A great opportunity to saunter around the city admiring the monuments, from the Arco della Pace to Cattelan’s L.O.V.E. sculpture in Piazza Affari and the evocative Bagni Misteriosi fountain by De Chirico in the Triennale Milano gardens which, together with Parco Sempione, from the end of May to September, will host the Triennale Estate events and DJ sets. It will also be the epicentre of the concerts, performances, audiovisual installations and sound walks of Terraforma EXO cultural manifestation on June 28th and 29th.

The 24th International Exhibition opens on May 13th: every three years, since 1923, Triennale Milano invites designers, architects and artists from around the globe to engage with a key contemporary theme. This year, the focus is on Inequalities, the growing disparities that characterize cities and the contemporary world. Exhibitions and installations address the theme from different perspectives, such as AI, the use and representation of data, mobility, climate change and many more.

During the inauguration of the International Exhibition, from May 12th to 14th, the Triennale will also host Art for Tomorrow, the event that convenes the most important figures in the art world for three days of discussions, panels, and guided itineraries focused on understanding the impact of art on society, with the participation of Jeff Koons, Shirin Neshat, Norman Foster, Michele De Lucchi, Hans Ulrich Obrist and many other esteemed voices.

How to get there: By metro, take the M1 (red) or M2 (green) lines and get off at the Cadorna-Triennale stop. Tram number 1 and 10 or bus number 85.

It’s also a great time to seek out Milano’s secret gardens - for example, the Villa Necchi Campiglio in bloom around the pool is always beautiful in spring - and all the architecture that changes in each city neighbourhood. The Art Nouveau in Porta Venezia, with Casa Galimberti’s splendidly decorated façade, the Casa Guazzoni balconies and, of course, Casa Campanini’s iconic doorway.

Not forgetting the Villa Mozart’s historic ‘vertical forest’, with its ivy-covered facade, and the contemporary Bosco Verticale in the heart of the Isola district. You might plan a relaxed picnic on the grass and then stay a while for the BAM Circus shows, the contemporary street theatre festival and circus which entertains, from May 16th to 18th, at the Biblioteca degli Alberi: dancers suspended in the sky, stilt walkers and clowns, circus schools, colourful parades performed to the rhythm of music, to totally amaze us all.

How to get there: By metro, take the M2 (green) line to Garibaldi and Gioia or the M5 (lilac) line to Isola.

Gardens and parks, courtyards, historic buildings and private residences are all places that “illuminate” May in Milano thanks to special events such as Piano City Milano, the citywide piano festival. From dawn to dusk, during the weekend from May 23rd to 25th, music will be played everywhere, and Milano becomes the stage for a plethora of artists who present their talent to the city again this year, performing in free classical, jazz, pop and electronic music concerts.

As is customary, the GAM - Galleria d’Arte Moderna gardens will act as the main stage of the event; illuminated for the occasion, they will be the setting for extra special Milanese evenings.

Most of the concerts offer free entry, others can be booked on the official website.

Music will also be on the agenda in Piazza Duomo where the mega Radio Italia Live free concert is lined up for May 30th. The stage will host 12 protagonists of Italian music: Achille Lauro, Alfa, Brunori Sas, Lucio Corsi, Elodie, Fabri Fibra, Fedez, Giorgia, Irama, Marco Masini, Olly and I Pinguini Tattici Nucleari, accompanied by the Radio Italia Live Orchestra conducted by Maestro Bruno Santori.

Registration is mandatory on the ticketone.it website (maximum 2 accreditations) starting from 12:00 on Monday May 5th, 2025.

Once again Italian music, specifically indie, is the protagonist of the Mi Ami Festival, at the Circolo Magnolia. Bladee stars in the inaugural concert on Thursday May 22nd and the festival will continue on other evenings at the Idroscalo with newly established names such as Diodato, Ginevra, Joan Thiele, Il Teatro degli Orrori and many others.

How to get to Duomo: By Metro, take the M1 (red) line or M3 (yellow) line to the Duomo. By tram, take numbers 1, 2, 3, 12, 14, 15, 16, 19.
How to get to Mi Ami Festival: routes and schedules on the miamifestival.it website

Still on the subject of urban explorations, MIND - the city zone dedicated to biomedical and genetic research, international accelerators and startup incubators - also narrates its story to the public for the month of May.

MIND Innovation Week returns from May 5th to 10th, in this district where, on a daily basis, the future is imagined and put to the test, featuring an extensive schedule of events, workshops, talks and networking opportunities based on pertinent contemporary issues with guests from the Italian and international scientific and technological world.

Following the theme of Shapes of Innovation - The energy of ideas, many different topics will be discussed, from medicine to biotechnology, sport, clinical research, green mobility, energy and environmental sustainability to artificial intelligence.

How to get there: subway line M1 Rho Fiera. For further info mindvillage.it/mind-innovation-week