Essen, October 26, 2026 – SPIEL Essen 2026 has set new benchmarks across the board: It was not only the largest board game fair ever held, but also the one with the highest attendance in history. 230,000 people from every corner of the globe traveled to Essen from October 22 to 25 to be part of the event. SPIEL was completely sold out on all four days – even with an expanded ticket capacity made possible by opening Hall 8 as exhibition space. For the first time, all halls of Messe Essen were fully utilized, covering a total area of 81,200 square meters.

The expansion of space was once again necessary due to immense demand from exhibitors. On one hand, many returning exhibitors wanted to significantly enlarge their booth spaces to present even more titles. On the other hand, the total number of exhibitors rose once again, with SPIEL welcoming numerous new vendors. In total, 997 exhibitors from 53 countries brought 2,012 new releases to the heart of the Ruhr region.

Record visitor numbers thanks to expanded footprint

"Exhibitors are practically beating down our doors," jokes Carol Rapp, Managing Director of organizer Merz Verlag. "Last year, I didn't plan on opening a new hall, but demand forced us to open Hall 7. This year it happened again; exhibitors kept asking for more space, so taking over the final remaining hall was the only option." Even with the expanded footprint, many interested companies had to be placed on a waiting list in hopes of securing last-minute cancellations.

Opening Hall 8 as both exhibition and gaming space allowed more attendees to visit the fair in 2026. "We take great care to ensure that visiting SPIEL remains enjoyable and not overwhelming, despite the high crowd volume. That's why we enforce a daily visitor cap. Thanks to Hall 8, we were able to increase this cap slightly without compromising the quality of the visitor experience." In total, with 230,000 attendees, SPIEL surpassed the previous 2025 attendance record by 10,000 people.

At the same time, using the entirety of Messe Essen's available grounds means that further physical expansion within the existing halls is no longer possible. "We are well aware that we are pushing Messe Essen to its absolute limits," notes Rapp. "But to immediately dispel any rumors: A relocation is not on the table. Our focus now is on continuing to refine and develop SPIEL at the Essen location in the coming years."

"We are thrilled with the trajectory SPIEL is taking. On one hand, it is becoming increasingly diverse and attractive for gamers; on the other hand, it is solidifying its role as an essential forum for tabletop professionals worldwide. When the joy of gaming and discovering new releases goes hand in hand with driving international board game business, that is the ideal outcome," says Florian Hess, Managing Director of Merz Verlag and Board Member of Spielwarenmesse Group. "Since acquiring SPIEL and carefully but noticeably developing it with our team in Essen, we offer a comprehensive lineup for the board game industry: the Spielwarenmesse and Game Inventors Convention in Nuremberg as dedicated professional forums, and SPIEL in Essen as the global focal point of the industry every autumn!"

"Essen spielt!" extends the fair beyond the exhibition halls

A major initiative in expanding the event's reach was the launch of the new "Essen spielt!" ("Essen Plays!") project. Together, the City of Essen, Messe Essen, and Merz Verlag offered various events and perks centered around SPIEL Essen outside the convention halls. Alongside discounts at 13 participating partner locations across the city and a custom SPIEL signature cocktail in select restaurants and bars, three exclusive gaming nights took place during the fair. These were hosted on the 22nd floor of Essen City Hall, at the Red Dot Design Museum at UNESCO World Heritage Site Zollverein, and aboard a Weiße Flotte vessel cruising Lake Baldeney. Participation was free, with tickets distributed via a raffle hosted by Messe Essen. The project was overwhelmingly well received, and organizers are already exploring ways to expand it for 2027.

All details regarding "Essen spielt!" can be found on the project website.

American artist serves as official SPIEL ambassador

The official ambassador for SPIEL 2026 was American artist and illustrator Peter Mohrbacher. Best known for Angelarium, his self-created fantasy world, Mohrbacher's creative work continues to captivate audiences. He is the third ambassador in SPIEL's initiative connecting figures from adjacent cultural sectors with the trade fair. Mohrbacher represents the world of visual art and illustration—an element essential to board game design.

Expanded event lineup and on-site action

Beyond its core function as a platform to discover, test, and purchase new releases, SPIEL Essen continues to evolve into an immersive experiential event.

A standout addition this year was Warhammer 40k Laser Tag, hosted daily in Saal Europa. Players faced off in fast-paced 12 vs. 12 team matches. Demand for time slots was exceptionally high, participant feedback was overwhelmingly positive, and plans are underway to offer the event again in future editions.

The SPIEL.talks, presented on the large open stage in Hall 4, drew substantial crowds with a wide range of topics. This year's multifaceted program covered diverse subjects ranging from specialized industry discussions to broad community topics. The stage concept introduced last year has proven highly successful and is now a permanent fixture of the fair.

The complete schedule is available on the SPIEL Essen website, with recorded sessions hosted on YouTube.

The award ceremony for Golden Demon, Games Workshop's world-renowned miniature painting competition, also took place on the Hall 4 stage on Sunday before hundreds of spectators. SPIEL has firmly established itself as the European host venue for the competition, with well over 1,000 masterfully painted miniatures entered across 14 categories. The over-all victory and winner of the most sought trophy in the form of a real sword went to Maxime Penaud from France.

All award winners and event details are available on the official Golden Demon website.

Additionally, a brand-new accolade for the trading card game sector debuted at SPIEL this year: the TCG Awards. In collaboration with the Card Sports League and Hana Sports & Entertainment, Merz Verlag hosted the inaugural TCG Awards gala ceremony. Winners across 13 categories were determined by community voting as well as an expert jury, and honored live at the fair.

Winners and further information can be found on the TCG Awards website.

German Games Prize (Deutscher Spiele Preis) 2026

Germany's largest community award for board games, the Deutscher Spiele Preis (DSP), was awarded on the Wednesday preceding the fair. For over 30 years, board game enthusiasts across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland have voted online for their favorite titles of the current gaming year. Through the DSP, the gaming community honors designers and publishers for their outstanding releases.

• 1st Place DSP 2026: Artengarten (Publisher: Feuerland Spiele, Designer: Mathias Wigge)
• 2nd Place DSP 2026: Boss Fighters QR (Publisher: Pegasus Spiele, Designers: Lukas Zach and Michael Palm)
• 3rd Place DSP 2026: Galactic Cruise (Publisher: PD-Verlag, Designers: T. K. King, Dennis Northcott, and Koltin Thomson)
• DSP Best Children's Game 2026: Toriki: Eine Insel voller Abenteuer (Publisher: Mirakulus, Designer: Wojciech Grajkowski)

Preparations for 2027 underway

SPIEL Essen 2026 was once again a triumphant celebration of tabletop gaming, bringing international guests and enthusiasm to Essen. Merz Verlag has ambitious plans for next year and has already begun the planning phase.

The next edition of SPIEL Essen will take place from October 21 to 24, 2027 – when it will once again be time to say: "Let the games begin!"

Press images are available via the followingh link: SPIEL Essen 2026
Additional media assets can be downloaded from the Downloads section in our Press Area.

About SPIEL Essen

SPIEL Essen is the world's largest public fair for board games, bringing passionate gaming fans together with national and international exhibitors in the heart of the Ruhr region. The fair has existed for over 40 years, presenting thousands of new releases from exhibitors from over 50 nations. At its core is togetherness and communal play, as SPIEL Essen allows visitors to test and buy new titles directly at the booths on-site.