Malmö

Malmö is first mentioned as a town in 1275, probably founded shortly before as a fortified quay or ferry berth of the Danish Archbishop of Lund; its old name, Malmhaug, means 'gravel pile' or 'ore hill', and it received town privileges in 1353. In the 15th century it became one of Denmark's largest towns, the most important on the Öresund, with about 5,000 people, a Hanseatic market and a flourishing herring fishery. A citadel was built in 1434 and replaced by today's Malmöhus castle in 1526–1539, and between 1527 and 1529 Malmö became one of the first cities in Scandinavia to convert fully to Lutheranism.

The Treaty of Roskilde made it Swedish in 1658, and in 1677 it held out against a month-long siege by 14,000 Danish troops. War and plague cut the population to 1,800 by 1727, and growth returned only after the modern harbour was built in 1775. Frans Henrik Kockum founded the workshop that became one of the world's largest shipyards in 1840, the Southern Main Line arrived between 1856 and 1864, and textile and engineering works followed. Malmö overtook Norrköping as Sweden's third city in 1870 and reached 200,000 people by 1952.

The recession of the mid-1970s hit hard, Kockums stopped building ships in 1986, and by 1995 the city had lost 27,000 jobs in five years. Under mayor Ilmar Reepalu it turned towards culture and knowledge: Malmö University opened on the old dockside in 1998, the Öresund Bridge to Copenhagen opened in 2000, and the derelict Western Harbour was rebuilt from 2001, with the Turning Torso completed in 2005. The new jobs have largely benefited the middle and upper classes, and the city hosted the Eurovision Song Contest for a third time in 2024.

Malmö's culture reflects its double identity as an old Danish-Swedish trading town and a young, international city. Almost half its residents have a foreign background, with people from 187 countries, and the Middle East, the Horn of Africa, the former Yugoslavia and Denmark are the main sources of immigration. Möllevången is the centre of an alternative, left-leaning scene and of the city's most varied food.

The arts have deep roots. Ingmar Bergman directed the city theatre in the 1950s, and actors such as Max von Sydow and Ingrid Thulin became known through his films; Malmö Opera's 1,511 seats make it one of Scandinavia's largest stages; and Skånes Dansteater performs contemporary dance in the harbour. The Cardigans began here, and Bo Widerberg's film Raven's End portrayed the working-class city of the 1930s. The television series The Bridge made Malmö and the Öresund crossing familiar abroad. Malmö has hosted Eurovision three times, in 1992, 2013 and 2024 — the only non-capital city to do so.

Football is the great passion. Malmö FF has won the Allsvenskan more often than any other club and is the only Nordic club to have reached a European Cup final, and FC Rosengård is the most successful club in Swedish women's football. Summer life is spent outdoors at Ribersborg beach, the open-air bath and the Western Harbour boardwalk.

Malmö municipality had about 366,000 people in 2024, and the wider Greater Malmö area, which includes Lund and ten other municipalities, about 780,000. It is young by Swedish standards — almost half its residents are under 35 — and it has grown fast since the 2000s, with new districts planned at Nyhamnen near the Central Station.

The economy has moved from shipyards to services: business services, health and social care and motor-vehicle services are the largest employment sectors, more than 70 firms have moved headquarters or regional offices to the city, including three companies founded by Ingvar Kamprad, and far more people commute into Malmö for work than out of it. Unemployment remains high, at 12.3 per cent in July 2025, and in 2015 and 2017 police placed Rosengård and Södra Sofielund/Seved in their most severe category of high-crime areas, although in 2023 Södra Sofielund/Seved was judged to be improving.

Daily movement is by bicycle for many: about 40 per cent of commuters cycle on 410 km of paths. Malmö University's 24,000 students, the parks and the seafront give the city a relaxed, outdoor feel in summer, when the Western Harbour boardwalk fills with swimmers.

Malmö's food scene is shaped by its mix of residents. Falafel — deep-fried balls of ground chickpeas or fava beans with herbs and spices, served in flatbread — is one of the cheapest and most popular meals, sold from a well-known shop near Davidshall and in the budget restaurants of Möllevångstorget, where Indian, Thai, Vietnamese, Middle Eastern and Chinese kitchens stand side by side. The square also holds the city's liveliest market, and Malmö Saluhall gathers restaurants and food shops under one roof. Malmöfestivalen each August fills the streets with cuisines from around the world.

Older Scanian traditions survive too. Spettekaka, 'spit cake', is a dessert made from a mixture mainly of eggs, potato starch flour and sugar, rolled slowly onto a turning skewer over a fire, and an important part of Skåne's culinary heritage. Äggakaka, a thick oven pancake served with fried slices of pork belly and lingonberries, was once made for farmworkers to carry into the fields.

Coffee and pastry are part of the day: Hollandia is the oldest surviving konditori in the city. At Christmas, pepparkakor — thin spiced biscuits flavoured with ginger, cinnamon and often cloves — are closely tied to Advent and Christmas.