The Buch Wien book fair has set a new attendance record, attracting an impressive 65,000 visitors this year.

The five-day event, held at Vienna’s Messe Hall D, wrapped up on Sunday. It marked a notable increase from the 58,000 attendees last year and 51,000 in 2022. Organisers have already confirmed that next year’s fair will run from 12 to 16 November 2025.

“We were optimistic about growing our numbers from last year, but welcoming 65,000 visitors and reaching capacity was beyond what we could have hoped for,” said Patrick Zöhrer, Managing Director of Buch Wien.

Saturday saw particularly heavy crowds, with such a surge in visitors that the ticket office had to be temporarily closed. This year’s highlights included the expanded New Adult section, now twice the size of last year’s, and the debut of the Science Lounge – a new space aimed at engaging the public with science.

Benedikt Föger, President of the Austrian Publishers and Booksellers Association, reflected on the fair’s success: “People are clearly craving genuine connection, meaningful exchanges, and real debates.”