Light + Building 2028 – Frankfurt am Main, Germany

What to expect

Light + Building is the world’s leading trade fair for lighting and building services technology, organized biennially by Messe Frankfurt and recognized as the international industry meeting place for pioneers, planners, craftsmen and decision-makers. The 2028 edition is expected to be the largest yet, building on the success of previous editions that have drawn more than 2,100 exhibitors and over 150,000 visitors from more than 150 countries. As a global industry highlight, it attracts professionals, manufacturers, architects, interior architects, designers, planners, engineers, craftsmen, trade and industry from all continents, creating a unique synergy of light, design and intelligent building technology.

The fair presents every two years the latest products for the fields of lighting, electrical engineering as well as home and building automation and connected security technology, spanning interior and exterior lighting, LED and OLED technology, intelligent light management, smart home systems, heating, ventilation and air conditioning, energy efficiency, safety and security, photovoltaic technology, smart metering, electric vehicles and smart grids.

For 2028, the fair will operate under the established strategic framework that focuses on the challenges of decarbonisation, digitalisation, new energy sources and changing demands on how we live, work and build. Three top themes provide orientation in a dynamic market: Sustainable Transformation, Smart Connectivity and Living Light. These themes reflect the trends shaping the building sector today and tomorrow and help visitors make projects future-ready, efficient and design-driven.

Exhibitors present practical solutions that are technologically up to date, market-relevant and focused on innovation, from minimal profiles, concealed light sources and glare-controlled systems to atmospheric scenographic installations and AI-driven energy diagnostics. The event also serves as a knowledge hub with extensive conference programme, Power Festival for young professionals, Design Plaza, and dedicated zones for KNX and Matter interoperability.

Event dates

Event Dates: March 5–10, 2028

Duration: Six-day biennial trade fair, the next edition after March 8–13, 2026.

Opening hours: Daily 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., last day 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Exhibitor access one hour before visitor opening.

Biennial cycle: There is no edition in 2027, the fair takes place every two years, next is 2028.

Preview: Booth allocation takes place 8 to 9 months before, by June-July 2026, with design phase August to October and production October to December.

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

Venue & exhibition site

Venue: Messe Frankfurt, Ludwig-Erhard-Anlage 1, 60327 Frankfurt am Main, Germany. The exhibition centre is one of the largest in the world with 12 halls and more than 260,000 square metres of exhibition space used in peak editions, located in the heart of Europe with direct motorway, rail and air connections. The fairground offers best international transport links, allowing quick arrival from anywhere by air, rail and road.

Site layout: Light + Building occupies the entire fairground, utilizing Halls 1 to 12, Forum and Festhalle areas. The Via Mobile moving walkway and Galleria connect eastern and western sections for comfortable navigation. Facilities include Business Club lounges, press centre, conference areas, Design Plaza, catering, cloakrooms and digital information points. The Light + Building Navigator App provides ground plan, exhibitor search and networking.

Hall structure 2028: Halls 1 to 6 concentrate Lighting segment with major brands clustered, including Signify formerly Philips Lighting, Trilux, Zumtobel Group, OSRAM, Erco, Ledvance, Linea Light, Lutron, Acuity Brands and others. Lighting stands have unique requirements with extensive dark-room build and additional power infrastructure drawing 3 to 5 times standard booth power, with aesthetic finishing comparable to high-end retail. Halls 8 to 11 host Smart Building, Electrical Installation, Security and Building Automation. Hall 12 hosts Country pavilions and emerging tech. This structure was confirmed for 2028 planning and ensures efficient visitor flow between lighting design and technical building systems.

Full event programme

The full event programme combines product exhibition, trend showcases, networking activities and knowledge-sharing platforms across six days.

Lighting programme: Interior and exterior lighting solutions, LED and OLED technology, intelligent light management, human centric lighting, residential lighting design, urban lighting, smart home lighting control, dynamic lighting that turns architecture into atmosphere, immersive environments where light defines, supports and inspires.

Building technology programme: Electrical engineering, home and building automation, connected security technology, building energy efficiency, digitalisation and sector coupling, EV charging infrastructure, electrical installation, digitally controlled technologies, IoT building automation, AI building management, predictive maintenance, digital access systems, BIM planning, digital twins, system integration and cybersecurity.

Special areas: Design Plaza as meeting point for designers, architects and creatives. Dedicated KNX and Matter zones underlining market consolidation around open interoperable standards. Power Festival programme aimed at apprentices and tradespeople combining workshops, demonstrations and networking activities to support next generation.

Supporting events: Conferences, workshops, expert panels, award ceremonies including Light + Building innovation awards, guided tours for architects, planners and craftsmen, and evening networking events at Panorama ballroom in Forum with free admission and RMV ticket voucher.

