Are you going on holiday to Milan in Italy? Do you want your trip to coincide with one of Milan’s annual festivals? Our guide tells you when the best festivals in Milan are.
Milan Jazz Festival
Jazz music is extremely popular in Italy and the presence of jazz music in Italy dates back to the First World War. Many cities and towns in Italy have their own jazz clubs where you can catch live performances, in addition to an annual jazz festival. The Jazz Festival in Milan usually takes place at the beginning of November and can last for nearly a month. The Milan Jazz Festival usually draws big names in Italian and European jazz to the city where they are given a venue to play their various styles of jazz music. Check with the local tourist office in Milan about a month prior to the commencing of the jazz festival to get a detailed itinerary of the jazz performances that are being put on as part of the jazz festival.
St Ambrogio festival in Milan
One of the largest festivals is the St Ambrogio festival which occurs in the first week of December. This festival in Milan is named after St. Ambrose who was a bishop in the Catholic Church and a local of Milan who lived in the city during the 4th Century. The celebrations of this festival in Milan are marked primarily by a huge market that is set up in the St, Ambrogio Square in the centre of Milan and involves hundreds of market stalls. During the festival, the public of Milan browse around the stalls while enjoying some of the many different sweets and foods that are sold at the market stalls. The festival market usually opens up early in the morning and continues until late in the evening. This festival day in Milan is also significant because it usually coincides with the first day of the opera season in Milan.
Del Naviglio festival in Milan
The Del Naviglio festival in Milan occurs annually during the first ten days of June. This festival in Milan occurs around the Naviglio canals of Milan from where the festival gets its name. This festival in Milan is similar to the St. Ambrogio festival in that there are many street stalls plying their goods, which very often are some kind of food or sweet. However, the festival also provides entertainment such as street performers and artists displaying their work to the public. The Festival also has live music and culminates in a parade.
