MiVeg Festival Vegan

MiVeg returns to East End Studios in Milan's eastern Mecenate district on 24-25 October 2026, doors at 10am on both days. Organised as a non-profit event by Vitadacani, an animal-rights association that has run the Porcikomodi sanctuary in Arluno since 1992, the festival is free to enter and explicitly built to fund sanctuary operations. All proceeds from food sales, raffles and partner donations go back to the pigs, cows, chickens and other residents rescued from industrial farming.

MiVeg organises its programming into three clearly-defined areas across the industrial-chic East End Studios space. The culinary area runs the gamut from gourmet restaurants to street food, with repeat vendors including Fermaggio (artisan vegan cheese), Umnin and The Bridge Bio. The cultural zone runs continuous programming across three sub-spaces: lectures on nutrition and ethics, practical workshops on vegan cooking, self-production (fermentation, DIY cosmetics) and animal-rescue training, plus a dedicated children's area with crafts and storytelling. The commercial zone hosts cruelty-free brands, Vegan Shoes is a regular, alongside partner sanctuaries like Ippoasi, Santuario Capra Libera Tutti and Rifugio Alma Libre, plus the Italian chapter of Sea Shepherd.

Because Vitadacani has roots in organised activism stretching back to the early 1990s, the talks programme is unusually substantive for a food-focused event. Expect sessions on the legal status of animals in Italian law, investigative journalism inside farms, the ethics of wool and silk, and the history of Italian vegan activism.

East End Studios is a converted industrial complex, brick, steel, high ceilings, that hosts fashion shoots and events year-round. It's reachable via tram 27 from central Milan (Via Mecenate stop), or a 15-minute taxi from Milano Centrale. There's parking on site. Everything is indoor, which makes late-October weather (often wet in Milan) a non-issue.

Family-friendly programming and free entry make MiVeg one of the most accessible events on the Italian vegan calendar. Volunteers are always welcome via [email protected].

Practical tips: Saturday tends to be busier than Sunday; Sunday is calmer for talks and workshops. Combine with a weekend in Milan, Fondazione Prada and the Mecenate art district are nearby.