Art Cologne to Revive Mallorca Fair in 2026

Art Cologne will launch a new art fair under the Art Cologne brand in Palma de Mallorca next spring, its parent company Koelnmesse has revealed.

Art Cologne, which has been held annually in Germany since 1967, previously attempted a short-lived Mallorcan offshoot in September 2007. The Art Newspaper at the time described it as an attempt to ‘emulate’ the ‘runaway success’ of Art Basel Miami Beach. The 60-gallery fair, located in a former terminal of Palma de Mallorca Airport, failed to see a second edition.

Now, nearly 20 years later, Koelnmesse is relaunching Art Cologne Palma Mallorca at the Palau de Congressos in Palma Bay from 9 to 12 April 2026. Opened in 2017, the beachfront conference centre—designed by Spanish architect Francisco Mangado—resembles a cave open to the sea, with the building’s exhibition area offering views directly to the ocean while blocking direct sunlight.

The new Spanish fair will be organised in collaboration with local gallery association Art Palma Contemporani, led by Fran Reus of Palma gallery LA BIBI + REUS. Mallorca ‘is increasingly consolidating its position as a cultural landmark in the Mediterranean’, Reus says, with the fair representing a ‘new step toward the internationalisation of its art scene’.

Daniel Hug, who became artistic director of Art Cologne in 2008, shortly after the original Mallorca fair was axed, highlights the ‘vibrant, exciting, and growing art scene’ of the Balearic Islands, pointing to the presence of Hauser & Wirth Menorca, as well as outposts of London’s Gathering and Madrid’s Parra & Romero on Ibiza.

‘When we were approached by the Art Palma Contemporani gallery association to expand our fair to Mallorca,’ he says, ‘the idea of a spring edition to complement our November fair made perfect sense.’

Hug also notes the increased accessibility of the island from major cities across Europe. Meanwhile, United Airlines this year announced an increase in weekly flights between New York and Palma, as well as an extension of the route’s season, having only been flying directly between the destinations since 2022.

The fair announcement also comes as the Balearic Islands are predicted to see record tourist numbers this year, with more than 19 million visitors, Deutsche Welle reported last week, despite growing protests against mass tourism in Mallorca and elsewhere in the region. —[O]

Main image: Galerie Buchholz, Art Cologne. Courtesy Art Cologne.