Christmas playground Milan

The “Milano, Your Christmas Playground” campaign invites you to discover Milan as a sparkling Christmas playground. Cultural highlights, special Christmas markets, festive Christmas trees and atmospheric light installations throughout the city create a unique atmosphere.

 

Milan/Munich, December 10, 2024 – Milan is getting ready for Christmas with the launch of YesMilano’s new visual marketing campaign “Milano, Your Christmas Playground”, which invites you to discover the city during the festive season. During the Christmas season, Milan is hard to beat in terms of diversity: From famous masterpieces of fine art and opera, to snow-capped mountains just a stone’s throw away, to design and nightlife, haute cuisine and luxury shopping.

YM M&P nero

In the newYes Milano video clip the city becomes a Christmas carousel in which two young protagonists are catapulted through the exciting dimensions of Milanese life. The camera accompanies the playful chase through Milan, with stops at iconic locations and experiences such as the festively illuminated streets of Brera, the Teatro alla Scala, the Fondazione Prada and a pastry shop where Iginio Massari conjures up magical Christmas creations.

The adventure also picks up on Milan’s role as the venue for the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina: a trip to the snowy slopes of the Stelvio and the surprising appearance of Olympic figure skater Carolina Kostner as a testimonial – she wears a Milano Cortina sweatshirt – convey the Olympic spirit.

Christmas trees all over the city

A total of 27 Christmas trees and 14 light installations will adorn Milan’s city districts thanks to the successful collaboration of public and private sponsors, underlining the festive atmosphere in Italy’s capital of Christmas shopping. The most impressive is certainly the 27.5 meter high fir tree from Milano Cortina (from Ponte di Legno, the ski resort in Val Camonica) in Piazza Duomo, which will be accompanied by Tina and Milo, the mascots of Milano Cortina 2026.

“Milan is preparing for the 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. The magnificent tree for Piazza Duomo was erected with the support of the Fondazione Milano Cortina 2026. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the many private companies that responded enthusiastically to the invitation to participate in ‘Christmas in Milano 2024’: 27 Christmas trees were donated for the city’s public spaces – a new record for Milan. Each project in the city center is linked to an installation in a different municipality. And all at no cost to the city budget. A great joy for the people of Milan and for the tourists who come to the city over the holidays”, says Martina Riva, City Councillor for Youth, Sport and Tourism.

The opening evening at La Scala and the Prima Diffusa

The Teatro alla Scala opens its season every year with the traditional Prima on December 7, the day of St. Ambrose, the patron saint of Milan. This year, music director Riccardo Chailly has started the 2024/2025 season with a new production of “La forza del destino” – The Power of Destiny, directed by Leo Muscato.

To celebrate the opening of the Teatro alla Scala season, the City of Milan and Edison are also presenting Prima Diffusa, bringing the energy of opera to the streets, squares, theaters and even prisons of Milan from December 1 to 11, 2024, making it accessible to all.

“The Prima Diffusa is an important and eagerly awaited moment for our city: Milan is renewing its commitment to making high culture accessible to all. By bringing Giuseppe Verdi’s opera ‘La forza del destino’ to over 30 venues in the city, from theaters to shelters, from hospitals to prisons, we are reaffirming the inclusive value of culture as an instrument of social cohesion. The project, which is the result of a network of valuable collaborations, is an excellent example of how Milan manages to combine artistic excellence with human solidarity, making the magic of La Scala’s premiere a shared heritage for the whole community”, explains the City Councillor for Culture, Tommaso Sacchi.

The highlight of the initiative was the live broadcast on December 7 on 37 screens in the districts of Milan and at four locations in Lombardy (Malpensa Airport, MUMAC Museum in Binasco, Castello Visconteo in Abbiategrasso, Cineteca Milano Area Metropoli in Paderno Dugnano).

Discover the Grande Brera and Palazzo Citterio

In addition to the festivities, there is the eagerly awaited opening of Grande Brera to celebrate this Christmas. After more than 50 years of anticipation, the Pinacoteca di Brera is expanding its exhibition space to include the nearby Palazzo Citterio in Via Brera 12.

This new exhibition space will house masterpieces by Modigliani, Boccioni, Carrà and Morandi as well as the Vitali collection and Pellizza da Volpedo’s “La Fiumana”. The inauguration on December 7, the day of Sant’Ambrogio, the patron saint of Milan, marked a historic moment for the city.

Milan aglow with lights for Christmas 2024: festivals, markets and timeless traditions

1. the Christmas-lit streets of the city

The streets of Milan, from the city center to the outskirts, are festively decorated during the Christmas season. Highlights include the stunning Dior Parfums Christmas tree in the Galleria, adorned with over 1,900 golden ornaments and a signature star, and festive fairy lights illuminating the ceiling of the Octagon, with the coat of arms of the city of Milan marking the city’s “living room”.

2. “La Madonna di San Simone” by Barocci in Palazzo Marino

Palazzo Marino’s annual Christmas exhibition will take place again in 2024 and will feature Federico Barocci’s Madonna and Child with Saints Simon and Jude (Madonna di San Simone). The exhibition, which can be seen in the Sala Alessi from December 4 to January 12, 2025, is free of charge. Guided tours through the exhibition offer visitors additional insights.

3. the 18th century Neapolitan crib in the Castello Sforzesco
The magnificent traditional Neapolitan nativity scene by Giuseppe Sammartino, a Neapolitan sculptor virtuoso from the 18th century, with figures and miniatures made of string and painted wood inspired by Neapolitan society of the time, is on display at Sforza Castle.

4. markets that spread Christmas magic

The festive markets in Milan give the Christmas season a special charm. The Oh Bej! Oh Bej! market takes place from December 5 to 8 near the Sforza Castle, where 230 stalls celebrate Milanese culture and St. Ambrose. You can visit the Christmas market in Piazza Duomo from December 1 until January 6: Visitors can explore 78 wooden huts, while special highlights include the “Letters to Santa” initiative, where toys chosen by children are on display, as well as free tours of the Duomo and its terraces for school groups.

5th Christmas for children on the day of St. Lucia

On December 13, Saint Lucia’s Day, children are at the center of Milan’s Christmas festivities during the candlelight walks. Municipal crèches, kindergartens and private daycare centers take part in the light parades, in which children carry candles and lights through their neighborhoods to bring festive joy to families and communities.

-ENDE-

About Milano&Partners – YesMilano

Milano&Partners is the official marketing agency of the city of Milan. It was founded by the Municipality of Milan and the Milano Monza Brianza Lodi Chamber of Commerce to attract tourism, talent and investment to the city. Its work focuses on three main areas: Promoting leisure and MICE tourism, attracting foreign direct investment and nurturing the metropolis’ innovation ecosystem, and supporting international students and talent who come to live in Milan.The YesMilano brand promotes an inclusive and sustainable city that is able to welcome and support younger generations.

yesmilano.it
@visit_milano on Instagram
@yesmilano on TikTok
@Milano&Partners on LinkedIn

Press contact:
KLEBER GROUP – Munich office
Silke Warnke-Rehm | Hannah Schnorbusch,
Tel: +49 (0) 89 – 28 70 230 0, +49 (0) 173 6778177
silke.warnke-rehm@klebergroup.com,
hannah.schnorbusch@klebergroup.com