Milan Design Week 2026 – Map & agenda

Milan Design Week 2026 returns to the city from April 19 to 26. As the world’s premier design event, it remains the essential meeting point for the global creative community, filling Milan with a sprawling program of exhibitions, site-specific installations, and groundbreaking debuts.

Milan Design Week Map

Please find enclosed the Map by The Design Week Guide

 

Milan Design Week 2026 Official Theme: Be the Project

Be the Project is the official theme of Fuorisalone 2026. This concept shifts the focus from the finished object to the human being as an active agent of change. It is an invitation to rediscover design as a dynamic, responsible, and ongoing process.

The theme encourages a move away from “final products” and toward “living practices,” placing the designer and the user at the center of a collaborative evolution:

• Human-Centric Evolution: Placing individual responsibility and vision at the heart of every creative act
• Design as Process: Celebrating the journey of experimentation, including the “blooming imperfections” and mistakes that lead to true innovation.
• Relational Design: Focusing on how design shapes the evolving connections between people, objects, and their environments
• Active Engagement: Moving from passive consumption to active participation in the systems that define our future

Be the Project is a manifesto for the present—a call to recognize ourselves within the process of becoming. Milan Design Week 2026 serves as a city-wide laboratory where design is reaffirmed as an essential tool for navigating a rapidly changing world and asserting human agency in the age of AI 

Discover the ‘Be The Project‘ theme

Milan Design Week 2026: The Districts and The Events

Tortona area: Superstudio Più – SuperNova

The historic heart of Superstudio in the Tortona District remains the primary hub for global giants and high-impact aesthetics.

• The Focus: International brands, “star-architects,” and immersive, large-scale installations
• Key Highlight: The return of Moooi with a massive site-specific installation by Marcel Wanders titled ‘25 Years Young & Promising’, celebrating the brand’s quarter-century history right where it first debuted
• Atmosphere: A prestigious stage for independent pavilions and collaborative special projects that define the cutting edge of contemporary design

Discover Salone del Mobile 2026

Barona district: Superstudio Maxi – SuperCity

The large, LEED Gold-certified space in Barona hosts a multidisciplinary landscape curated by Giulio Cappellini.

• The Focus: An “ideal city” where the traditional boundaries between design, art, and architecture are erased
• The Layout: 15 major interventions arranged in an open, barrier-free environment to encourage fluid interaction between visitors and exhibits
• Academic Hub: A significant portion of this venue is dedicated to International Design Academies and Universities, showcasing the research and “urgent issues” being tackled by the next generation of designers

The new Bovisa – Certosa Milano: Superstudio Village – SuperPlayground

The boldest news for 2026 is the debut of this third location in the Bovisa district, near Parco La Goccia.

• The Focus: Emerging talent, creative collectives, and experimental research
• The “Playground”: True to its name, this venue is designed as an open platform for young designers and indie studios. It’s meant to recapture the original, raw spirit of the early Fuorisalone – less commercial, more experimental
• Innovation: This is the site for “new languages” and future scenarios that challenge standard industrial production

Brera Design Week 2026: Be the Project

The 17th edition of Brera Design Week runs from April 20 to 26, 2026, during the Fuorisalone. This year’s theme, “Be the Project” (Essere Progetto), invites a shift in perspective: viewing design not merely as a finished product, but as a cultural process and a collective responsibility to build relationships between people and places.

With over 300 planned initiatives, including 217 permanent showrooms and hundreds of temporary exhibitors, Brera confirms its status as the beating heart of Milanese design. A major logistical update for 2026 is the Fuorisalone Passport, a digital platform providing a single QR code for seamless access to events.