Key speakers & keynote speakers

Light + Building 2028 brings together leading voices from lighting design, architecture, electrical engineering and smart building technology.

Industry leaders: Top executives from Signify, Trilux, Zumtobel, OSRAM, Ledvance, Schneider Electric, Siemens Building Technologies, Johnson Controls, Honeywell Building Tech, Bosch Building Tech sharing roadmaps for sustainable transformation and smart connectivity.

Lighting designers: Internationally renowned lighting designers and architects discussing Living Light theme, human centric lighting, emotional experience of space, design materials and form harmoniously connecting with architecture.

Technology experts: Representatives from KNX Association, ABB i-bus, Gira, JUNG, DALI ecosystem, Cree LED, Nichia, Lumileds, Tridonic, Helvar presenting interoperability, data capability and system integration.

Sustainability and energy experts: Specialists in energy management buildings, building energy efficiency, sector coupling, EV charging infrastructure and renewable integration focusing on climate-neutral buildings.

Young professionals: Leaders of Power Festival and trade associations inspiring apprentices and journeymen for careers in electrical trade.

Conference sessions & tracks

Sustainable Transformation track: Path to climate-neutral buildings through efficient systems, smart planning and renewable heating. Focus areas include energy management buildings, building energy efficiency, digitalisation and sector coupling, photovoltaic integration, smart metering, electric vehicles, smart grids, systems such as EV charging infrastructure and electrical installation.

Smart Connectivity track: Intelligence for connected systems, connected infrastructures, digital processes and efficient control throughout building lifecycle. Thematic focuses include IoT building automation, AI building management, predictive maintenance buildings and digital access systems. Smart technologies collect data, analyse usage and enable predictive action ensuring greater efficiency, safety and sustainability.

Living Light track: Dynamic adaptive and emotionally engaging lighting, architectural, technological and emotional aspects of lighting design with strong focus on human centric lighting, residential lighting design and smart home lighting control. From lighting for living space and urban lighting to intelligent control systems for retail and public realm.

Design Plaza track: Curated talks for interior architects, designers and planners on lighting design trends, material innovation and immersive spaces.

Security and safety track: Connected security technology, access control, video surveillance, fire protection and IT security for smart buildings.

Session times & schedule

Daily schedule: Doors open for exhibitors one hour early. Visitor programme starts at 10 a.m. with keynote sessions on top themes, followed by technical presentations, panel discussions and product demonstrations throughout day until 6 p.m.

Morning sessions: Keynotes on electrifying places highlighting ongoing development and interconnection of urban spaces and need to electrify buildings efficiently and supply them with energy sustainably, and illuminating spaces putting design aspects centre stage.

Afternoon sessions: Workshops for craftsmen, Power Festival activities, guided tours through lighting halls with dark-room demonstrations, building automation live demos.

Evening: Networking apéros, award ceremonies, Business Club receptions.

Final day: Reduced programme until 5 p.m. with closing summary and outlook to next edition.

All sessions included in trade visitor ticket, with priority access for Business Club members. Detailed timetable published in Navigator App two weeks before fair.

Ticket types & registration

Visitor registration required via official ticket shop. Tickets include free RMV public transport within entire fare zone and access to all halls and supporting events. Only cashless payments at cash desk.

Pricing based on official Light + Building 2026 published prices as 2028 pricing not yet announced, converted to USD. 2026 official listing shows 1-day ticket with Info Service incl. RMV $26 and season ticket with Info Service incl. RMV $54, indicating affordable access for trade professionals.

1-day ticket:

• Online with Info Service incl. RMV: $26.00
• Online without Info Service: $39.00
• Cash desk with Info Service: $42.00
• Cash desk without Info Service: $62.00
• Reduced student with Info Service: $19.00
• Reduced without Info Service: $28.00

Season ticket 6 days:

• Online with Info Service incl. RMV: $54.00
• Online without Info Service incl. RMV: $81.00
• Cash desk with Info Service: $77.00
• Cash desk without Info Service: $115.00
• Two-day ticket advance reference: $38.00

Info Service: By choosing ticket with Info Service you consent to receive periodic information by email from Messe Frankfurt group including themes, programme, trends and planning information, receiving price reduction up to 33 percent.

Ticket services: Profile in networking tool, appointment scheduling, personal network building, prepared account for nmedia.hub, free RMV travel with ID. Voucher tickets must be exchanged online to use RMV. Tickets may be presented digitally or printed.

Registration deadlines

Early bird online registration: Recommended by February 2028 for best pricing and guaranteed RMV activation. Online tickets available up to last day of fair until 12 p.m.

