MiX Festival – Milano LGBTQ+ Film & Queer Culture Festival
About This Event
MiX is Milan's international festival of LGBTQ+ cinema and queer culture. It started in 1986, which makes it one of the oldest in Italy, and 2026 was its 40th edition. Lara Vespari and Federico Manzionna direct it.
There are three juried competitions, for features, documentaries and shorts. FilmFreeway lists €1,500 prizes for the best feature and best documentary. Around the competitions there are guest screenings, talks, exhibitions and a short-film marathon called Mini MiX. In 2026 the opening film was the Australian queer horror film Leviticus, shown for the first time in Italy. Lukas Dhont came to present Coward and gave a masterclass. The closing night gave the More Love award to the singer Levante and then screened Desert Hearts.
The main venue is the Piccolo Teatro Strehler, near Lanza metro on the M2 line. Smaller events take place at the Casa di Quartiere Garibaldi. In 2026 Milano Checkpoint offered free HIV, syphilis and hepatitis C testing on site. We couldn't confirm ticket prices.
The 2026 edition ran from 17 to 20 September with the tagline #whatsnext. The 2027 dates hadn't been announced when we checked.
Where to stay during MiX Festival – Milano LGBTQ+ Film & Queer Culture Festival
via Stay22Schedule & Sub-Events
+ Add EventDetailed schedule coming soon.
Check the official website for the latest programme.
Practical Tips
The 2026 edition marks 40 years of MiX — expect anniversary retrospectives alongside the new-cinema slate, so scan the programme for restored classics.
Piccolo Teatro Strehler seats fill fast for opening and closing nights — book those two evenings ahead and treat mid-week screenings as walk-up.
Casa di Quartiere Garibaldi hosts the party side — plan late nights there and use Metro Garibaldi to get home.
Videos
Ieri a Milano si è celebrata la comunità LGBTQIA+ 🏳️🌈
