Europe’s biggest consumer technology exhibition will put artificial intelligence at the heart of its programme when it returns to Berlin in early September, organisers have said. IFA 2026 will run from 4 to 8 September at Messe Berlin, with the event broadened beyond household appliances to embrace robots, mobility, digital health and creator tools.
Show expands from appliances to everyday tech
Traditionally a showcase for televisions, refrigerators and washing machines, IFA is repositioning itself this year as a platform for technologies used in daily life. Management has adopted the slogan “The Future Is Now” and says artificial intelligence will act as the common thread across exhibits and conference strands.
"AI is new infrastructure," IFA Management said, making it the backbone of the event.
The five principal emphases announced include home and entertainment, appliances, smart home systems, computing and mobility, alongside exhibits dedicated to humanoid robots, digital health and content creation. The organiser said a creator-focused programme and retail innovation features will form part of the offers aimed at buyers, brands and media.
Scale and scope
Organisers expect around 1,900 brands to take part, with exhibition space totalling roughly 190,000 square metres. The show is marking its 65th edition, having evolved from a radio fair first held in 1924 into one of the world’s largest consumer electronics marketplaces.
Last year’s figures underline IFA’s international reach: more than 1,900 companies from 49 countries participated, attracting approximately 220,000 visitors from 140 countries, and with overseas retail buyers accounting for about 67% of attendees.
| Event detail | 2026 figure |
|---|---|
| Dates | 4–8 September |
| Expected brands | ~1,900 |
| Exhibition area | 190,000 sq metres |
| Visitors (2025) | ~220,000 from 140 countries |
Why this matters for consumers and business
The repositioning signals several consequences for the consumer technology landscape. For manufacturers and retailers, IFA has long been a gateway to the European market; with AI central to the fair, companies that make smart appliances, mobility solutions and consumer robotics will be able to present systems that promise more automation, connectivity and personalisation.
Buyers and distributors use IFA for procurement discussions and partnerships, so the emphasis on retail innovation suggests an attempt to accelerate product-to-market pipelines and adapt to changing in-store and online shopping models. The presence of humanoid robots and creator-focused content tools also highlights how entertainment, social media and product demonstrations are converging with hardware design.
- For consumers: more devices will integrate AI features such as predictive maintenance, personalised settings and voice-enabled interfaces.
- For retailers: new retail formats and digital services may change how appliances and electronics are marketed and sold.
- For UK firms: the fair remains an important route to European distributors and buyers, especially for startups and scale-ups working on mobility, health tech and robotics.
IFA sits alongside the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas and the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona as one of the principal trade events for the sector. The move to place AI at the centre of programming reflects a wider industry view of the technology not merely as a feature but as a foundational layer underpinning services and devices.
Visitors to this year’s show can expect demonstrations of humanoid robots, displays from smart-home and appliance makers, mobility showcases and sessions aimed at content creators. Whether these innovations filter quickly into mainstream UK shops and homes will depend on regulatory approvals, pricing, and how companies address concerns around data privacy and device interoperability.
As IFA opens its doors in September, the fair will provide an early view of which AI-driven ideas are likely to shape the consumer tech market over the coming year.
