JAGD & HUND 2026: Innovation platform, knowledge forum, and meeting place for the international community

Europe’s largest hunting show starts Tuesday – prominent guests expected.

With more than 700 exhibitors from 36 countries, the JAGD & HUND will be living up to its reputation as one of the foremost venues for the international hunting industry once more in 2026. Between 27 January and 1 February, Europe’s biggest hunting show will once again be taking up eight trade fair halls and the Westfalenhalle in Dortmund, creating a unique preserve where hunters, nature enthusiasts, dog lovers, and outdoor devotees can experience enriching encounters and share skills and expertise. Combining innovative product presentations, expertise, talks on hunting policy, and adventurous formats, the trade fair sets out its stall as an industry hub for innovation, idea sharing, and networking.

Dortmund, 23 January 2026 – The JAGD & HUND has a long and distinguished track record as a stage for product launches and technological innovations. Manufacturers will be turning up in numbers once again this year to present their latest offerings live in Dortmund for the first time. Carl Walther, a world-leading manufacturer of sport shooting and law enforcement firearms, is set to cause a stir by presenting a very special new product in Dortmund. The company has already been creating a real buzz, teasing the hunting community with cryptic announcements. We can reveal that the long-established Ulm-based manufacturer is entering the hunting market with a sensational new product, and you can check out the RS 3 in Hall 6, F.12. Subaru Deutschland, in turn, is presenting the two electric models UNCHARTED and SOLTERRA as a trade fair premiere at JAGD & HUND. Both electric vehicles feature permanent all-wheel drive, the X-Mode all-wheel assistance system and a ground clearance of 211 mm, making them ideally suited for off-road use. Visitors can see both vehicles at the Subaru stand in Hall 3. The UNCHARTED will also be available for ride-alongs on the off-road course.

The trade fair once again sports a strong lineup of other big-name brands, with a weapons section featuring the Blaser Group, Manfred Alberts, Browning, H. Krieghoff, UMAREX, and WAIMEX, to name but a few. German ammunition manufacturer RWS is also in on the act again. Gracing the optics section, Swarovski, Leica, ZEISS, HIKMICRO, Nocpix, Hawke and many others, will be showcasing their latest offerings. Other companies such as ThermTec, Pulsar, PIXFRA, Guide Sensmart, Conotech, and Liemke will be contributing their expertise in the coveted market for modern thermal imaging technology to the Dortmund show. Full-range providers such as Frankonia, Askari, Grube KG, and AKAH will be adding the finishing touch to the lineup.

Mobility will also be in the spotlight, with Land Rover, Baelfire, and others presenting their products around the popular off-road vehicle course in Hall 3. Taking up an imposing 3,000 square metres at the heart of the trade fair, the ‘Jagdwelt‘ hunting world presented by Jagdwelt24 will be inviting visitors to enjoy a jam-packed shopping experience with brands such as Deerhunter, Härkila, Arxus of Sweden, Anschütz, and Farm-Land. The KNIFE ZONE in Hall 5 will see manufacturers such as PUMA, OTTER, MAIN KNIVES, and Böker sharing their hunting knife expertise. Once again, the WILD FOOD FESTIVAL in the Westfalenhalle is the place to be for foodies, with exhibitors including Schneidholz Manufaktur, Wildhandel König, Der Wilde Metzger Conny Baierl, Wildglück Premium Wildfleisch, Kornbrennerei Eckmann, and BONKHOFF’S.

Interestingly, the JAGD & HUND has never before seen such a vast number of new exhibitors in the lineup, and many longtimers are also presenting themselves and their products on even larger and more elaborate stands. A good example is Aimpoint, inventor of the red dot sight, which will have its own booth for the first time in 2026 – a clear signal confirming the trade fair’s great significance within the industry.

Hunting policy, dialogue, and global outlook
The JAGD & HUND sees itself not only as a product showcase, but also as a forum for specialist discourse, debate on hunting policy, and global networking. Representatives from various associations, the world of academia, politics, and practice discuss ongoing challenges and recent issues such as biodiversity, wildlife management, species conservation, and the broader societal acceptance of hunting practices.

Prominent guests are listed to attend the official opening on 27 January at 10 a.m. in Hall 4. Appearing alongside Sabine Loos, Managing Director of the Westfalenhallen Unternehmensgruppe which owns and operates the Messe Dortmund venue, Silke Gorißen, Minister for Agriculture and Consumer Protection of the State of North Rhine Westphalia, and Dortmund’s Lord Mayor Alexander Kalouti will also be speaking. Other keynoters include Karl Walch, President of the Working Gundog Association (Jagdgebrauchshundverband e.V.), Nicole Heitzig, President of the North Rhine Westphalia State Hunting Association (Landesjagdverband Nordrhein-Westfalen e.V.), Dr Steffen Koch, Head of the German Delegation to the International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (CIC), and Laurens Hoedemaker, President of the European Federation for Hunting and Conservation (FACE).

