2026 La Laguna Book Fair Opens With Record Participation

The 2026 La Laguna Book Fair opened this Thursday at Plaza del Cristo, cementing its status as a major cultural event. Organizers report that this year features the highest number of participating bookstores in the last 15 years. Running until October 12, the fair marks a significant step for regional unity by including bookstores from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria for the first time, helping to better connect the archipelago’s publishing industry.

Organized by the La Laguna City Council in partnership with APROLITE, the Island Council, and other regional groups, the fair hosts 50 exhibitors—30 bookstores and 20 publishing houses—supporting a schedule of over 200 cultural events. As part of the National Network of Book Fairs, the event is more than just a marketplace; it serves as a space for writers of different generations to connect. The lineup includes renowned Canarian authors like Alicia Llarena, Cecilia Domínguez Luis, and Víctor Álamo de la Rosa, alongside national voices such as Andrea Abreu, Manuel Vilas, and Pol Guasch.

The program offers a wide variety of themes, including comics, illustration, fanzines, and poetry, with a special focus on encouraging reading among children and young people. The "Book of Your Life" initiative invites attendees to reflect on how literature has shaped their own personal stories.

At the opening ceremony, Mayor Luis Yeray Gutiérrez emphasized that culture is a strategic priority for the city. Returning to the same location following the success of 2025, this year’s fair aims to boost the book trade while creating a space where readers and authors can exchange ideas, further establishing the event as a cornerstone of the islands' cultural calendar.