Milan will welcome the international oncology community on October 20–24, 2028, when ESMO Congress 2028 takes place at Fiera Milano Rho. The meeting will bring together professionals across cancer research and care, alongside patient associations, institutions and the pharmaceutical industry. The dates and host city have been confirmed by the City of Milan, and the congress has a dedicated page on the official ESMO website.
For Giuseppe Curigliano, ESMO President-elect and Professor of Medical Oncology at the University of Milan, the announcement represents an important opportunity for his city and country.
Sharing the news in a LinkedIn post, Curigliano said:
“Milan will host ESMO – European Society for Medical Oncology Congress 2028!”
Five Days Connecting Research and Clinical Practice
Curigliano’s announcement highlighted the breadth of the community expected in Milan: researchers, medical oncologists, surgeons, radiation oncology professionals, pathologists, and nuclear medicine physicians, along with other healthcare professionals and organizations involved in cancer care.
The gathering will create opportunities for exchange across specialties and between the scientific community, institutions, industry and patient associations.
Highlighting the purpose of bringing these groups together, Curigliano said:
“A very important event to share knowledge, enhance research and strengthen collaborations in the fight against cancer. An important opportunity for Milan and for Italy.”
A Return to Milan, a City with Deep Roots in Oncology
ESMO Congress 2028 will mark a return to Milan 18 years after the city hosted the 2010 edition. The meeting will take place at Fiera Milano Rho, within the MIND–Milano Innovation District, connecting the congress with an area dedicated to science and innovation.
Known internationally for fashion and design, Milan also has a longstanding place in the history of cancer research and treatment. Its Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, established in 1928, will reach its centenary in the same year that ESMO returns to the city, bringing a century of oncology heritage into the backdrop of the congress.
Milan’s contribution to oncology includes the work of Umberto Veronesi, whose clinical research at the National Cancer Institute helped establish breast-conserving treatment. He also founded the European Institute of Oncology (IEO), which opened to patients in 1994 and placed the patient as a person at the center of its approach.
For the international oncology community arriving in October 2028, Milan will therefore offer a setting shaped by both creative culture and medical discovery. Alongside its familiar identity as a fashion capital stands a history of research that has helped change how cancer is treated.
The Collaboration Behind Bringing ESMO to Milan
Curigliano also acknowledged the institutions that contributed to securing the congress. He thanked the ESMO Board, the University of Milan, the Municipality of Milan, the Lombardy Region, Fiera Milano and the Italian Association of Medical Oncology (AIOM).
His announcement connected the international significance of the congress with the local collaboration behind Milan’s selection, closing with a direct invitation:
“We look forward to seeing you in Milan in 2028!”
OncoDaily at ESMO 2026: Where Science Meets Community
As Milan prepares for 2028, OncoDaily will be in Madrid during ESMO 2026, covering emerging research, interviewing experts and sharing key discussions with the global oncology community.
Alongside its editorial coverage, OncoDaily will host independently organized gatherings that bring together clinicians, researchers, patient advocates and healthcare communications professionals. Through scientific exchange, open discussions and opportunities to connect with colleagues, these activities will extend the conversation beyond the congress sessions.
Explore OncoDaily at ESMO 2026: Where Science Meets Community to learn more and get involved.
