From Saturday, March 7 to Sunday, March 8, Veronafiere will host Model Expo Italy 2026. All areas dedicated to model making will be confirmed in this edition: railway modeling, ship modeling, car modeling, aircraft modeling, and static modeling. In addition, there will be an entire pavilion dedicated to dynamic modeling with 11 tracks.
The 2026 exhibition has a new layout, covering a total area of over 65,000 square meters and divided into four pavilions. Thanks to the many themed areas set up, the Verona fair celebrates the various hobby disciplines with a 360-degree view. These range from historical and classic model making to manual creativity enhanced by the world’s most famous building blocks, to new youth and nerd trends.
Model Expo Italy 2026: many historical re-enactments, not only national ones
As a brand new feature compared to the 2025 edition, visitors to the fair will be able to admire a faithful replica of a Nieuport 11 Bebè biplane from the First World War, on a 1:1 scale, which will arrive in Verona thanks to the Italian Air Force. Visitors will also have the opportunity to fly virtually aboard the Frecce Tricolori, thanks to augmented reality viewers.
Among the historical reconstructions is a large diorama of the Battle of Gettysburg. Meanwhile, the ship Andrea Doria, which until this year was simply on display, will sail the waters of the large pool in Hall 9. This re-enactment will be even more realistic thanks to original footage from the Istituto Luce.
The debut of the Verona Pop&Play Festival
Another new feature of Model Expo Italy 2026 is the Verona Pop&Play Festival, an evolution of the Play District designed to create a real festival dedicated to contemporary pop culture. ‘Pop’ represents the contemporary imagination, made up of manga, anime, cosplay, K-pop, social culture, and visual creativity. ‘Play’, on the other hand, refers to gaming in all its forms: video games, retrogaming, board games, TCG, roleplay, and experimentation.
This year, Model Expo Italy will also feature ‘Huntrix Crew – Tribute Show’, dedicated to the film event ‘K-Pop Demon Hunters’, which will be on Netflix from summer 2025. Lasting 15 minutes, the show is inspired by the story of the animated film: acted parts, video effects, overwhelming choreography, and a soundtrack sung strictly live.
The Brick Arena has been confirmed with 320 exhibitors and 36 associations on 10,000 square meters of exhibition space, dedicated to the world’s most famous colored bricks.
Simultaneously, the 66th ElettroExpo
As per tradition, Model Expo Italy 2026 – www.modelexpoitaly.it – takes place simultaneously with ElettroExpo https://www.veronafiere.it/manifestazione/elettroexpo-2026/, now in its 66th edition. The event is dedicated to computer enthusiasts and radio amateurs and also includes a private market. This is an exhibition area where you can buy and exchange historical toys, vintage dolls, and vintage accessories, making the experience even more complete for collectors.