Once again, it’s Milan Design Week, and I can’t believe it’s already that time of year again. This year’s numbers alone are dizzying, with 500,000 visitors expected across the city, 300,000 of which are industry insiders from 188 countries heading to the fairgrounds. Fuorisalone, Salone del Mobile’s city center counterpart, will comprise more than 267 official “initiatives” spread across various palazzi, courtyards, showrooms, and half-forgotten spaces.
It’s exciting, of course, but also slightly overwhelming. It can indeed seem that Milan Design Week is teetering on its tipping point, as the plethora of choices becomes a challenge in its own right. You could spend an entire day just deciding where to go next. Which is why it’s essential to plan in advance.
And while you’re planning, here’s a practical tip: bring a battery pack and charging cable –this is not optional. Nearly every activation now uses QR codes for entry, and while you can sign up on the spot, doing so repeatedly will drain your phone battery at an alarming rate. Add to that the thick walls of Milan’s historic buildings, and you’ve got an unreliable signal with your phone desperately searching for a network. Suddenly, your battery’s at 12% before lunch.
There is, thankfully, a small step toward sanity this year: the Fuorisalone Passport, a new app that gives you a single QR code valid for several Brera events. It doesn’t cover everything, but it’s a start. And during a week like this, you take every small convenience you can get.
So, on that note, I thought I’d compile a list of Fuorisalone 2026 must-sees—or at least, my must-sees, should you find yourself in need of a little guidance (or gentle curation in the face of total design overload). Think of it less as a definitive guide and more as a well-edited itinerary from someone who has already accepted that you simply can’t see it all—and frankly, you shouldn’t try.
So, here, in no particular order, are the places, installations, and moments that feel worth the detour, the queue, and the extra 10% of battery life.
Cool Buildings
Half the magic of Milan Design Week isn’t just what you see, it’s where you see it. These are the palazzi, institutions, and slightly mysterious locations that are usually closed to the public, their doors suddenly flung open for one week only.
Alcova
Alcova returns for its 11th edition. After last year’s Varedo detour, it’s back in Milan, occupying two abandoned sites: the eerie, time-stopped Baggio Military Hospital and Villa Pestarini, a rationalist gem by Franco Albini – both from the 1930s. Expect 130+ exhibitors, and that familiar Alcova mix of raw architecture, conceptual design, and “how did they even find this place?” energy. Plus, food from Davide Longoni, wine from La Stoppa, juice by Marco Colzani, kombucha from Funky Fermenteria, and gelato from Ciacco.
Interni Venosta at Palazzo Olivazzi
Palazzo Olivazzi in Milan is the equivalent of, say, NYC’s 834 Fifth Avenue or 740 Park Avenue – if you know, you know. For Fuorisalone, Britt Moran and Emiliano Salci of Milan-based Dimorestudio are showcasing their latest collection for Interni Venosta, their furniture brand, inside one of the building’s residential apartments. Book here.
6:AM Glass at Piscina Romano
After last year’s haunting takeover of Piscina Cozzi, 6:AM continues its aquatic obsession at Piscina Romano in Citta Studi, which opened in 1929. The exhibition, titled “OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER,” will take place in a towering pavilion showing sculptural and architectural glassworks.
H&M Home at Palazzo Acerbi
For its Design Week debut, H&M Home went full Milan fantasy, staging its collaboration with Kelly Wearstler inside Palazzo Acerbi. Its 17th-century opulence meets high-gloss Californian glamour—a contrast that somehow works.
L’Appartamento by Artemest at Palazzo Donizetti
Artemest returns to Palazzo Donizetti with its signature format: a fully designed apartment, each room imagined by a different international studio. It’s polished, photogenic, and always one of the week’s most complete interior experiences. This year, there’s an added courtyard component with al fresco furniture.
Polish Modernism at Torre Velasca
Step inside Torre Velasca—the 1950s skyscraper with the unmistakable mushroom top—and head up to the 16th floor for “Polish Modernism: A Struggle for Beauty. The show pairs postwar design history with one of Milan’s most iconic (and divisive) architectural silhouettes. Worth it for the view alone.
5VIE at Palazzo Litta
5VIE Design Week inside Palazzo Litta is always a layered, slightly theatrical experience. The Baroque interiors are reason enough to go, but this year, highlights include a pink labyrinth by Lebanese designer Lina Ghotmeh in the courtyard.
“When Apricots Blossom” at Palazzo Citterio
“When Apricots Blossom” is an immersive exhibition presented by the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation that delves into Uzbek craftsmanship and traditions, focusing on textiles, patterns, and objects associated with everyday rituals, most notably bread-making.
It takes place inside Palazzo Citterio in Brera, a newly revitalized cultural space that now also houses a 20th-century art gallery opened in December 2024.
Museums
Some of Milan’s most beloved institutions don’t sit the week out! Here’s what’s happening at some of them.
Triennale Milano
The Triennale Milano is a year-round staple, but during Design Week it truly hits its stride. This year’s program includes “Alphabet” by Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby, alongside “Fredericia: A Chronicle of Danish Design,” which traces over a century of Danish design through the iconic furniture brand.
