"The 63rd edition of the Salone del Mobile was a beacon in a 2025 of global challenges: it demonstrated strength and shared vision. With 302,548 attendees, the centrality of the event in creating connections between over 2,100 exhibitors from 37 countries and a community that has chosen Milan was once again confirmed. The sector has demonstrated, once again, how quality and innovation of process and product are key ingredients in an increasingly challenging international competition": with these words Maria Porro, President of the Salone del Mobile.Milano, underlined with satisfaction the success of this unique event.

International Furniture Fair 2025, Kartell stand ©Andrea Mariani

Record number of foreign operators

A more than positive figure, in a context of strong market turbulence, comes from foreign operators, accounting for 68% of admissions.

China confirms its first place in the ranking by country of origin, with a slight drop compared to 2023, which becomes clear compared to 2024 attendance, a sign of an economy that is facing internal and external structural challenges. The overall presence of European operators is holding up, in line with the export value of the Italian furniture macro-system. In the Top 10, after Germany in second place, there is strong growth in attendance from two of the best performing markets in 2024 for exports of the furniture macro-system: Spain (5,423 operators; exports +4.1%) and Poland (5,325 operators; exports +9.1%). They are followed in the ranking by Brazil, Russia, France, the United States, India and Switzerland.

Claudio Feltrin, President of FederlegnoArredo, said: "In this edition we have recorded a significant increase in foreign operators, with a particularly strong presence of Europeans. This is an important signal: Europe is the first reference market for our sector and continues to look at the Exhibition as an essential appointment for business and professional comparison".

Great expectations towards new business geographies

In the days of maximum international market tension, in the aftermath of the announcement of US duties, the 2025 edition of the Exhibition registered great expectations towards new business geographies: 350 major investors, buyers, retailers, contractors and media from 50 countries, with 27 delegations from Asia and the Gulf countries, were present at the exhibition from 8 April. The key markets include the United Arab Emirates, which doubled its attendance at Fiera Milano, Rho in 2025 (1,801 operators) and Saudi Arabia, with which Salone signed an initial Memorandum in January for the realisation of new design projects. Finally, attendance from Japan rose from 20th to 13th place, in line with the positive trend of exports in the furniture macro-sector in 2024 (2,712 operators; exports +2.7%). Also in the Central Asian area, in the Top 20 countries, there is still South Korea.

Students and Under 35s at the Salone

The number of students visiting the Salone 2025 is in line with 2024 and clearly up on 2023, the year of the Euroluce edition: 8,517 admissions for Italians, 6,543 for foreigners, a 32% increase on 2023. Added to these numbers are the 39,000 attendees at the SaloneSatellite, which confirmed its status as an international benchmark for contemporary creativity: 700 emerging talents from 37 countries, opening up new reflections on the possible interactions between craftsmanship and industrial design.

Milan Furniture Fair2025, SaloneSatellite ©Ludovica Mangini

Cultural Programme: new visions of the future

The Salone 2025 Cultural Programme was also a great success in terms of numbers, generating new visions of the future, beyond the challenges.

This year, the fair embraced the city with two major projects, realised in cooperation with two of Milan's most prestigious institutions. From 6 to 13 April, 95,300 people visited The Library of Light, the installation signed by Es Devlin that, in the year of Euroluce, illuminated the Cortile d'Onore of the Pinacoteca di Brera with a tribute to the value of knowledge, visible until 21 April. While Robert Wilson. Mother, at the Museo della Pietà Rondanini - Castello Sforzesco, sold out in just a few hours for the entire Salone del Mobile week, which in homage to the city has extended its opening until 18 May. At the fair, it was also sold out for La dolce attesa by Oscar-winning director Paolo Sorrentino.

Library of Light, the striking installation by Es Devlin ©Monica Spezia

Euroluce, the future of lighting technology

In line with expectations, Euroluce redefined the future of lighting technology, creating a boost in competitiveness between cutting-edge Italian companies - with more than 80 per cent of total turnover generated from abroad - and 45 per cent of foreign companies, leaders in the sector.

Milan Furniture Fair 2025, Euroluce, stand Artemide ©Diego Ravier

Between 10 and 11 April, around 1,500 participants took part in the masterclasses and round tables of the first edition of The Euroluce International Lighting Forum, the new project of the Salone del Mobile.Milano, directed by Annalisa Rosso, Editorial Director and Cultural Events Advisor of the Salone del Mobile.Milano, in collaboration with APIL. 20 international speakers.

The talks and round tables of the third edition of Drafting Futures, Conversations about Next Perspectives, which featured illustrious guests from the academic and artistic world, were also well attended.

 
Milan Furniture Fair 2025, Drafting Futures ©Giulia Copercini

Looking to 2026 with determination

'We are now looking to 2026 with determination:' said Maria Porro, 'Next year we have new, big challenges ahead of us. Our promise is to work on an even more inclusive format, with a focus on PMI and emerging markets. We will do this together with the supply chain with the aim of turning difficulties into opportunities. Together with the Italian and European institutions, from which we expect concrete answers in favour of a strategic sector not only for Sistema Italia'.