High international demand and a strong market response emphasise the relevance of the trade fair
Cologne, June 2026 – With around 400 exhibitors from 33 countries and around 14.600 participants from 110 countries, THE TIRE COLOGNE 2026 has once again confirmed its position as the leading international trade fair of the tyre and wheel industry.The trade fair’s global relevance was underscored by the high proportion of international visitors: two-thirds of attendees came from abroad.
THE TIRE COLOGNE is increasingly developing from a pure product fair into a platform where the decisive themes of the industry are discussed, innovations are made visible and new perspectives for growth and competitiveness are pointed out.
“The challenges for the industry are becoming more complex and global. All the more important are platforms that provide orientation, bundle knowledge and enable an exchange between the economy, politics and science. THE TIRE COLOGNE assumes precisely this role for the tyre and wheel industry”, says Oliver Frese, Chief Operating Officer of Koelnmesse.
WALK OF SERVICES strikes a chord on the market
The WALK OF SERVICES highlighted the extent to which the industry is evolving: building on the strong core business of tyres and workshop equipment, digital solutions and additional services are opening up new opportunities for growth and success. The strong response was also especially evident in an increase in the number of German visitors by 5 percent and in greater participation from the specialised tyre trade and the workshop environment.With 147 participating companies, including 44 new exhibitors, the WALK OF SERVICES developed into one of the most dynamic formats of THE TIRE COLOGNE 2026. The focus was on employees, system and process solutions, tyre service and workshop technology, automotive services as well as disposal and sustainability.
“With the WALK OF SERVICES, THE TIRE COLOGNE has created a platform that offers concrete solutions and new perspectives for trade and workshops. The high level of participation and the great interest of visitors confirms how relevant this offering is for the industry“, says Stephan Helm, Chairman of the German Tyre Retail and Vulcanisation Trade Association (BRV).
Cooperation with the Global OTR Conference strengthens the special tyre segment
One particular highlight of the event programme was the cooperation with the OTR Conference. The event brought together leading experts from the off-the-road segment and offered valuable insights into market trends, sustainability strategies, safety, digitalisation and perspectives for the future of special tyres.The named themes were thereby not discussed as isolated trends, but instead as closely linked developments that will in future decisively define the competitiveness of companies.
Circular economy is becoming a success factor
One special area of focus of the trade fair was on the theme of circular economy. Questions revolving around resource efficiency, recycling, remoulding and circular value creation chains provided the focus in numerous lectures, discussions and exhibition presentations.The INNOVATION LAB thereby also provided insights with practical relevance. Live demonstrations made innovative technologies directly experienceable and showed how digital solutions can in future contribute to increasing efficiency and opening up new business potential. In this regard, one particular area of focus was on RFID-based ecosystems that allow new possibilities for transparency, process control and data-based services through the tyre lifecycle.
The participation of Oliver Krischer, Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Transport of the Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia, underlined the increasing economic and political importance of these developments. In the context of the trade fair, he emphasised the central role of circular value creation chains for a future-capable industry and praised THE TIRE COLOGNE as a platform for an exchange about concrete approaches to solutions and new economic perspectives.
The next edition of THE TIRE COLOGNE takes place from 30 May to 1 June 2028 in Cologne.
THE TIRE COLOGNE is the leading international trade fair for the tyre and wheel industry. It unites the segments of tyres, retail trade and automotive services as well as increasingly production, recycling and sustainable recycling management. The industry sponsor of the trade fair is the Bundesverband Reifenhandel und Vulkaniseur-Handwerk e.V. (German Tyre Retail and Vulcanisation Trades Association) [BRV], Bonn
Koelnmesse – industry trade fairs for the mobility segment: Koelnmesse stages INTERMOT and THE TIRE COLOGNE, two major international trade fairs in the mobility segment, hosted at its trade fair grounds in Cologne/Germany. Alongside tires and wheels, THE TIRE COLOGNE focuses on equipment for motor vehicle servicing and tire fitting centres and presents a comprehensive range of products and services for tire retreading and the recycling and disposal of old tires. INTERMOT is the show for motorised two-wheelers and presents the key innovations in electromobility, accessories, clothing, parts, customizing, touring and workshop equipment. The events serve as central, international business platforms, bringing the industry together with a carefully targeted approach to showcase the latest products, developments and innovations.
Further information: https://www.thetire-cologne.com/trade-fair/the-tire-cologne/the-tire-cologne-worldwide/
