IAA Transportation 2026 runs 15-20 September at Deutsche Messe Hannover. Your complete guide to ticket prices, opening hours, the biggest test-drive programme yet, who's exhibiting, and how to get to the fairground.
| Detail | Info | Detail | Info |
|---|---|---|---|
| 📅 Dates | 15-20 September 2026 | 🏛️ Location | Hannover, Germany |
| 🚛 Focus | Commercial vehicles, logistics & transport - trucks, vans, buses, trailers, charging, telematics | 🏢 Venue | Deutsche Messe Hannover |
| 🔁 Frequency | Biennial (even years) | 🌍 2026 exhibitors | Registrations 11% ahead of 2024; 70% international |
| 👥 Last attendance | ~145,000 from 41 countries (2024) | 🎟️ Access | Open to trade and public - day tickets from €10 |
Quick Answer: When is IAA Transportation 2026 and what is it? IAA Transportation 2026 runs at , preceded by a - free for accredited journalists from 08:00-18:00, or accessible to trade visitors from 12:00 via a paid Exclusive Press Day ticket. It is the world's leading trade fair for commercial vehicles, logistics and transport, organised by the (German Association of the Automotive Industry) and formerly known as IAA Commercial Vehicles. A weekday day ticket is , a full-event ticket covering all six days is , and children under 6 enter free. Exhibitor registrations were running roughly of the 2024 edition as of early 2026, with several halls already overbooked and international participation at .
If you searched "IAA Transportation 2026," you are likely one of three people: a fleet operator, dealer or logistics buyer planning a week around new trucks and vans, a supplier or systems integrator weighing whether a stand in Hannover is worth the spend, or someone just trying to work out what a weekday ticket actually costs. This guide answers all three.
It covers the full 2026 schedule and opening hours, every ticket tier and what it includes, what's new for this edition - including the biggest test-drive programme the show has run - the conference programme, who's confirmed to exhibit, what a stand costs, and how to get to the fairground. For the structured event listing, see our IAA Transportation 2026 show page.
IAA Transportation is the world's leading trade fair for commercial vehicles, logistics and the transport sector, held every two years in Hannover. It was formerly known as IAA Commercial Vehicles before being renamed as part of the same VDA-organised IAA family that also runs IAA Mobility (the passenger-car show, held in Munich in odd years). The fair spans trucks, vans, buses and trailers, alongside logistics technology, telematics, charging and refuelling infrastructure, and the fleet software and services that increasingly decide which vehicles get bought.
The 2024 edition drew around 145,000 visitors - roughly 10% up on 2022 - across nearly 1,700 exhibitors from 41 countries, an increase of more than 21% on the previous edition, with international exhibitor participation reaching a then-record 72%. Exhibitors presented 145 world and European premieres, with decarbonised logistics and CO2-neutral transport the dominant themes. Among trade visitors, more than 45% travelled from outside Germany, more than half held executive positions (over three-quarters were key decision-makers), and over 50% planned to invest within the following six to twelve months - unusually commercial numbers for a show this size.
As of early 2026, Deutsche Messe reported exhibitor registrations running about 11% ahead of the same point before the 2024 edition, with several halls already overbooked. International participation stood at 70% at that checkpoint - strongest from China, Turkey and Italy - and 23% of registered exhibitors were first-timers. Deutsche Messe has not published a final total exhibitor count for 2026 at the time of writing.
IAA Transportation 2026 runs Tuesday 15 to Sunday 20 September 2026 - six public days, preceded by a Monday Press Day.
| Day | Hours |
|---|---|
| Press Day - Monday 14 September | 08:00-18:00 for accredited journalists; trade visitors from 12:00 with a paid Press Day ticket |
| Tuesday 15 September | 09:00-18:00 |
| Wednesday 16 September | 09:00-18:00 |
| Thursday 17 September | 09:00-18:00 |
| Friday 18 September | 09:00-18:00 |
| Saturday 19 September | 09:00-18:00 |
| Sunday 20 September | 09:00-16:00 |
Unlike some European fairs that reserve early days for trade and later days for the public, IAA Transportation runs the same hours for everyone across all six days - there is no separate trade-only window. Plan your floor time knowing Sunday closes two hours earlier than the rest of the week.
