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15 May 2026
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Future-proof in times of crisis: Why Interschutz 2026 is more important than ever before, Germany
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Against the backdrop of global crises and tensions, Interschutz will open in Hanover on 1 June 2026 (1 to 6 June). With 1 750 exhibitors from 55 countries, the world’s leading international trade fair for fire and rescue services as well as civil protection is already set to become the largest Interschutz in its history under the motto “Safeguarding Tomorrow.” The exhibition space across nine halls and various outdoor areas is also surpassing all previous records, covering more than 118 000 square metres (2022 – still impacted by COVID-19: 1 296 exhibitors, 84 052 square metres, 84 920 visitors; 2015 – previous record-breaking edition: 1 453 exhibitors, 107 327 square metres, 156844 visitors).
“The face of Interschutz has changed significantly in recent years,” says Dr Jochen Köckler, CEO of Deutsche Messe AG. “What began in its early years as a pure firefighting trade fair has long since evolved into a world-leading event focused on protecting people in a wide range of crisis situations. Today, exhibitors see themselves as providers of integrated solutions in a world that must become more resilient.” This particularly includes stronger civil-military cooperation. More than ever before, Interschutz has therefore also become a political trade fair.
For the first time, the German Red Cross (DRK) will set up a mobile field hospital covering 3 000 square metres in Hall 23. From Monday to Thursday, visitors will be able to experience first-hand how medical infrastructure operates in crisis regions. “In a changing world,” Dr Köckler continues, “exhibitors are presenting innovations for the new era in civil protection. The industry has answers to the technological questions of our time and is actively shaping the future of emergency responders worldwide.”
Artificial intelligence (AI), robotics and total connectivity are no longer futuristic visions at Interschutz. Leading representatives from research and industry will demonstrate how intelligent technologies can make operations more efficient — and where their limits lie. Climate change and its impact on fire services, emergency medical services, disaster relief and civil protection will also take centre stage. Sustainability is likewise among the key focus topics, both from an ecological and an economic perspective.
High-ranking fire chiefs from major cities around the world, along with more than 40 international delegations from politics, business and associations, have announced their attendance for the six-day event, including representatives from Australia, the United States, South America, Singapore, Taiwan, China, Monaco, Latvia, Finland, Spain, Italy, France, Sweden and Denmark. Germany is the strongest exhibiting nation at Interschutz, followed by Austria, China, Italy, the Netherlands, Türkiye, France, the United States, the United Kingdom and Poland.
The presidents of the German Firefighters Association (DFV), Karl-Heinz Banse, the Association for the Promotion of German Fire Protection (vfdb), Dirk Aschenbrenner, as well as Tobias Ehrhardt, VDMA Firefighting Technology, are also looking forward to Interschutz 2026. The three associations have been conceptual partners of Interschutz for many years. “The world-leading trade fair offers a unique opportunity for networking between users, developers and manufacturers,” emphasizes vfdb President Aschenbrenner, describing the transfer of research findings into practical application as a central task. DFV President Banse says: “Thanks to the many innovations from Germany and abroad, we are well on our way to being prepared for changing requirements.” Tobias Ehrhardt adds: “The industry stands ready – as both an enabler and a driver of progress.”
Expertise Meets an Action-Packed Supporting Program
Concentrated expertise across nine halls, four pavilions, the Convention Centre and various outdoor areas: a wide range of presentations on current security issues is also an integral part of Interschutz. A particular highlight in Hall 17 will be the daily appearance of the Colonel (General Staff) Armin Schaus of the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr). The Head of the Operational Command of the Bundeswehr will present the “Operations Plan Germany” and explain why resilience across government, business and society is now crucial. Additional lectures at the Convention Centre will address topics such as “AI in Incident Management,” “Autonomous Robotics in Hazard Prevention,” and emergency medical services in Europe.
