New Spaces, Global Stories: Frankfurter Buchmesse Elevates Comics and Manga
The professional programme, Frankfurt Global Network and Comic Business Centre are strengthening international exchange. On the public days, manga, cosplay and Japanese pop culture will bring people together.
Frankfurter Buchmesse is expanding its programme for comics, manga and visual stories. From 7 to 11 October 2026, it will combine rights trading and industry expertise with opportunities for fans, artists and publishers to meet. The focus will be on a new trade programme, the comics section of the Frankfurt Global Network and the stage programme of the Main Matsuri Festival.
New opportunities for the international comics industry
The Comic Business Centre in Hall 3.1 brings together the international rights and licensing trade. Thirty-one exhibitors from ten countries will present their programmes there. Stands from France, Belgium, Latvia and Spain round off the line-up. The literary voices and the comics and cartoon culture of the Czechia, Guest of Honour for 2026, will also feature prominently in the programme in Hall 3.1.
On Wednesday and Thursday, the trade programme welcomes publishers, rights agents and other industry professionals. International events combine market insight, networking and new perspectives: an international market presentation with NielsenIQ BookData, a guided tour and opening happy hour, as well as a panel on webtoons, webcomics and digital manga featuring Webtoon Ambassador Sebastien Celimon.
“Today, comics mark the beginning of a story that takes many forms,” says Charlotte Boschen, Key Account Manager at Frankfurter Buchmesse. “A webtoon becomes a series, a manga becomes an anime, a graphic novel becomes a film. For publishers and rights professionals, this puts the story at the centre – and raises the question of how to reach their audience across different media.”
Frankfurt Global Network focuses on comics for the first time
In 2026, Frankfurt Global Network will dedicate itself to comics, manga, graphic novels and visual stories for the first time. The support programme connects and trains international publishers, editors and rights managers. Young professionals from 14 countries will travel to Hamburg ahead of the fair, visit publishers and present their titles at the joint stand in Hall 3.1.
On Sunday 11 October, Bourahima Zongo from Editions Grenier in Burkina Faso and Suyru Njoka from Zebra Comics in Cameroon will discuss African comics and new visions of the present and future on the Global Stage. The panel will be moderated by SHEROES curator Joëlle Epée Mandengue. The Weltkulturen Museum in Frankfurt is showcasing further works from the African comics scene with a spin-off of the exhibition “SHEROES. Comic Art from Africa”. The exhibition focuses on female perspectives and female protagonists.
Manga, cosplay and music on public days
From Friday 9 October to Sunday 11 October, comics publishers will be presenting their new releases in Hall 4.0. Carlsen, Egmont and Cross Cult are among them, alongside Splitter, Edition Helden, Kibitz and other publishers. The joint exhibition ‘Comics, Manga and Games’ in Hall 4.0 offers readers an additional meeting place.
In Hall 4.1, the Kira Kira Pop Art Event invites visitors to manga drawing workshops and hands-on activities on Saturday and Sunday. Visitors can design badges, meet artists and create their own characters.
For the first time, the Main Matsuri Festival is organising a Japanese-inspired stage and music programme for Frankfurter Buchmesse. Artists from Japan and Germany will perform on the Matsuri Stage, including Mitsuru Kijo, a taiko drummer, DJ Rhina Love and Takeo Ischi. Daily cosplay competitions will bring the art of costume design and pop culture to the stage. On Sunday, cosplayers will present costumes inspired by literary characters and fictional worlds.
Further information on the programme can be found in the interview ‘From cosplay to Japanese yodelling’ on buchmesse.de.
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