Countdown to Aluminium 2026: a new hall, two new awards, and what's changed since 2024
Preparations are underway for Aluminium 2026, running October 6 to 8 at the Exhibition Centre Düsseldorf. The organizers are pointing to one of the largest editions yet — and to a program that goes well beyond the usual show floor.
From 2024 to 2026: how the show has grown
The last edition, in 2024, drew 819 exhibitors from 50 countries and close to 20,900 visitors from 99 countries. For 2026, the organizers are targeting more than 800 exhibitors and over 20,000 trade visitors from upwards of 100 countries — a broadly stable footprint, but spread across an expanded layout covering halls 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7a. Hall 7a is new for this edition, one of the organizers' headline additions announced a year out from the show.
The show floor is organized around Themed Pavilions dedicated to Foundry, Primary, Surface, Magnesium, and Sustainability, plus a Newcomer Pavilion for emerging exhibitors and Country Pavilions for Denmark, Norway, and Aluminium Scandinavia. On site, Colleqt QR codes let visitors scan participating stands to receive exhibitor contacts, reports, and white papers by email.
This year's edition also carries an official motto, "Sharing a Vision" — the organizers' shorthand for a program built around collective progress on sustainability and circularity, rather than individual company showcases alone.
Two new industry awards headline the program
Two award programs are new or expanded for this edition. The Aluminium Innovation Awards, created with International Aluminium Journal, make their debut with three categories — Sustainable & Low-Carbon Manufacturing, Technology & Product Innovation, and Smart Manufacturing, Automation & Connectivity. Public voting runs from September 7 to 23, with winners announced on October 7 at the conference stage in Hall 7a. The Women with Metal Awards, back for a second edition after their 2024 debut, will hold their ceremony on October 6.
Aluminum market outlook heading into Düsseldorf
The broader aluminum outlook remains supported by steady demand growth but marked by supply uncertainty. In its April 2026 Commodity Markets Outlook, based on data available through April 20, the World Bank projected aluminum prices to rise by about 22% year on year in 2026, to reach an all-time high, with demand supported by electrification, transport, and packaging, while construction remained a weak spot.
Supply conditions have since improved somewhat. As of July 10, ING estimated a global aluminum deficit of around 1.2 million tonnes for 2026, down from its previous 1.8-million-tonne forecast, before a possible modest surplus in 2027 as production recovers.
Aluminium 2026 exhibitor list: Expometals.net's picks
Among the hundreds of exhibitors converging on Düsseldorf, seven are active members of the Expometals.net community. Here's where to find them on the show floor:
- Barni Spa, stand No. 4C06
- GUIDA ENGINEERING SRL, stand No. 4C06
- Dimasimma, stand No. 1E61
- FIMIGROUP, stand No. 3H21
- Henkel AG & Co. KG, stand No. 3H68
- IVR Srl, stand No. 5A11
- SALICO, Stand No. 3A70
For the complete exhibitor and product directories, visit the official Aluminium 2026 exhibitor directory. For dates, venue details, and the full show calendar, see Expometals.net's Aluminium 2026 event page.
