FAQ
FAQ
Here you'll find answers to frequently asked questions about your visit to SPIEL Essen.
General Information
The SPIEL app offers you lots of useful information about the show. There you’ll find filterable and searchable lists of exhibitors and new releases, all the hall maps, and a handy navigation tool that shows you the fastest routes across the exhibition grounds. You can also find events taking place at SPIEL here and even store your admission tickets in the app.
PLEASE NOTE: The app currently still contains information about SPIEL25. The content will be updated on September 3, 2026, so that you can view the latest information about this year’s SPIEL starting then.
Further information can be found here:
SPIEL App
You can find ATMs at the following locations on the exhibition grounds:
2 ATMs at Messehaus Ost (accessible from both inside and outside)
1 ATM at Messehaus Süd
2 ATMs at Messehaus West
However, due to the high volume of visitors during the fair, the ATMs on the exhibition grounds may run out of cash.
Bank branches in the immediate surroundings of the exhibition grounds:
Sparkasse: Rüttenscheider Str. 110
Deutsche Bank: Rüttenscheider Stern 7
Commerzbank: Rüttenscheider Str. 106
National Bank: Rüttenscheider Str. 125
There are first-aid rooms in Halls 3 and 7, which can be reached by calling +49 201 7244 424.
Lockers are located in the Foyers at the Entrances West and South. There is a fee for their use (EUR 1.00).
Number and dimensions of lockers:
Foyer Entrance West: 90 small lockers measuring 31 x 50 x 60 cm (WxHxD)
Foyer Entrance West: 15 large lockers measuring 31 x 106 x 60 cm (WxHxD)
Foyer Entrance South: 80 small lockers measuring 25 x 46 x 54 cm (WxHxD)
During SPIEL, the Lost and Found Office is located in the Messe Essen Exhibitor Service Office on the 1st floor above Hall 6, at the passageway to Hall 5. You can contact the Service Office by email at
Unclaimed items are transferred to the City of Essen’s Lost and Found Office after 7 days. The office has a convenient online lost and found portal (German language) where you can check directly to see if a missing item has been turned in:
FunduS Portal
There are 7 nursing rooms on the exhibition grounds:
- Foyer Entrance West, 2nd floor
- Hall 3, passageway to the Galeria
- Hall 3, passageway to Foyer West
- Foyer South, in front of Hall 1A (basement)
- On top of Hall 4, near aisle K
- On top of Hall 5, near aisle M (basement)
- On top of Hall 7, near aisle E (basement)
To leave the exhibition grounds during the day and re-enter, you must get a re-entry wristband when you leave. Tickets CANNOT be scanned multiple times, so it’s important to get one of these wristbands to be allowed back in.
At SPIEL we offer the option to ship your loot easily directly to your home – no matter where you live. For this we work with a logistic expert who takes your games and sends them on their way via courier. This way they will be at their destination very quickly, even when you send them to far away countries.
You can send as many games as you want. Please notice that a collection and storage of items over time is not possible. Every deposit will be one shippment.
You can find the MBE Shipping Service in Hall 8 at the exhibition stand 8A110.
For more information, click here: Storage and Shipping
You’ll find cloakrooms at the entrances East, South, and West. Here, you can store only jackets and small bags for a one-time fee of EUR 3.00.
The “bag storage” is located at the end of the Galeria, on the side leading to Hall 3. Here, for EUR 3.00, you can drop off large bags and suitcases and fill them up during the day. Each refill costs EUR 2.00.
The bag storage is open Thursday to Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and on Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
There is a unisex restroom area at the upper right end of Hall 5 (near the passageway to Hall 6). You can also view its location on the hall map using the SPIEL App.
Free Wi-Fi hotspots are available in the foyer areas of Entrance East, South, and West. There is no free visitor Wi-Fi in the halls.
Travel
We recommend using public transportation to get to SPIEL. We’ve coordinated frequent service with the local public transit operator so you can get to the exhibition grounds early and quickly. The U11 tram will take you from the main station to your destination in 5 minutes.
The more visitors who arrive by car, the more traffic congestion there will be around the exhibition grounds and in the Messe Essen parking lots; additionally, the shuttle buses from P2 and P10 will have difficulty navigating the heavy traffic.
You can find more information on travelling to SPIEL here: Travelling
Visitors are advised to use parking lots P2 and P10. Shuttle buses run regularly from there to the exhibition grounds.
Parking lots P1 and P6 are reserved for exhibitors, the press, and trade visitors. If there are still available spaces on P1 at 12:00 p.m., they will be made available to visitors.
Basically, the more cars that try to park as close as possible to the exhibition grounds, the worse the traffic congestion becomes—something everyone wants to avoid. For this reason, we ask visitors to follow Messe Essen’s recommendation and drive directly to parking lots P2 or P10, or to use public transportation.
On exhibition days, shuttle buses depart from P2 starting at 8:00 a.m. and from P10 starting at 8:30 a.m., running every 10–15 minutes to the exhibition grounds. The buses run until about an hour after the fair ends, which is around 8:00 p.m. (until 7:00 p.m. on Sunday).
The ride takes about 15–20 minutes, though this naturally depends on traffic conditions.
Charging stations for electric vehicles are located directly next to parking lots P1 (2 stations), P2 (6 stations), and P3 (2 stations), but outside the parking lots themselves. Therefore, access is possible at any time.
