Stockholm Furniture Fair cancels 2026 event and announces 2027 relaunch as biennial
The 2026 edition of Swedish trade show Stockholm Furniture Fair and the associated Stockholm Design Week has been cancelled, with the event moving to a biennial format starting in 2027.
The annual fair was supposed to hold its 75th anniversary edition in 2026, but will now not return until the following year.
"In close consultation with the Swedish furniture industry and its trade association TMF, The Swedish Federation of Wood and Furniture Industry, it has been decided that the fair will not take place in February 2026," the Stockholmsmässan organisation said.
"Instead, efforts will be directed toward a relaunch in 2027."
Stockholm Design Week also cancelled
The 2026 edition of the fair was meant to have the theme Future Past and feature architecture studio Snøhetta as the guest of honour.
Stockholmsmässan also said that Stockholm Design Week, the city-wide initiative that takes place alongside the annual fair, will be developed in parallel with Stockholm Furniture Fair and therefore will also not take place in 2026.
However, the organisation, which is run by Stockholm's government and organises a wide range of tradefairs, said that the furniture fair and the design week remain "priority focus areas" and that the fair will return "reimagined and renewed" in 2027.
A key consideration for the change to a biennial event was to align the schedule of the fair with "the industry's development cycles and the international trade fair calendar".
"In order to create an even stronger and more future-oriented platform, we are now choosing to concentrate our resources on 2027, with sustainability and innovation remaining at the core of our vision," said Stockholm Design Events business area manager Chicie Lindgren.
"This represents an important step in our ambition, together with the industry, to further develop the business, the product, and the overall experience."
City of Stockholm remains owner of the fair
Two years ago, it was announced that the fair, which is owned by the city of Stockholm's Stockholmsmässan organisation, was to be sold and its Älvsjö venue demolished to make way for a new city district.
However, no buyer was found and the city has retained ownership of the fair.
"Given the current market conditions — characterized by declining profitability across the industry — no potential buyer was identified who could ensure the long-term development considered necessary for the business," it said in a statement.
It added that the company has experienced "weak financial performance" and issued a notice of redundancy affecting 60 employees earlier this week.
In the latest statement, Stockholmsmässan said program development is underway in the area but that urban development will not begin until 2034, ensuring that operations will continue until 2035.
The latest edition of Stockholm Furniture Fair featured British designer Faye Toogood as the guest of honour. During the week, Dezeen launched Dezeen Dispatch, our first-ever print magazine.
The photography is courtesy of Stockholm Furniture Fair.
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