What to do in Milan February 2026: 8 must-see events

February is one of the months when Milan fully embraces the winter season with a packed calendar of exhibitions, concerts, performances, and events that engage with design, music, and the visual arts. The city confirms itself as a constantly evolving creative hub, capable of appealing to a wide range of tastes.

It’s the perfect time to experience Milan through museums, theatres, and contemporary spaces, enjoying a slightly slower pace compared to the major spring events. 

If you’re wondering what to do in Milan February 2026, you’ll find a solid and well-structured cultural offering, featuring international names, carefully curated productions, and initiatives that reflect a city always looking toward the future.

In February, every event in Milan seems to fit into a broader vision, where art, music, and live performance become tools for interpreting the present and imagining new perspectives.

The February 2026 calendar reflects this vocation, alternating major highlights with more experimental proposals designed to engage different audiences. From iconic venues to spaces that capture contemporary trends, Milan offers experiences for those who love to observe and be inspired.

Let’s take a closer look at a curated selection of must-see events.

In Milan, Carnival follows its own unique rhythm and is celebrated later than in the rest of Italy, four days after the traditional Shrove Tuesday. In the areas where the Ambrosian rite is observed (covering most of the Milan archdiocese and some surrounding districts) the final day of celebrations falls on Shrove Saturday, giving the city a Carnival all its own.

The origins of this tradition are wrapped in history and legend. The most well-known story links the Ambrosian Carnival to Saint Ambrose, bishop and patron saint of Milan. According to tradition, Ambrose was away on a pilgrimage and announced his return for the beginning of Lent. His arrival was delayed, and the population continued celebrating until he finally returned, four days later than expected. From this episode came the custom of extending Carnival beyond the usual dates.

During this period, the city comes alive with widespread events, performances, and activities designed to engage families, children, and curious visitors alike. One of the most anticipated highlights is the Milano Clown Festival, which turns the Isola district into a large open-air urban theatre filled with performances, comedy, and street art.

Classic traditions also play a central role, with masks, festive atmospheres, and traditional sweets accompanying the Carnival days, making the Ambrosian Carnival one of the most distinctive experiences to enjoy in Milan in February.

When: February 21, 2026
Where: City centre and Isola district

On February 12, 2026, Milan lights up with Latin sounds as Danny Ocean takes the stage at Fabrique for a night filled with rhythm and energy.

The Venezuelan singer-songwriter and producer presents Babylon Club, his latest album marking a new phase in his artistic journey, alongside the tracks that brought him international success. Hits such as Me Rehúso and Fuera del Mercado resonate once again next to newer songs, creating a musical narrative that moves through the different facets of his sound.

Blending reggaeton, dancehall, and moombahton, the concert promises infectious rhythms and nonstop energy, amplified by Danny Ocean’s ability to build a direct and vibrant connection with the audience. Tracks like Medio Friends, Cero Condiciones, and Ley Universal find their place in a set designed to make people dance and fully immerse themselves in the experience.

When: February 12, 2026, at 9:00 pm
Where: Fabrique, Via Fantoli 9

From February 6 to 22, 2026, Italy becomes the centre of the global sports scene with the Milano–Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games. For the first time, Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, together with several Alpine locations, welcome athletes from all over the world, competing in settings that alternate between striking urban landscapes and breathtaking mountain environments.

The 2026 edition is a unique opportunity to showcase Italy through its territory, organisational excellence, and long-standing tradition of hospitality. Milan represents the metropolitan face of the Games, while the Alps provide a spectacular natural backdrop for competitions that highlight technique, endurance, and visual impact.

The Olympic programme includes 16 winter sports, ranging from alpine skiing to skating, from snowboarding to ice hockey. Each event contributes to a collective narrative in which sport and landscape remain in constant dialogue.

One of the most symbolic and eagerly awaited moments is the opening ceremony, scheduled for February 6, 2026, at the historic Stadio Giuseppe Meazza. This event marks the official start of the Games and promises a celebration that brings together Italian culture and traditions with the Olympic spirit of peace, unity, and shared values.

