FIBO 2026 opens in Cologne

FIBO opened Thursday, April 16, at Cologne Exhibition Centre, starting a four-day run that lasts through Sunday, April 19. (fibo.com) The organizer describes FIBO as the world’s leading trade show for health, fitness, and wellness, with opening hours from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. each day. The official site says the 2026 edition centers on “an active and holistically mindful lifestyle.” (fibo.com) This year’s pitch is broader than rows of gym machines and supplement booths. FIBO’s April 16 press release says visitors will move through workouts, seminars, and hands-on demos built for beginners, regular exercisers, and industry professionals. (prnewswire.com) The hall plan shows how wide that net has become. One venue cluster is devoted to artificial intelligence, digitalization, start-ups, the FIBO Congress, a longevity summit, and a women’s leadership summit, while other halls cover nutrition, diagnostics, wellness, therapy, fashion, bodybuilding, and functional training. (fibo.com) The show’s own program also points to technology as a front-and-center theme. FIBO says its lecture schedule is being updated daily and includes an artificial intelligence translation tool that can render sessions into up to 57 languages. (fibo.com) Organizers are also pushing the idea that fitness now includes recovery, food, and mental wellbeing. The opening-day release highlights plant-based nutrition, matcha, neurotraining, and body-and-mind formats alongside powerlifting, Muay Thai, armwrestling, and indoor cycling. (prnewswire.com) That mix reflects the scale FIBO reached last year. The United States International Trade Administration says the 2025 show drew more than 1,105 exhibitors and over 145,000 visitors from 133 countries, including 84,000 trade visitors. (trade.gov) The business audience is still a big part of the event. The trade agency says FIBO serves gym operators, health centers, physiotherapy and physician practices, wellness facilities, dealers, and trainers, and notes that more than 30 United States companies typically exhibit there each year. (trade.gov) At the same time, the public-facing side is getting more visible. Ticket pages list business admission from 55 euros, public admission from 42 euros, and a separate congress ticket from 153 euros, underscoring how the event now sells both industry access and consumer experience. (fibo.com) The next marker comes this weekend, when the Cologne halls stay open through April 19 and the 2026 lineup gets tested in real time by trade buyers, trainers, brands, and everyday visitors. (fibo.com)