, 09:00 to 17:00 hrs on September 9

Duration: 5 days

Edition: Biennial leading trade fair for automotive industry

Website: https://automechanika.messefrankfurt.com/frankfurt/en.html

Contact: +49 69 75750, automechanika@messefrankfurt.com

Next edition after 2026: The next Automechanika will take place from 5 to 9 September 2028

Visiting this event? Don’t miss out on these amazing activities and local experiences while you’re here.

Venue & event site

Automechanika takes place at Messe Frankfurt, one of the world’s largest exhibition centers, located at Ludwig-Erhard-Anlage 1 in Frankfurt am Main. The entire exhibition space of around 300,000 square meters is fully booked for the upcoming edition, hosting around 4,400 to 4,500 participants from over 80 nations.

The site offers 11 halls plus extensive outdoor areas. The fairgrounds are designed for heavy automotive exhibits with high load-bearing floors, direct truck access, and modern logistics. Halls are structured thematically for parts and components, electronics and connectivity, diagnostics and repair, accessories and customization, car wash and care, and body and paint.

Future Mobility Park: Adjacent to main halls, a test circuit where visitors can take test drives in e-vehicles and other alternative-drive vehicles, including vehicles made by universities.

Pit Lane: 200-metre-long outdoor showcase under the arcades of Hall 4, focused on motorsport with race cars, mechanics, live demonstrations, and chance to sit in race cars.

Experience Park: Outdoor area in front of Halls 9 and 11 with off-road mobility shows, Unimog course, interactive challenges, rollover simulator, monster trucks, and caravanning exhibits.

Congress Center: Hosts conferences, award ceremonies, and the Automotive Aftersales Award competition.

Full event programme

The programme for the 2028 edition includes the new Wheels Management and Tire Service product area and formats covering software-defined vehicles, ADAS, cybersecurity, remanufacturing, body and paint training, innovation, talent development and classic-car business.

The event is built around practical solutions and services for workshops, retail and industry, with around 500 events in the previous edition. It combines strategic planning with openness to unexpected connections, positioning itself as essential infrastructure for the global automotive aftermarket.

Innovation4Mobility: Stage format attracting manufacturers and showcasing topics associated with transformation of mobility industry, including software-defined vehicle focus in Hall 2.

Future Mobility Park Programme: Test drives, university presentations, and manufacturer showcases for zero-emission mobility.

Body and Paint Training: Hands-on workshops focused on robotic bodywork painting, showcasing how advanced modern panel repair technologies have become, with live painting and calibration demos.

Talent Development: Programmes for recruitment, training and further education, with competitions for young mechanics and career zones.

Classic Car Business: Dedicated area for restoration, classic parts, and value retention.

Sustainability and Remanufacturing: Focus on circular economy, parts remanufacturing, and sustainable workshop operations.

Racing schedule & sessions

Although Automechanika is a trade fair, motorsport is integrated through Pit Lane and special showcase sessions that run continuously throughout the exhibition hours.

Pit Lane Live Sessions: Roaring engines, test drives, and live demonstrations with major figures and their race cars. Sessions include driver interviews, technical walkarounds of race cars, and insights into motorsport technology transfer to aftermarket.

Future Mobility Test Sessions: Scheduled test drive slots for e-vehicles and alternative-drive vehicles on the dedicated circuit adjacent to Future Mobility Park, with university teams presenting self-built vehicles.

Experience Park Challenges: Timed off-road challenges, Unimog obstacle course, rollover simulator experiences, and interactive competitions for visitors.

Workshop Live Training: Continuous sessions in body and paint halls with fixed timetables for painting robots, ADAS calibration, and diagnostic training.

Award Sessions: Automotive Aftersales Award presentations and Innovation Awards with fixed ceremony slots in Congress Center.

Drivers, teams & competitors

The competitor landscape includes professional motorsport teams, university engineering teams, and workshop teams competing in skill challenges.

Motorsport personalities: Well-known figures from the world of motorsport present in Pit Lane, including drivers, engineers, and team principals who share insights and allow visitors to climb into race cars.

University teams: Four of the nine universities exhibiting in the previous edition presented alternative drive vehicles that they themselves had made, competing in efficiency and innovation challenges in Future Mobility Park.

