f.re.e 2026: More than 130,000 visitors experience advice, trends, and hands-on activities up close

From February 18 to 22, more than 900 exhibitors from 50 countries presented their latest products and trends in the fields of travel, caravanning & camping, cycling, water sports, and outdoor & fitness. Together with the International Motorcycle Exhibition IMOT and Munich Auto Days, Germany's most active travel and leisure fair attracted more than 130,000 visitors.

For five days, the Munich exhibition center became a meeting place for everyone looking for inspiration for travel and leisure. Whether exciting travel destinations, innovative caravanning models, individual advice, or attractive hands-on offers—f.re.e 2026 thrilled more than 130,000 visitors. “Even in its 55th year, f.re.e has succeeded in offering people guidance and whetting their appetite for leisure and travel,” explain Dr. Reinhard Pfeiffer and Stefan Rummel, the two managing directors of Messe München. “This was particularly successful for our partner region this year, Crete, which inspired many visitors to visit the Mediterranean island. Overall, the results of the anniversary f.re.e underscore its position as one of the leading consumer fairs in southern Germany.”

In the five exhibition areas—travel, caravanning & camping, cycling, water sports, and outdoor & fitness—visitors could get advice, listen to exciting presentations, and even try their hand at climbing, paddling, diving, and much more. Project manager Katrin Leideritz emphasizes that one thing has remained unchanged since the first edition in 1970. “It's still true that if you want to find out about the latest trends in travel and leisure, f.re.e is the place to be.” In addition to the extensive hands-on program and the many advisory services in seven exhibition halls, celebrities such as Julian Janssen, known as “Checker Julian,” songwriter Claudia Koreck, and Michael Renner, mountain rescuer from the ARD documentary series “In höchster Not”, provided personal insights into travel and leisure.

Visitors also rated the wide range of offerings at f.re.e positively, giving top marks across all subject areas in the visitor survey. 95 percent rated the trade fair as excellent to good. 95 percent of visitors also said they would like to visit the trade fair again next year.

Crete presents its great diversity

The diverse possibilities offered by Greece's largest island were the focus of this year's partner region, Crete. From beach holidays on dream beaches, living history at ancient sites or white water rafting, holidaymakers of all ages and interests will find something to suit them, even beyond the classic summer holiday. “Crete is much more than sun and beaches—it is a place for excellent food, great culture and UNESCO sites, discoveries, encounters and sustainable holiday quality, a world of its own,” says Dr Kyriakos Kotsoglou, Crete's Vice-Governor for Tourism. “We were thrilled by the great interest shown by visitors to the fair. Many conversations were characterised by genuine curiosity about our culture, our nature, and our hospitality, as well as about Crete being the 2026 European Gastronomy Region.”

Eberhardt Travel also draws a positive conclusion about the response in the travel sector. “Numerous intensive discussions, concrete booking inquiries, and enthusiastic feedback showed how much personal advice is appreciated. , f.re.e offered us the ideal platform to strengthen trust, inspire new travel desires, and present our entire range of travel formats, with bus and air travel, but above all our catalogs for singles and solo travelers, being equally in demand,” said PR & Marketing Manager Anette Rietz.

More than 50 appearances at f.re.e and enthusiasm again this year

Three exhibitors at f.re.e. 2026 have already been to f.re.e. at least 50 times each, presenting their experiences and products to the Munich trade fair audience. These include the Wassersport Marx sailing and motor sports school. “We had many good conversations about what we offer—from boat trips to Caribbean cruises, from beginner sailing courses to offshore sailing licenses,” say owners Klaus and Michael Marx. The car dealership Christl & Schowalter and the caravan company Gérard are also among the original exhibitors. Managing Director Marie Gérard once again draws a positive conclusion for the company's 53rd f.re.e. “We had great conversations at f.re.e 2026 and expect to gain many new customers as a result.”

Saddle up and try it out: hands-on bicycle trends

In Hall B6, visitors had the opportunity to test ride various bicycles and e-bikes, marvel at BMX shows, and learn about “Bavaria, the land of cycling.” According to Petra Husemann-Roew, regional director of the Allgemeiner Deutscher Fahrrad-Club (ADFC), f.re.e is “the perfect platform for working with our partners to provide visitors with all the tips, services, and offers they need for cycling tourism, while also networking.” She adds: “Our long-standing, trusting cooperation enables us to further develop the topic of cycling together, talk about trends such as e-bikes and digital tools for cycling trips, and highlight the growing desire for sustainable vacations.”

Successful cooperation with IMOT and Munich Auto Days

Two-wheelers, but with more powerful engines, were the focus of IMOT—the International Motorcycle Exhibition, which took place parallel to f.re.e from Friday to Sunday. “In the three halls of IMOT, the focus was on experience, action, and inspiration, just like at f.re.e,” says IMOT boss Petra Zahradka. “The live action in the IMOT Arena, which was offered for the first time, was very well received, as was the IMOT Forum as a new exchange format directly at the trade fair. We are delighted with the great visitor response and very satisfied exhibitors.”

f.re.e was also accompanied by the Munich Auto Days. As a complement to f.re.e, they combine mobility with travel and leisure worlds. “For many people, the car is a central component of their individual leisure activities—this concept has been a great success,” said Stefan Hampel, publishing director of the organizer Münchener Zeitungs-Verlag. “There was a great deal of interest in our 200 or so models: we not only conducted 1,600 test drives on site, but also sold around 300 vehicles.”

Visitors to all three trade fairs benefited from the combination ticket and were able to find perfect inspiration for summer 2026 at the other events. The next f.re.e will take place from February 10 to 14, 2027, at the Munich Exhibition Center.