Numerous special events, competitions for emergency responders and interactive activities are among the highlights awaiting Interschutz visitors. One premiere is the WildfireCamp@Interschutz in the outdoor area. Experts from Germany and abroad will present innovative approaches to combating and preventing wildfires and vegetation fires while discussing strategies and methods for detecting fires early – or ideally preventing them altogether.
Another premiere is the High-Angle Rescue Pavilion in P34 beneath the EXPO roof, where all six days of the trade fair will focus exclusively on high-angle rescue. On Saturday, 6 June 2026, the national skills competition for German high-angle rescue teams will take place there. Fire service teams from across Germany will demonstrate their expertise in realistic rope and height rescue scenarios.
The S-Gard SafetyTour offers emergency responders the opportunity to improve their skills in realistic, hands-on team training scenarios. The focus is on firefighting, technical rescue, emergency medical services and advanced first aid. Five varied stations require teamwork, communication and tactical coordination to successfully master practical challenges. Everyone can take part – from beginners to advanced participants.
The Holmatro Rescue Challenge once again promises plenty of action. Teams from around the world will compete during Interschutz to free a trapped casualty from a vehicle within 20 minutes using the latest Holmatro rescue equipment. The competition format demonstrates realistic vehicle extrication under operational conditions and showcases the use of state-of-the-art rescue technologies. Its aim is to encourage knowledge exchange among international emergency responders while promoting efficiency and precision in technical rescue. The teams will compete directly in front of Hall 26, next to the HOLMATRO indoor stand.
The FireFit European Championships, held in the outdoor area of Interschutz, have traditionally been a major crowd-puller. Firefighters from across Europe will gather in Hanover throughout all six days of the event to demonstrate their skills during open training sessions, qualification rounds and the finals. Monday and Tuesday are training days, Wednesday and Thursday are dedicated to qualification heats, and the European champions will be determined in the finals on Friday and Saturday. Competitions take place daily from 9am to 5pm, with daily winners awarded after the races.
Visitors are also invited to participate in the Lukas Crash Days, likewise held in the outdoor area. These are advanced medical and technical rescue training sessions for experienced emergency responders, integrating modern rescue techniques into the programme. Organised by Idex Fire and Safety together with Lukas Rescue and Vetter GmbH, the programme features expert-led training sessions conducted by instructors from the Lukas Rescue League. These highly qualified technical and medical specialists bring decades of operational emergency experience. Participants can attend an intensive three-hour hands-on technical rescue training course including numerous additional features, as well as a certified two-hour workshop led by industry and OEM experts.
At the Mayday Rescue Challenge, organised by the TFA team of the Hamburg Fire Department, teams face a complex task: rescuing an injured breathing apparatus wearer under realistic conditions. Success depends not only on strength and endurance but also on teamwork, clear communication and the right tactics – exactly as in real-life operations. Three different emergency scenarios are simulated and practiced at three separate stations.
At the Smart Public Safety Hub in Hall 16, visitors can experience the future of incident command first-hand. Demonstrations will show how connected, resilient and efficient systems seamlessly link teams, organisations and technologies. Within just five minutes, a shared operational picture is created, providing all relevant information at the right time and in the right place. The focus lies on efficiency, resilience and optimised collaboration – enabling emergency responders to make faster decisions and act even more effectively.
At the Interschutz Forum in Hall 17 – the civil protection hall – representatives from science, politics, industry and operational practice will present current topics affecting the sector and discuss challenges, opportunities, solutions and technological innovations of today and tomorrow. Partners and experts from a wide range of disciplines will shape a highly topical and high-profile forum, offering use cases, insights and practical solutions.
Residents of the Interschutz host city already got a preview of the largest Interschutz of all time last weekend (10 May): the “Blaulichtmeile” attracted large crowds to the city centre. The capital of Lower Saxony became the world’s blue-light capital for the day and invited visitors to experience Interschutz at the exhibition grounds.
