MI AMI Festival turns 20: Stefano Bottura on the evolution of Milan's indie music ritual

The MI AMI Festival, also known as the Festival of Beautiful Music and Kisses, celebrates its 20th edition at Idroscalo in Milan from May 21 to 24, 2026, with five stages and over 80 shows. Co-founder and director Stefano Bottura recounts the festival's origins in an interview. MI AMI was born in 2005 from Rockit.it, one of the first Italian music websites, founded in 1997. The first edition was held at Parco Paolo Pini in northern Milan with two stages, a budget of zero, and tickets sold at €5 each, attracting 3,000 people. Artists included Tre Allegri Ragazzi Morti, Zen Circus, and Pierpaolo Capovilla. The festival later moved to Circolo Magnolia and eventually to Idroscalo. Bottura emphasizes the festival's role as a "third way" between mainstream and underground, avoiding repeating artists in consecutive years. The visual identity, starting with a poster by Alessandro Baronciani inspired by Lichtenstein and pop art in red and black, has evolved annually with illustrators such as Bomboland, Luca Font, and Viola Niccolai. The 2026 lineup is described as exploratory, reflecting a shift away from the it-pop and trap zenith of 2016-2017. Bottura sees the festival as a ritual against fear, a space for discovery and transformation.