The Bogotá International Book Fair (Filbo) 37th edition will take place from April 21 to May 4 at Corferias, with India as the guest of honor. Filbo director Adriana Cecilia Ángel Forero highlights its role in literary tourism and publishing internationalization. Nearly 600,000 visitors are expected, with an economic impact similar to last year's $64 billion pesos.
Bogotá is gearing up for the Bogotá International Book Fair (Filbo), the year's most important cultural event, transforming the city into a stage for literature, culture, and publishing business. Scheduled from April 21 to May 4, 2026, at Corferias, the 37th edition will feature India as the guest of honor, aiming to open publishing markets and promote rights exchange.
Filbo director Adriana Cecilia Ángel Forero detailed the event's economic impact. Last year, the fair generated a $64 billion pesos spillover in Bogotá, benefiting tourism, transport, lodging, and gastronomy sectors, with 570,000 attendees. For 2026, a similar figure is anticipated over its 14 days of activities.
Ángel Forero stressed Filbo's role in literary tourism: "We are working hand in hand with many other fairs and festivals around the world to identify that our events generate that literary tourism". Visitors not only attend the fair but explore museums and bookstores, positioning Bogotá as a cultural hub.
A key pillar is the International Business Salon, hosting around 2,048 meetings over two days between international agents and editors. This energizes the Latin American publishing market, facilitating rights purchases and sales. For independent publishers, Filbo provides support via 'Filbo Emprende', selecting projects and offering training with the Bogotá Chamber of Commerce.
On global trends, Ángel Forero notes rising young readers who favor physical books, complemented by audiobooks. Emiro Aristizábal, president of the Colombian Book Chamber, added: "Colombians are reading everything, novels, fiction and non-fiction. The advantage of the Book Fair is that there is something for all tastes and budgets".
Filbo focuses on four axes: internationalization, training, cultural programming, and decentralization to sustain the publishing industry.
