Milan Design Week 2025 – Map & agenda

Milan Design Week 2025 is back in Milan from April 6 to 13. As usual, Milan Design Week promises to be full of events, exhibitions, and installations, and the global design community will meet in Milan for a week. 

Theme: Mondi Connessi

Mondi Connessi (Connected Worlds) is the theme of Fuorisalone 2025, a concept that promotes participatory design while celebrating the art of engagement through design and artificial intelligence.

This theme invites reflection on the crucial role of design in connecting different dimensions of our lives—bridging the natural environment with advanced technologies, cultural traditions with future innovations. It sparks meaningful discussions among professionals, envisioning significant contexts that can be summarized as follows:

• New Dialogue Between Physical and Digital
• Cultural Connections and Sustainability
• Public Spaces and Inclusivity
• Urban Mobility and Innovation

Mondi Connessi is a vision of the present that anticipates the future, where design and artificial intelligence collaborate to create a more interactive, immersive, and, above all, connected world. Milan Design Week 2025 will serve as a true laboratory of ideas, shaping the future of design—just as it always has.

The Design Week Guide Trail: our map for Milan Design Week 2025

Milan Design Week 2025: Mondi connessi (Connected worlds)

Discover the history of Design Weeks

Milan Design Week Districts

Brera Design District

Brera Design District celebrates its 16th edition during Milan Design Week, from April 7 to 13. This year, it embraces the theme “Connected Worlds”, introduced by Fuorisalone. The theme captures the district’s dynamic spirit. Brera has become a global reference point, blending craftsmanship, art, culture, lifestyle, food, wine, and hospitality.

The same fusion of perspectives, colors, materials, and designs comes to life in “Horizons”, a new installation at Brera Design Apartment (Via Palermo 1). Curated by Zanellato/Bortotto Studio, the project serves as a design manifesto. It explores color and texture through handcrafted products and surfaces.

Brera Design Week welcomes back leading professionals and brands, with 204 permanent showrooms, including 11 new openings. Over 170 temporary exhibitors will join investors and sponsors, bringing the total to more than 300 events. Once again, Brera confirms its status as the must-visit district during Fuorisalone.

Discover more on Milan Design Week.

5Vie Design Week: Invisible Harmonies

The 12th edition of 5VIE Design Week presents “Invisible Harmonies”, featuring signature design, fine craftsmanship, and major productions by international creatives.

From April 7 to 13, 2025, 5VIE Design Week returns for its 12th edition. This project brings collectible design, fine craftsmanship, and the fusion of art and design to the heart of Milan’s historic center—between Corso Magenta, Sant’Ambrogio, and the Colonne di San Lorenzo.

The theme, “Invisible Harmonies,” challenges the idea of beauty as mere aesthetics or consumption. Instead, it explores design as a language of resonance, an echo of hidden balances that shape the way we experience the world.

At Fuorisalone 2025, 5VIE introduces a major new addition. Alongside its historic venues at Palazzo Correnti (Via Cesare Correnti 14) and SIAM (Via Santa Marta 18), a new exhibition space will open at Le Cavallerizze, Via Olona 4, inside the Leonardo da Vinci National Museum of Science and Technology.

The event will showcase eight major productions in collaboration with international creatives, including Misha Kahn, Sara Ricciardi, Richard Yasmine, and Hiva Alizadeh. Around 70 events will feature independent studios, companies, and designers.

Led by Ernesta Del Cogliano and Emanuele Tessarolo, the organization will curate a series of exhibitions under the 5VIE name, most of which will take place at Le Cavallerizze.

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Isola Design Festival

Over the years, and more recently with the opening of its second location in Dubai, Isola has established itself as a global platform. It embraces new perspectives in contemporary design while staying true to its roots.

The 2025 edition pays tribute to these origins with the theme Design is Human, a deep reflection on the role of people in the design process. Design should start from a human perspective, enhancing both well-being and sustainability. Design is Human highlights the fusion of traditional craftsmanship and digital innovation, reaffirming that human creativity remains the core of authentic and meaningful design.

