What changes in the 2026 edition
The International Defence Industry Exhibition returns to Kielce from 8 to 11 September 2026, in its thirty-fourth edition. Two things set it apart from previous years. First, Targi Kielce opens a new exhibition hall: more than 18,000 square metres, 150 metres long, 73 metres wide and 15 metres high, with a mezzanine holding conference rooms and a restaurant. Underground parking for 350 vehicles sits beneath the building. Second, Canada takes the role of lead nation, which translates into a larger presence of international delegations than in a typical year.
For logistics this means one thing: the grounds at ul. Zakładowa 1 will handle more traffic in September than ever before. The transport plan is worth closing earlier than usual.
Which airport to fly into
Kielce has no airport of its own, so the choice comes down to four options. The distances and times below apply to the drive directly to the Targi Kielce address.
- Warsaw-Radom (RDO) — about 81 km, one hour to one hour twenty. The closest option, covered entirely on the S7 with no metropolitan junctions. The natural choice for charter and special flights.
- Krakow Balice (KRK) — about 133 km, one hour twenty-five to one hour fifty. The fastest approach among the major airports despite a distance similar to Warsaw, because the route avoids metropolitan traffic.
- Katowice Pyrzowice (KTW) — about 144 km, one hour fifty to two hours twenty. The road is not an expressway throughout, so timing is more sensitive to conditions.
- Warsaw Chopin (WAW) — about 167 km, one hour forty-five to two hours fifteen. The widest international route network, which is why most government and foreign delegations land here.
For morning accreditation it is worth adding a buffer to each of these times — not for the route itself, but for the final few hundred metres, as explained below.
Where the hotels actually are
A fair amount of imprecise information circulates about distances around Targi Kielce. The facts are these:
- Hotel Tęczowy Młyn, ul. Zakładowa 4 — opposite the main entrance to the grounds. A few hundred metres, covered on foot. The only property within walking distance.
- Hotel S7, ul. Przęsłowa — about a kilometre from the venue.
- Grand Hotel Kielce, ul. Sienkiewicza 78 — about 5.5 km, in the city centre on the main pedestrian street, opposite the station.
- Qubus Hotel Kielce, ul. Składowa 2 — about 6 km, city centre.
- Hotel Dal, ul. Piotrkowska 12 — about 5 km, city centre.
- Binkowski Hotel, ul. Szczepaniaka 42 — about 9 km, southern Kielce.
Apart from Tęczowy Młyn, every hotel means a daily drive. On an ordinary weekday that is a quarter of an hour; at fair peak considerably more, as traffic builds in the morning before the halls open and again after they close. This stretch, rather than the airport route, is often the least predictable part of the day.
Site access during MSPO
MSPO follows a different logistics pattern than a trade exhibition. Government and military delegations enter the grounds, accreditation and vehicle passes apply, and the gates operate security checks. Traffic peaks the day before opening and on the first morning of the show.
The practical consequence is simple: without an organiser-issued pass, the final few hundred metres can take longer than the entire drive from Warsaw. Three pieces of information help when planning a ride — the hall or gate number, the accreditation time, and whether the passenger uses exhibitor access, the delegation entrance or the general visitor route. Where the organiser issues separate vehicle passes, sharing them before the ride matters.
How we structure exhibitor transport
For a multi-day presence, calling a car ad hoc stops working. Instead we set a fixed rhythm before the first exhibition day: airport pickup with flight tracking, daily hotel-venue-hotel runs at agreed times, rides to industry dinners in central Kielce, and the return to the airport once the show closes.
For stand-build crews we schedule earlier times than for visitors — assembly and dismantling follow their own timetable. For delegations travelling in several vehicles we coordinate the pickups so the whole group departs together, including arrivals spread across different flights on the same day.
The Targi Kielce calendar beyond MSPO
September is the peak but not the only period of heavy traffic. The Zakładowa grounds also host Plastpol in May, AGROTECH in March, AUTOSTRADA-POLSKA in May, SACROEXPO in June, ENEX and EKOTECH in February, and Kielce Bike-Expo in September. The access logistics look similar, without the accreditation layer specific to the defence show.
Before you book
Useful details at enquiry: arrival dates and times with flight numbers, the hotel address, the hall or gate number on site, the accreditation time, passenger and luggage counts, and whether coordination of several vehicles is needed. The fare is confirmed before travel, with no surcharges for traffic or night hours.