IAA Transportation is open to both trade visitors and the public, and the ticket structure reflects that - there are more tiers here than most single-audience trade fairs.
| Ticket | Online | On-site | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full-Event Ticket | €74.00 | €85.00 | Valid 15-20 Sep, multiple entries |
| Day Ticket (weekday) | €28.00 | €32.00 | Valid Tue-Fri; transfers to a weekend day if unused |
| Day Ticket (weekend) | €10.00 | Online only | Valid 19-20 Sep, single entry |
| Afternoon Ticket | €13.00 | €15.00 | Valid all days from 13:00 |
| Reduced Day Ticket | €9.00 | Online only | Students, apprentices, voluntary-service participants, visitors with disabilities (proof required) |
| Family Adventure Pass | €20.00 | Online only | Up to 2 adults + 3 children, weekends only |
| Driver Ticket (truck/bus) | €8.00 | Online only | Requires driver card and photo ID |
| School Group Ticket | €5.00/pupil | Box office only | Minimum 5 pupils + 1 teacher, proof required |
| Press Day Ticket | €69.00 | €79.00 | Trade-visitor access to Press Day (14 Sep) from 12:00. Accredited journalists attend free 08:00-18:00 via press accreditation, not this ticket |
Four things worth acting on:
Buying online is meaningfully cheaper across the board - typically €4-11 less per ticket than the box office, and several of the cheaper tiers (weekend day, reduced, family, driver) are sold online only.
A business-day ticket also covers the IAA Conference. You are not paying twice to sit in on the Main Stage, Industry Stage or prototype.club Stage sessions - floor access and conference access come on the same badge for standard tickets.
Children under 6 are free and need no ticket at all when accompanied by an adult; ages 6 and up require a ticket, including the discounted family pass tiers.
Tickets do not include public transport. The official ticket shop states this explicitly on every ticket type - budget separately for trains, trams or parking (see Getting to Deutsche Messe Hannover below).
Three changes distinguish this edition from 2024:
Separately, exhibitor registration for 2026 is now closed, after Deutsche Messe reported several halls already overbooked earlier in the year - a firmer signal of demand than any pre-show visitor projection.
The single biggest practical change for 2026 is on the tarmac, not the show floor: IAA Transportation says it is running more test drives than ever, with 84 vehicles from 17 exhibitors available - a 40% increase on 2024's 60 vehicles. Organiser-allocated capacity for the programme is already fully booked, which reflects record exhibitor demand rather than a lack of anything for visitors to do - see below for how to actually get behind the wheel.
Powertrain mix. The majority of vehicles are fully electric, with hydrogen-powered models and the latest low-emission diesel vehicles filling out the rest. Notable entries include Volvo's hydrogen FH Aero and all-electric FH Aero (700km range), a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter with the BE-Combi system, and DAF's XG Electric.
Three departure points:
| Location | What it covers |
|---|---|
| In-hall booths | MAN Truck & Bus and Volvo Trucks run test drives directly from their exhibition stands |
| Halls 14/15 | A large shared indoor terminal serving 14 exhibitors |
| Halls 19/20 | Daimler Truck departure points, for test drives that run outside the exhibition grounds |
Confirmed participating manufacturers span DAF, Daimler Truck, Ford, Ford Trucks, Junge Fahrzeugbau, KIA, Maxus, MAN Truck & Bus, Phinia, SANY Truck, Renault Trucks, Scania, Superpanther, Tesla, Volkswagen, Volta Trucks and Volvo Trucks.
