05.08.2025
Ticket sales for the Essen Motor Show have started

Tickets for the performance festival are now available online

Anticipation is growing in Europe's automotive community for the Essen Motor Show. Even though many exhibitors are still planning and tinkering, one thing is already certain: fans of sporty production vehicles, tuning, motorsport and timeless classics will once again get their money's worth at Messe Essen from November 29 to December 7, 2025 (preview day: November 28). The prices remain unchanged: A regular ticket for the performance festival is available for 20 euros. Tickets are now available in the online store at www.essen-motorshow.de.

A reduced ticket costs 16 euros for schoolchildren, students and people with disabilities. Those who only visit the trade fair during the week in the afternoon from 14:00 only pay 14 euros. Special conditions apply for the coveted preview day on November 28: regular admission is 32 euros (reduced 27 euros and 17 euros in the afternoon). However, you will also be one of the first to get a glimpse of the long-awaited premieres and new products from around 500 exhibitors. Admission is free for children under the age of six on all days of the fair.

Stylish hoodies, T-shirts, hats and caps

Anyone who would like to show their solidarity with the Essen Motor Show in a fashionable way can purchase stylish hoodies, T-shirts and caps from the current EMS collection on the website in addition to tickets. New motifs will then appear for the coming season. Until then, preparations are in full swing. It is already clear that the EMS will once again comprise nine halls. Fans can expect the themed areas Performance & Racing (Hall 3), Tuning & Lifestyle (Halls 5, 6, 7), Motorsport (Hall 8) and Classic Cars (Halls 1 and 2). There will also be the Show Area (Hall 4) and an accessories mile in the Galeria.

17.06.2025
Strong trade fair team: Essen Motor Show and GT Show extend cooperation

German Pavilion celebrates successful premiere in Suzhou

Two of the world's most important events for tuning and motorsport will continue to be partners in the future: The Essen Motor Show and the GT Show are extending their strategic cooperation on a long-term basis until 2028. On the occasion of the signing of the contract in Shanghai, Oliver P. Kuhrt, CEO of Messe Essen, and representatives of the Chinese United Rubber Corporation (CURC) emphasized the importance of the international cooperation of the two trade fairs. China is one of the world's leading growth markets for tuning and motorsport products, while the German tuning industry is known for its technological innovations. As a result, the need for German exhibitors to present their products on the Chinese market is also growing.

This year already showed how both trade fairs can benefit from each other: The Essen Motor Show organized a joint stand for German companies at the GT Show in Suzhou, which was extremely well received. “The interest shown by the Chinese fans was huge and left a lasting impression on us. That’s why we want to offer our customers direct access to the GT Show in the future and gradually expand our strategic partnership over the coming years,” explains Ralf Sawatzki, Project Manager of the Essen Motor Show.

Registration for the upcoming German Pavilion now open

The GT Show is regarded as the central industry event in China and takes place annually in the metropolis of Suzhou, a city of millions in the immediate vicinity of China's economic powerhouse Shanghai. The range of exhibitors includes the Streetcar & High Performance, Off-Road & Outdoors and Car Care & Services segments. The organisers are the China United Rubber Corporation (CURC) and the company Gailian (Suzhou) Exhibition. The next trade fair will take place from March 27 to 29, 2026. Interested exhibitors can find the application documents for the German pavilion at www.essen-motorshow.de. Participation is sponsored by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy.

24.03.2025
Essen Motor Show presents itself with a strong line-up in China

German tuning industry with official joint stand at the GT Show

A growing middle class, purchasing power and a fascination for German cars: these are just two reasons why China is an attractive market for the German tuning industry. From March 28 to 30, 2025, several exhibitors will be taking the step to East Asia and participating in the German Pavilion at the GT Show in the Suzhou International Expo Center. Among them are apart Events & Medien, Area 52, Bruxsafol Folien, E-Mags Media and EVC electronic. In addition, MTW Motorsport, the P.AD. Werbeagentur, Techart Automobildesign and WP Europresse Verlag will be at the start.

