BAM – Biblioteca degli Alberi Milano cultural programme for 2026

BAM’s first artist-in-residence programme for 70 young dancers led by the internationally renowned Lebanese choreographer Charlie Khalil Prince; a special fifth edition of BAM Circus, featuring 20 international companies from seven countries and over 50 site-specific performances of sheer wonder, including fire installations for the first time; the celebration of the Republic’s 80th anniversary with more than 500 musicians from Lombardy’s bands gathered in the park; a unique collective performance inspired by St Francis’s Canticle of the Creatures, reinterpreted in a contemporary key; a conductorless orchestra, Spira Mirabilis, on stage at the Back to the City Concert; a city tour by the young talents of the BAM Community Talent; a training programme for teachers and students on the values of democracy.

These and many other new features make up the new 2026 cultural programme of BAM – Biblioteca degli Alberi Milano, entitled “(Dis)Connessioni”, presented by the Riccardo Catella Foundation and conceived and directed by Francesca Colombo, Cultural Director of BAM, Riccardo Catella Foundation. A rich programme of over 300 free cultural events open to all, in the heart of Portanuova, which explores the value of connections as a form of collective intelligence, confirming BAM as an open-air cultural ecosystem that promotes knowledge, inclusion and civic participation through the arts, beauty and shared experience, with a focus on the contemporary world.

Running throughout the season, the theme of connections serves as the overarching framework for every project, transforming each event into an interactive experience that strengthens the sense of community and generates shared value. In an era marked by fragmentation and polarisation, BAM presents itself as a cultural space that generates collective intelligence, where people, artists, ideas, traditions and disciplines engage in dialogue and influence one another, giving rise to new forms of relationship, learning and exchange, and promoting a shared care for the urban space. The 2026 proposal has been developed with a strategic vision focused even more strongly on two main pillars—inclusion and education—which have always been at the heart of BAM’s mission and are concretely reflected in its programming.

With a variety of established events and new initiatives, the season opens on 29 March with the Multi-Kulti BAM Spring Festival, where, as part of Refugee Week, dance becomes a meeting point for cultural exchange, and BAM’s first-ever artistic residency comes to life, bringing to the stage an intense collective creation featuring 70 young dancers. From 22 to 24 May, the park is transformed into a stage of wonder with BAM Circus, offering an experience for all ages that is sure to amaze: to mark its fifth anniversary, 20 of the world’s leading international companies will present stunning performances, in which every acrobatic feat is born of trust and connection with others. Summer gets into full swing with four sunset concerts by BOOM BAM! and the grand music festival of the BAM Summer Festival: on 21 June, over 500 musicians will gather in the park to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Republic. Great classical music returns on 10 September with the eighth edition of the Back to the City Concert, offering an open-air listening experience shared with Spira Mirabilis, a conductorless orchestra, preceded by a musical introduction designed to promote inclusion, accessibility and participation. The season continues on 4 October with the BAM Autumn Festival, which pays tribute to St Francis with an intense collective theatrical performance inspired by the Canticle of the Creatures: a collective invitation to rediscover the deep bond between humanity, nature and community, within the magic of a park that becomes the city’s theatre. The programme is rounded off by BAM Community Talent, the BAMoff events at Volvo Studio Milano, the Wellness @BAM activities dedicated to wellbeing, educational and active citizenship projects for schools, workshops and botanical walks, and much more.