Voucher redemption deadline: Redemption online before arrival required to use public transport for travel to fair. Redeem voucher code via visitor ticket shop link provided by exhibitor.

Onsite registration: Cash desks open daily from 8:30 a.m. with cashless payment only. Student tickets only at cash desk with proof.

Exhibitor registration: Booth allocation 8 to 9 months before fair, by June-July 2026. Design phase August to October, production October to December, TIR freight 4 to 5 days, assembly late February. Contact organizer for SME 36 to 200 sqm, building automation 200 to 800 sqm, lighting major 300 to 1,500 sqm with dark-room specification.

Exhibitor list & major companies

Light + Building 2028 expects over 2,300 exhibitors from 55 countries and 50,000 sqm, building on 2024 edition with 2,168 exhibitors and 152,000 visitors, and 2022 post-COVID edition with 1,500 exhibitors.

Lighting primes: Signify Philips Lighting, Trilux, Zumtobel Group, OSRAM, Erco, Ledvance, Linea Light Group, Lutron, Acuity Brands, Cooper Lighting, Eaton Lighting, Hubbell, GE Current.

LED and driver: Cree LED, Nichia, Lumileds, Stanley Electric, Tridonic, Helvar, MeanWell, Inventronics.

Smart building automation: Siemens Building Technologies, Schneider Electric, Johnson Controls, Honeywell Building Tech, Bosch Building Tech.

KNX and DALI ecosystem: KNX Association, ABB i-bus, Gira, JUNG, Berker Hager, Theben, MDT.

Electrical installation: Hager, Eaton Electrical, Legrand, Schneider Electric, ABB Smart Buildings, Niko, Vimar, Bticino.

Security and access: Honeywell Security, Bosch Security, Axis Communications, Hikvision, Dahua, dormakaba, ASSA ABLOY, SimonsVoss.

Wire and cable: Prysmian, Nexans, Belden, Lapp Group.

Major specifier procurement: Architecture firms, lighting design consultancies, MEP engineering firms, smart city programme offices.

Country pavilions from China, Italy, Turkey and other markets in Hall 12 and emerging tech areas.

Exhibition halls & floor plan

Detailed hall plan:

• Halls 1 to 6: Lighting, interior and exterior lighting, LED and OLED, decorative lighting, technical lighting, urban lighting. Clustered by product type with dark-room capabilities for live lighting demonstrations. Major lighting brands in Halls 3 to 6.
• Halls 8 to 11: Smart Building, Electrical Installation, Security, Home and Building Automation, Energy Management. Includes electrical engineering, building automation platforms, energy efficiency systems, EV charging, smart home.
• Hall 12: Country pavilions, emerging tech, start-ups and international group stands.
• Forum and Festhalle: Conferences, award ceremonies, Design Plaza, special shows.

Logistics: Power infrastructure for lighting demos 3 to 5 times standard, additional cooling for LED testing, high-end retail finishing. Via Mobile connects halls, Portalhaus and City entrances provide access.

Floor plan availability: Interactive floor plan via official website and Navigator App, with exhibitor search by hall and product group.

Networking & business meetings

Networking Tool: Included with ticket, offering matchmaking and contact with exhibitors and visitors, appointment scheduling functions, personal network building beyond event, profile visible to all participants.

Business Club: Exclusive services and personal support to concentrate fully on trade fair business. Benefits include VIP lounge, all-day catering, Wi-Fi, concierge, exclusive cloakroom, discounted hotel rates, quiet meeting rooms.

Power Festival: Networking activities specifically for apprentices and tradespeople combining workshops, demonstrations and meetups with potential employers and technology providers.

Design community: Design Plaza as informal meeting point for architects and designers with curated hospitality.

Evening events: Exhibitor evening receptions, award nights, association meetings.

Industry sectors & highlights

Lighting Technology: Interior and exterior lighting, decorative and technical lighting, LED and OLED, intelligent light management, human centric lighting, smart control systems.

Electrical Engineering: Electrical installation, energy management, building energy efficiency, EV charging infrastructure, photovoltaic integration.

Home and Building Automation: IoT building automation, AI building management, predictive maintenance, digital access, BIM planning, digital twins, system integration, cybersecurity.

Connected Security Technology: Access control, video surveillance, intrusion detection, fire protection, safety systems integrated with building automation.

Highlights: Sustainable transformation showcasing how technology and architecture merge into energy-efficient whole, smart connectivity for connected infrastructures, living light uniting architectural and emotional aspects. Award ceremony at Panorama ballroom in Forum with free admission and RMV voucher.

Event rules & visitor information

Trade focus: International meeting place for manufacturers, most important visitor groups include architects, interior architects, designers, planners, engineers, craftsmen, trade and industry. Private visitors not primary target but trade visitors prioritized.

