Madrid Book Fair 2026

The book festival in the Spanish capital generated €9,862,888 in revenue and saw the sale of 587,014 copies, with a total of approximately 820,000 unique visitors—a figure that includes individuals not detected by mobile-phone-based tracking systems, primarily minors.

According to Eva Orúe, director of the Madrid Book Fair, "the sales and attendance figures confirm what we anticipated at the press conference regarding interim results: fewer visitors, lower revenue. I believe the circumstances explain these numbers: it was very hot during the opening weekend, and subsequently—up to and including the 8th—many Madrid residents and potential visitors chose not to come to the city center, discouraged by those insisting that the experience would be very difficult," Orúe explains.

The final outcome was also influenced by reduced opening hours compared to the previous edition. In the prior year, the Fair remained open until 10:00 PM on Fridays, whereas this year it closed at 9:00 PM. Added to this was an early closure—three hours ahead of schedule—on the final day due to a weather alert, a measure adopted by the organizers to ensure the safety of visitors, exhibitors, and staff.

Despite these circumstances, the Fair's final weekend saw a stronger public response than the closing weekend of the previous year; "we noticed and confirmed that people were eager to attend the Fair, but the early closure on Sunday thwarted a potential rebound," the director lamented.

The cultural program once again proved to be a major driving force behind the Fair. The various pavilions and activity spaces attracted 20,438 attendees throughout the event. This confirms the public's interest in an edition dedicated to humor—one that explored the subject through literature, philosophy, graphic art, current political affairs, poetry, childhood, and the diverse cultural traditions that coexist within the Spanish language.

With 523 exhibitors participating over the course of the 17-day event, the Fair brought together leading voices from the worlds of contemporary literature, journalism, illustration, and humor. International authors in attendance included Jonathan Coe, Mircea Cărtărescu, Ana Blandiana, Philippe Claudel, Dario Ferrari, Pino Aprile, Maitena, Leila Guerriero, Camila Sosa Villada, Ariana Harwicz, and Giuseppe Caputo, alongside Spanish figures such as Marta Sanz, Ignatius Farray, Rodrigo Cortés, Edu Galán, Joaquín Reyes, Eva Hache, and Pantomima Full, among many others.

Fair activities also extended to the exhibition booths, which hosted 7,334 book-signing sessions. A total of 3,880 unique individuals participated in these signings: 2,259 men, 1,612 women, and 9 non-binary individuals.

A more accessible and sustainable Fair

For its 2026 edition, FLMadrid further strengthened its commitment to accessibility, inclusion, and sustainability.

The Fair was awarded the "Dis-Friendly" seal by Envera—Iberia’s social welfare arm—in recognition of measures implemented to ensure everyone has access to reading, cultural programming, and the various areas of the venue.

Additionally, the organizers completed the external audit required for certification under ISO 20121, the international benchmark standard for sustainable event management. The certification, developed with the guidance of the consultancy Plan B Group and audited by AENOR, has comprehensively evaluated the Fair's environmental, social, and economic impacts.

For the third consecutive year, the Madrid Book Fair has counted on Repsol as its multi-energy sponsor. After becoming the first fair to operate using solar energy last year—driven by this energy company—in 2026, more than 200 solar panels powered the booths, pavilions, and various areas of the venue, such as the *El País* stand and the VIPS dining areas.

Additionally, two of the Madrid Book Fair’s power supply points utilized electricity from the company with a 100% renewable origin guarantee. Repsol also once again provided 100% renewable fuels to power the only generator set still used by the Fair; the supply of approximately 3,500 liters enabled a reduction of over 9.73 tonnes of CO₂.

Furthermore, nearly 80% of the books transported for FLMadrid26 were moved using vehicles powered by these renewable fuels.

The results at the close of this year's edition once again confirm a very positive trend, highlighting a significant increase in solar energy generation compared to the previous edition.