The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection of the Federal Republic of Germany is sponsoring participation in the joint stand. The German Association of Automotive Tuners (VDAT) was also instrumental in bringing the project to fruition. "We are delighted with the great response to our German Pavilion at the GT Show. The German tuning industry is known worldwide for its technological innovations, and we are now bringing this expertise to China together. At the same time, we are promoting our trade fair location locally," explains Ralf Sawatzki, Project Manager of the Essen Motor Show.

Attractive supporting program

In addition to the trade fair, participants will also visit a factory of the Chinese manufacturer of premium electric cars Nio, headquartered in Shanhgai. Nio's unique selling point is that it operates fully automatic battery changing stations that can change the traction battery in five minutes.

The GT Show takes place annually in the Chinese metropolis of Suzhou, a city with millions of inhabitants in the immediate vicinity of China's economic powerhouse Shanghai, and attracted over 200,000 fans in 2024. The range of exhibitors includes Streetcar Tuning, SUV Tuning, Car Racing Sports, Vehicle Service, Whole Car Customization and Cultural & Creative Trend and Fashion. Most recently, the GT Show occupied over 100,000 square meters of space and brought together 1,051 brands in Suzhou. The organizers are the China United Rubber Corporation (CURC) and the company Gailian (Suzhou) Exhibition.

13.02.2025
Essen Motor Show kicks off with a strong key visual

Corvette C8 by Cenk Akyildiz inspires exhibitors and visitors

It was one of the eye-catchers at the last Essen Motor Show: the spectacular Corvette C8 by Cenk Akyildiz in the center of the tuningXperience in Hall 5. The mint green sports car with 492 hp also caused a scene-wide sensation because it is the first Corvette C8 with a widebody kit from Liberty Walk in Europe. Now there is an extra portion of fame on top: the vehicle from Akyildiz is the new key visual of the Essen Motor Show and will generate enthusiasm in social media, on the Internet and on billboards.

For the trained coachbuilder from Kuppenheim in Baden-Württemberg, a small dream has come true: “I have been visiting the Essen Motor Show since I was a teenager, and I have been an exhibitor since 2014. The fact that my vehicle is now the face of the upcoming trade fair makes me really proud.” Akyildiz got his start in tuning in the classic way with mopeds, but now runs his own company and refines exclusive sports cars. It took him around three months to convert his Corvette.

Performance, innovative strength and individuality

The key visual is the key image of the Essen Motor Show, which is developed anew every year. The Cologne-based agency crossover communication is responsible for this, developing the motif on behalf of Messe Essen and closely based on the vehicle. With the special background structure, the communication professionals created a futuristic space that reinforces the shape of the Corvette and gives it an exclusive stage. The colors of the room in light yellow, gold and turquoise create a mixture of energy, elegance and liveliness. In combination, this creates a campaign image that majestically and confidently symbolizes the Essen Motor Show.

“This year's key visual conveys the values of performance, innovative strength and individuality. We are also underlining our special proximity to the tuning scene by making a vehicle from the community our leitmotif for the second time in a row,” explains Ralf Sawatzki, Project Manager of the Essen Motor Show.

The upcoming Essen Motor Show will take place from November 30 to December 8, 2025 (Preview Day: November 29) at Messe Essen. Interested exhibitors can find the registration documents at www.essen-motorshow.de.

08.12.2024
Pure automotive enthusiasm: that was the Essen Motor Show 2024

Over 200,000 visitors came to Messe Essen to celebrate the car

Now the year can come to an end - the Essen Motor Show has completed a successful 56th round and ensured satisfied exhibitors and fans. The car festival lasted ten days and underlined the fact that sporty and individual vehicles inspire the public regardless of the drive system. Around 500 exhibitors ensured the good mood, attracting more than 200,000 visitors to Messe Essen from November 30 to December 8 (Preview Day: November 29) and presenting everything the heart desires: sporty production vehicles, lovingly refined tuning creations, brute racing cars, elegant classics as well as accessories and lifestyle products.

“The Essen Motor Show has shown how much the companies and the public celebrate and appreciate this platform. The response was truly outstanding - and that in politically and economically challenging times. Contrary to the current industry trend, the exhibitors were very satisfied with their business,” summarized Oliver P. Kuhrt, Managing Director of Messe Essen. With BYD, Continental, Hankook, Nio, Shelby and Skoda, several car and tire manufacturers were on site, fascinating fans with their new products. In addition, three well-known brands - Dickie Spielzeug, eBay Motors and LEGO - made their debut at the Essen Motor Show.

