Are you looking for a New Year’s Eve party in Milan? Take a look at our guide for some ideas to make your 31 December in Milano memorable. Whether you aim to spend it having dinner at some of the luxury restaurants the city boasts or you are planning your trip to take part to one of the exclusive parties or simply dance at one of the many clubs, the most entertaining city in Italy has plenty to offer!
If you are looking for information on the Chinese New Year in Milan, read this article.
Cultural insights
Although New Year’s Eve is a feast day celebrated all around the world, the Italian ‘Capodanno’ is linked to strong traditions lasting from the very past centuries which mainly involve food.
Special San Silvestro dinner
The famous San Silvestro dinner (cenone di San Silvestro, in Italian) is a must for everyone, from youngsters to elderly people, as well as some of the delicacies in the menu such as lentils, commonly considered propitious and cotechino, a typical cold cut with a buttery texture which is said to bring wealth for the future. If you are on your very first 31 December in Italy, please keep in mind that dinners like this might last for many hours, generally until Midnight to allow you to make a good luck toast with a glass of one of the best spumante wine. For this very reason service in restaurants only seldom starts before 8 or 9pm. Call the restaurant and ask information to the staff.
Midnight in Milan’s squares
After dinnertime, it’s up to you to choose for a relaxing night or an action-packed end of the year! Spending your Midnight with your friends at one of Milan’s historic squares, among which Piazza Duomo or Piazza Castello could be one of the most appealing choices. There your night will be enlightened by colourful fireworks by Milan’s Municipality and by a lot of Italian live concerts, rigorously to be admired with a good glass of bubbles in your hand. Forget about going to bed early, the best New Year’s Eves in the city are made to last all night long until the break of dawn. Please note that restaurants and clubs in the Duomo area are usually closed for safety reasons. This has always happened because, at times, also privates carry out their own fireworks performances.
- Concert in Piazza Duomo, usually featuring live performances by Italian artists from dinner time (Italian dinner time: 8-9pm, click here to learn more on the Italian eating out culture) until midnight celebrations. Piazza Duomo, M1 (red line) – M3 (yellow line) Duomo.
The night is for dancing
If you are a music addict, you might like to take part in one of the exclusive parties the most renowned hotels hold or if dancing is your stronghold, one of the many clubs, even the LGBT friendly ones, located just a stone’s throw from the city centre may be what you’ve been looking for. Indeed, Milan is the Italian nightlife capital and sometimes it can offer the opportunity to celebrate New Year’s Eve at its discos from A to Z, from dinner to the unrestrained dances until the morning lights. Just one tip: make sure you book quite in advance, as places are limited!
31 December at the Theatre
What about spending the last day of the year, or maybe its last hours, at one of the Milanese theatres and auditoriums? Among ballets, musicals or great concerts you will surely be spoilt for choice.
If you want to find special nights at the theatre in Milan for New Year’s Eve 2020 click here. We update the content on a weekly basis.
Stay in Milan, for a long-lasting experience
And if you have the chance to spend some more days under the shade of the Madonnina, sleeping at one of the elegant hotels the city boasts is the best choice to make sure your stay is up to your standards. And don’t forget Milan is the capital of fashion! If you can stop for further than 5 January to welcome the incoming year, you will have full access to sales, allowing you bring back home with you the best you had spotted while window shopping at a discounted price, check our guide to get the best deals. Or maybe just take a short trip to some of the best out of town destinations to fulfil your curiosity… New Year’s Eve in Italy has never been so fun!
- Shopping tradition usually starts at Christmas time and continues in January, until the beginning of the sales season.
- Another idea for spending your time while here could be visiting local Christmas markets
Out of Town Fun
It’s not all about Milan! Every big city in Italy usually organises interesting New Year’s Eve events in its squares, featuring fireworks, live music and great performances. If you are in search of a 31 December party in one of those cities, visit its Tourist Office websites to find curious suggestions.
For example:
- You don’t have to go too far away! As an example, last year at the Villa Reale in Monza, they offered a full night of entertainment starting from dinnertime with and exclusive Cenone until the crack of dawn with a full night of dances.
- events and concerts are also organised in the famous Arena in VeronaÂ
- Cities near Milan organizing cool Christmas markets that are open until 6 January
[Main Photo Credits: Andrew Choy under CC 3.0 License]
