Frankfurt Motor Show Moving To Munich Starting In 2021

Germany's Verband der Automobilindustrie, a trade organization representing the country's auto industry, has announced Munich as the new home of the event we formerly knew as the Frankfurt Motor Show. The group cited "attractive event locations, excellent transport infrastructure, and expertise in the organization of major events" as the reasons for choosing the city. Of course, BMW's headquarters being there and Audi being only a short distance north in Ingolstadt probably helps prompt the decision, too.

The VDA initially selected Berlin, Hamburg, and Munich as the prospective sites for the re-located Frankfurt Motor Show. "The three cities that were shortlisted as the venue have all presented highly ambitious and convincing plans to further develop the IAA together with the VDA," VDA President Hildegard Müller said in the group's announcement. "It was a very close race, for which I thank the participants warmly."

The VDA wants the event to become more than just an international auto show. The group intends to show future smart city ideas like intelligent traffic and vehicle networking. Officials in Munich agree to open up the city center and other places as locations to showcase these ideas.

The timing for the new Munich Motor Show is yet official beyond taking place at some point in 2021. For reference, the Frankfurt event was generally in September and alternated years with the Paris Motor Show.

The Frankfurt show has experienced dwindling attendance in recent years. The event in 2019 got 550,000 attendees, which was a steep decline from 810,000 in 2017 and 931,000 in 2015. Moving locations and expanding the event's scope to include future mobility might be enough for a boost in attendance.