Malmo Town Hall (Radhuset) is a landmark building in Stortorget, Malmo’s main square. The hall features three centuries of architectural styles, a grand concert stage and lavish halls once used by Swedish nobles, now open to visitors.
Initially built in a Gothic style in 1546, the hall was later renovated in the 1800s. The building is only accessible to the public through the hall’s ground-floor restaurant, Radhuskallaren. Treat yourself to a traditional smorgasbord feast, including a traditional dish of meat and potatoes, before enquiring if you can see some of the hall’s rooms. Opening times are available on the restaurant’s website.
There are three main rooms in the hall. St. Canute’s guild used the Knutssalen, a banquet hall, in the Middle Ages. The Landstingssalen is decorated in the Renaissance style and adorned with portraits of Danish royalty. The Bernadottesalen is a banquet hall coloured with red and silver tones and decorated with paintings of kings from the Swedish House of Bernadotte.
Outside, the building’s façade makes for a fantastic photo opportunity and lovers of architecture and history will enjoy spotting the building’s features. Swedish architect Helgo Zettervall redesigned the façade in the Dutch Renaissance style in 1860. Try to pick out the four busts of famous Malmo residents: former mayor Jorgen Kock, tobacco trader Frans Suell, Malmo Sparbank founder Mathias Flensburg and the city’s first steamship builder Lorentz Bager. The busts are surrounded by sculptures depicting agriculture, handicrafts, commerce and the maritime industry.
Free live music occurs in Radhuset year-round. See concerts by the Malmo Academic Orchestra in Knutssalen or one of the other events listed on the official Town Hall website.
Malmo Town Hall is located on the east side of Stortorget, a short walk from many major locations around the city centre. Parking is available on the square for a fee but the stroll to the town hall is enjoyable and convenient. Radhuset is free to enter but the restaurant has set menu costs.