Workshop teams: Teams from independent workshops participate in body and paint competitions, diagnostic challenges, and talent contests.

Industry teams: Supplier teams from major exhibitors compete for innovation awards and showcase their latest solutions in live conditions.

Cars & automotive highlights

The automotive highlights span from aftermarket parts to complete future mobility concepts.

Electrification and Digitalization: Impact of artificial intelligence, electrification, digitalization, and autonomous vehicles on the sector, with hightech for mobility focus in Hall 2.

Alternative Drives: E-vehicles, hydrogen vehicles, and hybrid systems available for test drives in Future Mobility Park, including models from manufacturers like Genesis and Skoda that have been attracting attention since recent editions.

ADAS and Software-Defined Vehicles: New product area covering advanced driver assistance systems calibration, software updates, and cybersecurity for connected vehicles.

Wheels Management and Tire Service: New for the upcoming edition, dedicated area for tire management, wheel service equipment, and tire pressure monitoring.

Body and Paint: Robotic painting, smart repair, and advanced materials for lightweight construction.

Classic and Custom: Classic cars, restoration parts, customization accessories, and caravanning exhibits with monster trucks and lifestyle vehicles.

Ticket types

Registration for trade visitors opens early in the year before the event. Pricing for the new edition has not yet been finalized, therefore pricing from recent editions is provided and converted to USD. Standard pricing structure is as follows:

Standard Day Ticket Online: USD 45.00. Online purchase, valid for one day, includes free public transport within RMV area.

Standard Day Ticket Onsite: USD 56.00. Purchase at venue, valid for one day.

Standard Season Ticket Online: USD 88.00. Online purchase, valid for all 5 days.

Standard Season Ticket Onsite: USD 110.00. Purchase at venue, valid for all days.

Premium Ticket: USD 130.00. Includes fast-track entry, lounge access, and premium services.

Group Ticket: USD 41.00 per person for groups of 10 or more visitors, online booking required.

Early Bird Discount: Approximately 15 percent discount available until end of May for online tickets.

Public Transport Inclusive: Using your ticket, purchased with digital voucher, you will travel on public transportation network within Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund area free of charge on day of visit.

All prices plus applicable VAT where applied. Tickets include access to all halls, outdoor areas, Future Mobility Park, Pit Lane, Experience Park, and conference programme.

VIP & hospitality options

Premium hospitality is designed for intensive business networking and comfort in a fully booked venue.

Premium Ticket Lounge: Access to exclusive lounge areas with catering, meeting tables, quiet working spaces, and fast-track entry lanes at main entrances.

Business Lounge: Located near Congress Center and Hall 4, offering private meeting rooms, Wi-Fi, and concierge service for exhibitor and visitor meetings.

Fast-Track Entry: Premium ticket holders bypass regular queues at entrances West, East, and Portalhaus.

Branding Opportunities: Ticket partner, lanyard partner, compass block partner, Future Mobility Park partner, and Motorsport Experience Park partner options for exhibitors seeking high visibility.

Hosted Buyer Programme: Invitation-only programme for top international buyers with complimentary tickets, accommodation support, and pre-scheduled meetings.

Evening Events: Exhibitor receptions, networking nights, and award gala dinners hosted in Congress Center and Festhalle.

Exhibitors & automotive brands

With around 4,400 exhibitors from over 80 countries, Automechanika is the most comprehensive aftermarket exhibition worldwide. The number of exhibitors has increased by 5 percent compared to previous edition, reaching full capacity.

Exhibitor categories include parts and components, electronics and connectivity, diagnostics and repair, accessories and customization, car wash and care, body and paint, oils and lubricants, wheels and tires, and classic car restoration.

Global brands: Leading suppliers such as Bosch, Continental, ZF, Schaeffler, Mahle, Mann+Hummel, Brembo, and many more present innovations and solutions for workshops, retail and industry.

New entrants: Strong growth from Asian manufacturers, software companies for ADAS and cybersecurity, and remanufacturing specialists.

Country pavilions: Collective presentations from China, India, Turkey, Italy, USA, and many others.