Main Partners

• Valcucine (Main Sponsor): Celebrating 40 years of innovation and sustainability in high-end kitchens
• Grand Seiko (Official Timekeeper): Continuing a partnership through 2028 to highlight the connection between precision watchmaking and design

Exhibition Highlights

Industrial Innovation & Craftsmanship

• Valcucine – “CRAFTING FORWARD”: An interior narrative by Zanellato/Bortotto at Corso Garibaldi 99, transforming the kitchen into an evolved ecosystem where light and matter meet
• Grand Seiko – “The Nature of Time”: Installations at Galleria Il Castello created with three Japanese artists, exploring the cultural bond between time and the natural world
• Materia 2.0: Celebrating 10 years of moodboards as design tools, featuring a tactile “material encyclopedia” and a new commemorative photography book

Immersive & Sensory Experiences

• glo – “glo for art 2026”: An interactive orange portal at Palazzo Moscova by Numero Cromatico that uses light, fragrance, and touch to create an evolving landscape
• Stark – “Albori”: A multisensory journey at Castello Sforzesco that mimics the creative process, moving from the “listening” phase to the physical birth of an idea
• American Express – “Serotonin”: An installation by Sara Ricciardi at Palazzo Brera using inflatable, kinetic forms to explore the science of happiness
• GROHE – “Aqua Sanctuary”: A historic debut at Piccolo Teatro Studio Melato, offering a sensory wellness journey focused on the healing power of water

Collaborative & Luxury Showcases

• Veuve Clicquot – “Chasing the Sun”: An optimistic journey toward the sun designed by Yinka Ilori, featuring a pop-up café and exclusive boutique
• The Luxury Collection x Margherita Maccapani Missoni: A refined pop-up at Casa Brera hotel showcasing Italian craftsmanship and limited-edition lifestyle products
• Uzbekistan Foundation (ACDF) – “When Apricots Blossom”: An immersive craft and ecology exhibit at Palazzo Citterio featuring 12 international designers (including Bethan Laura Wood and Fernando Laposse)

Architecture & Urban Living

• Corriere della Sera & Mario Cucinella – “The City of Ideas”: A 3D-printed modular structure at Solferino 26 designed to create social “voids” within the urban density
• Portanuova – “Blooming Imperfections”: A district-wide project in Piazza Gae Aulenti featuring installations by Andrea Olivari and “social tables” for communal dining
• SKS & LG Electronics – “Feeding the Future”: An AI-driven interactive path at Via Manzoni 47, exploring how smart home tech can foster sustainable food consumption
• Arpa / FENIX – “ArchiThoughts-ArchiTouchs”: A showcase of six international architecture firms (including Parasite 2.0 and ZIMMER) exploring material surfaces

The Artisan Spirit

• Arts & Crafts & Design: A collective hub at Casa degli Artisti uniting the Cologni Foundation, Michelangelo Foundation, Serapian, and Creative Academy to celebrate the “Mestieri d’Arte” (master crafts)

5VIE Design Week 2026  “QoT: Qualia of Things”

The 5VIE Design Week 2026, taking place from April 20 to 26 in Milan, centers on the theme “QoT – Qualia of Things.” This concept challenges the tech-heavy “Internet of Things” by focusing on Qualia: the subjective, individual experiences and “how it feels” to perceive an object.

The event aims to shift design from mere data-driven efficiency to a human-centric language of emotion, memory, and sensory resonance.

Key Installations & Projects

• IN-HABIT-OUT (Denny Candotto): A collection of five wall-mounted display cases inspired by Milanese housing history, blending architecture and art-design
• Cosmic Meadow (Elizabeth Lewis): Curated by SWING Design Gallery, this installation features handmade biomorphic ceramics inspired by mythology and natural decay
• La Fiamma che non Brucia (Giuditta Vettese): A circular ceramic sculpture designed to hold water, exploring rituals, purification, and the “flame that does not burn”
• Resonance (Marco Guazzini): Curated by Maria Cristina Didero, this is a modular, metaphysical landscape where tubular systems and textures allow the user to define the final functional form
• Jōmon: A Hymn for Mothers (Noe Kuremoto): Contemporary stoneware reinterpretations of ancient Japanese Jōmon vessels, honoring the “radical act” of motherhood and creation

 