In addition, there are approximately 15–20 public charging points in front of the e.on building on Norbertstraße.
Messe Essen has parking spaces for people with disabilities near the East, South, and West entrances. You can use them with your disability parking permit or severe disability ID card marked with the letter “G.” Please contact the traffic attendants on site; they’ll be happy to direct you.
For security reasons, cars are not allowed to remain in the Messe Essen parking lots overnight. They must be removed before the parking lot closes (approximately 1 hour after the fair ends).
We therefore recommend leaving your car at your accommodation and using public transportation. We’ve arranged for frequent service with the local public transit provider, so you can get to the fairgrounds early and quickly via the U11 tram.
Yes, Messe Essen offers parking spaces for campers in Parking Lot P2. These can only be booked by contacting Messe Essen directly and must be reserved in advance.
Here are Messe Essen’s contact details:
Email:
Phone: +49 201 7244 0
In addition, Messe Essen lists two campgrounds in the area on its website.
You can find more information here:
Arrival by caravan
Tickets
The SPIEL Essen ticket shop usually opens three months before the event begins.
No, it is not possible to purchase a ticket voucher.
Tickets for SPIEL Essen will be available exclusively through the online ticket shop. There will be no on-site box office.
Please also note that tickets for individual days may sell out before the event begins. We therefore recommend purchasing your tickets well in advance of SPIEL, rather than waiting until shortly before the event.
We’ll keep you regularly updated on ticket availability via our social media channels. The new traffic-light system in the ticket shop also lets you know when the ticket stock is running low.
If you are unable to use a ticket yourself (e.g., because you’ve fallen ill) and would like to give it to friends, family, or acquaintances, you can do so by issuing the new ticket holder a brief written authorization to use the ticket and including a copy of your ID.
Resale of tickets is prohibited under our Terms and Conditions.
Since we have a separate daily quota for each day of SPIEL—and therefore different ticket types—it is not possible to change a ticket that has already been purchased to a different day.
You can log in to the ticket shop website at any time using the email address you used for the purchase. There, you’ll find all your purchased tickets under “My Account” > “Orders.”
When purchasing a business ticket, you must upload proof of your professional interest in SPIEL. Acceptable forms of proof include a business card, a letter from your employer, a business license, or similar documents. It is important that the proof is personalized (meaning your name appears on it) and clearly demonstrates a relevant connection to the board game industry.
With a business ticket, you can enter the halls from 9:30 a.m. via fast lanes at the entrances East, South, and West. This is half an hour earlier than regular SPIEL visitors. You’ll also have access to the B2B Lounge—a special area (Parkrestaurant) in Hall 7 reserved exclusively for exhibitors and business visitors, where you can eat, drink, and meet with exhibitors. In addition, you can use the new matchmaking tool to connect with other business visitors and exhibitors at SPIEL. When purchasing a business ticket, you can choose whether you’d like a standard business ticket or a business ticket that includes a parking pass for Parking Lot P6. This option is not available to regular visitors.
Further information about the new B2B matchmaking tool can be found here:
Matchmaking
Yes, everyone on the fairgrounds needs a ticket. We’re happy to offer accompanying persons of people with severe disabilities with markers in their disabled pass the opportunity to attend SPIEL free of charge as assistants. To do so, please email
We need the following information:
- First and last name of the person with a severe disability
- Email address of the person with a severe disability
- Order or invoice number for the ticket purchase
- Photo or PDF of the severely disabled pass with one of the following markings:
- Accompanying person
- Blindness
- Movement impairement
- Heavy movement impairement
- Helplessness
- First and last name of the accompanying person
- Email address of the accompanying person (must be different from that of the ticket holder)
- For which days are accompanying tickets required?
We will then check the severely disabled pass for validity and markings as well as the ticket purchase made. If everything matches, we will send you the corresponding accompanying ticket(s) directly via email.
The data you send us will be deleted at the end of the year.
The presentations as part of Educators Day are open to everyone and take place on the stage in Hall 4. To attend, all you need is an admission ticket to SPIEL. If you need a certificate of attendance, you can purchase it in addition to your admission ticket in the online ticket shop. We’ll send the certificates after SPIEL, provided your admission ticket was scanned at the entrance.
Other Questions
Yes, you can bring your own food and drinks to SPIEL.
However, you’ll also find numerous food and drink stands across the entire exhibition grounds.
With the exception of medical assistance dogs, animals are not permitted on the fairgrounds. We ask for your understanding and would also like to emphasize that, due to the crowds, a visit to SPIEL would only be stressful for animals anyway.
Handcarts are not prohibited in principle. However, please be aware that, due to the crowded aisles, they pose a significant risk of injury to all fair visitors. For this reason, we recommend not bringing handcarts to the fair.
If you wish to transport children by handcart, strollers would be more suitable for this purpose.
For temporary storage of games, we recommend using the bag storage area at the end of the Galeria. You can find more information about the bag storage here:
Storage and Shipping
To leave the exhibition grounds during the day and re-enter, you must obtain a re-entry wristband when you exit. Tickets CANNOT be scanned multiple times, so it’s important to get one of these wristbands to be allowed back in.
There is no standard payment system at the exhibition stands. Whether exhibitors accept cash or card payments is up to them. In our experience, many do accept card payments, but you should still bring cash just in case.