IKEA Presents The New Exhibition At Milan Design Week 2026. IKEA with Visionary Designers, Acclaimed Chefs, and a New Flagship Collection at Milan Design Week 2026
At Milan Design Week 2026, IKEA presents the new exhibition “Food for Thought”, a journey to explore how design reflects the way we cook, eat, and connect with each other. The exhibition also marks the world premiere of three products from the upcoming and tenth edition of the brand’s flagship collection, IKEA PS.
April 3, 2026, Milan – In the lively Porta Venezia district, “Food for Thought” is an exhibition where the worlds of design and food meet in new, playful ways. With eight decades of history as a design company, IKEA is more than its products. This year, the exhibition spotlights its interior design expertise with a unique installation of five room settings, exploring how evolving rituals of cooking, eating, and connecting shape the living spaces across cultures. The installation invites visitors to discover fresh perspectives and surprising ideas that turn everyday meals into something extraordinary. The highlight is a unique interior design installation with five room settings, exploring how evolving rituals of cooking, eating, and connecting with each other shape living spaces across cultures.
Five creative duos, each pairing a designer and a chef hand-picked from around the world, co-create a room and a menu inspired by life-at-home scenarios connected to food. The creative duos are; designer and architect Charlotte Taylor with chef Ben Lippett; interior designer Maye Ruiz with chef Rosio Sanchez; art director Mehek Malhotra with chef Maurizio Tentella; multidisciplinary artist Lydia Chan with chef Alessandra Lauria; and interior designer Oliver Lyttelton with recipe developer and content creator Tina Choi (Doobydobap.)
Each day, a duo hosts live cooking demos, turning a working IKEA kitchen into a stage, where it becomes an active, social focal point. Later, visitors can enjoy a bite-size menu inspired by the room settings, freshly prepared on the spot. As the evening sets in, the space transforms into an aperitivo bar.
As always, the IKEA venue at Milan Design Week is a perfect spot for both design inspiration and a place to hang out. Throughout the week, the event offers food, drinks, music, and places to relax. This includes a courtyard market inspired by the Swedish Saluhall with local vendors, the BILLY Café, framed by an IKEA classic bookcase filled with cookbooks by Phaidon, and the return of the popular Hotdog Extravaganza with exclusive toppings by the collaborating chefs. These are some of the ingredients that make up the “Food for Thought” experience. Carefully selected local and independent musicians, from classical instruments to live DJ sets will bring raw talent and passion to the venue everyday creating moments of rhythm and joy.
Alongside the exhibition, IKEA shares special product highlights at Milan Design Week. The biggest reveal this year is the world premiere of three products from the upcoming tenth edition of the flagship collection IKEA PS. Other highlights include two new statement floor lamps by Milan-based designer Raffaella Mangiarotti, which bring high-quality materials and elegant expression to an affordable price point, building on a collaboration previously nominated for a Compasso d’Oro.
Renowned Milan-based architect Midori Hasuike and spatial designer Emerzon, both longtime IKEA collaborators, play an essential role in creating a consistent space design that unifies all the elements.
IKEA “Food for Thought” exhibition at Spazio Maiocchi (Via Achille Maiocchi 7) opens its doors to the public on 21 April. A free IKEA-wrapped bus will run daily from 09:00–19:00, with multiple stops through the heart of the city to the exhibition.
All images by the brand. PR Agency Guitar PR Milan.