Furniture from the fair in 2018

With a focus on Scandinavian design since 1951

February 2020 marked the arrival of the 70th Stockholm Furniture Fair. For more than half a century, we have been Scandinavia’s display window for design.
Since the Stockholm Furniture Fair was held for the first time in 1951, we have evolved from being a local furniture fair, only featured Swedish manufacturers and furniture retailers, to have become the world's leading event for Scandinavian design, welcoming visitors and exhibitors from all corners of the world.
Over the years, countless business deals have been created here, contacts have been established, new products have been launched, and both design classics and celebrated designers have been presented here.

We would like to celebrate our achievements by highlighting some important milestones in our history.

 

1950s

Furniture premieres at S:t Eriksmässan in 1951. Soon the Scandinavian manufacturers also find their way to the new national furniture fair – Svenska möbelmässan – in Stockholm.

1960s

Around 300 Swedish companies exhibit at the fair, mostly home furniture – such as rocking chairs, radio and TV cabinets, plant stands, dressing tables, mirrored cabinets

1970s

In 1970 S:t Eriksmässan moves to new premises in Älvsjö and after a couple of years changes its name to Stockholmsmässan. The furniture fair debuts in the new premises in 1971.

1980s

Students from Konstfack – Stockholm University of Arts, Crafts and Design – make their debut and furniture for public spaces extend their presence at the fair. The press favorite: Jonas Bohlin’s boundary-pushing concrete chair. By the middle of the decade, the exhibition space reaches 45,000 sqm – today it is up to 70,000 sqm.

1990s

The Northern Light Fair is run in parallel with Stockholm Furniture Fair for the first time in 1995. Furniture for public spaces occupies an increasing amount of space and the fair becomes the leader in Scandinavia.

2002

Stockholm Design Week is set up as a complement to the fair. This turns the second week of February into the most important week of the year for Scandinavian Design.

2003

Greenhouse, our arena where up-and-coming designers and design schools get to show their prototypes to future partners, is born.

2004

We invite an acclaimed international designer to create a lounge in the Entrance Hall. The Guest of Honour concept is coined and made into an annual tradition.

Patricia Urquiola from Spain is the very first Guest of Honour.

2010s

Hall A is redesigned in 2010 and the fair grows in size. The international presence expands year on year.

2013

Oki Sato, founder of the Nendo design studio, is our tenth Guest of Honor. In 2004 he exhibited as a young unestablished designer at Greenhouse and he returns in 2013 as a well-established designer.

2014

We launch Stockholm Design Talks, a forum for knowledge and discussion within the field of design and architecture, at the fair.

2020

February 2020 marks the arrival of the 70th Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair. The occasion was celebrated with an exhibition showcasing design classics from the 1950s to the present day

2023

After a three-year pandemic break, Stockholm Furniture Fair returned with full force and a new name. Renowned design duo Front became the first Swedish Guest of Honour. The award Scandinavian Design Awards, and new platform Älvsjö Gård, which showcases experimental design in a limited edition, were both presented. So was the new fair concept The Nude Edition, a sustainable way to design and build stands.