Defence, aerospace and security exhibitions in 2027: dates and locations

Eight international defence, aerospace and security exhibitions run in 2027. The year opens in Abu Dhabi in January and closes in Cairo in December, and between those two the calendar crosses Singapore, Rio de Janeiro, Langkawi, Dubai and Tangerang.

It is a heavier year than 2026, and the reason is structural rather than coincidental. IDEX, LIMA, LAAD and EDEX all run every two years, and their cycles land together in 2027. If you are setting a budget across the regions these shows cover, you are making more decisions this year than last.

Below is the full calendar, then each region in turn: what the show is and what to know before you commit. Bridge Exhibitions sells and represents most of these shows, and the full portfolio sits on the Shows page.

The 2027 calendar at a glance

The Gulf: IDEX, NAVDEX, IDEX NXT and GISEC

IDEX and NAVDEX run from 25 to 29 January 2027 at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi. This is the anchor event of the region. The 2025 edition drew 1,565 exhibitors from 65 countries and 206,073 visitors across 181,501 square metres, and closed with 55 contracts, according to ADNEC.

The two shows sit together: IDEX is tri-service, and NAVDEX is its naval show.

IDEX NXT runs inside the same dates and venue. It brings technology leaders, innovators and future defence concepts together in one place, with AI and defence technology at its centre. If your buyer is a technology programme lead rather than a procurement officer, that is where they will be.

GISEC Global runs from 4 to 6 May 2027 at the Dubai Exhibition Centre, Expo City. It is security and cyber rather than defence hardware, and the floor reaches CISOs, government cyber agencies and information security leaders.

Planning note. Space at IDEX goes early and the good positions go earlier. If Abu Dhabi is on your 2027 list, the time to decide is now.

Asia-Pacific: BAAFEx, LIMA and Indo Defence

Three of the eight shows sit in Asia-Pacific, and they fall between March and May. For a business entering the region rather than defending a position in it, that clustering is useful: one regional push, three floors, one travel budget.

BAAFEx runs from 22 to 24 March 2027 at Changi Exhibition Centre in Singapore. It is business aviation rather than defence.

LIMA follows from 20 to 24 April 2027 in Langkawi, its 18th edition.

Indo Defence closes the run from 12 to 15 May 2027 at the Nusantara International Convention Exhibition (NICE), PIK2, Tangerang. It is a tri-service show, so a single stand can reach procurement across all three services.

Planning note. LIMA opens four days after LAAD closes in Rio. If both are on your list, you are shipping to Langkawi while your team is still in Brazil. Decide early which one gets the senior people.

The Americas: LAAD

LAAD Defence and Security runs from 13 to 16 April 2027 at Riocentro in Rio de Janeiro. It is the only show of the eight in the Americas.

If your market development plan names Latin America, this is the show that plan runs through, because there is no second option in the calendar.

Planning note. Brazilian import and customs timelines are the constraint that catches first-time exhibitors, not stand build. Start the paperwork conversation before you start the design one.

Egypt and North Africa: EDEX

EDEX runs from 6 to 9 December 2027 at the Egypt International Exhibition Centre in Cairo. It is held under presidential patronage and began in 2018.

According to its organiser, EDEX covers Africa and the Middle East, and its 2025 edition drew more than 40,000 international and local visitors and more than 100 invited official delegations.

Planning note. December placement makes EDEX a year-end show, which cuts both ways. Budgets are often spent by then, so the conversations you have are frequently about the following year. Plan the follow-up before you plan the stand.

How do you choose which 2027 shows to commit to?

Start with a question that has nothing to do with the calendar: are you protecting existing customers or opening a territory where nobody knows you? The answer changes everything that follows.

If you are protecting a position, go where your customers already are and accept a smaller stand. Presence matters more than scale, and the meetings are booked before you arrive. If you are opening a territory, the show has to carry the introduction for you, which means the national pavilion route or a position near the country delegations rather than a cheap stand on an outer aisle.

Then check procurement timing. A defence exhibition is a marketing event that sits on top of a procurement cycle you do not control. Committing to a show well before a programme decision is useful. Committing after it is a brand exercise, which may still be worth doing, but you should know which one you are buying.

The biennial clustering matters here more than usual. IDEX, LIMA, LAAD and EDEX run only every two years, and all four fall in 2027. A supplier who covers them all will spend more in 2027 than in the years either side of it. Sequencing the spend across the year, rather than committing to everything in one quarter, is the difference between a programme and a scramble.

Our market development work usually starts with this exact conversation, and the sectors we concentrate on are where the relationships already exist.

About Bridge Exhibitions

Bridge Exhibitions is an international sales, marketing, event management and market development business created by Arabian World Events and Orchestra Media. Its multilingual team helps event organisers grow international participation, develop new markets, and connect with exhibitors and industry partners worldwide.

If one of these shows is on your 2027 list, tell us which markets you want to reach and we will tell you what it takes.