About Interschutz
Interschutz is the world's leading trade fair for firefighting, rescue, and civil protection. Taking place in 2026 in Hanover under the motto “Safeguarding Tomorrow”, Interschutz showcases a comprehensive range of products and services in the fields of firefighting, preventive fire protection, rescue services, civil protection, communication and control centre technology, as well as protective equipment. All information about the trade fair and supporting programme is available at www.interschutz.de and is updated on an ongoing basis.
“The face of Interschutz has changed significantly in recent years,” says Dr Jochen Köckler, CEO of Deutsche Messe AG. “What began in its early years as a pure firefighting trade fair has long since evolved into a world-leading event focused on protecting people in a wide range of crisis situations. Today, exhibitors see themselves as providers of integrated solutions in a world that must become more resilient.” This particularly includes stronger civil-military cooperation. More than ever before, Interschutz has therefore also become a political trade fair.
For the first time, the German Red Cross (DRK) will set up a mobile field hospital covering 3 000 square metres in Hall 23. From Monday to Thursday, visitors will be able to experience first-hand how medical infrastructure operates in crisis regions. “In a changing world,” Dr Köckler continues, “exhibitors are presenting innovations for the new era in civil protection. The industry has answers to the technological questions of our time and is actively shaping the future of emergency responders worldwide.”
Artificial intelligence (AI), robotics and total connectivity are no longer futuristic visions at Interschutz. Leading representatives from research and industry will demonstrate how intelligent technologies can make operations more efficient — and where their limits lie. Climate change and its impact on fire services, emergency medical services, disaster relief and civil protection will also take centre stage. Sustainability is likewise among the key focus topics, both from an ecological and an economic perspective.
High-ranking fire chiefs from major cities around the world, along with more than 40 international delegations from politics, business and associations, have announced their attendance for the six-day event, including representatives from Australia, the United States, South America, Singapore, Taiwan, China, Monaco, Latvia, Finland, Spain, Italy, France, Sweden and Denmark. Germany is the strongest exhibiting nation at Interschutz, followed by Austria, China, Italy, the Netherlands, Türkiye, France, the United States, the United Kingdom and Poland.
The presidents of the German Firefighters Association (DFV), Karl-Heinz Banse, the Association for the Promotion of German Fire Protection (vfdb), Dirk Aschenbrenner, as well as Tobias Ehrhardt, VDMA Firefighting Technology, are also looking forward to Interschutz 2026. The three associations have been conceptual partners of Interschutz for many years. “The world-leading trade fair offers a unique opportunity for networking between users, developers and manufacturers,” emphasizes vfdb President Aschenbrenner, describing the transfer of research findings into practical application as a central task. DFV President Banse says: “Thanks to the many innovations from Germany and abroad, we are well on our way to being prepared for changing requirements.” Tobias Ehrhardt adds: “The industry stands ready – as both an enabler and a driver of progress.”
Expertise Meets an Action-Packed Supporting Program
Concentrated expertise across nine halls, four pavilions, the Convention Centre and various outdoor areas: a wide range of presentations on current security issues is also an integral part of Interschutz. A particular highlight in Hall 17 will be the daily appearance of the Colonel (General Staff) Armin Schaus of the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr). The Head of the Operational Command of the Bundeswehr will present the “Operations Plan Germany” and explain why resilience across government, business and society is now crucial. Additional lectures at the Convention Centre will address topics such as “AI in Incident Management,” “Autonomous Robotics in Hazard Prevention,” and emergency medical services in Europe.
Numerous special events, competitions for emergency responders and interactive activities are among the highlights awaiting Interschutz visitors. One premiere is the WildfireCamp@Interschutz in the outdoor area. Experts from Germany and abroad will present innovative approaches to combating and preventing wildfires and vegetation fires while discussing strategies and methods for detecting fires early – or ideally preventing them altogether.
