Messe Frankfurt acquires LiGHT Expo London and strengthens its international presence in the lighting industry.

The addition of LiGHT Expo London to the Light + Building portfolio expands Messe Frankfurt's presence in the architectural and professional lighting market, strengthening connections between manufacturers, designers and specifiers.

Messe Frankfurt's international expansion in the lighting sector enters a new phase with the addition of LiGHT Expo London, a trade fair that, since its launch in 2022, has established itself as one of the leading events in the UK's architectural and design lighting market.

The acquisition, announced in July 2026 following the purchase of the event from [d]arc media, represents a strategic move for the German trade fair organiser, expanding its international Light + Building portfolio with a platform specifically aimed at architects, lighting designers, interior designers, engineers and specifiers.

The exhibition will be managed by Messe Frankfurt's UK subsidiary, which aims to support its development while preserving the distinctive identity and strong ties to the professional community that have characterised the event since its inception.

A new connection to the UK lighting market

In just four years, LiGHT Expo London has developed a format focused on showcasing lighting solutions, exchanging knowledge and facilitating direct contact between manufacturers and professionals responsible for selecting technologies for architectural and interior design projects.

Its integration into Messe Frankfurt brings this specialised approach into an international network of events spanning markets across Europe, Asia, the Middle East and the Americas.

The Light + Building portfolio includes trade fairs in cities such as Frankfurt, Dubai, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Las Vegas, Buenos Aires, Mumbai and New Delhi, among others.

Through this acquisition, the group strengthens its presence in the United Kingdom and creates further opportunities for international lighting brands to connect with professionals involved in project development.

International growth while preserving the event's identity

One of the key aspects of the acquisition is the continued involvement of [d]arc media, which will remain involved in promoting LiGHT and curating and coordinating its content programme.

This ongoing collaboration will help maintain the exhibition's specialised focus and its relationship with the community of designers, architects and specifiers that has contributed to its success.

Simon Albert, CEO of Messe Frankfurt UK, highlighted the event's rapid growth and the potential of its integration into the group:

LiGHT has become one of the most important meeting places for the UK lighting and design community in a remarkably short space of time. This acquisition represents an exciting opportunity to support its continued growth as part of our international portfolio, while carefully preserving the qualities that have made it such a success.

Paul James, Managing Director of [d]arc media, emphasised the importance of finding a partner that understood both the needs of the industry and the professional community built around the exhibition.

Messe Frankfurt UK shares our commitment to the sector and brings significant experience in delivering high-quality international events. We are excited to support the next chapter of LiGHT's journey and look forward to seeing the event continue to flourish.

Light + Building 2028: the next major international event

The integration of LiGHT Expo London forms part of Messe Frankfurt's strategy to consolidate a network of events specialising in lighting and building technologies across international markets.

The flagship event within this portfolio remains Light + Building, the biennial trade fair held in Frankfurt that brings together manufacturers, systems integrators, designers, architects and specialists in lighting and building technology.

Its next edition will take place from 5 to 10 March 2028, bringing the international industry together once again to explore lighting solutions, building technologies and their ongoing development.

The addition of LiGHT therefore strengthens the connection between the UK's lighting specification market and Messe Frankfurt's global network, in an industry where specialisation, design and knowledge exchange continue to play a fundamental role.