A K-Pop Fan's Guide to Milan

If you’re anything like me, then you probably have a million little hobbies that you shuffle through anytime you’re bored. And if you’re studying abroad like me, then you are probably concerned about managing these hobbies in a different country. Limited funds, accessibility to materials, and time management are all questionable variables until you start settling in. It’s even worse when you get into a hobby right before traveling. 

This was my predicament. I began collecting CD’s, Bluerays, and other forms of physical media sometime last summer. TV shows, movies, and music… specifically K-pop. There were a few bands that really caught my eye and I was incredibly sad to have to put this hobby on halt while outside of the U.S. Then I realized I didn’t have to. I conducted some research on Milan’s K-pop scene and was pleasantly surprised by what I found. (If you are not a fan of K-pop, but you like collecting CDs and vinyls, scroll down and I will recommend a few stores in the Navigli area of Milan that have great selections for even better prices). 

There are three main K-pop stores in the greater city area:

1. Kaido Italia 
2. Yume Konbini
3. Stardust K-pop Shop 

These are my personally ranked opinions of best to adequate. I wouldn’t say any of them are bad, but they cater to a variety of tastes, and every store favors different groups. Let’s go in order.

Kaido Italia is the largest of the stores, and two locations exist in Italy. Located on the Western side of Milan, this place had the most to offer me. They have a very friendly staff, they carry a variety of products from albums to lightsticks, and they host trading card events. During my time in Milan, two of my favorite groups had comebacks where they released new music and merch. Kaido Italia became a hub of activity, and it was really cool to see local communities come out to support them. My only qualm with this store was the fact that they closed for siesta from 12:30 to 2:30 P.M. everyday, meaning I really had to schedule when I visited them. 

Yume Konbini is in Chinatown. It’s smaller than Kaido, but still carries multiple products. I loved the atmosphere of it, and I managed to find a few things to add to my collection. Getting to Chinatown is not easy, though. It’s possible to take some form of public transportation to the outskirts of the district, but you will have to travel on foot for the most part.

Stardust K-Pop Shop is the smallest, and has limited products because of it. They are slightly less organized, and are located on the far North East end of Milan. I went there once and didn’t necessarily feel like I had to return. It was hard to get to from my housing, and I had to take multiple forms of transportation before walking ten minutes to finally reach it. But it still offered a good handful of albums, trinkets, and photocards. 

If you are a fan of K-pop, I would recommend finding time to visit all three of these locations. I enjoyed exploring their options and it quickly turned into a cultural immersion experience. According to the employees I spoke with, these shops don’t actually see a lot of tourists.  Locals interested in the genre make up the majority of their business. I saw this first hand whenever I visited Kaido Italia, especially during their trading card events. There were a few customers I interacted with that only spoke Italian, which was daunting at first. However, as I progressed through my Italian course at IES Abroad, I was better able to understand and speak with locals. 

For those of you who love music in general and want some recs on stores that sell physical media, I would definitely check out the Navigli region. 

The Discomane Snc: multiple genres with prices ranging from €5-30 euro. 

Dischivolanti: known for its rock and indie selection, this shop right on the main canal is home to new and used CDs and LPs. 

Serendeepity: just off the Navliglio Grande near the Vetra metro station. Focuses on its vinyl and LP collection, but also sells CDs and books. 

Besides brick and mortar stores, the weekend markets in Navigli sometimes feature booths with cheap physical media straight from the collection of the vendor. I’ve seen 3 euro CDs and €6 euro vinyls before, but the selection is definitely smaller.  

All in all, CDs, Bluerays, DVDs, and vinyl are not hard to find in Milan, Italy. If you plan on visiting a place on this list, make sure you have room in your luggage. It's a little too easy to spend a lot of money on the products available in these stores.