Milan month by month
What Milan is like in each month: the weather, what is on, what to know about closures, long weekends and holidays, and what the greengrocer stalls have. A practical guide to when to come and what to expect.
January
January is Milan's quietest month: cold, often grey, with the city easing back into gear after the holidays. The winter sales start in the first few days and run for weeks.
February
February is usually the coldest month, with the odd day of dry sunshine. It is also the month of the Ambrosian Carnival, which in Milan ends four days later than in the rest of Italy.
March
March is the turning month: the first mild days, gardens waking up, the city gearing up for its events season. The weather stays changeable.
April
April is Milan's most intense month. In mid-April the Salone del Mobile and the Fuorisalone fill the city: high prices, full hotels, whole neighbourhoods turned into design showcases.
May
May is the month when everything in Milan works: mild weather, gardens in bloom, long evenings and no real heat yet. The city is fully up and running.
June
June brings the first real heat and the end of the school year. The outdoor season begins: open-air cinema, dinners by the water, events in the parks.
July
July is hot and humid. The summer sales start in the first few days. Towards the end of the month the city begins to empty: Milanese people take their August holidays early.
August
August is the month when you need to know what is open. Many shops, restaurants and even some markets close for one or more weeks, especially around Ferragosto (15 August).
September
September is the month of the rientro: the city fills up again, shops and restaurants reopen, life returns to full pace with the weather still mild.
October
October is full autumn: mild days, the first fog, low golden light. It is a quiet, pleasant month, with no big events pushing prices up.
November
November is grey and cold, with the fog back. It is also the month Christmas starts in Milan: around mid-month the Piazza Duomo markets and the Villaggio delle Meraviglie in the Giardini Montanelli open.
December
December is the liveliest winter month: Christmas markets everywhere, lit-up windows, shops open on Sundays too. Cold, often foggy, but full of things to do.