The Helsinki Book Fair 2026 attracted a record 112,214 visitors over four days, strengthening its position as Finland’s leading book and cultural event. Held from October 22 to 25 at the Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre, the fair recorded its fifth consecutive year of attendance growth, with visitors also attending the Wine and Food event held at the same venue.
The combined events attracted more than 112,000 people interested in literature, wine and food. The latest attendance figure represents an increase of more than 7% compared with the 104,516 visitors recorded in 2025.
The fair also offered an extensive online programme, with sessions viewed 15,000 times during the event. That figure remained at a similar level to the previous year. This year’s edition featured more than 1,000 programme sessions across 17 stages, with over 2,000 speakers and other participants taking part.
Language was the central theme of the 2026 fair, bringing translation and language-related discussions into focus. According to the organisers, these conversations proved particularly popular with audiences, reflecting the event’s role as a meeting place for readers, writers and people working across the publishing industry.
The event also marked the final year of Ville Blåfield as programme director. Reflecting on his time in the role, Blåfield said he was pleased to conclude his tenure with a successful fair and a strong result, leaving the event in good shape for his successor.
Blåfield praised the breadth and quality of this year’s programme, which included international guests. He also highlighted the fair’s emphasis on serving a broad public, distinguishing it from some of the world’s largest international book events. He described the opportunity to contribute to an event that brings the wider book industry together with the public as an honour.
The organisers expanded the event’s physical space by opening a new hall this year. The additional capacity helped accommodate the growing audience, as the number of visitors exceeded expectations.
Tanja Pasila, business director at the Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre, said the organisers were pleased that encounters between authors and readers continued to attract strong interest. She credited the fair’s position as Finland’s largest book and cultural fair, alongside the publishing industry’s shared commitment to developing the event, as factors behind the attendance increase.
Publishers also reported strong interest from visitors. Eva Reenpää, chief executive of Otava, said the atmosphere at the publisher’s stand had been positive and that readers placed considerable value on meeting authors in person. She said these encounters remained an important part of the fair and reported that book sales had increased alongside visitor numbers.
Timo Julkunen, chief executive of WSOY, also expressed satisfaction with the event. He said the growing interest was visible in audience numbers at the stages and in queues for book signings. French writer Édouard Louis was among the fair’s most popular guests, with copies of his books selling out after a signing session that lasted nearly two hours.
For readers who could not attend in person, selected programme sessions will remain available online until the end of 2026. Sessions from the Senate Square and Hakaniemi stages can be watched with a €14 online ticket, available through the Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre’s online shop. People who purchased their admission tickets online can also access the digital programme.
Beyond its annual attendance figures, the Helsinki Book Fair aims to promote reading, strengthen appreciation for literature and support book sales in Finland. The event provides a national forum for cultural debate and brings together authors, publishers, booksellers and readers. Its stated core values include freedom of expression, equality and respect for human dignity.
The next Helsinki Book Fair is scheduled for October 28 to 31, 2027, at the Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre. The event is organised in cooperation with the Finnish Publishers Association and the Finnish Booksellers Association. The Antiquarian Book Fair will also take place alongside it, in cooperation with the Finnish Antiquarian Booksellers Association, while the Wine and Food event will return in partnership with Viinilehti.
