Messe Berlin

Description

The Messegelände Berlin is the historic exhibition centre of the German capital, set in the west of the city in the Westend district (borough of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf). The land belongs to the Land of Berlin, while operations are run by Messe Berlin GmbH, a public company of which the Land is the sole shareholder. The site covers around 160,000 m² of covered exhibition space within its historic perimeter, rising to around 190,000 m² with the more recent halls (CityCube, hub27), supplemented by significant outdoor areas and an adjoining congress centre.

The centre as we know it today is the result of a development begun in 1922 and structured in the mid-1920s, under the direction of the architect Heinrich Straumer. Its silhouette is dominated by the Funkturm, a steel broadcasting tower inaugurated on 3 September 1926, standing 146.7 m tall, which has become the visual landmark and emblem of the site. At the foot of the tower, the Sommergarten (summer garden) serves as an outdoor extension to the halls during major events. The centre has remained on this site without interruption for nearly a century, and remains the principal exhibition venue of the Berlin-Brandenburg region.

Alongside it, the ICC Berlin (Internationales Congress Centrum), completed in 1979, rounds out the ecosystem as a major congress centre. Listed as a historic monument in September 2019, the ICC has been closed since 2014 for asbestos removal and technical obsolescence. Renovation works are under way but no firm reopening date has been confirmed to date.

Halls

The Messegelände unfolds across 27 exhibition halls arranged around the Sommergarten, plus the CityCube Berlin and the ICC as complements.

• Historic halls: the numbering runs from 1.1 to 27, in several blocks (halls 1 to 12 on the Sommergarten side, halls 18 to 26 on the Funkturm side). Surfaces range from a few thousand m² to more than 10,000 m² per hall, in bare-floor or partitioned configuration depending on requirements.
• Sommergarten: a central outdoor esplanade of around 10,000 m², usable as an extension of the halls (demonstrations, event catering, activations).
• CityCube Berlin: a multipurpose pavilion of 12,000 m², completed in May 2014 on the site of the former Deutschlandhalle, designed as a modular volume combining congresses, conferences and exhibitions. Used standalone or in conjunction with the neighbouring halls depending on the event format.
• hub27: the most recent hall, opened in August 2019, offering 10,000 m² column-free (configurable into up to 10 rooms via mobile partitions), supplemented by 5,000 m² of usable space across 3 levels (foyer, 20 meeting rooms, rooftop terrace). It is hall number 27, which closes the numbering.
• ICC Berlin: the adjoining congress centre, closed since 2014 and listed as a historic monument in 2019. A reopening is envisaged over the longer term, with no firm timetable to date.

The whole is interconnected by pedestrian galleries and an internal shuttle system during major editions.

Access & transport

The centre benefits from a dense multimodal service, rare for a site of this scale within Berlin.

• S-Bahn: Messe Nord/ICC station (formerly Messe Nord/ZOB since late 2024), served by lines S41 and S42 (Ringbahn) and S46, on the Funkturm side. Messe Süd station, served by lines S5 and S75, on the Eichkamp side / access to the southern halls.
• U-Bahn: line U2, Theodor-Heuss-Platz station a 10-minute walk from the south entrance, and Kaiserdamm station on the Funkturm side.
• BVG buses: lines 104, 139, 218, 349 and X34 serve the centre's entrances directly.
• Airport: Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) around 22 km to the south, accessible by S-Bahn (lines FEX and S9) alongside the regional metro. Direct connection in around 45 minutes.
• Road: A100 (Stadtring) exit "Messedamm", with direct access to the main car park.
• Parking: around 5,000 spaces on site, car parks P1 to P5 distributed around the site, with dedicated exhibitor and visitor access.

The official address is Messedamm 22, 14055 Berlin.

Services

The centre operates as a mixed-use event complex, with a service offering calibrated for large-scale international editions.

• Catering: catering points distributed throughout the halls (food courts, cafés, VIP areas) operated by the Messe Berlin Catering partners. Premium catering in the dedicated halls and on the CityCube rooftop.
• Accommodation: no hotel is integrated into the centre itself. The Hotel Palace Berlin and several 4- and 5-star establishments cover the Charlottenburg area; the offering is rounded out by hotels in the city centre and the Kurfürstendamm district, accessible by U-Bahn in under 15 minutes.
• Congresses and conferences: integrated capacity via the CityCube Berlin (plenaries and modular rooms) and hub27 (20 meeting rooms supplementing the main hall). Meeting rooms distributed throughout the halls for B2B formats.
• Exhibitor services: technical management, utilities, handling, customs and logistics managed by Messe Berlin; online exhibitor portal for pre-ordering services.
• Connectivity: WiFi across the whole site, with a network infrastructure dedicated to major tech editions (IFA, InnoTrans).
• Accessibility for people with reduced mobility: adapted entrances and lifts, with dedicated assistance available through the welcome centre.

News

The site has entered a multi-speed modernisation phase, structured around three projects.

• Renovation of the ICC Berlin: a programme undertaken after the building's closure in 2014 (asbestos removal, bringing up to standard). The building was listed as a historic monument in September 2019. To date, no firm reopening date has been confirmed by Messe Berlin or by the Land of Berlin; the cost of restoration far exceeds the initial budget.
• hub27: the opening of the new hall no. 27 in August 2019 (10,000 m² column-free, €75 million of investment largely borne by Messe Berlin), now the largest volume on the site and one of its principal event halls.
• Sustainability strategy: Messe Berlin has put in place a formalised environmental policy and operates under environmental and energy management certification for the relevant editions.

The whole forms part of the Land of Berlin's overall strategy to reposition the Westend area as a "congress, exhibition, sport and culture" cluster centred on the Messegelände and the neighbouring Olympic stadium.

Flagship trade shows

The Messegelände hosts a dense calendar of B2B and consumer trade shows, with several world leaders in their category.

• ITB Berlin: the world reference for professional tourism, held annually in spring. The sector's historic gathering since 1966, operated by Messe Berlin.
• IFA Berlin: the international consumer electronics and home appliances trade show, one of the oldest trade shows in Germany (1924). Held annually in September, open to the general public and to professionals.
• Internationale Grüne Woche: the consumer food and agriculture trade show, held annually in January. One of the most important consumer food events in Europe.
• InnoTrans: the world trade show for rail and rail-based mobility, held biennially (even years) in September. Mobilises the entire halls and the site's railway tracks for rolling-stock demonstrations.
• Fruit Logistica: the international professional trade show for fresh fruit and vegetables, held annually in February. The world reference for the sector, operated by Messe Berlin.

The centre also hosts a broad spectrum of other sector-specific trade shows (materials, gaming, B2B conventions), as well as international medical and scientific congresses as part of the ICC + CityCube + hub27 strategy.