SPS 2026 Guide: Dates, Tickets & Travel

Quick answer SPS 2026 (SPS - Smart Production Solutions) runs Tuesday 24 to Thursday 26 November 2026 at NürnbergMesse in Nuremberg, Germany. It is the international trade fair for smart and digital automation, organised by Mesago Messe Frankfurt. Trade-visitor hours are 9 am to 6 pm on Tuesday and Wednesday and 9 am to 5 pm on Thursday. Tickets are sold online only: Day-Pass from €60.50, Expo-Pass from €99 and Premium-Pass from €211 at the regular rate (incl. 19% VAT, with info service). The early-bird rate ended on 12 October 2026.

SPS 2026 is the 35th edition of the show and the last big automation fair of the European year. The 2025 edition drew around 56,000 visitors and 1,175 exhibitors across 15 halls, according to the organiser's final report. For 2026 the organiser expects more than 1,000 exhibitors from across the globe.

This guide covers the dates and hours, what to expect, tickets, how to get to the Nuremberg exhibition grounds, and a short plan for a first visit. You can also see our SPS show page.

1. SPS 2026 at a glance

2. Dates and opening hours

Trade-visitor hours (minimum age 14), from the organiser's opening-hours page:

• Tuesday 24 November: 9 am to 6 pm
• Wednesday 25 November: 9 am to 6 pm
• Thursday 26 November: 9 am to 5 pm

Exhibitors can enter from 7 am every day. The press centre is open Monday 23 November from 2 pm to 5 pm, 8 am to 6:30 pm on Tuesday and Wednesday, and 8 am to 5:30 pm on Thursday.

Thursday closes an hour earlier than the other days, so book your busiest meetings for Tuesday and Wednesday.

3. What to expect

The SPS covers the full range of smart and digital automation, and the organiser has run it since 1990. Themes the organiser highlights for 2026 include:

• Industrial AI, which has its own programme track at the show. At the 2025 edition exhibitors showed AI-supported quality inspection, adaptive control and predictive maintenance.
• The Cyber Resilience Act, which the organiser also treats as a standing topic for 2026.
• A lecture programme on four stages in 2025, including the Technology Stage run with VDMA and ZVEI, plus Meet the Speaker zones.
• Joint stands and young-talent formats: in 2025, "Automation meets IT" in Hall 6, a Start-up Area, the "young INNOVATORS" stand, the SPS Makeathon and Young Talents Day.

The organiser's exhibitors' advisory board includes Siemens, Beckhoff, Bosch Rexroth, Festo, Phoenix Contact, SICK, ABB and Pilz, which gives a fair idea of the names to expect.

4. Tickets

The organiser sells three ticket types. All prices include 19% VAT and are shown with / without the organiser's info service (consent to marketing from Mesago). The early-bird rate ended on 12 October 2026, so regular prices apply from 13 October.

Other things to know:

• Tickets are online only. There is no ticket sale on site.
• Students pay €11.00 (with info service) or €14.50 (without), with proof at checkout. Group bookings are not possible.
• Journalists get free entry with an accredited Press Pass. People with disabilities and their registered companions get discounted admission (sps-visitors@mesago.com).
• Tickets are personalised and non-transferable, and are non-refundable.
• Public transport: where your ticket includes it, VGN/VAG zones 100/200 are free during the fair. Carry your ID with the ticket.
• Children aged 14 and over may attend with an adult and a valid ticket.

Confirm current prices in the organiser's ticket shop before you buy.

5. Getting to NürnbergMesse

• Train: take an ICE, IC or EC train to Nuremberg Hauptbahnhof, then the U1 towards Langwasser Süd. The ride to the exhibition grounds takes about 8 minutes.
• Air: Nuremberg Airport has a direct U-Bahn link, about 20 minutes to the grounds. A taxi takes about 30 minutes and costs around €25. Frankfurt, Munich, Paris, Amsterdam, Vienna and Zurich are the main connecting hubs.
• Car: sat-nav address is NürnbergMesse, Messeplatz 1, 90471 Nürnberg. Paid parking is on the grounds, with a free shuttle from the car parks to the entrances. Park & Ride sites (for example Langwasser Süd, Herrnhütte and Röthenbach) let you leave the car for up to 48 hours with a valid transport pass. There are 158 EV charging points on the grounds.
• Taxi: stands at the Ost and Mitte entrances; about 15 minutes to the main station.

The organiser lists special rates with Deutsche Bahn and partner airlines on its arrival page. For hotels, Nuremberg fills up during large fairs, so book early. See also our Germany country page.

6. A first-visit plan

1. Pick your three or four priority exhibitors from the exhibitor search before you travel.
2. Add one session from the lecture programme and one visit to a joint stand or the Start-up Area.
3. Do your must-see halls on Tuesday and Wednesday and use Thursday for follow-ups, since the show closes at 5 pm.
4. Save your ticket on your phone or in the SPS app, and carry ID if you plan to use the VGN ticket.

7. Related reading

For the previous big automation fair of the year, see our Hannover Messe 2026 recap. For other shows in the same period, see the November 2026 trade shows calendar.