On Saturday, September 26, and Sunday, September 27, Milan is gearing up for a weekend that breaks from the usual routine: the European Heritage Days( GEP) are back—Europe’s largest and most widely attended cultural event, coordinated in Italy by the Ministry of Culture.
This year’s theme, “Protecting Heritage: Renew, Resist, Reinvent, ” will feature two days of guided tours, special openings, and events taking place at museums, galleries, archaeological sites, and both state-run and private cultural venues throughout the city.
From Palazzo Sormani to the Braidense: cultural venues open in Milan during past editions
The beauty of the GEP in Milan is that cultural heritage isn’t confined to the display cases of Brera: over the years, the program has expanded to include archives, historic libraries, and courtyards usually closed to the public—from Palazzo Sormani on Corso di Porta Vittoria to the Braidense Library inside the Palazzo di Brera.
The detailed 2026 program is still being finalized—institutions have until September 18 to sign up—but among the regular participants in recent editions are the Castello Sforzesco, the Archaeological Museum on Corso Magenta, and Leonardo’s Last Supper at Santa Maria delle Grazie.
It’s worth keeping an eye out for them when the official calendar goes online.
GEP 2026 Daytime Events: Guided Tours and Special Openings Around the City
During the day on Saturday and Sunday, admission to state-run museums remains at regular hours and prices, but the best part is found in the accompanying program: in past editions, Castello Sforzesco offered themed tours of the Museum of Furniture, Sculpture, and Decorative Arts; in 2023, the Archaeological Museum hosted a temporary exhibition on the water systems of Roman Mediolanum, featuring family-friendly tours; and Parco Sempione offered guided walks among the walls and gates of medieval Milan.
Many daytime events (seethe list on the Ministry of Culture’s website) require reservations via email or online, often free of charge: booking a few days in advance—especially for venues with limited capacity—is the smart move.
Nighttime events: Milan’s museums open for 1 euro on Saturday night
The most anticipated part of the GEP, however, remains Saturday evening, when participating state-run museums extend their hours with a symbolic admission fee of €1 (except for those already exempt by law). In recent years, the Pinacoteca di Brera has consistently participated, staying open until late in the evening with last admission around 9:00 p.m., as has the Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci, which offers evening sessions with mandatory reservations until capacity is reached; in 2025, Palazzo Citterio, with its 20th-century collections, also joined the program, though it does not appear among the venues that were open in previous editions.
The 2026 program has yet to be confirmed: we recommend keeping an eye on the Ministry of Culture’s website and the social media channels of individual museums starting in mid-September, when Milan’s full calendar will finally be online.
