The 49th International Kolkata Book Fair (IKBF) is scheduled to take place from January 22 to February 3, 2026, at the Boimela Prangan in Salt Lake.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will inaugurate the event in the presence of eminent poets, authors and scholars.
The IKBF has announced that Argentina will be the focal theme country for the 2026 fair.
The choice is particularly significant as it marks the first time in the fair’s history that a country outside the Indian subcontinent will be the focal theme. “We believe that this will contribute towards building stronger bilateral cultural relationships between the two countries,” the organisers stated.
Delegates from the Embassy of Argentina, including Andres Sebastian Gulas, Head of the Political and Cultural Section, and Amandi Queipo Riavitz, Head of the Consular Section, are expected to share their perspectives on the fair’s theme.
Despite the ongoing challenge of space limitations, the organisers reported that last year’s fair managed to increase both sales and footfall. The 2025 event was the world’s largest non-trade book fair, drawing 27 lakh book enthusiasts and generating book sales worth ₹23 crore.
For the 50th Golden Jubilee of the International Kolkata Book Fair in 2027, the organisers are inviting people who have attended the fair between 1976 and 1996 to share their best photographs. According to the organisers, 50 best images will be exhibited in the Press Corner of the 2026 fair, and a special album will be published with the first 50 entries.
This year, the fair will host the customary international participation from countries including Great Britain, USA, Germany, Australia, France, Spain, Peru, Colombia, Japan, Thailand, and other Latin American Countries. Indian participants from states such as Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Bihar, Assam, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Odisha and Tripura will also be setting up stalls in the fair.
One of the major attractions of the book fair will be the Kolkata Literature Festival (KLF), which will be held on 24 and 25 January 2026.