Ahmedabad International Book Fair 2026 Draws Over 4 Lakh Visitors, Crosses ₹5 Crore in Book Sales
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
AHMEDABAD — The Sabarmati Riverfront Event Centre buzzed with literary energy as the Ahmedabad International Book Fair 2026 wrapped up its nine-day run, pulling in a massive crowd of over four lakh visitors between 24 October and 1 November. Jointly organised by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and the National Book Trust, the mega festival featured 191 exhibitors spread across 498 stalls, pushing estimated book sales past the five-crore-rupee mark.
Literary Sessions and Cultural Highlights
The festival offered a packed schedule comprising 111 structured sessions divided across seven distinct tracks. The main stage, ‘Rangmanch’, hosted evening programmes featuring performances and talks by 47 poets, singers, and speakers. Meanwhile, Dome-1’s Children’s Pavilion hosted 35 sessions geared towards students from standards one to twelve, with backing from the National e-Library, VSSCC, and IIT Gandhinagar.
The Author’s Corner drew crowds with 13 sessions featuring 31 writers and guests. Dome-2's University Pavilion hosted 27 sessions, including an opening round table where 26 speakers shared insights on various subjects. Over the nine days, the event also featured nine ‘Gyan Ganga’ writing workshops, 18 book launches across daily sessions with 17 authors, and nine lectures under the ‘Vichar Manthan’ banner, drawing participation from over 150 literary and cultural figures.
Startups, Art Workshops, and Green Initiatives
Beyond traditional literature, the fair captured the attention of social media content creators and general visitors alike with dedicated startup exhibitions and art and craft workshops. Live demonstrations of audio-visual presentations and art installations at the sculpture studio proved to be major crowd-pullers, while special school and college tours aimed to foster reading habits among younger generations.
Sustainability remained a key focus throughout the venue. Organisers set up a four-way waste segregation system and a Swachh Bharat Mission desk to promote reduce, reuse, and recycling principles. Additionally, a special stall named ‘Pustak Ni Parab’ encouraged visitors to donate books, drawing a strong response from generous bibliophiles.
