August in Italy revolves around Ferragosto, the public holiday on 15 August, when plenty of shops and smaller businesses close and cities can feel unusually quiet. It is also prime time for some properly memorable cultural events: a centuries-old horse race in Siena, a huge devotional procession in Messina, and street performers taking over Ferrara’s old town.
The best events in Italy in August 2026 stretch across the country, with dates worth planning around well in advance.
La Notte della Taranta, Salento
30 July to 23 August 2026
La Notte della Taranta is one of southern Italy’s major summer music festivals. Its travelling programme moves through towns across Salento before the final concert in Melpignano, in the province of Lecce.
The 2026 theme, Le vie del Mediterraneo or “The routes of the Mediterranean”, follows an imagined journey across an ancient sea. Each stop explores the connections between Mediterranean cultures, languages and traditions.
Palio dell’Assunta in Siena
Sunday, 16 August 2026
The Palio di Siena 2026 takes place twice: on Thursday, 2 July and Sunday, 16 August. The August race, the Palio dell’Assunta, is held in Piazza del Campo and forms part of Siena’s celebrations for the Assumption of Mary.
Ten of Siena’s 17 contrade, or historic districts, take part in each race. The atmosphere is intense, and loyalties are deeply local, so it is worth treating it as more than a historical spectacle. The race itself lasts only a few minutes, but the pageantry, district dinners, trials and processions shape the days around it.
Ferrara Buskers Festival
26 to 30 August 2026
The Ferrara Buskers Festival 2026 runs from 26 to 30 August, turning the Renaissance streets and piazzas of Ferrara into open-air stages for musicians and performance artists.
Street music is the main event, but the festival tends to include a wider programme of talks, workshops, exhibitions and smaller cultural happenings. It is a relaxed way to see Ferrara after dark, when the worst of the Emilia-Romagna heat has eased, and the city’s brick lanes and arcades come into their own.
Vara di Messina
Saturday, 15 August 2026
The Vara di Messina is one of Sicily’s most striking Ferragosto traditions. It takes place on Saturday 15 August 2026 as part of Messina’s Assumption celebrations, with a full day of religious and public events before the evening procession.
The schedule includes the tying of the great ropes, a solemn pontifical Mass in the Cathedral Basilica, and the procession’s departure. The monumental votive structure, carried through the city by teams of devotees, is around 14 metres tall and represents the Assumption of the Virgin Mary.
Cavalcata dell’Assunta in Fermo
14 and 15 August 2026
In the Marche hill town of Fermo, the Cavalcata dell’Assunta recreates a medieval civic celebration across the Ferragosto weekend. It is one of the country’s long-running historical pageants, but it is still very much an event for local residents.
On the evening of 14 August, the historical parade travels through the city centre, with costumes, flag-wavers, drummers and representatives of Fermo’s districts. On 15 August, ten contrade compete for the Palio: six historic districts and four outer districts.
Venice Film Festival
2 to 12 September 2026
The Venice Film Festival 2026, officially the Biennale Cinema, runs from 2 to 12 September on the Lido di Venezia. It is the natural next stop after a late-August trip through northern Italy, particularly for anyone keen on cinema, people-watching and Venice beyond the usual day-trip circuit.
Danny Boyle’s Ink will open the 2026 festival. The programme will include the main competition for the Golden Lion, alongside out-of-competition screenings, Giornate degli Autori and International Critics’ Week.
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