Exhibitions
50 years of research and innovation at the Veneto-based company that is a leader in its sector. Its incessant experiments combine craftsmanship and contemporary styles. The objective: to intrigue with imagination and color
The leading international furnishing and design industry event will be back at Fiera Milano Rho from 21st to 26th April next year
Salone del Mobile 2026: dates, numbers, exhibitors, layouts
On Thursday 29 January, at Triennale Milano, the 64th edition of Salone del Mobile.Milano was officially presented, scheduled to take place from 21 to 26 April 2026 at Fiera Milano Rho. I numeri: more than 1,900 exhibitors (36.6% from abroad), 227 brands including first-timers and returnees, over 169,000 square metres of net exhibition space completely sold out. At the centre of it all is the eagerly awaited return of the biennial exhibitions: EuroCucina with FTK – Technology For the Kitchen, featuring 106 brands from 17 countries, and the International Bathroom Exhibition, which will bring together 163 brands from 14 countries. Completing the picture is SaloneSatellite with 700 designers under 35 and 23 international schools and universities. These figures confirm that the Salone is not only the most important international furniture and design fair, but also an active and evolving cultural infrastructure: a relational and strategic driver that fuels global connections, disseminates shared visions and consolidates Milan's role as the capital of contemporary design.
The common thread running through the 2026 edition will be an increasingly integrated architecture of content and exhibition itineraries. The Salone is also embarking on a new venture, which will lead to the debut of Salone Contract in 2027 — the Masterplan has been entrusted to Rem Koolhaas and David Gianotten (OMA) — which will explore the major themes of this changing ecosystem — from the interpretation of contexts to the visitor experience, integrated supplies and the strengthening of B2B networking. Debuting also Salone Raritas. Curated icons, unique objects, and outsider pieces (Pavilions 9-11): 25 exhibitors will create a new platform, a bridge between special production and the design market, curated by Annalisa Rosso, Editorial Director and Cultural Events Advisor of the Salone del Mobile.Milano, with exhibition design by Formafantasma. A Luxury Way (Pavilions 13-15) will feature Aurea, an Architectural Fiction, an immersive installation designed by Maison Numéro 20: an imaginary hotel that transforms interior design into narration and scenography, leveraging the emotional and sensory dimensions of living. Bringing this narrative together and amplifying it, the communication campaign A Matter of Salone is a collective project that puts matter back at the centre as the origin and meaning of design, translating the transition from gesture to form and meaning into images, and a reworked visitor experience: a clearer and more intuitive wayfinding system will help visitors find their way around the fair more easily, fostering discoveries and encounters and making the complexity of the event easier to understand.
In this complex context, sustainability will emerge as a central, concrete and measurable focus: the Salone will highlight the transition towards increasingly circular and systemic design, in which materials, processes and supply chains become part of the project.
From gesture to form: A Matter of Salone is the latest Salone del Mobile.Milano narration
Following the 2025 human-centric campaign Thought for Humans devised by the sensitive, documentarist American photographer Bill Durgin, the Salone del Mobile.Milano is continuing its process of reflection on the meaning of design with A Matter of Salone, the communication campaign for the 2026 edition. While design was explored last year as a language in the service of people, the starting point for this year is even more original: matter. Matter that can be touched, read and interpreted. Matter that preserves memory while also concealing as-yet undiscovered potential.
The campaign is taking shape around an essential question: what meaning can design take on today? The answer, both visual and conceptual, has its roots in matter, understood not only as a physical substance, but as an origin, a memory, a possibility to be activated. It is no longer just a question of form or function: it is a process by which what is tangible is transformed into value. Matter, in fact, is matter, but also what matters, what generates meaning.
This ambivalence is what forms the basis for A Matter of Salone, a collective project by Motel409 involving six contemporary creative figures: the photographers Charles Negre, Eduard Sánchez Ribot and Alecio Ferrari, and the set designers Studio Végété, Laura Doardo and Stilema Studio. The project has generated a stratified system of images, built by several different hands, in which each intervention amplifies the common vision. The approach was deliberately multidisciplinary, in a bid to convey the complexity of the initial idea through a language made up of matter, light, gesture and transformation. The result is imagery that channels both concreteness and abstraction, a visual composition capable of evoking as well as explaining, deeply connected to the culture of design.
The Biennials. EuroCucina with FTK – Technology For the Kitchen
Following its success in 2024, great anticipation is building for the return of EuroCucina with FTK – Technology For the Kitchen, featuring 106 exhibitors from 17 countries (38.60% from abroad), including 35 brands appearing for the first time or returning. The Biennale promises to be the international reference platform for kitchen design, thanks to high-quality exhibition content that offers a clear view of the sector's progress, driven by technology, sustainability and innovation, intelligent systems, AI integration, biophilic design and greater control for users, who will be able to create tailor-made atmospheres and environments.