New exhibitors inspire their fans and reach new target groups

The conclusion of the new additions is excellent: “The Essen Motor Show was a complete success for us and our absolute highlight of the year! With our high-horsepower model vehicles, we were not only able to inspire sports car fans, but also specifically address new target groups and further sharpen our profile in the car and tuning scene. We are particularly proud of the Majorette trade fair model, the Toyota GR Supra - a highlight that met with enormous enthusiasm from visitors. Jada's versatile Fast & Furious range was also extremely well received, with the original Fast & Furious movie car - Jesse's VW Jetta - proving to be a real crowd puller. After such a successful trade fair, we are looking forward to the future with excitement,” explains Christina Wimmelbacher, Senior Marketing Manager at Dickie Spielzeug. At LEGO, the outcome was also positive: “The Essen Motor Show was a great opportunity for the LEGO brand to share our common fascination for cars with the public and to be playfully creative together,” says Theresa Silbereisen, Senior Director Marketing at LEGO GmbH.

It goes without saying that the geopolitical situation and the failure of Germany‘s coalition government are also having an impact on sales in the tuning industry. However, the mood in the halls was all the more surprising: According to a preliminary evaluation, around 90 percent of exhibitors were very satisfied or satisfied with their business success at the Essen Motor Show - a slight increase compared to last year. Accordingly, 93 percent of the participating companies already know that they want to be present in Essen again next year.

A must-attend event for the tuning industry

For the tuning industry, the Essen Motor Show is therefore a must-attend event regardless of current political and economic developments - as this year's event also proved. A number of manufacturers and tuners presented their much-anticipated products and innovations: from spectacular project vehicles to chassis, wheels and tires to high-quality merchandise. Right in the middle of it all was the TUNE IT! SAFE! initiative, which unveiled its new campaign car on Preview Day: a freshly tuned BMW M2 by AC Schnitzer in police livery, which promptly became one of the most sought-after photo motifs at the festival.

“The number of visitors and the atmosphere at EMS 2024 once again proved that interest in automobiles in general and in vehicle customization options in particular is unbroken. My thanks go to everyone who was there and to the project team for a perfectly organized trade fair,” says Harald Schmidtke, Managing Director of the Association of Automotive Tuners (VDAT), summing up the past ten days of the trade fair. In addition to the companies from the VDAT, well-known tuners from the scene such as JP Performance and Sidney Industries once again presented themselves at the Essen Motor Show, with long queues forming at some of their stands when the founders were on site.

ADAC provides spectacular motorsport highlight

As usual, motorsport was also represented in several halls in Essen. In addition to the appearances of the Hockenheimring and Nürburgring, the ADAC provided an exclamation mark: The new Ford Mustang GT3, which will compete in the DTM 2025, awaited visitors at the stand in Hall 3 alongside other racing cars. Fans of classic cars got their money's worth in the Classic & Prestige Salon of the organizer S.I.H.A. in Halls 1 and 2, where historic rally cars and a Japan Mile, among other things, provided nostalgia and wide eyes.

Dr. Karl-Friedrich Ziegahn, President of the Deutscher Sportfahrer Kreis, emphasizes: “The Essen Motor Show network is alive and well. Once again this year, our stand in Hall 3 was an important contact point for our members to exchange ideas. With our talks by the DSK Women's Club and the Auto-Poser service group of the Hamburg police, we reached many visitors and sensitized them to important topics relating to mobility. On the other hand, we from the Presidium once again took the opportunity to make important contacts and further expand our network. Sporty driving needs perspectives for the future - and in many respects sustainably. And here, the Essen Motor Show is a great melting pot of diverse ideas and approaches for the future.”

The Essen Motor Show 2025 opens on November 28 with the Preview Day

During this year's fair, numerous exhibitors already booked their spaces for the upcoming Essen Motor Show from November 29 to December 7, 2025 (Preview Day: November 28). The registration deadline is June 30, 2025, the registration documents are available at www.essen-motorshow.de.