LIGNA 2027 in Hanover

LIGNA in Hanover is the world’s leading trade fair for tools, machinery, and equipment for woodworking and wood processing. The next edition will take place from May 10 to 14, 2027—and for the first time, it will run from Monday through Friday. Previously, the fair was held over Ascension Day. Anyone planning based on the old schedule will miss it.

We’ve been exhibiting there for over twenty years. On this page, you’ll find not only the key facts, but also our perspective as craftspeople: which halls are important for carpenters, when it’s worth making the trip—and when HOLZ-HANDWERK in Nuremberg is the better choice.

RUWI Exhibition booth at LIGNA in Hanover with visitors

Our booth at LIGNA in Hanover

What is LIGNA?

LIGNA has been held since 1975; its name comes from the Latin word “lignum,” meaning wood. It is organized by Deutsche Messe and the VDMA Woodworking Machinery Division and takes place every two years in odd-numbered years. In 2025, 1,433 exhibitors from 49 countries and approximately 78,000 visitors from 156 countries gathered at the event, with just over half of the visitors coming from abroad. This is on a different scale than the HOLZ-HANDWERK trade show in Nuremberg: more exhibition space, more industry, and more international participation.

LIGNA 2027 at a Glance

LIGNA 2027 will take place from Monday, May 10, through Friday, May 14, 2027, at the Hannover Exhibition Center, daily from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. It is held every two years in odd-numbered years.

Dates: May 10–14, 2027, Monday through Friday
Location: Hannover Exhibition Center, 30521 Hannover
Hours: Daily, 9:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
Frequency: every two years, in odd-numbered years
Organizers: Deutsche Messe and VDMA Woodworking Machinery

Regarding the change in dates: Until now, a public holiday and a bridge day fell in the middle of the trade show week and were increasingly being used as a long weekend rather than for visiting the trade show. Starting in 2027, the event will span five full business days. The date for the trade show two years from now has already been set—LIGNA 2029 will take place from May 14 to 18.

Who should attend LIGNA?

The short answer: when you’re planning a major investment or need a complete overview of the market. In Hanover, all the manufacturers are side by side—including Homag, Biesse, and SCM, which were absent from the 2026 Nuremberg show or were represented only by a partner. And the machines are actually running in operation, rather than just being displayed as models.

As for the question of price, which almost always comes up: It’s easy to negotiate at the booth because decision-makers and technical staff are both on site. However, companies that have experienced both say they’ve seen similar discounts even outside of trade show weeks. So treat Hannover as a benchmark and a time to negotiate, not as a one-time opportunity—and make sure to get every offer in writing, including delivery times and all additional costs.

For medium-sized woodworking shops and larger interior finishing companies, that’s exactly why they make the trip: to compare CNC machines, edge-banding equipment, and software all in one place, instead of visiting each manufacturer individually—and to see the machine in action before you order it.

Carpenters and timber builders have their own program with “Carpenters’ Day”—a free guided tour of the latest innovations in timber construction, including joinery and prefabrication techniques that aren’t available in Nuremberg. Anyone who operates a sawmill or works in forestry technology will find dedicated halls for sawmill technology and an outdoor exhibition area for forestry machinery at LIGNA—Nuremberg doesn’t offer anything on this scale.

LIGNA.Campus is well worth a visit for apprentices and master craftsman trainees, with its training and academic programs, and they qualify for reduced admission. The “Die Gute Form” exhibition, featuring Germany’s finest journeyman’s pieces, is worth the trip in and of itself.

And here’s the honest take: If you’re not planning any investments and are mainly looking for tools, clamping systems, and hardware, the trip to Hanover is a steep price to pay for an overview that Nuremberg will provide in a more compact format the following year. The crafts section has grown since 2025—at the LIGNA.TruckStop on the outdoor grounds, Festool, Makita, and Hettich showcase their tools from show trucks, and the format will enter its second round in 2027. Nevertheless, LIGNA remains a trade show that thinks from an industrial perspective. As a hobby woodworker, you’ll take away very little.

LIGNA or HOLZ-HANDWERK—which trade show is the right fit for your business?

The two major German woodworking trade shows complement each other rather than replacing one another. LIGNA takes place in May in Hanover during odd-numbered years, featuring 1,433 exhibitors from 49 countries and a strong industrial component. HOLZ-HANDWERK takes place in March in Nuremberg during even-numbered years, featuring around 340 exhibitors and a clear focus on the skilled trades—shorter distances, smaller halls, and conversations on equal footing.

Here’s a rule of thumb based on our experience: Head to Hannover when you’re planning a major investment and want to compare options internationally. Head to Nuremberg for workshop supplies and one-on-one consultations. Many companies do both and alternate between the two—that way, you won’t miss out on the latest innovations any year. You can find out what to expect in Nuremberg in our HOLZ-HANDWERK Guide.

A reminder for 2027: interzum in Cologne will take place from May 11 to 14, which means it will overlap almost entirely with LIGNA. Anyone who wants to attend both trade shows will need to plan their week carefully. Starting in 2029, they will run concurrently anyway.

Tickets: How Much Admission Costs and How to Save Money

Tickets are available only online at ligna.de; each ticket is registered in your name. In 2025, a one-day ticket cost 41 euros, a multi-day ticket cost 58 euros, and a reduced-price one-day ticket cost 15 euros. Prices for 2027 have not yet been set; based on past experience, the ticket shop opens at the beginning of the year.