Ticket personalization: Tickets managed via personal Messe Frankfurt login, no issuance for other persons. Voucher must be redeemed online to use RMV. Only cashless payments at cash desk.

Conduct: Follow security instructions, keep escape routes clear, no smoking inside halls. Photography for business purposes allowed except where exhibitor restricts. Respect dark-room demonstrations.

Services: Information desks at all entrances, cloakrooms, first aid, accessible services, Business Club support.

Digital services: Navigator App for ticket storage, ground plan, exhibitor search, watchlist with extras, networking, chat and meeting arrangement. nmedia.hub account prepared.

RMV transport: All admission tickets excluding complimentary include free travel to and from Messe Frankfurt on RMV public transport within entire fare zone, tickets may be presented digital or printed with valid ID.

How to get there

By air: Frankfurt Airport 12 km from Messe Frankfurt, 15 minutes by S-Bahn direct. Take S-Bahn lines S8 or S9 to Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof, then U-Bahn U4 to Festhalle/Messe or S-Bahn S3-S6 to Messe station.

By train: Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof one stop away. From Hauptbahnhof U-Bahn U4 directly to fairground, or S-Bahn to Messe. Deutsche Bahn event tickets available.

By car: Follow signs to Messe Frankfurt via A5 and A648. Address Ludwig-Erhard-Anlage 1, 60327 Frankfurt am Main. Parking available in Rebstock area with shuttle buses.

Local: Via Mobile moving walkway connects halls efficiently. Taxi ranks at City, Galleria, Portalhaus entrances.

Public transport & parking

Public transport included: All admission tickets except complimentary include free RMV travel within entire fare zone. Day passes purchased at cash desk only entitle return from exhibition centre, while online tickets valid for both directions. More than 20 percent saving on tickets purchased in advance online compared with box office.

Network: RMV includes S-Bahn, U-Bahn, trams, buses and regional trains. Key connections U4 to Festhalle/Messe, S-Bahn to Messe, tram 16 and 17.

Parking: Messe-owned parking garage and Rebstock parking with continuous shuttle to entrances. Parking fee applies, payable cashless. E-charging stations available. Early arrival recommended during peak days due to large exhibitor setup and heavy machinery.

Accommodation areas

Near Messe Europaviertel, Gallus, Bahnhofsviertel: Walking distance or one U-Bahn stop, ideal for quick access and evening events, many business hotels with conference facilities, travel time 5 to 15 minutes.

City center Innenstadt and Altstadt: 10 to 20 minutes by public transport with extensive restaurants, shopping and cultural attractions, good for combining business with city experience.

Airport area Gateway Gardens: For international visitors with early flights, direct S-Bahn connection via Hauptbahnhof.

Booking advice: Light + Building is one of largest fairs with over 150,000 visitors, hotels fill early. Use official hotel service via expobeds and Messe Frankfurt for discounted rates. Book 6 to 8 months in advance.

Previous year’s highlights

Light + Building 2024 took place March 3 to 8 with 2,168 exhibitors from 55 countries and 152,000 visitors from 154 countries, confirming role as key international meeting point with 95 percent visitor satisfaction.

Highlights included minimal profiles, concealed light sources and glare-controlled systems alongside atmospheric scenographic installations, expansion of support for young professionals through Power Festival combining workshops and demonstrations, dedicated KNX and Matter zones underlining market consolidation around open interoperable standards, AI-driven energy diagnostics featured prominently across exhibitor stands and forum sessions, and focus on sustainability, digitalisation, connectivity, security and safety spanning lighting solutions and building technologies such as electrical installations, energy management and smart home systems. Light + Building 2022 post-COVID edition still attracted 1,500 exhibitors, while 2018 edition reached 2,714 exhibitors and 220,000 visitors on more than 260,000 square metres in 25 halls, showing long-term growth.

Official registration & tickets

Official website: https://light-building.messefrankfurt.com/frankfurt/en.html

Ticket shop: Buy ticket online via visitortickets.messefrankfurt.com or via exhibitor voucher code. Online ticket with Info Service provides up to 33 percent reduction. Cashless payment only at cash desk.

Exhibitor registration: Contact light-building@messefrankfurt.com, phone +49 69 75 75-34 27 for stand solutions including dark-room specification, power infrastructure and hospitality areas.

Contact: Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH, Ludwig-Erhard-Anlage 1, 60327 Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Phone +49 69 75 75-34 27, email light-building@messefrankfurt.com.

Brand: Part of Messe Frankfurt Light + Building Technology fair portfolio with events worldwide in Asia, Argentina, China, UAE and the USA, including acquisition of LiGHT Expo London supporting next chapter of brand.