• Vessels dell’Intangibile (Richard Yasmine): A lighting collection that explores the five senses as “relics,” where light emerges from within to evoke memory and desire
• Re-Campaign (Studio mo man tai): A sustainable entrance installation at Cavallerizze made from recycled PET advertising banners, transformed into 15 colorful architectural portals
• Before the Shape Appears (Tadeas Podracky): Hand-carved wood lamps and sculptures that explore organic growth and the tension of internal pressure
• Liquid Rituals: A brand of handmade ceramics that reinterprets the act of drinking through unique, organic cups.
• ALMA WATER – The Sea Room (Sara Ricciardi Studio): An immersive tribute to Sardinia. It features silk fabrics moved by air to mimic waves and “sea drums” that visitors play to create a collective soundscape

Main Venues

• 5VIE Headquarter: Via Cesare Correnti 14
• Cavallerizze: Museo Nazionale Scienza e Tecnologia Leonardo da Vinci (Via Olona 4), featuring the Bar Trattoria Altra Vista, an immersive experience combining Italian gastronomy, digital art, and design
• SIAM – Via Santa Marta 18

Isola Design Festival 2026 – TEN: the evolving now 

The 10th edition of the Isola Design Festival (April 20–26, 2026) celebrates a decade of growth. What started as a “guerrilla” movement for independent designers in Milan has evolved into a global network spanning from Europe to Dubai.

Key Highlights

• A Symbolic Return: The festival returns to its roots in the Isola neighborhood, re-opening Fabbrica Sassetti (a 1930s wool yarn factory) as its main hub
• The Mission: Founded by Gabriele Cavallaro to bridge the gap for young designers facing high costs during Milan Design Week, the festival continues to prioritize accessibility and independent voices
• Global Reach: This edition highlights Isola’s expansion into the Gulf region, following the recent opening of “Isola Space” in Dubai

Main Exhibitions & Formats

Under the creative direction of Elif Resitoglou, ten main showcases will be hosted across iconic venues like Fondazione Catella and Stecca3:

• Isola Design Gallery & Awards: Showcasing the best independent designers and award winners
• Sustainability & Materials: Featured projects include No Space for Waste and a selection of cutting-edge materials curated by Materially
• Future & Ancestry: Archivi Futuri explores objects beyond the year 2050, while Shape of Belonging investigates how ancestral gestures influence modern forms
• International Collectives: Focus on global design with Rasa (Indian Collective) and a showcase dedicated to designers from the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa)

Porta Venezia Design District 2026: Città Studi Design Hub

The Porta Venezia Design District (PVDD) presents its 2026 theme, “Design is Act,” inspired by the philosopher Tomás Maldonado. The concept views design not as a mere aesthetic exercise, but as an ethical and political act of responsibility capable of intervening in reality and shaping the future.

Strategic Expansion: Città Studi Design Hub

Following a record-breaking 2024 (80,000+ visitors), the district is expanding with the launch of the Città Studi Design Hub. This new pole extends into the city’s university area, turning a hub of scientific innovation into an open laboratory for design experimentation.

Key Installations & Projects

• 6:AM – GLASSWORKS: Debuts the Città Studi Hub with OVER and OVER and OVER and OVER, a site-specific installation at the historic Piscina Romano 
• Vanity Fair – “INSIEME”: Curated by Sabato De Sarno at Piscina Cozzi, this exhibition explores human stories behind Italian craftsmanship. It features a facade installation by world-renowned artist JR (Inside Out project).

 

• IKEA – “Food for Thought”: Located at Spazio Maiocchi, this immersive space explores the intersection of design, international cuisine, and sustainable sharing rituals.
• Molteni&C – “Responsive Nature”: Elisa Ossino Studio transforms Garden Senato into a series of interconnected gardens to showcase the brand’s new outdoor collection

• Škoda Auto: Presents Ooooh, that’s EpiQ! in the Palazzo Senato courtyard, celebrating their new electric SUV through sculptural forms and interactive digital devices.
• YOOX – “Camerino”: A collaboration with digital artist Keta Bart at Galleria Romero Paprocki, using AI and digital art to reinterpret the intimate ritual of the dressing room.