Before you pay, it’s worth checking with your trade association and suppliers: In 2025, free tickets were available through Tischler Schreiner Deutschland, Weinig, and Holz-Her, as well as through the trade magazines BM and dds, among others. Members of a trade guild or those who are purchasing from an exhibitor anyway can often get in for free. And here’s a perk that many overlook: Your trade show ticket also serves as a transit pass for buses and trains in the greater Hanover area. All official information is available at ligna.de.

Travel and Accommodations

From the main train station, tram lines 8 and 18 will take you to the “Messe/Nord” stop in about 18 minutes. Some long-distance trains stop directly at the Hannover Messe/Laatzen station—from there, it’s about 400 meters to the West Entrance via the Skywalk. If you’re coming by car, take the A2 and A7; parking is available around the grounds.

During trade show season, hotels in Hanover are expensive and book up quickly. Book early or look for accommodations in the surrounding area; Deutsche Messe arranges rooms at fixed rates through its hotel service. As for the trade show itself: One day is enough if you stick to the craft halls. If you’re comparing machines and have appointments at several booths, plan on spending two days.

Which Workshops Are Important for Carpenters?

The Hannover Exhibition Center is one of the largest in the world—without a map, you’ll just end up walking until your feet hurt. The good news: For carpenters and joiners, almost everything takes place in Halls 11 through 15 and 27. Here’s how it was laid out in 2025:

Hall 13—the hall dedicated to the trades. This is where Felder, Mafell, Bessey, SCM, Lamello, Shaper, Tanos, and bott were located. If you only have half a day, start here. We were here, too.
Halls 11 and 12 – Biesse, Altendorf, Otto Martin, AIGNER, and Höcker Polytechnik, as well as the LIGNA.Campus, the LIGNA.Stage lecture stage, and the Tischler Schreiner Deutschland booth.
Halls 14 and 15 – Homag will showcase its entire group portfolio, along with software and material-handling technology.
Hall 27 – Weinig and Holz-Her, featuring planing, edging, and CNC technology.
Halls 16 and 17 – Surface and Grinding Technology, including Kündig and Heesemann.
Outdoor area near Hall 12 – the LIGNA.TruckStop featuring Festool, Makita, and Hettich.

Visitors at the Craft Hall 13 at LIGNA in Hanover

The workshop spaces are filling up fast—which is why you should make appointments in advance

Where you, as a carpenter, might waste time: Halls 25 and 26 are dedicated to the sawmill and wood-based materials industries, while forestry equipment is on display in the outdoor area. Worth seeing, but rarely relevant for furniture and interior finishing workshops.

Two things that have worked well for us: Download the LIGNA app in advance—it lets you search for exhibitors, create a watchlist, and navigate the halls, and your watchlist from the website syncs with it. And schedule appointments before you leave. You can do this weeks in advance through the trade show’s networking service; otherwise, you’ll run into colleagues who are constantly on the go at the booth instead of your designated contact person. The hall assignments for 2027 will be available on the hall map as soon as Deutsche Messe publishes it.

A Look Back at 2025: What's Coming to the Workshop

In 2025, LIGNA celebrated its 50th anniversary. The main themes were connectivity, sustainable production, and wood-based materials—in practical terms, the topic of data exchange between machines ran through all the halls, often under the heading of AI.

Things got a bit more hands-on with the machines: Altendorf showcased the new sliding table saw F 35 with the camera-based “Hand Guard” safety system, while Martin presented the T77 and T66 panel saws with cloud-based controls. In the power tools category, Mafell introduced the PF 80-18 cordless planer for recesses and stair stringers; Lamello showcased the LC P-16 lightweight connector, which holds without a glue applicator or adhesive; and Festool presented the TS 60 K plunge saw.

Deutsche Messe has announced two new features for 2027: LIGNA.TruckStop is returning for its second edition, and LIGNA.Builds will bring a live timber-frame construction site directly to the exhibition grounds. With 15 months to go before the trade show, over 80 percent of the exhibition space had already been booked. If you want to continue developing your milling technology independently of the trade show calendar, our milling tool advisor will help you find the right tool for your application.

RUWI at LIGNA 2027

In 2025, we were in Hall 13 at Booth A19—right next to Festool, Mafell, Felder, and Bessey. We’ll be back in 2027. Everything at the booth is up and running; nothing is just sitting around:

RUWI An employee talking with a visitor at the booth

The booth is for information, not for sales

RUWI router table – Multiple milling tools on call—you save yourself the trouble of changing tools between operations.
RUWI lifting table – Height-adjustable work surface with a capacity of up to 400 kg, featuring tool-free clamping technology.
RUWI Sawing System – the safety upgrade for your sliding table saw.
RUWI Storage Systems – Workshop carts and shelves that keep your tools within easy reach.

"We look forward to meeting and exchanging ideas with woodworking professionals in Hanover. We'll have eight woodworking professionals and carpenters at our booth."

— Reiner Ruggaber, Managing Director of RUWI

Would you like to discuss a topic at your leisure instead of rushing through it between conversations at the booth? Email us in advance at info@ruwi.de —and we’ll make time for it at the booth.