Autonomous driving demonstrations. Five exhibitors are showcasing six ADAS and autonomous vehicles - more than double the 2024 count - including the first-ever presentation of robo-vans built without a conventional driver's cab. For these specifically, IAA's guidance is that interested visitors can request a demonstration directly at the exhibitor's booth, and booth staff will escort them to the vehicle.
Want a test drive? With organiser-allocated slots full, your best route is to enquire directly at the relevant exhibitor's stand during the show - several manufacturers are running drives straight from their booths (see the table above).
Getting between them. Free shuttle loops connect the halls and outdoor demonstration areas, run using six new vehicle models from Daimler Buses, MAN Truck & Bus and BYD - itself a live demonstration of the vehicles doing the shuttling.
The IAA Conference runs across three stages, with more than 100 sessions and 200+ speakers - organisers report presentation slots filled quickly given industry interest.
| Stage | Hall & dates | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Main Stage | Hall 18, 15-16 September | Keynotes and panels - confirmed speakers include VDA President Hildegard Müller, Renault Trucks CEO Antoine Duclaux, Volvo Group CTO Jens Holtinger, ZF Friedrichshafen CEO Mathias Miedreich and Siemens eMobility CEO Markus Mildner |
| Industry Stage | Hall 13, 15-18 September | Exhibitor-only presentations - confirmed participants include Robert Bosch, McKinsey & Company, Milence and Porsche Consulting |
| prototype.club Stage | Hall 12, 15-18 September | Open to companies of all sizes and IAA topics - keynotes, panels, live demos and startup pitches |
The programme's headline themes are electrification and charging infrastructure, autonomous driving, software-defined vehicles, artificial intelligence, and economic resilience and transformation - a mix that tracks how much of the commercial-vehicle buying conversation has shifted from the vehicle itself to the software and energy infrastructure around it.
Standard business-day tickets include conference access, so if a session matters to you, no separate purchase is required.
Confirmed 2026 exhibitors span the full commercial-vehicle manufacturer roster: BYD, DAF Trucks, Daimler Truck, Dongfeng, Ford, Ford Trucks, KIA, MAN Truck & Bus, MAXUS, Scania, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles and Volvo Trucks, alongside returning exhibitors Renault Trucks and Mercedes-Benz Vans. On the trailer and body side, Schmitz Cargobull has announced an unusually broad product push for 2026 - several world premieres plus a German and a European premiere, spanning lightweight trailers, refrigeration technology and digital service/diagnostic systems.
Beyond manufacturers, Deutsche Messe's own breakdown of the 2026 exhibitor base puts suppliers as the largest single category, followed by body manufacturers, with a visible cluster of newcomers in e-van production and charging infrastructure - consistent with the show's 23% first-timer rate this edition.
For the full, current list, use the official exhibitor and partner directory rather than any secondhand aggregator - with registration closed and halls overbooked, the roster has kept moving right up to the show.
Exhibitor registration for the 2026 edition is now closed, after several halls were already reported as overbooked earlier in the year, so this section is a reference for planning 2028 rather than a live call to action.
| Stand type | 2026 price |
|---|---|
| Ground floor - row stand (one side open) | €143.00 |
| Corner stand (two sides open) | €171.60 |
| Peninsula stand (three sides open) | €185.90 |
| Island stand (four sides open) | €200.20 |
| Upper floor (multi-storey halls) | €92.50 |
| Open-air section | €92.50 |
Minimum booth size is 20 m², and stand construction is not included in the base rent.
Space applications and documents run through the official exhibitor portal, which is also where the sales brochure and full terms are published.
The fairground has strong rail access, and during the show it gets a temporary boost that first-time visitors should know about.
By train and light rail. Light rail lines 8 or 18 run from Hannover Hauptbahnhof (Central Station) to the Messe/Nord stop at the fairground's northern entrance in about 18 minutes. Line 6 from Kröpcke reaches the eastern entrance, Messe/Ost, in about 24 minutes.
