Cultural events in Italy

The Santa Maria Maggiore Christmas Market returns for in 2026, bringing 214 selected exhibitors to the historic Alpine village in Val Vigezzo, Piedmont.

If you’re looking for things to do this Halloween in Italy, 2026 brings witchy festivals in medieval villages, grand-villa masquerades, lantern-lit ghost walks and plenty of costume parties. Halloween falls on Saturday, 31 October, followed by All Saints’ Day on Sunday, 1 November.

Alba, with its International Truffle Fair, Vigasio, with the Polenta Fair, and Castelfranco di Sotto, with its Porcino Mushroom Festival, are among the places that have seen an increase in Airbnb searches compared with last year. It reflects growing interest in these autumn food events, which a

Halloween in Italy in 2026 lands over a long weekend, with 31 October followed by Ognissanti on 1 November and All Souls’ Day on 2 November.

Every year, between late October and early November, the avenues of Italian cemeteries fill with flowers, vases of chrysanthemums, and small lights. Yet the day dedicated to the deceased falls on November 2nd, while the lines at the gates almost always form the day before. So, why do we go to the cemetery on November 1st?

The famous chocolate festival returns to Perugia’s city centre from 14 to 23 November 2025, under the theme “The Festival Among the Clouds”. There’s no better way to enjoy this Umbrian city than by taking part in tastings, workshops, and shows, while also soaking up its historic charm and stunning views. Here’s what you need to know about Eurochocolate 2025.

Perched on a tuff spur in the province of Viterbo, Civita di Bagnoregio is one of the most photographed and beloved villages in Italy. Nicknamed "the dying city" due to the erosion slowly wearing away the cliff on which it stands, this small medieval wonder has captivated not only tourists but also world-famous directors and screenwriters.

At the start of autumn, Italy prepares for the grape harvest. In this setting, grape and wine sagre — local food and wine festivals — are far more than simple village celebrations. They reflect centuries of winemaking tradition, celebrate the identity of each area and give visitors a taste of local food, music and popular culture.

October in Italy is the most anticipated month for mushroom pickers, food enthusiasts, and nature lovers- the time when the entire peninsula comes alive with festivals, village fairs, and food events dedicated to mushrooms. From the Dolomites to the Apennine hills, from the Umbrian woods to the

The International Alba White Truffle Fair returns to Alba, Piedmont, from 10 October to 6 December 2026.

Some places are able to become film sets with hardly any alteration at all: spaces with such obvious grandeur that artificial scenery feels unnecessary. The Royal Palace of Caserta is one of them. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997 and a towering achievement of Italian Baroque architecture designed by Luigi Vanvitelli, this extraordinary royal residence has appealed to directors across the world, including George Lucas, Ron Howard and J.J. Abrams.

Autumn is prime time for truffle season in Italy.

October in Italy brings heritage weekends inside normally closed palazzi, late harvest visits at family-run wineries, and chestnut and truffle sagre in hill towns.

Autumn food festivals in Italy are a proper window into regional cooking.

Food festivals in Italy are one of the best ways to eat well without spending a fortune, particularly outside the big cities. Many are sagre: community events centred on a local ingredient, a seasonal harvest or a traditional dish.

The Ferragosto fireworks display is the modern legacy of a celebration that originated in ancient Rome and has reinvented itself over the centuries, combining religious devotion with seaside relaxation. From Lake Garda to Lake Como, from Marina di Ravenna to Marina di Ragusa, from Castellammare di Stabia to Ostia and Versilia, every corner of Italy offers its own version of the spectacle.

Italy will see a partial solar eclipse on Wednesday 12 August 2026.

The 83rd Venice International Film Festival returns to the Lido di Venezia in September 2026.

A 3,000-year-old poem is becoming a modern travel itinerary. Since the cinema release of the blockbuster Odyssey on 16 July, locations selected by Christopher Nolan have climbed to the top of travellers’ searches.

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.

Italy’s events calendar stays busy through the summer holidays, with historic horse races, religious processions and open-air music festivals taking over town squares and arenas.

If you spend any time in Italy in summer, you’ll quickly hear one word over and over again: Ferragosto.

July sits at the heart of the Italian summer and is traditionally the month packed with open-air events: fireworks over the lagoon, opera under the stars, jazz concerts in medieval alleyways, and a horse race that lasts less than ninety seconds but carries a year’s worth of passion. The journey stretches across the country, taking in Venice, Rome, Naples, Siena, Perugia and Genoa. Here’s what to do in Italy in July 2026.

The world-famous Palio di Siena 2026 will take place on Thursday, 2 July 2026 (Palio della Madonna di Provenzano) and Sunday, 16 August 2026 (Palio dell’Assunta). As always, both races are held in the shell-shaped Piazza del Campo in the heart of Siena, Tuscany.

From the I-Days in Milan to open-air gigs in Puglia’s parks, and on to the international buzz of Florence and Lucca, summer in Italy is once again one of the best times of year to catch live music.So which music festivals are taking place in Italy in summer 2026?