Kolkata book fair ends on a happy note with footfall touching 32 lakh

Kolkata Book Fair 2026 concludes with record 32 lakh visitors, showcasing vibrant literary culture and community engagement.

The Kolkata Book Fair of 2026, which ended on Tuesday (February 3, 2026), recorded the highest footfall and sales in its 49 years, with social media remaining packed with passionate posts about this annual event that is next only to Durga Puja in terms of popularity.

According to the Publishers & Booksellers Guild, which organises the book fair, the 13-day event, from January 22 to February 3, attracted 32 lakh visitors and recorded total sales of ₹27 crore. Last year, the number of visitors stood at 27 lakh.

“The unprecedented footfall was due to the both-way metro connectivity and six holidays (including weekends) marking the duration of the fair. We are now gearing up for the golden jubilee celebration of the International Kolkata Book Fair with some unique events which will be remembered in future,” Tridib Chatterjee, general secretary of the Publishers & Booksellers Guild, told The Hindu.

Many regular visitors posted emotional pictures on social media on the closing day, and numerous others shared images of their presence in book launches and discussions and them posing with authors.

“When I was a child, my parents would take me to the book fair at Maidan. In the view of a three to four feet child, the world of books seemed grand and beyond reach. But now, as a grownup, an avid reader and a little collector, my interests have found new avenues. This book fair was more organised, where even a small publishing house could leave its footprint. I came across several young authors and poets who are otherwise ordinary people like you and me,” said Shreya C. Mukherjee, who presently lives in Hyderabad and is visiting Kolkata at the moment.

“The interesting thing was just how many children were getting lost and were being guided back to their parents by a battery of police personnel. I figure this was one of those fairs where kids and parents alike were enticed by books and forgot each other,” Ms. Mukherjee added.