Kolkata Book Fair 2026 rides on Metro push for higher footfall

Kolkata: For countless book lovers, accessibility has long been a concern for the International Kolkata Book Fair.

But for the first time, the 49th Kolkata book fair venue, Boimela Prangan in Salt Lake, is connected by Metro from Howrah to Karunamoyee and Central Park via Esplanade. Naturally, the Publishers & Booksellers Guild is hopeful that bibliophiles from Kolkata, Howrah and nearby districts will now choose the Metro to reach the fair.

“Metro authorities have increased the frequency of trains, and the last Metro will run till around 10 pm on all fair days. There will also be a special Metro ticket booth inside the fair where visitors can book tickets through UPI,” said Sudhangshu Sekhar Dey, president, Guild at the Press conference on Monday.

In fact, the fair dates have been shifted to January 22 to take advantage of the holiday-packed calendar i.e. Netaji Jayanti on January 23, Republic Day on January 26 and two weekends in between.

“From January 23 to 26, especially, we are expecting heavy footfalls,” said Dey.

To make the experience smoother, food stalls have been shifted to a new location this year, freeing up more space for book stalls and allowing visitors to move around the grounds more comfortably, Dey informed.

CM Mamata Banerjee will inaugurate the fair on January 22 at 4 pm. With Argentina as the theme country this year, the inauguration will also see the presence of Mariano Agustin Caucino, Ambassador of Argentina, as a special guest. Two gates inspired by Argentine architecture will welcome visitors.

The fair will feature over 1,000 participants, with more than 20 countries taking part. Special exhibition halls will pay tribute to Uttam Kumar, whose birth centenary falls in 2026. A dedicated gate will honour Sailajananda Mukhopadhyay on his 125th birth anniversary. Cultural programmes and panel discussions will mark the birth centenary year of icons like Salil Chowdhury and Dr Bhupen Hazarika on January 26 and 27 respectively. Also, the book fair android app can locate any stall in the fair using Google location, created by Sister Nivedita University. The university is the digital partner.

Meanwhile, like last year, Bangladesh’s participation remains uncertain. “We haven’t received any green signal from the Centre, so as of now, Bangladesh is not participating,” said Tridib Chatterjee,

Honorary General Secretary of the Guild. The fair will continue till February 3.