Christmas in Milan and Lake Como 2026: Oh Bej! Oh Bej! and More

Milan's Christmas season peaks on 7 December, the feast of Sant'Ambrogio, the city's patron saint, followed by the national Immaculate Conception holiday on 8 December. In 2026 these fall on a Monday and Tuesday, so Saturday 5 to Tuesday 8 December becomes a long weekend with the Oh Bej! Oh Bej! fair, La Scala's opening night and the Duomo tree in the same few days.

Central hotels fill early, restaurants book out on the evening of the 7th, and many Milanese leave for the lakes or the mountains on the 8th.

Milan's oldest Christmas fair, named after the delighted cry of children at the stalls, once stood beside the Basilica di Sant'Ambrogio. Since 2006 it has filled the area around the Castello Sforzesco: Piazza Castello, Via Gadio and Piazza del Cannone towards Parco Sempione.

Published listings for 2026 have the fair ending on Tuesday 8 December, most from the 5th and a few from the 4th. The city confirms final dates and hours close to the event, so check the Comune di Milano before fixing your days. Expect antiques, old books, copperware, toys, roasted chestnuts, vin brulé and firunatt, strings of dried chestnuts. Entry is free; the nearest metro stops are Cairoli and Lanza. Mornings are best, as weekend afternoons get very crowded.

La Scala opens its 2026/2027 season on Monday 7 December at 18:00 with a new production of Verdi's Otello, conducted by Myung-Whun Chung in his first season as music director and staged by Damiano Michieletto. The opening night is sold out; further performances run into early January 2027.

The Prima is traditionally broadcast live on Rai 1. Expect barriers and closed streets around the theatre on the afternoon and evening of the 7th.

The big tree in Piazza del Duomo is traditionally lit in the first days of December, around Sant'Ambrogio; the 2026 lighting time has not been announced yet. Wooden huts near the cathedral are listed from 1 December to 6 January, and the decorated Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II links the Duomo with La Scala. The square is pedestrianised and packed in the early evening, so weekday mornings are calmer.

Yes, if you like a slower pace. Como's Città dei Balocchi usually runs from late November to 6 January, with a market in the old town and light projections on facades such as the cathedral and the Broletto. The 2026 programme has not been published yet, so check the organisers' listings. Many lakeside hotels close in winter; those that stay open are mostly in Como town.

Stresa, Arona and Verbania on Lake Maggiore usually put up lights and hold small weekend markets. Skiing in the Alps north of the lakes is possible, but plan it as a separate leg.

Malpensa Airport (MXP) is 49 km from Milano Centrale, about 51–64 minutes by car, and 47 km from Como, about 43–54 minutes. Central Milan has the Area C congestion zone and pedestrian streets around the Duomo, so cars stop at the nearest accessible point rather than at every hotel door. HotelTaxi can arrange a private transfer with a local provider, booked online or on WhatsApp at a price agreed in advance, which helps on a late arrival or with family luggage. December fog can slow traffic, so leave margin before the opera or a return flight.