Events in Milan
This October, Milan moves from watchmaking and food to jazz, and the listing runs on into mid November. Free entry to the Watch Art Grand Exhibition by Patek Philippe at CityOval ends on 18 October, Milano Food Week fills the city from 15 to 18 October and JAZZMI runs from 19 October to 8 November, while Milan and Inter meet at San Siro on 31 October. Concerts range from Lake Street Dive and Erykah Badu to Candlelight evenings, and the comedian Fabio De Luigi plays the Teatro Lirico Giorgio Gaber on 14 October. Matisse at Mudec and Luciano Fabro at Pirelli HangarBicocca both open on 8 October.
Official events calendar for Milan
The events below appear on Milan's official events calendar for the month, and each card links straight to the organiser's own listing with its dates and venue. For the sights that stay open all year, start with tourist attractions in Milan.
JAZZMI 2026
When: 19 October to 8 November
Where: Theatres and clubs across the city
The eleventh edition of the city's jazz festival, from large theatres to clubs, opening with Erykah Badu at the Teatro Nazionale.
Milan vs Inter, the Derby della Madonnina
When: 31 October
Where: San Siro Stadium
The Serie A cross-town derby between AC Milan and FC Inter, played at San Siro on Halloween night.
Festivals and concerts in Milan
RUEL
RUEL plays Magazzini Generali on 26 October at 21:00.
SISSI
SISSI plays Santeria Toscana 31 on 29 October at 21:00.
Candlelight, Halloween classics
Candlelight, Halloween classics comes to the Auditorium San Fedele on 30 October at 19:30.
Meditation on a Love Supreme at JAZZMI 2026
Meditation on a Love Supreme at JAZZMI 2026 plays Teatro dell'Arte - Triennale Milano on 1 November at 16:00.
Candlelight, Hans Zimmer film scores
Candlelight, Hans Zimmer film scores comes to the Casa Cardinale Ildefonso Schuster on 8 November at 22:00.
Isaiah Collier at JAZZMI 2026
Isaiah Collier at JAZZMI 2026 plays Teatro dell'Arte - Triennale Milano on 8 November at 19:00.
Sergio Cammariere at JAZZMI 2026
Sergio Cammariere at JAZZMI 2026 plays Conservatorio di Milano on 8 November at 20:00.
The Jazz Room, Frank Sinatra and Louis Armstrong
The Jazz Room, Frank Sinatra and Louis Armstrong comes to the Auditorium San Fedele on 14 November at 19:00.
Theatre, sport and shows in Milan
Il Festival dello Spettacolo
Il Festival dello Spettacolo comes to Superstudio Più on 6 November at 12:00.
Ballet of Lights, Sleeping Beauty in a spectacle of light
Ballet of Lights, Sleeping Beauty in a spectacle of light comes to the Teatro Leonardo da Vinci on 14 November at 17:00.
Hot Wheels Stunt Show
Hot Wheels Stunt Show comes to Unipol Dome on 14 November at 11:30.
Current exhibitions in Milan
Dalí and Fashion
Until: 31 January 2027
Where: Palazzo Reale
Over 200 paintings, drawings, photographs, garments and films follow the surrealist's lesser-known relationship with the fashion houses.
The Brueghels, the Origins of Painting Genres in Europe
Until: 31 January 2027
Where: Palazzo Reale
The first major exhibition in Italy on the Flemish painting dynasty, with more than 80 paintings, drawings and prints.
Aki Sasamoto, XYZ
Until: 17 January 2027
Where: Pirelli HangarBicocca
The first institutional show in Europe devoted to the Japanese artist, staging performance, sculpture and everyday objects across two decades of work.
Matisse, the World in a Room
Dates: 8 October 2026 to 21 February 2027
Where: Mudec, Museum of Cultures
About 100 works explore how African, Islamic, Russian, Chinese and Pacific art shaped Matisse's visual language.
Luciano Fabro
Dates: 8 October 2026 to 21 February 2027
Where: Pirelli HangarBicocca
The first museum retrospective in Italy since the death of the Arte Povera sculptor in 2007, with around fifty sculptures and installations.
Milan tickets and tours
National and local holidays in Milan
Public holidays reshape a visit more than most travellers expect. Museums and civic offices switch to holiday timetables, many shops shut and public transport drops to a Sunday service. Italy sets its public holidays by law rather than by region, so the calendar that applies in Milan is the national one plus a single day for the patron saint of the city. Because the same law treats every Sunday as a public holiday, Easter Sunday, on 5 April 2026, does not appear separately below. One date is new in 2026, 4 October, the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, added by a 2025 law and falling on a Sunday.
National holidays in Italy 2026
- 1 January New Year's Day (Capodanno)
- 6 January Epiphany (Epifania)
- 6 April Easter Monday (Lunedì dell'Angelo)
- 25 April Liberation Day (Festa della Liberazione)
- 1 May Labour Day (Festa del Lavoro)
- 2 June Republic Day (Festa della Repubblica)
- 15 August Assumption of Mary (Ferragosto)
- 4 October Saint Francis of Assisi (San Francesco d'Assisi)
- 1 November All Saints' Day (Ognissanti)
- 8 December Immaculate Conception (Immacolata Concezione)
- 25 December Christmas Day (Natale)
- 26 December Saint Stephen's Day (Santo Stefano)
Local holidays in Milan 2026
- 7 December Saint Ambrose (Sant'Ambrogio), local
Sant'Ambrogio is the busiest of those dates, not the quietest. The official city guide calls 7 December a public holiday for the patron saint of Milan and notes that the same day opens the season at the Teatro alla Scala; in 2026 it falls on a Monday, with the Immaculate Conception straight after it on the Tuesday. The same guide sets out what keeps running: public transport is guaranteed every day of the year, on a Sunday service on public holidays and on a limited service from about 07:00 to 19:30 around 25 December and 1 May. The infopoint on Piazza Duomo publishes one line of hours for all seven days and names no closing dates, while ATM warns that its counters may change hours on some public holidays, during special events and on strike days.
More about Milan
Tourist attractions in Milan
The Milan guide on Tourist Office lays out a one day itinerary, the landmarks worth booking ahead and what the city offers for free.
Tourist office in Milan
This page maps Milan's official tourist information points, when they open and which public holidays change their opening hours.
Italy highlights
The Italy guide looks beyond the city to Rome, Venice, Florence and the food and festivals worth planning a longer trip around.