TEFAF Maastricht: How Does the Fair Work?

What is TEFAF Maastricht?

The story begins in the 1970s, in Maastricht, with two fairs: Pictura, devoted to painting, launched in 1975, and Antiqua, devoted to antiques, launched in 1978. They drew together in 1985; in 1988, under the aegis of a non-profit foundation, The European Fine Art Foundation, the fair moved to the MECC with 89 dealers, most of them Dutch. Since 2016 TEFAF has also held a fair in New York, in May; but it is in Maastricht, every March, that it was born and that it returns.

People come to see works that can hardly be seen anywhere outside museums, to meet specialist dealers, to acquire — and for the particular rhythm of a fair where you pass without transition from an antiquity to an Old Master painting, from a piece of antique furniture to a jewel or a work of design.

It is this rhythm, as much as the aisles, that a private visitor comes for: a fair taken slowly, a small old city around it, countryside a few minutes away. This guide shows how to compose the stay.

The 2027 edition at a glance

TEFAF has published the calendar of the 2027 edition, the fortieth: two invitation-only preview days, then six days open to the public, all from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The ticket shop opens in mid-October 2026.

Ten sections, seven thousand years

The fair is organised in ten sections: antiquities and ancient art, objets d'art and furniture, paintings, works on paper, jewellery, modern and contemporary art, design, arts of Africa and Oceania, and two cross-cutting sections. Showcase, since 2008, presents young dealers; Focus gives exhibitors in-depth presentations around an artist or a theme.

The route is chosen to taste: many visitors begin with the section that brought them, then let themselves be carried along. One day is rarely enough to see everything with attention; two days, separated by a pause in town, leave time to return to a work.

The vetting of the works: what sets the fair apart

Before the opening, around 200 experts, organised in 30 specialist committees, examine every object offered for sale: its condition, its quality, its authenticity. Works that do not meet these criteria are not shown. It is one of the reasons collectors and museum curators make the journey.

For a private visitor, it changes the way of looking: you can concentrate on what you like, and put your questions to the dealers, who document their pieces. TGZ never takes part in acquisitions or transactions, which are handled directly with the exhibitor.

Preparing your stay: accommodation, journeys, budget

Accommodation first: the old town puts evening tables a few steps away and the fair some ten minutes by car; Wyck, on the other bank, is close to the station; the estates of the nearby countryside offer quiet, some twenty minutes away. During the fair, the sought-after rooms go early, often with a minimum stay. Our guide Where to Stay During TEFAF Maastricht? compares the options one by one.

Then the journeys: Maastricht is reached by train from Paris via Liège, by air through the region's airports, or by private jet via Maastricht Aachen Airport. Locally, the station, buses, TEFAF's free shuttle and a chauffeur complement one another: our guide How to Get to TEFAF Maastricht? sets out the mechanics. Finally, the budget: it is quoted item by item — address, length of stay, transport, chauffeurs, evenings, size of the party.

And one rule throughout: everything that matters is booked early. The ticket shop opens in mid-October, and the autumn is the right window for accommodation in a city that remains small.

Key takeaways

TEFAF Maastricht 2027 takes place at MECC Maastricht: invitation-only preview on 11 and 12 March, public days from 13 to 18 March, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tickets are sold on TEFAF's website; invitations to the preview days cannot be bought. The private experience is composed around it: a fair taken without haste, an old city, museums, fine tables, evenings through private channels subject to availability, all backed by logistics that take account of a small and much sought-after city. TGZ Conciergerie, an independent house based in Paris, with no affiliation to TEFAF, MECC Maastricht or the dealers, and no official status, orchestrates the entire stay. Every stay is quoted individually, availability and conditions confirmed before any commitment.