When: February 6–22, 2026
Where: Various locations across the city, including Stadio Giuseppe Meazza

In February 2026, Milan hosts an exhibition of major international importance dedicated to Walter Rosenblum, a key figure in 20th-century photography. The World and Tenderness arrives at the Centro Culturale di Milano, bringing a vision capable of portraying reality with depth, empathy, and respect.

The exhibition features more than 110 vintage photographs from New York, accompanied by rare archival materials that help contextualise the photographer’s work. The images span over fifty years of his career, from 1938 to 1990, offering a coherent and deeply human visual narrative in which photography becomes a tool of connection before observation.

Many of the works are being shown in Italy for the first time, giving visitors the opportunity to engage with a photographic language focused on people, communities, and the invisible bonds that shape everyday life.

When: Until February 19, 2026
Where: Centro Culturale di Milano, Largo Corsia dei Servi 4

On February 22, 2026, Milan welcomes one of the most refined voices in contemporary R&B. Santeria Toscana 31 hosts Rochelle Jordan, the British-Canadian artist of Jamaican descent, in a live show designed for those who love hybrid sounds and intimate atmospheres.

Taking shape on stage is Through the Wall, the album released in 2025, alongside the tracks that have defined her artistic journey. Songs such as Pressure and Play with the Changes return to dialogue with the newer material, creating a set that feels fluid, elegant, and never overstated.

Rochelle Jordan is a true sonic storyteller. Her light, almost hypnotic voice moves effortlessly between UK garage, American R&B, and digital influences, shaping emotional soundscapes that invite deep listening.

When: February 22, 2026
Where: Santeria Toscana 31, Viale Toscana 31

After a ten-year absence, Milan welcomes back one of the most fascinating and instantly recognisable artists of the 20th century with the exhibition M.C. Escher. Between Art and Science. A long-awaited return that offers a fresh perspective on the work of Maurits Cornelis Escher, an artist who developed a unique visual language poised between mathematical rigour and pure imagination.

Famous for his impossible architectures, optical illusions, tessellations, and metamorphoses, Escher created a universe in which art and mathematics engage in a boundless dialogue. The exhibition leads visitors into this complex and captivating world, revealing how logic and creativity can merge into images that still surprise and challenge the viewer today.

The exhibition is the result of a collaboration with the Kunstmuseum Den Haag and is made possible thanks to the M.C. Escher Foundation. This partnership allows major works from the Dutch museum’s permanent collection to be brought together in a single display—the largest public museum collection dedicated to Escher worldwide.

As part of the Milano Cortina 2026 Cultural Olympiad, the exhibition fits into a broader context that brings together art, science, and contemporary thought.

When: Until February 8, 2026
Where: Mudec – Museo delle Culture, Via Tortona 56

Milan returns to the centre of the international fashion scene with Milan Women’s Fashion Week, dedicated to the Fall/Winter 2026/27 collections.

The fashion shows extend far beyond the runway, engaging with the urban fabric through a dense programme of events, installations, and private presentations. Historic palaces, repurposed industrial spaces, and contemporary venues become settings for unveiling new collections, creating a mosaic of languages that reflects Milan’s dynamic identity.

Fashion Week is also a strategic moment for the industry, designed to create exclusive opportunities for clients, buyers, and the international press, turning the city into a global crossroads of style, vision, and creativity.

When: February 24 – March 2, 2026
Where: Various locations across Milan

In February, Milan is dressed in red and gold to celebrate Chinese New Year, one of the most spectacular and widely attended festivities of the season. On February 10, the city symbolically enters the Year of the Dragon, preparing to experience one of the most engaging moments of the winter.

The heart of the celebrations is the grand Chinese Dragon parade, scheduled for Sunday, February 11. The gathering starts at 2:00 pm in Piazza Sempione, where a vibrant procession sets off, filled with music, traditional dances, and acrobatics that capture attention from the very first moment.

Hundreds of performers and participants move through the streets of Milan’s Chinatown, accompanying the large papier-mâché dragon as it weaves its way among drums and collective choreographies. An event that blends spectacle and tradition, transforming an entire neighbourhood into an open-air celebration.

When: February 11, 2026
Where: Piazza Sempione and surrounding streets