The stars have aligned for art lovers and collectors this year, as Europe hosts four of the world’s biggest art fairs over the course of 2023. With world-class experts gathered under one roof, international art and antiques fairs offer culture vultures the perfect excuse for a European city break. Here are the key art fairs to have on your radar for 2023...
Best European Art Fairs 2023
The European Fine Art Fair (TEFAF)
When? 9th - 19th March 2023
The real thrill of TEFAF is the ‘excitement of the hunt’ according to an American couple who didn’t wish to be named. Serious collectors, they have been buying from dealers at the fair for many years and have noted that dealers want to offer surprises on opening day. ‘The fair’s ethos is about people who really care,’ they say. ‘Dealers who share the joy of connoisseurship, and there is a wonderful sense of camaraderie.’
The first fair at Maastricht was Pictura, founded in 1975; a biennial event alternating with antiques until 1985, when the two merged and were then taken over in 1988 by a consortium of dealers known as The European Fine Art Foundation (TEFAF). Nowadays TEFAF is no longer just Europe’s fair, but truly the World Fair, with the world’s best dealers offering the world’s best art.
Naturally, it not only attracts serious collectors, but also curators from all major museums with money to spend. Be warned; touring the fair is not an experience for the unfit – it’s impossible to see everything, and discipline and pre-planning are essential. On occasions, exhibitor numbers have exceeded 300, and last June’s first post-Covid edition included 280 exhibitors from 22 countries.
- Get tickets at tefaf.com
Getting there
Flying from London to Maastricht airport costs as little as £19.97 for a direct flight.
Where to stay
Accommodation prices start at £638 for a one week stay. Places such as Dormio Resort Maastricht Apartments and Designhotel Maastricht get very good reviews.
Find accommodation in Maastricht
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Art Basel
When? 15th - 18th June 2023
The line-up of world-class art fairs begins with Art Basel, a staple of the art fair world held annually since 1970. Art Basel showcases the very best of present modern and contemporary works, including emerging talents;this year, 289 galleries from 40 countries will present art in a range of media, from paintings and films to photographs, installations and sculptures, alongside a program of panel discussions with artists and curators.
During the same week, a number of secondary fairs are held in Basel and the surrounding region: Liste Art Fair, Volta Art Fair and Photo Basel are now established as permanent fixtures alongside the main fair.
- Get tickets at artbasel.com
Getting there
There are direct flights from London to Basel, and the journey lasts less than two hours. Jet off on the 14th June and return on the 19th of June so you can enjoy the entire fair. Return flights start at £146.97.
Book return flights for Art Basel
Where to stay
The are plenty of fabulous hotels, Airbnbs and self-catering accommodation in and around Basel. Prices start at £891 for five nights.
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Masterpiece London
When? Masterpiece London has been cancelled for 2023
Fine Arts Paris & La Biennale
When? 21st - 26th November 2023
For many years the Biennale held in the Grand Palais was one of the world’s leading decorative arts fairs. But over time it seemed to be less interested in sales and more a showcase for French culture. Disagreements among the SNA (the French national antiques dealers’ association) who organised it, and the strange decision to go annual but retain the name, only compounded the problem.
However, the recent merger with fast-growing Fine Arts Paris, founded in 2017, and the appointment of its organisers (who also run the specialist Salon du Dessin fair) has proved a great success.
France’s ’new flagship art fair’, celebrates art from antiquity to the present day. With over 17,000 visitors in attendance, the inaugural event ‘opened up promising perspectives’ for future editions according to Louis de Bayser, the highly respected drawings dealer who is the fair’s president.
Of the 86 exhibitors at the 2022 fair, 25 were from abroad; as Louis de Bayser adds, the objective is ‘to expand the fair’s global reputation and growth’ while boosting Paris’s renewed claim to be the centre of the international art market. In 2023 the fair will move to the Grand Palais Ephémère, and in 2024 it will finally return to the renovated Grand Palais itself.
- Get tickets at fineartsparislabiennale.com
Getting there
The fair is hosted at Grand Palais Éphémère in Paris, a 45 minute drive from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, just a 30 minute drive from Orly airport and just a 10 minute drive from the Orly airport shuttle. Although Orly airport is closer to the venue, you may struggle to get a direct flight on the dates depending where you are travelling from, whereas Paris Charles de Gaulle airport typically has direct flights to more locations. Flight prices start at £102 from London. Taxis, car hire, buses and underground services are all available, or if you get the shuttle, it's a 30 minute walk to the venue.
Book return flights for Fine Arts Paris & La Biennale
Where to stay
The central city location means there's plenty of accommodation options including luxury hotels and entire apartments to rent for your time in Paris. For more affordable options, consider staying just outside the city centre – there's plenty of transport links tpo get you to and from the fair!
BRAFA 2024
When?Dates to be confirmed
Where to stay
Brussels is a beautiful city, popular for tourists all year round, so there are plenty of lovely hotels to stay in. Prices for five nights start at £269 for nine nights, or for a bit more, you can stay at the highly reviewed Warwick Brussels - Grand Place or The Dominican.