The aim of this paper is to trace the conceptual history of diversity in Swedish cultural policy. Earlier research on diversity in Swedish cultural policy has mainly been devoted to the period 1995-2009, which were mainly based on ethnic understandings of diversity. A longer perspective makes it possible to follow a cultural policy in transition. Cultural policy is conceptualised as a practice that reinforces certain values in a nation. Three overlapping understandings are found: Diversity as variation (from 1972), ethnic diversity (from 1995) and as an umbrella-concept (from 2007) including different social categories. The results reveal two problem areas embedded in the diversity discourse, one which concerns the auditing and evaluation of diversity and the other which concerns cultural struggle and the value making of cultural policy.