September brings milder temperatures and a calendar filled with major events covering literature, food, contemporary art and centuries-old traditions. There are plenty of options for anyone looking for things to do in Italy in September 2026. Venetian canals set the scene for poetry, the Langhe hills carry the scents of the grape harvest, Sicilian beaches fill with the aromas of spices, and Ligurian towns become spaces for new ideas.
Festivaletteratura Mantova
Mantua becomes Italy’s literary capital for five days, from 9 to 13 September 2026. Festivaletteratura celebrates its 30th edition. Renaissance squares, historic courtyards and noble palaces become venues for meetings with authors, readings, workshops and debates that attract tens of thousands of people from across Europe each year.
The 2026 programme is set to be particularly extensive, with more than 330 events and around 340 guests from around the world.
Among the most anticipated names are Niccolò Ammaniti, Alessandro Barbero, Emmanuel Carrère, Tim Berners-Lee, Daniel Pennac, Amitav Ghosh and Irvine Welsh.
One new feature is the opening of the Church of San Cristoforo as an exhibition space, with a project dedicated to illustrated books for adults and children.
Festival della Mente Sarzana
In Liguria, the first weekend of September brings another thought-provoking event. The Festival della Mente returns to Sarzana from 4 to 6 September 2026 for its 23rd edition, maintaining its position as Europe’s first festival entirely dedicated to creativity and the birth of ideas.
The theme for 2026 is “Fire”. For three days, the historic centre of this town in the province of La Spezia fills with thought, beauty and discovery. The programme includes 34 talks and 11 events for children and young people, with more than 50 guests including writers, scientists, artists and thinkers.
Cous Cous Fest in San Vito Lo Capo
San Vito Lo Capo hosts the 29th edition of the Cous Cous Fest between 18 and 27 September 2026. For ten days, this coastal town in the province of Trapani becomes the world capital of couscous.
Founded in 1998 as a small local sagra, or community food festival, it has grown into an International Festival of Cultural Integration. At the heart of the event is the Couscous World Championship, where chefs from eight countries compete before two juries: one technical and one made up of members of the public. The programme also includes:
- Cooking shows with leading chefs at the Bia Theatre in Piazza Santuario.
- Tastings of more than 20 couscous variations, available daily from noon until midnight.
- Free concerts on a stage set directly on the beach.
- An Expo Village that turns the seafront into a colourful Mediterranean suq, or market.
Artists announced for the evening concerts include Sal Da Vinci, Stadio and Ditonellapiaga.
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Festa della Vendemmia in Santo Stefano Belbo
Among the harvest experiences in the Langhe is the Festa della Vendemmia in Santo Stefano Belbo, the home town of Cesare Pavese. Organised by Cascina Fontanette, the event runs from 12 September to 4 October 2026 and provides a full experience that is also suitable for families.
It is not simply a tasting. Visitors enter the vineyards to pick grapes by hand and take part in the traditional foot treading, as was done in the past. After working among the vines, the visit continues in the cellar, where the entire process that turns grapes into wine is explained.
Creative activities such as body painting, drawing and entertainment are planned for younger visitors. Parents can relax in the tasting area, with typical Langhe products and musical entertainment.
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Regata Storica di Venezia
Few images represent Venice better than a procession of 16th-century-style boats slowly travelling up the Grand Canal. The Regata Storica, scheduled for Sunday 6 September 2026, is the most eagerly awaited event of the year in the lagoon city.
Its origins date back to the 13th century, though the event in its current form recreates the welcome given to Caterina Cornaro, Queen of Cyprus, when she gave up her throne in favour of the Serenissima, the former Republic of Venice.
The event begins at 3.30 pm with the historical procession. Dozens of traditional boats, including the imposing flagship known as the “Serenissima”, travel from the San Marco Basin along the full length of the Grand Canal, carrying participants in elaborate period costumes.
The parade is followed by voga alla veneta races, an ancient rowing technique performed while standing. Competitions are held in several categories, including young rowers in pupparini boats, women rowing mascarete, and the most anticipated contest: the Regata dei Campioni on gondolini. In this race, the lagoon’s leading rowers compete towards the finish line in front of Ca’ Foscari.
Transart 2026
South Tyrol becomes the stage for Transart between 10 and 20 September 2026. The international festival of contemporary culture has challenged conventional definitions of art for 26 years.
Its 26th edition takes place across 13 venues throughout South Tyrol. Bolzano remains the central hub, while the programme also reaches Merano, Bressanone, Brunico, Chiusa, Cortaccia, Silandro, Vipiteno and other smaller locations.
The programme covers classical and electronic music, dance, theatre and visual arts, with a focus on projects that resist conventional labels. The season will be symbolically closed by the Transart Postludium on 29 November, with an acoustic event by Patti Smith at NOI Techpark in Bolzano, dedicated to the connection between the musician and Saint Francis.
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