Milan Awakens to the Aroma of Coffee: Events, Guest Baristas and Takeovers “FuoriHost”

Whilst the Host trade fair hosts the SCA World Barista Championships, venues across the city are lighting up with takeovers, tastings and encounters with the world’s finest baristas. From Ditta Artigianale to Cafezal and La Marzocco, a week of experiences to savour cup by cup

Whether Milan is finally being convinced that coffee is a serious matter remains to be seen. What’s certain, however, is that a healthy cluster of recent specialty coffee shop openings offers genuine cause for optimism. On 18th October, Fiera Milano Host opened its doors—one of the hospitality industry’s most significant trade fairs, with coffee amongst its greatest strengths, particularly this year as it hosts the SCA World Barista Championships.

It comes as no surprise, then, that the city is witnessing a concentration of events with the Coffea bean taking centre stage, featuring guests from around the globe (with the typically strong presence from the Far East, increasingly engaged and competing at the highest levels) and takeovers.

Here are the key highlights.

Out of the Box – La Marzocco Returns to the City

La Marzocco’s now-traditional travelling event, Out of the Box, arrives in Milan on Saturday 18th October at Super Studio Più (via Tortona 27), themed “Roots & Wings”: an immersive experience featuring demonstrations, talks, tastings and community gathering moments for the coffee world.

Ditta Artigianale: Coffee as Experience

Ditta Artigianale, making its first appearance in Milan during Host (having opened at Corso Magenta 31 last January), is animating the Milanese week with a series of events at its city locations, running parallel to its activities at the fair.

Key moments include:

• Friday 17th October: debut of a capsule collection inspired by grand desserts—Raspberry Cheese Coffee, Coffeemisù, Strudel Kafè, Dubai Choc Cafè and Coffee Sacher—a sensory experience that will appeal to Gen Z.
• Saturday 18th October, morning: the “5km Coffee Run”, a sporting event departing from Corso Magenta 31 with gathering at 6:30 and start at 7:00. Following the run, convivial moments and tastings.
• Saturday 18th October, afternoon (16:00-18:00): Koffee Mameya Bar Takeover at Ditta Artigianale, with the Japanese school as guest proposing exclusive methods and targeted tastings.
• Sunday 19th October, 16:00-18:00: bar takeover with Onyx Coffee Lab, the renowned United States roastery, featuring espresso, filter and special tastings.

Cafezal: Pop-Ups, Encounters and Barista Training

The Cafezal Specialty Coffee network, which now counts five specialty coffee shops across the city, is offering a series of “beyond Host” events designed to connect producers, baristas and coffee lovers.

• 17th October, 16:00, Coffee Hub Premuda (at number 14): workshop on the cezve/ibrik method with the Ukrainian coffee champion.
• 20th October, from 16:00, at Via San Gregorio 29, an event with equipment demonstrations (Weber Workshops) and aperitivo—a sort of urban “coffee party” beyond the trade fair perimeter.
• 21st October, 17:00, in viale Premuda: talk with Brazilian champions plus cupping and launch of the new “Alta Vista” coffee, born from collaboration between Cafezal and producer Vavà (Brazil).
• 22nd October, 10:00-15:00: Pop-Up Coffee Experience “Untold_Daterra” at Coffee Hub in Viale Premuda 14. Guests can taste lots from Altieri, Finca Deborah (Savage Coffees), Longboard, Janson and Daterra. Also included: an exclusive cupping of lots used in the Daterra Masterpieces 2025 auction. Entry €2 (espresso included).

Additionally, Cafezal is becoming a preparation hub for the World Barista Championship (WBC/SCA): delegations from China, Ireland, Panama, Indonesia and others will remain at the venues to refine their performances, with training sessions using official championship equipment: Tempesta competition-spec machine, Mythos MY75 grinder, BWT water system. Public training sessions and moments of interaction with the audience are scheduled.

World Barista Championships and Competitive Context

It bears noting that these urban events unfold in parallel with the World Barista Championships (SCA), the most prestigious competition for professional baristas. National delegations will compete, yet many of their training sessions and “off-stage” moments also open to the public at city venues.

The presence of champions (for instance, Mikael Jasin, 2024 World Barista Champion, who on Friday presented his book Bloom: Mikael Jasin on Coffee as an Agent of Change at Ditta Artigianale) and interaction with high-level roasteries (Onyx, Daterra, Vavà) transform the week into a sort of “beyond the fair” experience in which the streets of Milan—birthplace of the espresso machine as we know it today—will welcome and interact with visitors from across the globe, enthusiasts of that dark beverage which we Italians (Milanese included) are convinced we know and love, but which all too often we take for granted.