Italy Travel Guide - Festivals & Events
January Festivals
New Years Day: starting in the evening of 31 December, the New Year is vigorously celebrated throughout the country and typically involves massive amounts of food and night-long parties.
Fiera di Sant'Orso: is a major handicraft fair that’s held at the end of January in the town of Aosta.
New Years Day: starting in the evening of 31 December, the New Year is vigorously celebrated throughout the country and typically involves massive amounts of food and night-long parties.
Fiera di Sant'Orso: is a major handicraft fair that’s held at the end of January in the town of Aosta.
February Festivals
Venice Carnival: first held 900 years ago, this Carnival is one of the world’s most well-known festivals. During the event, Venice comes alive with entertainers, masked celebrants and a lavish programme of elegant private events and public festivities. In the city’s ancient tradition, dance and theatre performances and concerts are held by its canals and city squares. Each year Carnival’s events are developed on a different theme.
Venice Carnival: first held 900 years ago, this Carnival is one of the world’s most well-known festivals. During the event, Venice comes alive with entertainers, masked celebrants and a lavish programme of elegant private events and public festivities. In the city’s ancient tradition, dance and theatre performances and concerts are held by its canals and city squares. Each year Carnival’s events are developed on a different theme.
Milan Fashion Week: Milan ranks as a leader in European haute couture, which will be quite clear when you visit the ‘fashion block’ in the city centre. There is a huge number of Italian and international designers concentrated here and top designer collections are put on show during Milan Fashion Weeks that are held twice annually. Although the shows themselves are by invitation only, there’s plenty of opportunity to spot celebrities visiting Milan for the programme.
April Festivals
Spring Festival (Festa di Primavera): during April and May, Rome’s elegant Spanish Steps are the focal point of this very popular annual festival celebrating spring. Outdoor entertainment is offered, welcoming the first waves of tourists of the season to Rome. The Rome Tourist Board announces the schedule of events shortly before the festival begins each year.
Spring Festival (Festa di Primavera): during April and May, Rome’s elegant Spanish Steps are the focal point of this very popular annual festival celebrating spring. Outdoor entertainment is offered, welcoming the first waves of tourists of the season to Rome. The Rome Tourist Board announces the schedule of events shortly before the festival begins each year.
May Festivals
Ides of May Festival (Calendimaggio): in Assisi, pageants are performed in May that bring to life the medieval and Renaissance eras. These are basically re-enactments performed in costume, and there are many theatre performances, concerts and dances to be enjoyed.
Ides of May Festival (Calendimaggio): in Assisi, pageants are performed in May that bring to life the medieval and Renaissance eras. These are basically re-enactments performed in costume, and there are many theatre performances, concerts and dances to be enjoyed.
A variety of exhibitions are featured, including the crossbow and longbow archery contest between the two traditional rival halves of Assisi - the ‘Sotto’ and the ‘Sopra’. The festival is also a celebration of spring, with its roots in the pagan worship of gods during the Middle Ages. On the final evening a juried prize (known as the ‘Parti’) is awarded to the group having best interpreted the return of spring.
June Festivals
Corpus Christi Procession: Orvieto, sitting atop a cliff, is a perfect backdrop for this annual procession. This ancient city provides one of the best opportunities in Italy to watch this spectacle, based on the medieval practices celebrating the religious feast day of Corpus Christi, in June.
Corpus Christi Procession: Orvieto, sitting atop a cliff, is a perfect backdrop for this annual procession. This ancient city provides one of the best opportunities in Italy to watch this spectacle, based on the medieval practices celebrating the religious feast day of Corpus Christi, in June.
July Festivals
Feast Day of the Redeemer (Festa del Redentore): is one of the most important of Venice’s religious festivals and its most traditional, dating back centuries. It commemorates the end of the plague, which had caused the death of more than one-third of the city's population.
Feast Day of the Redeemer (Festa del Redentore): is one of the most important of Venice’s religious festivals and its most traditional, dating back centuries. It commemorates the end of the plague, which had caused the death of more than one-third of the city's population.
August Festivals
Venice International Film Festival: attracts movie-making elite from all over the world including producers, directors and stars. The emphasis at this festival has moved on from an earlier Hollywood focus, to a concentration on European and international films.
Venice International Film Festival: attracts movie-making elite from all over the world including producers, directors and stars. The emphasis at this festival has moved on from an earlier Hollywood focus, to a concentration on European and international films.
September Festivals
Historical Regatta: the canals and waterways of Venice have seen regattas since the mid-13th century. Before the races begin, there’s a procession of beautifully-carved boats, crewed by Venetians in historical costume, in a re-enactment of the procession held during the 16th century visit by the Queen of Cyprus, transferring the rule of her kingdom to the Venetians.
Historical Regatta: the canals and waterways of Venice have seen regattas since the mid-13th century. Before the races begin, there’s a procession of beautifully-carved boats, crewed by Venetians in historical costume, in a re-enactment of the procession held during the 16th century visit by the Queen of Cyprus, transferring the rule of her kingdom to the Venetians.
October Festivals
Barcolana: one of the world’s largest sailing events takes place off the coast of Trieste, in October. Racing aficionados flock to this sea-side location to watch 2,000 craft join in the competitions. Plenty of entertainment, great food and drink, and exhibits are featured.
Barcolana: one of the world’s largest sailing events takes place off the coast of Trieste, in October. Racing aficionados flock to this sea-side location to watch 2,000 craft join in the competitions. Plenty of entertainment, great food and drink, and exhibits are featured.
November Festivals
The Italian Job: is an event inspired by the popular film, from which it takes its name. Money is raised for children’s charities by sponsors of the Mini Cooper owners who come from all over Europe to participate in the rally.
The Italian Job: is an event inspired by the popular film, from which it takes its name. Money is raised for children’s charities by sponsors of the Mini Cooper owners who come from all over Europe to participate in the rally.