Universities and Start-ups: Nine universities exhibiting in recent edition with alternative drive prototypes and young companies showcasing AI-based diagnostics.

The entire exhibition space of around 300,000 square meters is fully booked, underlining continued importance as international platform bringing together manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, workshops and industry professionals.

Event rules

Trade fair access: Automechanika Frankfurt is a trade fair for professionals from automotive industry. Proof of professional status may be required for trade visitor tickets.

Bag policy: Large luggage, trolleys, and backpacks larger than standard size must be stored at cloakrooms at entrances. No large bags on show floor during peak hours.

Photography: Allowed for private use. Commercial photography and filming require exhibitor permission and press accreditation. No flash in workshop demo areas.

Safety: Safety shoes recommended in body and paint halls and outdoor demo areas. Follow instructions of staff during test drives and simulator experiences. Age restrictions may apply for certain simulators.

Smoking: Smoking only in designated outdoor areas.

Ticket personalization: Tickets are personalized with name and non-transferable. ID check possible at entrance. Resale above face value prohibited.

Test drives: Valid driving license required for test drives in Future Mobility Park. Registration required at park entrance.

How to get there

Address: Messe Frankfurt, Ludwig-Erhard-Anlage 1, 60327 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

By train: Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof is main hub. From Hauptbahnhof take S-Bahn lines S3, S4, S5, S6 to station Frankfurt Messe, journey takes about 5 minutes. Long-distance ICE trains connect Frankfurt with all major German and European cities.

By plane: Frankfurt Airport is 12 km away. Take S-Bahn S8 or S9 directly to Frankfurt Messe station, journey about 11 minutes.

By car: Messe Frankfurt lies near A5 motorway. Follow signs for Messe. Parking extremely limited during fair week, public transport strongly recommended. Standard booth pricing for exhibitors starts from approximately USD 850 per square meter.

By bus: City bus lines 50 and 52 stop at Messe.

Public transport & parking

Public transport inclusive: Using your ticket, you will travel on public transportation network within RMV area free of charge. This includes S-Bahn, U-Bahn, tram, and bus within Frankfurt and surrounding region.

S-Bahn: Station Frankfurt Messe directly at fairgrounds, served by lines S3, S4, S5, S6 every 10 minutes during fair hours.

U-Bahn: Line U4 to Festhalle/Messe, short walk to entrances.

Tram: Lines 16 and 17 to Messe.

Parking: Multi-storey car park at Messe with limited capacity, fee approximately USD 24.00 per day. Pre-booking required via Messe Frankfurt parking service. Alternative parking at Rebstock Parkplatz with shuttle bus to fairgrounds.

Shuttle: Free shuttle buses connect parking areas, entrances, and outdoor areas including Future Mobility Park and Experience Park during peak hours.

Taxi: Taxi ranks at all main entrances, including Portalhaus, City entrance, and Festhalle.

Accommodation areas

Frankfurt fills completely during Automechanika week, with hotels often booked out months in advance and prices spiking.

Messe vicinity: Hotels in Gallus, Bockenheim, and Europaviertel within walking distance, ideal for exhibitors with early build-up and heavy equipment transport.

City center – Hauptbahnhof and Altstadt: Business hotels with direct S-Bahn connection to Messe in 5 to 10 minutes, close to evening networking venues.

Westend and Nordend: Upscale hotels, quiet residential areas, 15 to 20 minutes by public transport, popular with international buyers.

Sachsenhausen: Trendy district with boutique hotels, 15 minutes by tram, known for apple wine pubs and evening entertainment.

Airport area: Hotels in Kelsterbach and Gateway Gardens for visitors flying in and out, with S-Bahn connection.

Booking tip: Use official Messe Frankfurt hotel service, choose refundable rates, and consider alternatives in Offenbach or Eschborn with S-Bahn connection for better availability. Book at least 9 months in advance for best selection.

Food & drink

On-site gastronomy: Multiple restaurants, cafes, snack points, and coffee bars throughout halls, plus food trucks in Future Mobility Park and Experience Park. Offerings include German specialties, international cuisine, vegetarian and vegan options, and quick take-away for busy meeting schedules.

Portalhaus and Congress Center: Premium restaurants with table service for business lunches.