Integrated, multisensory vision is what is driving the kitchen evolution: open-plan kitchens that merge with living rooms, interactive surfaces, invisible induction hobs, integrated hoods and kitchen larders that disappear at a touch. Materials are becoming tactile and environmentally friendly: FSC-certified wood, antibacterial ceramics, regenerated laminates and recycled laminated glass. Colour is making its way back to the forefront, but in soft hues. Minimalism is evolving: no longer cold and rational, but emotional and natural, approaching the concept of well-being. Integrated home automation systems allow their users to control lighting, temperature, sound diffusion and even olfactory scenarios, creating truly tailor-made microcosms. Kitchens are becoming user-led, adapting, anticipating and taking heed. But they remain true to their soul: UNESCO recently inscribed Italian cuisine on its list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, confirming the deep-seated value of the kitchen as a place of memory, creativity and conviviality. Italian companies are responding to this recognition with research and conscious design: kitchens that express identity but also speak the global language of innovation.
Equally, the large appliance world is also undergoing a transformation. At FTK – Technology For the Kitchen, leading companies will be focusing on increasingly quiet, integrated and autonomous devices. Emerging trends include refrigerators that can recognise food, suggest recipes and organise shopping in the Cloud; smart ovens that adjust cooking according to type of food and user preferences; dishwashers that self-dose, self-clean and communicate when they need attention. Energy efficiency, now a mandatory standard, is combined with sophisticated and customisable aesthetics. Appliances become part of the décor, while voice interaction and touchless interfaces complete a user experience that is increasingly smooth, elegant and tailor-made.
The Biennials. The International Bathroom Exhibition
The International Bathroom Exhibition will once again take centre stage as the sector’s largest international showcase, combining design and technology, with 163 exhibitors from 14 countries (28.22% from abroad). The evolution of this space is being driven by an increasingly "home spa" vision: fluid environments, spectacular walk-in showers, equipped niches, storage mirrors and layered lighting that sculpts the atmosphere. Minimalism becomes warmer and tactile: matt finishes, brushed metals, mineral and earthy colours, continuous large-slab surfaces, advanced ceramics and composites that cut down on joints and maintenance. The keyword is wellbeing, but with a very concrete undertone: water efficiency, hygiene and durability. There is also a theme that is rewriting design priorities: longevity. More than any other room, the bathroom has to withstand the passage of time and changing habits without losing its aesthetics or comfort. This is why “easy” yet elegant solutions are on the rise: flush-to-floor access, non-slip surfaces with a textured appearance, integrated seats and discreet supports that look like design details, ergonomic handles, and heights and dimensions redesigned for easier use. Even the lighting becomes functional, with diffused, glare-free lights and targeted points for safety and precision. Equally, the architecture of the furnishings becomes modular and repairable, with replaceable components, resistant finishes and scheduled replacement parts, because sustainability also depends on the long life of the product. On the tech front, the bathroom connects silently: digital showers with customised profiles, smart sanitaryware and bidets that raise hygiene standards, taps with sensors and consumption monitoring, and smart valves that prevent leaks and damage. The medium- to long-term outlook is for “services”: predictive maintenance, remote assistance, software upgrades, integration with home automation and AI to create tailor-made ambiances (light, steam, sound, microclimate).
SaloneSatellite. Maestria artigiana + Innovazione. Skilled Craftsmanship + Innovation
Now in its 27th edition, SaloneSatellite is choosing to put the spotlight back on craftsmanship as a driver of design: from manual gesture to innovation, spanning experimentation, new techniques and responsible design.
In 2026, SaloneSatellite will again be a buzzing nucleus of vision and anticipation, a forge of ideas and a strategic hub for seeing where global design is heading. As part of the Salone del Mobile.Milano platform, the most eagerly awaited event for scoping new talent under 35, the 27th edition of SaloneSatellite will be back in Pavilions 5 and 7 at Rho Fiera Milano, curated by Marva Griffin Wilshire, founder of the event in 1998, and godmother and mentor of generations of young designers since then.
The proposals of over 700 young designers under 35, along with more than 23 international Design Schools and Universities, evidence a different, hybrid craftsmanship, capable of dialoguing with technology and slotting into high-end production contexts, without losing its expressive power. The sort of craftsmanship that does not fear industry, but supports it as an ally, bringing uniqueness and authenticity to standardised processes, giving life to objects that carry with them the memory of the hands that fashioned them and a breath of the future.
The selected projects map out a new geography of values, combining circular economy, creative autonomy, cultural identity and the affectivity of objects. The "handmade" becomes a conscious practice that reintroduces natural materials, local techniques, regenerated waste, slow productions, i.e. care, dedication, emotion, intangible qualities, increasingly necessary today to reweave the bonds between object and person.