By S-Bahn, with a show-only upgrade. During IAA Transportation, the S8 suburban line runs a direct connection between Hannover Airport, Hannover Hauptbahnhof and Hannover Messe/Laatzen - useful if you are flying in and want to skip a transfer. The Messe/Laatzen station itself is about 400m from the West 1 entrance, connected by a covered Skywalk, and Deutsche Bahn supplements its regular service with additional metronom and erixx stops there during the show.
Parking. Car parking is €16 per day, run by Gesellschaft für Verkehrsförderung (GfV). EV charging is available in several parking areas around the fairground; the organiser's own pages currently give conflicting counts and locations, so check the official arrival page for the current picture before travelling.
Airport shuttle. A dedicated shuttle (operator BFM, +49 511 97748-81) runs from the taxi stand near the West 1 entrance for €25 per person, roughly a 25-minute journey, with a maximum 20-minute wait.
Taxi. Hallo Taxi Hannover: +49 (0)511-3811.
When and where is IAA Transportation 2026? IAA Transportation 2026 takes place 15-20 September 2026 at Deutsche Messe Hannover, Germany. Press Day is 14 September - free for accredited journalists from 08:00-18:00, or open to trade visitors from 12:00 via a paid ticket.
What are the IAA Transportation 2026 opening hours? Halls are open 09:00-18:00 Tuesday 15 through Saturday 19 September, and 09:00-16:00 on the final day, Sunday 20 September. There is no separate trade-only period - the same hours apply to everyone all six days.
How much do IAA Transportation 2026 tickets cost? A weekday day ticket is €28 online or €32 on-site. A full-event ticket covering all six days is €74 online or €85 on-site. Cheaper tiers include a €10 weekend day ticket, a €13-15 afternoon ticket, and a €9 reduced ticket for students and people with disabilities - most discounted tiers are sold online only. Children under 6 are free. Note that tickets do not include public transport.
Is IAA Transportation open to the public? Yes. Unlike some European trade fairs that restrict early days to trade visitors, IAA Transportation sells tickets to both trade and general visitors across all six public days. Press Day on 14 September is the exception - accredited journalists attend free, and trade visitors can buy a separate paid ticket for afternoon access.
How big is IAA Transportation? The 2024 edition drew around 145,000 visitors and nearly 1,700 exhibitors from 41 countries, with 145 world and European premieres and a then-record 72% international exhibitor share. For 2026, Deutsche Messe reported exhibitor registrations running about 11% ahead of the 2024 comparative period as of early in the year, with several halls already overbooked and international participation at 70% at that checkpoint; a final 2026 exhibitor total had not been published at the time of writing.
What's new at IAA Transportation 2026? The biggest practical change is the test-drive programme: 84 vehicles from 17 exhibitors, up 40% on 2024, plus double the autonomous-vehicle demonstrations including the first robo-vans without a conventional driver's cab. On the conference side, the new prototype.club Stage in Hall 12 opens the programme to companies of all sizes, not just startups, while the Industry Stage runs exhibitor-only presentations in Hall 13.
How often is IAA Transportation held? IAA Transportation runs biennially, in even-numbered years, at Deutsche Messe Hannover. The next edition after 2026 is expected in 2028.
What was IAA Transportation called before? It was previously known as IAA Commercial Vehicles. The fair is organised by the VDA, the German Association of the Automotive Industry.
How do I get to Deutsche Messe Hannover for IAA Transportation? Light rail lines 8 or 18 run from Hannover Hauptbahnhof to the Messe/Nord entrance in about 18 minutes; line 6 from Kröpcke reaches Messe/Ost in about 24 minutes. During the show, a special S8 service connects Hannover Airport, the Hauptbahnhof and Hannover Messe/Laatzen directly. Car parking is €16 per day, and an airport shuttle runs for €25 per person, about 25 minutes.
