In our May/June issue, we took stock of how design fairs have evolved over the last half-decade. One thing became clear: While Salone still holds the title of the biggest event in design, Copenhagen’s 3daysofdesign isn’t far behind. What began in 2013 as a local showcase for Scandi brands has skyrocketed in popularity, evolving into a destination with serious international draw (last year’s event alone attracted over 100,000 visitors to the Danish capital). The festival’s off-site-only format is a refreshing alternative to traditional furniture fairs, with brand collabs and pop-ups animating the entire city. The result is a full-blown cultural phenomenon that appeals to both industry vets and the design-curious public. Below, we preview just a few of the many must-see events on our itinerary for 3daysofdesign 2025. See you in Copenhagen!

Café A-N-D Bar

PHOTOS: Courtesy of A-N-D

At Stockholm Design Week, Form Us With Love turned its studio into a pop-up restaurant, proving that the key to a strong design fair showing is in crafting a convivial setting. It seems A-N-D was taking notes: For 3daysofdesign, the Canadian lighting brand is staging its own hospitality-inspired experience to showcase three new lighting series by designers Lukas Peet and Caine Heintzman — Pace, Contour and Tier — as well as fan-favourites like Iris and Column, shown alongside brands like BOON_Editions, a Paris-based bespoke furniture manufacturer. By day, the space in the Rosengården district will serve coffee by Italian brand La Marzocco. By night, it will transform into a bar, keeping the party going into happy hour. In other words, it’s going to be the place to be all day long.

_{CAFÉ A-N-D Bar: Studiestræde 34, Rosengård}

Artek + Marimekko

PHOTO: Courtesy of Artek

Helsinki brand Artek is celebrating a big birthday this year. In honour of its 90th anniversary, they’re teaming up with Marimekko, another Finnish favourite, to launch a limited-edition furniture collection that marries their signature styles, highlighting the beauty of Scandinavian craftsmanship. Combining Artek’s affinity for wood bending with Marimekko’s bold and colourful printmaking, a selection of Alvar Aalto’s birchwood furnishings have been reimagined using patterns from Marimekko’s Arkkitehti series, designed by Maija Isola. The pieces, which will be available worldwide in September, will be presented in an exhibition designed with Finnish designer Linda Bergroth. Minimal and poetic yet joyfully expressive, the collection is the perfect example of modern Scandinavian design.

_{Artek + Marimekko: Pilestræde 29, Rosengård}

Agra Forma Collection by Armadillo

PHOTO: Courtesy of Armadillo

Design fairs are a hotbed for experimentation, and that’s exactly what you’ll find at Armadillo’s 3daysofdesign activation. The Australian rugmaker will present its Agra Forma collection, originally launched at Melbourne Design Week, which gives sitting on the floor a whole new meaning. Working with Australian industrial designer Tom Fereday, Armadillo’s rich material exploration has resulted in a weird and wonderful hybrid between carpet and furniture. In this seven-piece collection, which includes chairs, stools, ottomans and a desk, clean-lined red oak frames contrast with the inviting tactility of the brand’s Agra rugs, which have been repurposed as a kind of upholstery. The pieces will be shown as part of a larger group exhibition, entitled Gestures of Home, which also includes pieces by Expormim and Saba Italia. While the show promises a “moving artistic reimagining of the domestic space,” Agra Forma itself rethinks what furnishings can be.

_{GESTURES OF HOME: The Conary, Dronningens Tværgade 26, Frederiksstaden}

Palma Pouf by Hem

PHOTO: Erik Wåhlström

Always offering a fresh take on colour, form and material, Swedish brand Hem is a recurring 3daysofdesign standout for good reason. This year will be no exception: the brand tapped British-born Ghanaian designer Kusheda Mensah to design the playful Palma Poufs. While the organic shapes recall the palm leaves for which they are named; with their webbed appendages, they also evoke abstracted hand-like forms. Originally conceived by Mensah as sculptures back in 2018, the seating collection invites the same exploration of the relationship between human and nature. Arranged in a cluster of various sizes and colours, the collection not only brings a graphic quality to any space, it also encourages informal gathering and interaction. “Kusheda’s work was an instant love affair,” says Hem CEO Petrus Palmer, “its rigorous research and playful spirit made for a paw-like pouf that makes us smileevery time.”

_{HEM: Bredgade 65, Frederiksstaden}

10 Days of Summer

PHOTOS: Sara Urbanski

While inspiration will surely abound at showrooms and galleries across the city, half the fun of attending 3daysofdesign is getting to experience the magic of Scandinavian summer. At this exhibition, organized by the Finnish Cultural Institute in Denmark, you’ll get the best of both worlds. Twelve Finnish designers including Aino Michelsen and Studio Tolvanen will show furnishings and everyday objects from seating to storage, each shaped by the challenges of designing for the outdoors in the Nordic region. Evoking both the carefree feeling of summer and the melancholy of a season that passes all too quickly, the collection encourages visitors to soak in every moment. From courtyard drinks and music to morning coffee and croissants, various events will activate the exhibition over the course of the festival.

_{10 DAYS OF SUMMER: Gammel Strand 48, Kultur}