Bringing together international designers, studios, creators, and manufacturers, Isola Design Festival 2025 promotes a human-centered approach to design. It explores themes like social impact, environmental responsibility, functional design, zero-kilometer materials, and the intersection of digitalization and craftsmanship, shaping a new, people-oriented design movement.

As the Isola district has expanded and evolved, a new venue has been added—BasicVillage (Via dell’Aprica 12, Milan). This space brings fresh creative energy to the area. Originally built as a rubber factory, this early 20th-century complex sits in Isola’s eastern industrial core, near the former Scalo Farini railway yard.

Isola will transform its spaces into a vibrant hub for creative exchange. BasicVillage will be the festival’s beating heart, hosting three group exhibitions curated by the Isola Studio team. The Isola Design Group’s consultancy lab, led by creative director Elif Resitoglu, will present Conscious Objects, Isola Design Gallery, and Openspace—each exploring new approaches to contemporary design. 

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Read the essential of Milan Design Week 2025

Milan Design Week 2025 agenda: Alcova 2025

Founded in 2018 by Valentina Ciuffi (Studio Vedèt) and Joseph Grima (Space Caviar), Alcova brings together designers, companies, institutions, and researchers each year at Milan Design Week. The platform explores the future of living and making through innovative exhibitions.

Alcova ninth edition: four locations

For its ninth edition, Alcova returns to Varedo from April 7-13, 2025. Building on last year’s success, it expands across four venues: the former SNIA factory and Pasino greenhouses, alongside Villa Bagatti Valsecchi and Villa Borsani from the previous edition.

These spaces highlight the contrast between domestic and industrial settings, both rescued from abandonment. The Pasino greenhouses, once home to one of Europe’s largest white orchid cultivations, offer a striking natural backdrop. The former SNIA factory, a forgotten landmark in Milan’s suburbs, showcases Italy’s industrial heritage. Its towering smokestack and geometric glass facades reflect a bygone era. The factory’s vast interiors will feature installations focused on innovative production techniques, paying homage to Italy’s manufacturing legacy.

Superdesign Show: happiness

Twenty-five years after its inception at Superstudio Più on Via Tortona, Milano Design Week has transformed. Once a trade event for industry professionals, it has become a vibrant festival drawing architects, designers, buyers, and manufacturers alongside students, families, and curious visitors.

Milano Design Week is now the most dynamic, international, and sustainability-conscious event of the year. It blends creativity across industries, from furniture and AI to fashion, automotive, food, and beauty. Consumers engage directly, eager to explore the latest innovations and trends.

Happiness is the theme of this year. In uncertain times of post-Covid recovery, wars, and economic crises, happiness brings hope. It exists in products, installations, and everyday spaces. This year’s Superdesign Show at Superstudio Più embraces happiness as its manifesto. Graphic artist Daniele Cima created an exclusive lettering design, while art director Giulio Cappellini chose radiant yellow as the visual signature.

The show honors Made in Italy with a special exhibition of iconic pieces and welcomes global creativity, including Lexus’ spectacular showcase and FORUM8’s immersive nature experiences. 

This year’s edition features over 70 designers from 10 nations and 20 groundbreaking projects across three continents. Sociologist Francesco Morace introduces the event with insights on happiness and its role in design.

Innovation at the Forefront: Independent Pavilions

Some exhibitors stand out for their bold visions. Lexus and Geberit push boundaries in design and technology:

Lexus – “A-Un” and “Discover Together”: “A-Un” explores human-machine interaction through an immersive, heartbeat-synced space. The “Black Butterfly” electric vehicle cockpit redefines automotive design with interactive art and co-creation.

Geberit – “Where waters meets design”: A multisensory journey into water’s power, transforming it into an element of everyday well-being.

