After season, more reason
Cologne must reflect a changed market
spoga+gafa opens today in Cologne. For three days, the fair will focus on garden lifestyle, BBQ and Outdoor Living. It will also raise a broader question for the industry: is outdoor still a seasonal category, or has it become an open-air part of the interiors and contract market?
The fair runs from 22 to 24 June. It will be held in June one more time. From 2027, Koelnmesse will move spoga+gafa to September. The shift is more than a calendar adjustment. It brings the event closer to the point at which retailers and manufacturers can assess the season: what sold, what did not, which assortments need to change and where new demand is emerging.
For a market that depends heavily on weather, but has to plan through pre-orders, floor space and assortment decisions, timing matters. After the season, the industry usually has a clearer picture than before it.
The figures show that Cologne remains an important international meeting point, but also that the fair has lost some momentum in recent years. In 2025, around 26,000 trade visitors from more than 100 countries attended, with more than 1,600 exhibitors taking part. In 2024, the fair reported around 28,000 visitors and 1,625 exhibitors. In 2023, it counted around 30,000 visitors and 1,853 exhibitors. This is not a collapse, but it is a clear signal that spoga+gafa has to keep working for its role.
That makes the 2026 edition more than a trade fair with the smell of barbecue in the air. It is a test for the “growing forward” concept. With clearer theme worlds, more experience and more orientation, Cologne is trying to structure a market that has become harder to read. The areas include Living, BBQ, Outdoor Adventure and Creation&Care.
The shift is particularly visible in Outdoor Living. Terraces, rooftops, hotel gardens and restaurant areas are no longer just decorative additions to a property. They are increasingly being planned as functional spaces for additional revenue, longer stays and stronger brand experiences.
In Hospitality and contract business, outdoor spaces are now often planned with the same seriousness as interiors: with furniture, lighting, shading, planting concepts, materials and clear expectations around comfort and durability.
spoga+gafa opens today in Cologne. For three days, the fair will focus on garden lifestyle, BBQ and Outdoor Living. It will also raise a broader question for the industry: is outdoor still a seasonal category, or has it become an open-air part of the interiors and contract market?
The fair runs from 22 to 24 June. It will be held in June one more time. From 2027, Koelnmesse will move spoga+gafa to September. The shift is more than a calendar adjustment. It brings the event closer to the point at which retailers and manufacturers can assess the season: what sold, what did not, which assortments need to change and where new demand is emerging.
For a market that depends heavily on weather, but has to plan through pre-orders, floor space and assortment decisions, timing matters. After the season, the industry usually has a clearer picture than before it.
The figures show that Cologne remains an important international meeting point, but also that the fair has lost some momentum in recent years. In 2025, around 26,000 trade visitors from more than 100 countries attended, with more than 1,600 exhibitors taking part. In 2024, the fair reported around 28,000 visitors and 1,625 exhibitors. In 2023, it counted around 30,000 visitors and 1,853 exhibitors. This is not a collapse, but it is a clear signal that spoga+gafa has to keep working for its role.
That makes the 2026 edition more than a trade fair with the smell of barbecue in the air. It is a test for the “growing forward” concept. With clearer theme worlds, more experience and more orientation, Cologne is trying to structure a market that has become harder to read. The areas include Living, BBQ, Outdoor Adventure and Creation&Care.
The shift is particularly visible in Outdoor Living. Terraces, rooftops, hotel gardens and restaurant areas are no longer just decorative additions to a property. They are increasingly being planned as functional spaces for additional revenue, longer stays and stronger brand experiences.
In Hospitality and contract business, outdoor spaces are now often planned with the same seriousness as interiors: with furniture, lighting, shading, planting concepts, materials and clear expectations around comfort and durability.