At Malmo Town Hall you can marvel at architectural styles spanning three centuries, enjoy free concerts and dine in halls once used by Swedish nobility. The town hall is one of the most prominent features of Stortorget, Malmo’s main public square.
The hall was built in 1546 in a Gothic style and renovated in the 1800s. The building is not open to the public but access to its rooms is sometimes possible via the ground-floor restaurant, called Radhuskallaren. Dine in for a traditional smorgasbord buffet of meat and potatoes, then ask if any rooms are available to see. Find opening times on the restaurant’s official website.
There are three rooms to visit. The Knutssalen is a banquet hall that was used in the Middle Ages by St. Canute’s guild. The Landstingssalen is a Renaissance-style room decorated with portraits of Danish royalty. The Bernadottesalen is a red and silver banquet hall with paintings of kings from Sweden’s House of Bernadotte family.
Outside, architecture and history enthusiasts can take photographs of the building’s facade. Swedish architect Helgo Zettervall redesigned it in Dutch Renaissance style in 1860. Look for four busts of famous Malmo residents, including former mayor Jorgen Kock, tobacco trader Frans Suell, Malmo Sparbank founder Mathias Flensburg, and Lorentz Bager, who helped to build the city’s first steamship. Overlooking the busts are sculptures portraying agriculture, handicrafts, commerce and the shipping industry.
Come to the Radhuset for free live music throughout the year. These include concerts by the Malmo Academic Orchestra that take place in the Knutssalen. Find a schedule of events on the official Malmo Town Hall website.
Malmo Town Hall is located on the east side of Stortorget, within walking distance of the city’s major attractions. Pay-and-display parking is available on the square but walking is both a cheaper and more convenient option. The Town Hall is free to enter, but pay to dine at the restaurant.