ADI Design Museum
During Salone, this museum goes into overdrive. The headline is the 29th edition of the Compasso d’Oro, Italy’s most prestigious design award, but the program extends far beyond that: a solo show by Haruka Misawa, installations by Mario Botta (with nods to Le Corbusier), and Francesco Rota celebrating 80 years of Oluce.
Museo Poldi Pezzoli
Once the private home of a passionate collector, this house museum will host “Wonders of the Grand Tour,” a collaboration with the Metropolitan Museum of Art centered on the theatrical, transportive works of Baroque artist Giovanni Paolo Panini.
Transformism at Museo Bagatti Valsecchi
Another one of Milan’s house museums! Here, things take a more surreal turn. British fragrance house Clive Christian teams up with Crosby Studios and Harry Nuriev for “Transformism, an immersive installation staged as a life-size silver chessboard, its queens crowned in tiaras shaped like the brand’s iconic perfume bottle. Open April 21–26,
Galleries
Of course, museums aren’t the only exhibition spaces where it’s at
Nilufar Depot and Gallery
At the Viale Lancetti location (the depot) is the Nilufar Grand Hotel, a curatorial project by Nina Yashar that transforms the exhibition space into an imaginary hotel. The Via della Spiga gallery hosts “La Casa Magica,” an exhibition curated by Valentina Ciuffi, one of the founders of Alcova.
Rosanna Orlandi
A Design Week must. Every year, its titular owner presents RoCollectible, a showcase of the gallery’s designers. This year, expect work from 70, both emerging and established, Italian and international. Also, the exhibition Porte will highlight works that go “beyond the doorframe,” exploring the door and its functions and meanings, both literal and symbolic.
Studiopepe – The Intimacy
This atmospheric installation explores the emotional dimension of interior space. Known for their layered use of color, texture, and symbolism, the team creates a sequence of rooms that feel both personal and slightly surreal.
Loro Gallery
Codiceicona presents “The Future of Living,” bringing 20th-century ideas back to the present for this occasion, including a new re-edition, Inchino, an unpublished lamp designed by Joe Colombe in 1967. Also, Saloleo presents the kitchen of the future – a must for anyone who loves to cook!
Imperfettolab
The Navigli Gallery presents three city-wide installations this year. The exhibition Sodalizi Temporanei, or “Temporary partnerships with works by varied artists extends to Next Place Brera, curated by Medelhan, and 10 Corso Como
Spazio Adatto
Dutch artist Rick Tegelaar presents Oasis, his first solo show in Milan, bringing together a curated selection of works that have punctuated his career, along with pieces created specifically for the occasion.
Spaziovento
At Spaziovento in Brera, “Shared Matter: showcases young Swiss talents who push the boundaries of their discipline with projects developed during residencies, studies, or as self-produced works, from established names like the talented Panter&Tourron to new voices.
(April 20–24, 10:00 AM–7:00 PM)
Delvis (Un)Limited
The Romance of Fragility exhibition explores the fragility of glass and includes works by international designers such as Familiar Form, Serim Kwack, Johan Pertl, Inderjeet Sandhu, Tino Seubert, and Maria Tyakina. (22 to 26 April 2026 at Delvis (Un)Limited Gallery, Via Fatebenefratelli 9)
Luxury Fashion Houses
Yes, they also contribute to the conversation.
Loro Piana
One of my favorite brands! This year, Loro Piana presents “Studies Chapter I: On the Plaid,” an installation with plaid as the central theme that focuses on the idea of woven landscapes, using oversized plaid patterns.
Prada
For the fifth edition of Prada Frames, called In Sight, the series of talks conceived and curated by Formafantasma explores the theme of the image. They all take place in the Sacristy of Santa Maria della Grazie, the church whose convent is home to da Vinci’s The Last Supper. The sessions, from Sunday, April 19, to Tuesday, April 21 (registration required), will take place in the Sacristy of Santa Maria delle Grazie.
Armani
For Fuorisalone 2026, Armani/Casa is focusing on a refined, in-site presentation rather than a one-off installation. The main showcase takes place in its flagship on Corso Venezia, where the brand presents its latest home collection arranged as a sequence of fully styled interiors.
Alongside this, the Armani/Archivio boutique on Via Sant’Andrea will be activated.
Fendi
The main focus is its showroom on Via Manzoni (near Piazza della Scala), which is open throughout the week and set up as a sequence of fully designed interiors. Of particular note is the new Peekahill armchair, designed by Controvento for Fendi Casa, inspired by Fendi’s iconic Peekaboo handbag. In addition, Fendi will present the new Fendi Baguette 26424 Re-Edition created by Maria Grazia Chiuri at Palazzo Fendi.