An Orchestra of Voices: Collective Exhibitions

Superstudio Più hosts global collaborations merging culture, tradition, and sustainability:

Hong Kong Interior Design Association (HKIDA) – “Urban Reflection”: Showcasing ten teams, this exhibition blends traditional craftsmanship with modern materials like recycled tram glass and yarns.

Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP) & Thailand Creative Culture Agency (THACCA) – “Slow Hand Design Thailand 2025” and “FRONT 100”: These exhibits highlight Thailand’s joyful spirit with unique furniture and art pieces.

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Porta Venezia Design District

In the last edition, just two years after its launch, the Porta Venezia Design District hosted 45 installations and 300 designers from around the world. Over 60,000 visitors attended, marking a 50% increase from the first year. The district also featured key projects of Milan Design Week. It won the Fuorisalone Award with Re-Creation, an installation by Lasvit, a leading glass-processing company.

For Milan Design Week 2025 agenda, the Porta Venezia Design District presents No Boundaries Design. Creation begins with questioning. As physical and digital realities blur, and the lines between art, science, technology, and nature shift, design becomes an act of radical inquiry. It challenges what exists and imagines what could be.

No Boundaries Design is more than a theme—it’s a manifesto. Inspired by Eileen Gray, a modernist pioneer who defied artistic labels, this concept pushes new creative frontiers. Like Gray, it rejects strict divisions between art, design, and architecture. It redefines the designer’s role—not just as a problem solver, but as a storyteller, a questioner, and an explorer of hybrid spaces.

Tech giant Google joins the district at Garage 21 with Making the Invisible Visible. Led by Ivy Ross, Google’s Chief Design Officer for Consumer Devices, the project reveals art and design as acts of alchemy. In collaboration with light and water artist Lachlan Turczan, it transforms abstract ideas into tangible forms.

The district offers immersive sensory experiences. Lavazza presents Source of Pleasure, a site-specific installation by Brazilian architect and designer Juliana Lima Vasconcellos. Located in the Palazzo del Senato’s courtyard, it takes visitors on a multisensory journey through the world of coffee. 

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Tortona Rocks

Tortona Rocks celebrates ten years of innovation. It has transformed Milan’s Tortona district into a design hub, shaping visions and projects that redefine Fuorisalone.

The 2025 edition, Unframed Design, invites spontaneous creation. It embraces authenticity and explores diverse styles, from Pop aesthetics to research projects, artistic design, and creative performances. Both Made in Italy and international expressions take center stage.

The TR program showcases design’s versatility. Technology crafts interactive environments for tailored experiences. The city comes alive with projects that reshape mobility and street furniture. Outdoor solutions highlight the importance of open spaces in daily life.

For its tenth anniversary, Tortona Rocks reinvents exhibitions and storytelling. Unframed Design removes predefined themes, favoring spontaneity and immediacy to inspire and engage the public.

Over the years, Tortona Rocks has become a key player at Fuorisalone. Each edition has captured design’s evolution, offering visitors insight into industry challenges and transformations. It continues to reflect the dynamic story of contemporary design. 

Tortona Design Week

The Tortona district is getting ready for an extraordinary edition of Tortona Design Week. From April 7 to 13, 2025, the area will become an international hub of experimentation and innovation.

With the theme “Design rEvolution: Creative Connections,” this year’s event celebrates the power of connections in design. It brings together disciplines, ideas, and visions for a week of discoveries and inspiration.

Tortona Design Week 2025 is a dynamic lab where design is no longer an isolated act. It becomes a continuous dialogue between technology, creativity, and social impact. Sustainability, aesthetics, and functionality will drive this evolution, breaking boundaries to create new perspectives and languages.

nhow Milano will play a key role. This creative hub, part of nhow Hotels & Resorts by Minor Hotels, blends fashion, art, and innovation. With its eclectic style and evolving artistic installations, nhow Milano confirms its status as a reference point for creativity. It will host the official Tortona Design Week 2025 press conference and offer its spaces for outstanding installations.