Together with a high-ranking delegation, Wynter Boipuso Mmolotsi, Minister of Environment and Tourism in Botswana, will be adding a special international touch to the fair. Representatives of embassies, environment ministry, and hunting organizations hailing from Zimbabwe and Namibia are also showing up in Dortmund. “The message our South African visitors are sending is loud and clear: The entire hunting world gathers together at the JAGD & HUND, which serves as a central forum enabling dialogue. We are proud to welcome the Honourable Minister and other prominent visitors from Botswana, indeed also from Zimbabwe and Namibia, here at our trade fair, and offer them a platform to express their views on hunting and wildlife management in their countries. To my great delight, these countries have been taking us up on this opportunity for several years now,” explained Sabine Loos.

Knowledge formats and true-to-life content
Visitors to the JAGD & HUND will once again be able to enjoy a wide-ranging, top-quality infotainment programme this year. Keynote addresses, talks, panels, and workshops will be held every day on multiple stages. Appearing for a second time in 2026, the ‘JAGD & HUND Masterclasses powered by Geartester Academy‘ once again take a spot and are set to become a permanent fixture. Specialists, including Wiebke Obst, Alex Mohr, Eike Mross, Jens Tigges, Björn Eberwien, and Tobias Westen, will be sharing their profound working knowledge here (all Masterclasses will be held in German).
>>> All Highlights are listed here, and the programme lineup on the various stages is available here (in German).

Competitions, shows, and community formats
With an eclectic programme lineup including live acts, shows, and competitions, an exciting visitor experience remains the heartbeat of this trade fair. Falconry demonstrations are always a crowd puller, as are the breed shows presented by the Working Gundog Association, which always pay impressive testimony to the deep human-canine bond when the hunt is on.

A series of competitions kick off on the opening day of the show, with the return of the ‘European Hunting Photo of the Year‘ contest, organised by Messe Dortmund in collaboration with the European Federation for Hunting and Conservation (FACE). The award will be presented by Angelika Bauer, Head of Trade Fairs and Trade Fair Services, and FACE President Laurens Hoedemaker, with prizes kindly provided by ZEISS. The award-winning motifs will be on display throughout the trade fair in the glass passageway leading to Hall 3.

The German Deer Calling Championship, a collaboration with the ‘WILD UND HUND’ magazine published by the Paul Parey Zeitschriftenverlag, will be held on Friday, 30 January at around 12:20 p.m. The three disciplines this year are ‘The voice of the young, searching stag’, ‘The voice of the dominant male in a pack of does’, and a ‘Calling duel between two equally strong stags at the height of the rut’. And at 2 p.m., a Calling Contest organised together with the hunting magazine ‘unsere Jagd‘ (published by the Deutscher Landwirtschaftsverlag) and the hunting shop OVIS, will wrap up the day’s programme. The focus here is on animal calling with disciplines for luring fox (hare cry), carrion crow, grey goose, raccoon, and mallard.

Lastly, on the Saturday (31 January), the focus will finally turn to the up-and-coming generation of budding hunters when Hunt on Demand will be hosting the ‘Kidz FIEP World Championships‘ at 12 noon in the HORRIDO area in Hall 8. Here, children and adolescents aged between 6 and 15 will be showcasing their roebuck luring skills without using any artificial aids.

Trade fair concept enhanced with fresh ideas
The JAGD & HUND is still evolving in 2026, not just with new content, but also with a freshly refined concept. Along with steadily growing exhibition space and a plethora of new formats, the organisers have selectively taken up and actioned a number of suggestions made by exhibitors in the past. As a result, Europe’s largest hunting fair is now becoming even more of a platform addressing all their target groups – from trade visitors to end customers, and all those in between. This is made possible by a new, restricted-access B2B Lounge in the North Entrance complex, allowing exhibitors to hold intent and confidential discussions with manufacturers, distributors, and other business partners.

What’s more, the JAGD & HUND 2026 will be exhibiting itself for the very first time, with a new merch stand in the glass passageway leading to Hall 3. Mugs, hoodies, and caps bearing humorous slogans will be available for purchase under the banner ‘Waidmanns Style – powered by JAGD & HUND’, raising the profile of the JAGD & HUND brand beyond the trade fair itself.

Other interesting and important notes:
Tickets
Single and multi-day passes and season tickets for the trade fair are available online or at the ticket offices in the North Entrance complex, in the Westfalenhalle, and in the foyer of the West Entrance (only until 1 p.m. here).

Souvenirs for collectors
Visitors will once again be able to purchase the coveted JAGD & HUND badges at the ticket offices in the North Entrance complex – but hurry while stocks last!

Visiting with dogs
Dogs are welcome, but must be shown to have been vaccinated against rabies at least 21 days prior to the show (vaccination card must be presented). Dog owners must seek admission at the North Entrance.Media representatives, please note:
>>> You can check out all the previous press releases relating to JAGD & HUND here.