Outdoor food trucks: Located in Future Mobility Park and Experience Park, offering street food, barbecue, and beverages during live demonstrations.

Supermarket: Small supermarket at Messe for water, snacks, and daily essentials.

City dining: Frankfurt city center offers extensive dining from traditional apple wine taverns in Sachsenhausen to international restaurants near Hauptbahnhof, ideal for evening business dinners.

Accessibility

Messe Frankfurt is fully barrier-free.

Mobility: All halls on ground level with wide aisles, ramps, elevators, and accessible entrances. Wheelchairs available for free rental at service counters upon deposit.

Assistance: Accessible toilets in all halls, guide system for visually impaired visitors, induction loops in conference rooms, and quiet rest areas.

Service: Disabled parking spaces close to entrances, accessible shuttle buses, and personal assistance upon prior registration via automechanika@messefrankfurt.com.

Reduced mobility: Free companion ticket for visitors with proof of need for accompaniment.

App support: Official app helps find accessible routes, elevators, and rest areas on fairgrounds.

Best races & attractions to see

The best attractions combine business value with experiential highlights.

Future Mobility Park Test Circuit: Must-see for transformation of mobility, with opportunity to take test drives in e-vehicles and alternative-drive vehicles and see university-built prototypes. Four universities presenting self-built alternative drive vehicles in recent edition.

Automechanika Pit Lane: 200-metre-long showcase beneath arcades of Hall 4 with race cars, mechanics, well-known motorsport figures, roaring engines, test drives, and chance to climb into race cars. Ideal for motorsport technology transfer insights.

Experience Park: Located outside Halls 9 and 11 with Unimog course, monster trucks, caravanning exhibits, rollover simulator, and interactive challenges.

Body and Paint Live Workshops: Hands-on workshops focused on robotic bodywork painting, showcasing advanced panel repair technologies, ADAS calibration, and smart repair techniques.

Innovation4Mobility Stage: Keynotes on software-defined vehicles, ADAS, cybersecurity, and sustainability with manufacturers and tech leaders.

Classic Car Area: Restoration showcases, classic parts market, and value retention discussions for classic-car business.

Previous year’s highlights

The most recent edition impressed with strong growth in exhibitors and visitors, drawing over 112,000 trade visitors from 173 countries to Frankfurt for five-day trade fair that serves as industry’s meeting place. With 4,400 exhibitors from 80 countries, Automechanika offered wide range of practical solutions and services for workshops, retail and industry, an increase of roughly 4 percent in visitors and 5 percent in exhibitors over previous edition.

Success story continued despite challenging economic conditions, with increase in exhibitor numbers of around 5 percent and fully booked exhibition centre covering around 300,000 square meters. Furthermore, 89 percent of visitors said they would recommend visiting Automechanika Frankfurt, underlining continued importance as international platform bringing together manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, workshops and industry professionals to explore emerging technologies and business opportunities.

New formats broadened industry horizons, including Future Mobility Park, first Automechanika Pitlane and Experience Park bringing innovations to life. Hands-on workshops proved very popular, particularly those focused on robotic bodywork painting, and Automotive Aftersales Award competition for carmakers’ service programs was launched by Automechanika, Auto Bild and VDIK.

Official tickets

Only buy tickets via official shop at https://automechanika.messefrankfurt.com/frankfurt/en.html to avoid counterfeit and overpricing. Official tickets are digital with dynamic QR codes and personalized names.

Registration opens: January of the fair year, with early bird discounts of approximately 15 percent available until end of May.

Pricing in USD for orientation based on recent editions: Standard day ticket USD 45.00 online, USD 56.00 onsite, Standard season ticket USD 88.00 online, USD 110.00 onsite, Premium ticket USD 130.00 includes fast-track entry and lounge access, Group ticket USD 41.00 per person for 10 or more visitors, Exhibitor booth from USD 850 per square meter for standard booth 9 square meters including basic setup, Blank booth from USD 850 per square meter from 18 square meters construction not included, plus 19 percent VAT, AUMA fee and environmental fee where applied.

Public transport: Ticket includes free RMV public transport on day of visit.

Contact: +49 69 75750, automechanika@messefrankfurt.com