Salone Contract
Salone Contract was conceived as a long-term strategic project: a new Salone del Mobile.Milano initiative designed to interpret and understand the complexity of contract furnishing, a rapidly changing market on which value is shifting from individual products to the ability to integrate systems, skills, data and services. The Masterplan was entrusted to Rem Koolhaas and David Gianotten (OMA). The Salone chose OMA, an international architecture and urbanism firm, because it combines design practice with a strong research dimension, and an approach that spans scales and disciplines. It is precisely this visionary and methodological approach that is driving the construction of Salone Contract. 2026 represents a key phase in the run-up to the 2027 event: in April, OMA's initial Contract observations will be presented at a lecture by Rem Koolhaas and a day of international forums organised by the Salone in collaboration with OMA. In the pavilions, a thematic journey among the exhibitors will offer a cross-cutting view of the contract offering and its evolutionary trajectories, while a structured incoming programme will involve a selection of international professionals and global top players. Starting in September 2026, the project will continue with an international road tour of key markets, gradually building an informed and profiled international audience. In 2027, Salone Contract will present as a structured, non-generalist exhibition, with companies selected for their design quality, industrial capacity and operational reliability, complemented by the first edition of Salone Contract Forum: three days of content and a programme of B2B meetings with international professionals. Federico Pompignoli (PMP Architecture) is also expected to collaborate on the 2027 edition as a local partner, in dialogue with OMA.
Salone Raritas. Curated icons, unique objects, and outsider pieces
Salone Raritas (Pavilions 9-11) will make its debut at the Salone del Mobile.Milano 2026, an atlas of collectible design bringing together curated icons, unique and “outsider” pieces, limited editions, antiques and high-end creative manufacturing. The show will feature 25 exhibitors: an international constellation lit up by names such as Nilufar, COLLECTIONAL, Salviati x Draga & Aurel, Mouromtsev Design Editions, Mercado Moderno, Bianco67 and Brun Fine Art - different chapters of a single story. Curated by Annalisa Rosso and with exhibition design by Formafantasma, the space will be transformed into a sober and calibrated architectural lantern, designed to allow the objects to speak for themselves and make their value clear to architects, interior designers and hospitality professionals. The aim of Salone Raritas is to create an authoritative point of reference for the professional design market: connecting galleries and designers with international decision makers, providing a clear, selective and high-quality platform where collectible works and furnishings can be discovered and acquired. Here, rarity becomes a method: a direct bridge between special creative production and evolved demand. Rounding things off, Sabine Marcelis will devise a special project that condenses light, matter and perception into a precise gesture, to be seen and remembered. Salone Raritas will not be a luxury category: it will be a cultural project that will focus on identity, origins and visions, and will make the object an act of language in the present.
The Cultural Programme
2026 will mark the fourth edition of the public programme Drafting Futures. Conversations about Next Perspectives. After welcoming some of the most influential figures in contemporary design thinking, the series of meetings designed by Formafantasma will progress the programme’s role as a platform for discussion on the most pressing issues related to innovation, sustainability and new market perspectives. In line with the renewed drive towards internationalisation that began with Red in progress. Salone del Mobile.Milano meets Riyadh – the project that brought the Drafting Futures debate to the capital of Saudi Arabia in November 2025 – and the talks in Shanghai held in collaboration with the West Bund Art & Design Fair, those held in Hong Kong as part of Art Basel, and in New Delhi as part of the India Art Fair, the 2026 edition will strengthen its position as a space for generating virtuous connections.
The Salone in the city
Once again this year, Salone will embrace Milan within the context of Milan Design Week, renewing its partnership with the Teatro alla Scala Foundation for the sixth consecutive year. The official opening night of the Salone will take place at the Teatro alla Scala, with a concert by the Teatro alla Scala Orchestra conducted by Michele Mariotti and featuring Giuseppe Albanese on piano. For the third year running, the Design Kiosk, a Salone landmark will be back in Piazza della Scala, accompanied by the three-dimensional Salone del Mobile.Milano sign. Furthermore, there will be a special project in partnership with K-Way: a newsstand in Piazza del Duomo curated by the Salone, which, in addition to the usual distribution of magazines, will be the ideal starting point for embarking on an urban itinerary devised by Bianca Felicori, founder of Forgotten Architecture, for the Salone. Five stops, chosen to provide a reinterpretation of significant buildings in Milan through light textile installations and to spark dialogue around architecture, design and urban mobility. The newsstand will also host a limited edition capsule collection — developed with K-Way and linked to the Salone del Mobile's 2026 campaign — together with a booklet documenting the project, both also available at the brand's Milan flagship stores. Finally, this year, to an even greater extent than last year, the Salone will also flow into the Salone in the city: over 200 showrooms of brands exhibiting at the annual events, EuroCucina and the International Bathroom Exhibition will become part of the great design festival, throwing open their doors to design lovers.
Partner
For the 2026 edition, Salone is being partnered by Intesa Sanpaolo, institutional partner since 2017, which supports the Italian furniture and design sector by promoting the sustainable growth of companies within the supply chain; Panerai, the Salone’s Official Time Keeper, K-WAY, Ca' del Bosco, S.Bernardo, illycaffè, and Radio Deejay, Radio Capital e m2o.
