From 27 to 31 January 2026, the Bologna Children’s Book Fair (BCBF) will be in Germany for the Spielwarenmesse, the world’s largest event for the toy industry
The fifth edition of the Bologna Children’s Book Fair (BCBF) Grand Tour – launched in 2021 thanks to the support and collaboration of ITA – Italian Trade Agency and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation – is preparing to feature at its penultimate event prior to the forthcoming edition of the fair, scheduled to take place at the Bologna Exhibition Centre from 13 to 16 April 2026.
From 27 to 31 January 2026 BCBF will be at Spielwarenmesse, the world’s largest toy industry event, which this year celebrates its 75th anniversary. BCBF’s presence in Nuremberg (NCC West, Foyer Hall 12.0, Stand 10) is the latest result of a vision that has been guiding the Bologna Children’s Book Fair for over eighteen years, starting with the creation of the Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids that broadened the scope of BCBF by offering the publishing sector the opportunity to engage with leading players in the worlds of brand licensing, gaming and film and TV media.
This vision aims to promote and bolster the synergy between the different languages and markets that increasingly define the development of content for children and young people, and which continues to translate into new projects and formats today. These include an expansion of the BLTF/Kids exhibition line-up, created in collaboration with Play, the fair for “analogue” games, which will welcome toy companies, licensors, creatives and industry professionals.
Within a publishing landscape where exchanges and interrelationships between toys and characters that are born on paper – and vice versa – are becoming increasingly frequent, taking part in the world’s leading event for the sector is an opportunity not only to forge new relationships that could benefit readers and enrich content, but also to acquire an important voice in representing the publishing market to the toy industry.
BCBF is bringing a delegation of Italian authors to Nuremberg and promoting the panel ‘How Content Consumption is Changing. The Role of Toys and Books’ (Hall 3A – Toy Business Forum, 30 January, 10:30 – 11:15): Manita Schaapman (Owner, The Mouse Mansion Company, Netherlands), Emanuele Di Giorgi (Managing Director, Tunué, Italy), Michela Bennici (Literary Agent, The Book Rights Literary Agency, Italy) and the panel chair, Cristina Angelucci (Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids, Italy), will discuss how children, teenagers and young adults are using an increasing number of media to access content. In a context in which digital consumption is constantly evolving, what is the role of toys and books? And how can publishers, toy manufacturers and designers become creative partners in this changing world?