Gucci
Gucci Memoria is an immersive, monumental exhibition that will retrace 105 years of the brand’s history through symbolic installations, reinterpretations of the archive, iconic pieces, and cultural moments that have defined Gucci’s identity. Open to the public by reservation on Gucci’s website. (Chiostri di San Simpliciano from April 21st to 26th)
Hermes
Hermès returns to La Pelota with a new urban-inspired installation designed by Charlotte Macaux Perelman, architect and artistic director of Hermès’ home collections, in collaboration with Alexis Fabry. Via Palermo 13, Milano
Bottega Veneta
“Lightful”, a site-specific installation created with Korean artist Kwangho Lee, will transform the Via Sant’Andrea boutique into a series of suspended light sculptures combining leather and light, reinterpreting the house’s signature intrecciato weaving technique.
Louis Vuitton
The focus of this year’s Objets Nomades is a tribute to the Art Deco designer Pierre-Émile Legrain, drawing from Louis Vuitton’s archives and reinterpreting them through contemporary design. The show includes re-editions of historic furniture alongside new pieces, creating a dialogue between past and present. (Palazzo Serbelloni, Corso Venezia 16)
Tod’s
Tod’s celebrates its iconic Gommino loafer with ICONS by ICON, an exhibition-event dedicated to the Masters of Italian Design, paying homage to Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Joe Colombo, Michele De Lucchi (with Memphis Milano), and Gaetano Pesce. From April 22nd to 26th, in the spaces of Via Savona 56.
Miu Miu
The Miu Miu Literary Club returns during Milan Design Week as an intimate, salon-style series of conversations and readings that bring together writers, artists, and thinkers from around the world.
Other Brands I love
There’s just so much to see!
Dimoregallery
Dimore studio takes over a former bank, Via San Vittorio degli Teatro ⅓ (in Piazza degli Affari) with Dimoregallery – don’t skip downstairs to see what’s in the safes.
Baccarat
The legendary crystal company returns to Milano Design Week for the first time in a decade, with its Crystal Crypt at Via Marco Forementini 10 in the Brera.
Capellini
Their 2026 showroom presentation is framed as an imaginary journey across cities such as Milan, New York, Tokyo, and beyond. .
Agape and Agapecasa
Agape is part of “Being Within the Project”, which will be displayed in its Brera showroom, presenting novelties from Agape and Agapecasa, and new pieces by designers such as Benedini Associati, David Chipperfield, Neri&Hu, and Patricia Urquiola.
Fabscarte
Fabscare specializes in hand-painted wallpaper, a dying art – they even use techniques from Leonardo da Vinci. They have a few different things happening this year: their wallpapers on display at the AA Consultant Showroom, and they’re part of Doppia Firma, a project promoted by Corriere della Sera and Fondazione Coogni with designer Sara Ricciardi. In addition, the iconic Tender Flora wallpaper will be featured in Artemest’s L’Appartamento.
Pietrachiara
The Milan-based design studio unveils Lightbox – its debut in illumination! It takes the form of a wooden box-like structure with open panels that reveal its interior, which comprises a suspended constellation of star dust lamps arranged like a micro-planetary system, illuminated from within.
Lisa Corti
This Milan-based brand is designed in Italy, but made in India, and it’s colorful, cheerful, and vibrant! The latest tableware collection will be on display in the new showroom.
Cassina
Cassina will display new collections and ongoing research, often tied to its dual identity: modernist heritage (Le Corbusier, etc.) and contemporary collaborations under the art direction of Patricia Urquiola.
B&B Italia
“B&B Italia: Before & Beyond” marks the brand’s 60th anniversary. Taking place at its Via Durini showroom, it traces the brand’s evolution, from its roots in industrial innovation to its global design influence.
Rubelli Showroom
“About Silk” is a site-specific installation created by Ai Weiwei for Rubelli, the famous silk company. A silk lampas fabric that envelops the Brera showroom space, woven together as an interplay of symbols linked to the artist’s biography and work, and a documentary film.
Taroni Silk
The legendary Como-based silk house will participate in “ The Inherent Nature of Things,” set within an apartment at Piazza Castello 21. Within the installation are Very Wood’s Egadi 01 chairs, upholstered in Taroni’s Double Duchess fabric, available in a range of colors.
RedDuo
With the RedDuo Galleria project, this furniture company is transforming its home in the Corso Genova neighborhood into an exhibition space, where they’ll showcase some of the pieces they’ve designed over the past year and a selection of brands that resonate most with it.
Margraf
The esteemed Italian marble company partners with architect Hannes Peer Architecture to present La Casa di Maramo, or the Marble house, made from Santafiora®, an Italian stone sourced from a Margraf-owned quarry in Tuscany. Via Cernaia 1
Sophie Lou Jacobson
The French-American glassware designer presents Disco Aperitivo, an aperitivo collection inspired by the 1980s.
Other
For anything that doesn’t quite fit into the above categories!
Chopsticks
“CHOPSTICKS 箸” is the first initiative developed by S—3. Curated by Yoko Choy, it brings together 11 designers from China, Japan, Korea, and beyond to create their own interpretations of chopsticks. But that’s not all, three graphic designers contribute, while a spatial and an olfactory studio shape the exhibition experience.
