akustika Nuremberg 2026: Europe's music fair grows
More exhibitors, more visitors, more countries: akustika Nuremberg concluded its fourth edition from April 24 to 26, 2026 with a positive balance sheet. Behind the figures lies a greater ambition - the trade fair wants to become the leading European trade fair for music.
Around 11,500 visitors from 49 countries and 273 exhibitors from 25 nations - the key figures for akustika 2026 speak for themselves. The trade fair, which is organized by Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Messen und Ausstellungen GmbH (AFAG), founded in 1947, has developed steadily since its premiere in 2023 and is now regarded as the most important platform for the instrument making trade in German-speaking countries. For the first time, akustika occupied Hall 7A in addition to NCC Ost, the largest of the three Convention Centers (NCC) at the Nuremberg exhibition grounds, where sheet music publishers and string and plucked instruments were given their own area - and the new space was very well received by visitors.
Why Europe needs a trade fair like this
Several exhibitors put it in a nutshell: Europe has so far lacked an independent international music fair with real appeal. After the last Musikmesse Frankfurt took place in 2019, it was canceled in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic and was not resumed afterwards due to market conditions. «At the moment, it only exists in the USA and China,» said Simon Götz from C.A. Götz jr. GmbH, a long-established company for violins and string instrument accessories from Markneukirchen. «We have lost this in Europe - and I hope that we will have it in Nuremberg in five years» time."
This finding explains why akustika is more than just a regional trade fair. It brings together instrument makers, music publishers, dealers, teachers and musicians under one roof - a combination that hardly exists anywhere else. Hans-Peter Strohhäcker from Yamaha Music Europe spoke of akustika as the future «industry meeting place of Europe», which aims to bring together different associations, clubs and music cultures.
Anna Petrof Pruskova from the Czech piano manufacturer Petrof also emphasized that akustika is currently the only trade fair with an international presence in Europe that is still active - and thus fills a gap that has arisen elsewhere.
Craftsmanship, concerts and networking as trademarks
akustika is a lively event: 80 concerts, 10 composer portraits and 50 workshops, seminars and lectures took place on six stages. The accordion, declared Instrument of the Year 2026 by the German State Music Councils, took center stage - the Nuremberg Accordion Orchestra, reigning world champion, performed. For the organizers, this concert program is a deliberate strategy: the trade fair should be a tangible and emotional experience, not just a showcase for products.
«Especially in the current times, music is one of the few things that connects people across borders - and this can be experienced everywhere at akustika,» AFAG Managing Directors Henning and Thilo Könicke are convinced.
Swiss participation and outlook
Exhibitors from Switzerland were also represented at akustika 2026, for example daCarbo AG from Lachen, Jancic AG from Villmergen, Servette Music SA from Geneva and Swiss Wood Solutions AG Sonowood from Altdorf. The organizers have two clear goals for 2027: to strengthen the B2B area with more specialist music retailers and to further expand the international reach. Other foreign companies have already registered to take part in the future. The next akustika will take place from April 9 to 11, 2027 at Messe Nürnberg.
