FIBO 2026 — the world's largest fitness trade fair — officially opened its doors on April 16, 2026 at Exhibition Centre Cologne, drawing more than 1,100 exhibitors from 53 nations and an expected 154,000+ visitors over four days. This year's edition is defined by a powerful AI-longevity axis, but the commercial subplot stealing headlines is the conspicuous, and conspicuously confident, arrival of Chinese fitness equipment manufacturers on European soil. Brands including Shandong MND Fitness and Shuhua are no longer positioning themselves as budget alternatives — they are launching AI-integrated commercial strength systems with CE certification, directly challenging European incumbents at a fraction of the price. Kai Troll, CEO of EuropeActive, opened the concurrent European Health & Fitness Forum (EHFF 2026) to a record 585 industry leaders from 44 nations.