Upcoming Holidays and Festivals in Italy
- Beware: Festival dates are often not posted on websites until just before the event (or may even be posted incorrectly, especially in Italy). Verify the correct festival dates before planning a trip around a specific festival. For more information about these and other events, visit the official tourism site for Italy.
- This list includes major festivals in major cities, plus national holidays observed throughout Italy. Many sights and banks close down on national holidays — keep it in mind when planning your itinerary. Note that this isn't a complete list; holidays can strike without warning.
- See upcoming holidays and festivals across Europe
2019
May 10–July 6: Festival del Teatro Greco, Siracusa, Sicily (Greek plays in the city's ancient theater)
May 11–November 24: Venice Biennale (international art exhibition)
May 24–26: Feast of San Giorgio, Ragusa Ibla, Sicily (processions, fireworks)
May 25: Festa delle Madonna delle Milizie, Scicli, Sicily (processions, Norman battle reenactments)
May 30: Feast of the Ascension Day
June: Fashion conventions, Florence
June–August: Verona Opera season
June 2: Anniversary of the Republic (closures); also Festa del Grillo, Florence (Cricket Festival; music, entertainment, food, crickets sold in cages)
June 7–8: Kastelruther Spatzen Open Air, Castelrotto (concert series featuring hometown folk group)
June 9: Vogalonga Regatta, Venice
June 16–17: Festival of St. Ranieri, Pisa (illuminated facades, candles on the Arno, fireworks, regatta)
June 20: Feast Day of Corpus Christi
June 22–23: Le Infiorate, Spello (giant flower-carpet competition near Orvieto)
June 23: Feast of Corpus Domini, Monterosso and Vernazza (procession on carpet of flowers at 18:00)
June 24: St. John the Baptist Day, Rome; Festival of St. John the Baptist, Florence (parades, dances, boat races; closures); and Calcio Fiorentino, Florence (costumed soccer game on Piazza Santa Croce)
June 29: Sts. Peter and Paul's Day (most fervently celebrated in Rome, and with three-day festival in Modica, Sicily)
June 30–August 3: Florence Dance Festival
Late June–early September: Florence's annual outdoor cinema season (contemporary films)
July–August: Musical Weeks, Lake Maggiore
July 2: Palio horse race, Siena
July 12–21: Umbria Jazz, Perugia
Mid-July: Noantri Festival, Trastevere district, Rome (music and folklore)
July 20–21: Festa del Redentore, Venice (Feast of the Redeemer; regatta, fireworks)
August 10: St. Lawrence Day, Rome
August 15: Ferragosto (Feast of the Assumption; closures)
August 16: Palio horse race, Siena
September–October: Chestnut festivals (chestnut roasts and related festivities; most towns, mainly north of Rome)
September 1: Historical Regatta, Venice
September 7: Festa della Rificolona, Florence (children's procession with lanterns, street performances, parade)
September 13–14: Volto Santo, Lucca (procession and fair)
September 19: Feast of St. Januarius, Naples (La Festa di San Gennaro; closures)
Mid-September–Mid-November: Musica dei Popoli, Florence (ethnic and folk music and dances)
September 22–24 & September 29–October 1 (likely): Pistachio Festival, Bronte (near Mount Etna), Sicily
October 5–November 24: International White Truffle Fair, Alba (cooking demonstrations, historical reenactments, truffles by the pound; between Turin and Genoa)
October 11–13: Kastelruther Spatzenfest music festival, Castelrotto
November 1: All Saints' Day (some closures)
November 21: Feast of Our Lady of Good Health, Venice (religious festival, bridge built over Grand Canal)
November 30–December 20: Feast of Santa Lucia, Siracusa, Sicily (culmnates with procession of the saint's statue and relics to the cathedral on December 13)
December: Christmas Market on Piazza Navona, Rome; crèches in churches throughout Italy
December 7: Feast of St. Ambrose, Milan (closures)
December 8: Feast of the Immaculate Conception (closures)
December 25: Christmas (closures)
December 26: St. Stephen's Day (closures)
December 28–January 1: Umbria Jazz Winter, Orvieto
2020
January: Fashion conventions, Florence (hotel prices may increase)
January 1: New Year's Day (closures)
January 6: Epiphany (and Epiphany Fair religious festival in Rome; closures)
January–March: Carnival celebrations throughout Italy (street parties)
February 3–5: Festa di Sant'Agata, Catania (processions and fireworks)
February/March: Carnevale di Viareggio, Viareggio (about six somewhat sporadic days)
February 15–25: Carnevale, Venice (most festive on weekends; particularly quiet during first week)
February 22–25: Ivrea Carnevale (orange-throwing free-for-all on last three days; smaller festivities in week prior)
April/May: Settimana della Cultura, across Italy (Cultural Heritage Week)
Early April (1 day): Gelato Festival, Florence
Early April (1 day): Rome Marathon
April 10: Good Friday; Procession of I Misteri (Trapani, Sicily)
April 12: Easter Sunday (and Scoppio del Carro fireworks in Florence, closures); also Rome's City Birthday Celebration (parades, fireworks)
April 13: Easter Monday (closures)
April 19–22: Vinitaly, Verona (wine festival)
April 25: Italian Liberation Day (closures), also St. Mark's Day, Venice
April 25–27 (likely): Artichoke Festival, Chiusure (near Pienza)
May 1: May Day/Labor Day (closures)
Early May–early July: Festival del Teatro Greco, Siracusa, Sicily (Greek plays in the city's ancient theater)
May 15–17 (likely): Infiorata di Noto, Sicily (flower festival)
May 16: Sagra del Limone, Monterosso, Cinque Terre (lemon festival)