IN BRIEF
The German bicycle industry has opened bookings for its own trade show. Named “towards tomorrow – European Bike Show”, it will be held from 6 to 8 September 2027 at the Cologne exhibition centre. Koelnmesse hosts and organises the event, while the ZIV, the German bicycle industry association, is the industry partner and brand owner. Stand spaces can be booked now, with an early-bird rate available until 10 November 2026. According to the press release, two retail groups, ZEG and BICO, are among the participants already confirmed.
The European bike show calendar is shifting. After the announcement in early September that Eurobike would return to an annual late-June edition in 2027, it is the German project’s turn to move to the concrete stage: the “towards tomorrow – European Bike Show” has opened its bookings.
A European Bike Show driven by the German industry association
The set-up is unusual. The ZIV press release states that Koelnmesse hosts and organises the event “while the ZIV will act as the industry partner and brand owner”. The trade association is therefore not merely supporting an existing show: it owns the name. The release describes a B2B format, restricted to trade professionals; the June 2026 release stated that the show would be held every year.
The inaugural event “will take place at Koelnmesse trade fair centre in Cologne on 6–8 September 2027”. The initial announcement dates back to 22 June 2026; what is starting now is the commercial phase.
Bookings open, early-bird rate until 10 November
The ZIV says bookings are being accepted “for stand spaces and special formats, with an early-bird discount available until 10 November 2026”. The association states that two German retail groups, ZEG and BICO, are among the players that have already confirmed their participation. Oliver Frese, Managing Director of Koelnmesse GmbH, says he is “particularly pleased that countless key players have already confirmed their participation”, and judges that “The momentum is there – and things are starting to take shape”.
Burkhard Stork, CEO of the ZIV, frames the objective in these terms: a trade fair “that showcases the diversity and strength of the international bicycle industry”. According to the press release, this “kick-off” brought together around 150 participants on 9 September 2026 at the show’s future venue.
What this changes for the European calendar
For French brands and distributors, the 2027 diary is filling up: Eurobike, returning in late June, then Cologne in early September. Two German trade events two months apart, in an industry where, in early 2025, the ZIV noted that “The stock levels are still high at many retailers and manufacturers”. The travel budget question will arise quickly.
