Madrid Book Fair

The first Book Fair of Madrid was organized in April of 1933 as part of the Cervantine Week events. Since 1967 the Fair enjoys its current location, the Park of El Retiro. In 1982, the Fair was renamed Madrid Book Fair – its organization is taken over by the Guild of Booksellers of Madrid, in close collaboration with the Publishers and Distributors Guilds – and it was inaugurated for the first time by SS. MM. the Kings. Since then, each year, a member of the Royal Family opens the edition with a morning walk between the booths. From the 25th May to 10th of June 2018, Gremio de Libreros de Madrid will organize the 77th edition of Madrid Book fair, which will take place in Parque El Retiro, a central public garden, one of the most beautiful open spaces of the city. The Book Fair of Madrid is a cultural event for the general public and with free admission.

In 2017, there are around 367 stands with 480 exhibitors (booksellers & publishers). For the 2018 edition, there is a pavilion for children’s activities with a program of more than 200 activities to promote reading in children and schools. Also will be developed a program specially designed for young ado – lescents with about 100 activities related to reading on screens, prescription digital media, and booktubers. The Book Fair of Madrid unconditionally supports all plans for reading development, such as the project Lectureando and the one just started by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport of Spain.

It also opens a digital tent with digital libraries and technological companies to develop content transmedia, to bring the visitor the offer of digital content (electronic books and audiobooks) of Spanish bookstores. The Fair is especially sensitive to show the new ecosystem of the book and to integrate all the formats in the enclosure.

The Book Fair of Madrid is the largest cultural event in the city by the number of visitors (2.4 million people) throughout its 17 days, it’s a book and reading festival, with a very special dedication to the Activities with children and young readers. The volume of cultural activities, with presentations and signatures of authors is close to four thousand.

Read more on Aldus publication European Book Fairs: Facts and Figures