 

• Electrolux: Presents The Swedish Home in Via Melzo, an environment dedicated to Swedish domestic values: simplicity, wellbeing, and nature.
• Eccentrico – “The Sensory Lab”: Designed by Sara Ricciardi, this space focuses on ceramic surfaces and sensory wellness, featuring a specialty coffee station.
• Park – “The Meanwhile Club”: Curated by Le Cannibale, this project explores the temporary reuse of urban spaces, turning Park Hub into an ephemeral music club and listening room

With “Design is Act,” Porta Venezia reinforces its role as an urban laboratory, connecting diverse disciplines – from AI and material research to music and architecture – into a creative ecosystem that engages the entire city. 

Tortona Design Week 2026

The Tortona Design Week 2026 returns to Milan from April 20 to 26, 2026, as a cornerstone of the Milan Design Week. This year’s theme, “Thinking better, look back to shape the future”, focuses on transforming memory into innovation by merging traditional craftsmanship with sustainable technology.

Key Highlights & Installations

• The Concept: A move away from nostalgia toward a conscious design act. The event prioritizes human-centric design over objects, exploring the synergy between heritage and new living standards.

• “Corpografia – Paesaggio di Donna” (Sara Ricciardi Studio): Located at Torneria Tortona (Via Tortona 25), this urban installation explores femininity through an “oceanic pink” landscape. Inspired by Elsa Schiaparelli, it transforms the human body into a shared architectural space and a place of community.

• Geberit Experience Center: Situated at Via Tortona 31, it features the event “Flow. Form. Function.” and the RŌS installation by Swiss design firm atelier oï. This dynamic work uses hundreds of steel springs to choreograph the movement of water droplets.

Tortona Rocks: Design to change everything

With eleven editions to its credit, Tortona Rocks confirms its status as a Fuorisalone epicenter—an international platform where installations, research, and creative visions redefine the design experience.

The 2026 theme, ‘Design to Change Everything’, explores design as a force capable of interpreting and transforming the present. It is an invitation to view the project as a “rebellious” experience where creativity, technology, and contemporary visions converge.

Core Philosophy

The 11th edition views design as a structural social force rather than mere formal expression. In a world marked by social tension and uncertainty, the project responds with transformative energy. It does not accept inertia; it proposes alternatives and opens new perspectives.

2026 Highlights & Key Participants

• IQOS & Devialet – “Soundsorial Design”: A collaboration with the French acoustic engineering leader to create an immersive landscape shaped by water, movement, and voices. Visitors become part of a living archive of interactions. (Opificio 31)

• Archiproducts Milano – “Fòco, living notes”: Curated by Studiopepe, this installation marks the final chapter of a tetralogy dedicated to the four elements. Fire is interpreted through a layered interior design focused on contrast, light, and harmony.

• McDonald’s – “POOL”: To celebrate 40 years in Italy, curator Nicolas Ballario presents an immersive journey through pop culture and memory, featuring works by Damien Hirst and an AI “time machine” that generates personalized visual memories.

• Swatch – “AI-DADA”: A dialogue between human creativity and AI. Using Swatch’s 40-year archive, the AI-DADA Lab allows visitors to generate a unique New Gent watch design in moments.

• Italdesign: Showcasing the “Being a Project” method across automotive, aerospace, and robotics, including the Honda NSX Tribute.

• Opificio 31 Hub: Featuring Candyslab (Italian Pop Design), Hans Boodt Mannequins (3D-scanned realistic mannequins), Zeekr Design (the “Art of Connection” and the birth of the Zeekr 7GT), and Foroo (artisan modular kitchens).

• International Talent & Lifestyle: Bud Brand presents young Japanese designers with an installation that challenges the viewer’s gaze; Maisons du Monde offers an emotional journey through home environments; and Haier explores the future of connected, intuitive living. 

The “Catalysts” locations

According to the Salone del Mobile.Milano – (Eco) Sistema Design Milano Report, some events attract large crowds and influence the flow of people between venues and districts. In 2025, the venues included Palazzo Litta (MoscaPartners Design Variations), the Alcova venues, Masterly The Dutch in Milano (Palazzo Giureconsulti), and Interni at the Milan University. 

Alcova venue in Varedo, Villa Bagatti Valsecchi

One of the four Alcova venues 2025, Villa Borsani in Varedo,

Design Variations, at Palazzo Litta, event by MoscaPartners

Masterly, The Dutch in Milano, at Palazzo Giureconsulti