Another premiere is the High-Angle Rescue Pavilion in P34 beneath the EXPO roof, where all six days of the trade fair will focus exclusively on high-angle rescue. On Saturday, 6 June 2026, the national skills competition for German high-angle rescue teams will take place there. Fire service teams from across Germany will demonstrate their expertise in realistic rope and height rescue scenarios.
The S-Gard SafetyTour offers emergency responders the opportunity to improve their skills in realistic, hands-on team training scenarios. The focus is on firefighting, technical rescue, emergency medical services and advanced first aid. Five varied stations require teamwork, communication and tactical coordination to successfully master practical challenges. Everyone can take part – from beginners to advanced participants.
The Holmatro Rescue Challenge once again promises plenty of action. Teams from around the world will compete during Interschutz to free a trapped casualty from a vehicle within 20 minutes using the latest Holmatro rescue equipment. The competition format demonstrates realistic vehicle extrication under operational conditions and showcases the use of state-of-the-art rescue technologies. Its aim is to encourage knowledge exchange among international emergency responders while promoting efficiency and precision in technical rescue. The teams will compete directly in front of Hall 26, next to the HOLMATRO indoor stand.
The FireFit European Championships, held in the outdoor area of Interschutz, have traditionally been a major crowd-puller. Firefighters from across Europe will gather in Hanover throughout all six days of the event to demonstrate their skills during open training sessions, qualification rounds and the finals. Monday and Tuesday are training days, Wednesday and Thursday are dedicated to qualification heats, and the European champions will be determined in the finals on Friday and Saturday. Competitions take place daily from 9am to 5pm, with daily winners awarded after the races.
Visitors are also invited to participate in the Lukas Crash Days, likewise held in the outdoor area. These are advanced medical and technical rescue training sessions for experienced emergency responders, integrating modern rescue techniques into the programme. Organised by Idex Fire and Safety together with Lukas Rescue and Vetter GmbH, the programme features expert-led training sessions conducted by instructors from the Lukas Rescue League. These highly qualified technical and medical specialists bring decades of operational emergency experience. Participants can attend an intensive three-hour hands-on technical rescue training course including numerous additional features, as well as a certified two-hour workshop led by industry and OEM experts.
At the Mayday Rescue Challenge, organised by the TFA team of the Hamburg Fire Department, teams face a complex task: rescuing an injured breathing apparatus wearer under realistic conditions. Success depends not only on strength and endurance but also on teamwork, clear communication and the right tactics – exactly as in real-life operations. Three different emergency scenarios are simulated and practiced at three separate stations.
At the Smart Public Safety Hub in Hall 16, visitors can experience the future of incident command first-hand. Demonstrations will show how connected, resilient and efficient systems seamlessly link teams, organisations and technologies. Within just five minutes, a shared operational picture is created, providing all relevant information at the right time and in the right place. The focus lies on efficiency, resilience and optimised collaboration – enabling emergency responders to make faster decisions and act even more effectively.
At the Interschutz Forum in Hall 17 – the civil protection hall – representatives from science, politics, industry and operational practice will present current topics affecting the sector and discuss challenges, opportunities, solutions and technological innovations of today and tomorrow. Partners and experts from a wide range of disciplines will shape a highly topical and high-profile forum, offering use cases, insights and practical solutions.
Residents of the Interschutz host city already got a preview of the largest Interschutz of all time last weekend (10 May): the “Blaulichtmeile” attracted large crowds to the city centre. The capital of Lower Saxony became the world’s blue-light capital for the day and invited visitors to experience Interschutz at the exhibition grounds.
About Interschutz
Interschutz is the world's leading trade fair for firefighting, rescue, and civil protection. Taking place in 2026 in Hanover under the motto “Safeguarding Tomorrow”, Interschutz showcases a comprehensive range of products and services in the fields of firefighting, preventive fire protection, rescue services, civil protection, communication and control centre technology, as well as protective equipment. All information about the trade fair and supporting programme is available at www.interschutz.de and is updated on an ongoing basis.