Nuremberg turns into the capital of play once again as the global toy industry gathers for the Spielwarenmesse, this year marking its 75th anniversary, and the mood is very much celebratory, almost nostalgic and futuristic at the same time, which is a funny combination but it works. What began back in 1949 as a post-war idea to reconnect manufacturers and buyers has grown into the world’s leading B2B toy fair, and walking into the exhibition grounds this January will feel a bit like stepping into a living timeline. Right outside Entrance Mitte, the Walk of Play exhibition traces the fair’s evolution, reminding visitors how a regional initiative became a truly global meeting point. Christian Ulrich from Spielwarenmesse eG puts it plainly: the fair now stands for specialization and for a year-round global network, not just five intense days in January, and you can feel that ambition everywhere you turn.
Across 18 halls and 13 product groups, 2,313 exhibitors from 68 countries will showcase the entire spectrum of the toy world, from traditional toys to highly digital, AI-powered concepts, and nearly 500 of those companies are first-time exhibitors eager to form new business relationships. The scale alone is impressive, but what makes this anniversary edition different is the way the whole exhibition center is treated as a stage, not just a marketplace. Exhibitors have prepared more than 30 activities scattered across the grounds, from interactive installations to spontaneous music, selfie spots, and little moments that break the usual trade-fair rhythm. It feels less like walking halls and more like wandering through a festival designed for professionals who still enjoy being surprised.
The strategically placed action areas set the tone for what the industry is thinking about next. At Entrance Mitte, the ToyTrends display frames two big narratives: AI Loves (to) Play, which highlights toys that use artificial intelligence or teach children how to understand it, and Creative Mindfulness, a softer counterpoint focused on hands-on making and the joy of finishing something tangible. Just next to it, the Toys for Kidults area taps into a fast-growing market that is no longer niche at all, with adults buying toys for themselves in record numbers, something backed up by Circana’s latest data showing double-digit growth both in the US and Europe. In Hall 3A, the newly designed StartupArea brings together 44 young companies from 16 countries, including a strong group of German newcomers, and the New Product Gallery puts more than 130 innovations under the spotlight, while the ToyAward nominees and winners add a little competitive sparkle to the whole experience, with the ceremony taking place mid-week in the Toy Business Forum.
But the Spielwarenmesse has always been about more than just products, and the 75th edition leans heavily into knowledge exchange and conversation, the kind that happens both on stage and over coffee. The Toy Business Forum hosts daily sessions on retail trends, digitalization, artificial intelligence, sustainability, and the ever-expanding kidult segment, while lunch breaks turn into social gatherings with music and food trucks, which sounds small but makes a big difference after hours of meetings. Wednesday morning introduces the new Value of Play Conference, a focused deep dive into what play actually means in a changing world, and Thursday afternoon brings a very specific kind of magic for model car enthusiasts with the induction ceremony into the Model Car Hall of Fame. Licensing professionals gather in the NCC West foyer for LicenseLounge and LicenseTalks, and on Friday the Game Inventors Convention takes over NCC Mitte with 156 creative minds from 22 countries, closing the week on a note of raw ideas and prototypes.
Evenings are where the anniversary spirit really kicks in. The new Let’s Connect! Toy Community Meetup creates informal daily gathering points, while the opening-day ToyNight sets a forward-looking tone under the motto Welcome to the Future and honors the 15 exhibitors who have been part of the fair since its earliest days. Thursday’s RedNight shifts everything into party mode with stand-hosted events, and the city itself joins the celebration as Nuremberg’s Imperial Castle and Frauentor Tower light up, quietly reminding visitors that this is a place where history and industry have always coexisted. Seventy-five years in, the Spielwarenmesse still manages to feel essential, not just as a market, but as a meeting of people who believe that play is serious business, and that’s probably the best reason it keeps growing.