February Festivals
The Viareggio Carnival: lasts for three weeks in February and is one of Italy's largest carnivals, featuring parades each Sunday. This is a celebration of peace, love and solidarity, dominated by huge papier-mache floats and puppets, following a parade route along the famous sea promenades. More than 800,000 spectators come to witness this extravaganza each year in Viareggio. Events include musical comedies, special carnival menus offered by area restaurants, festivals in many of the town’s neighbourhoods and a number of masked balls held in fashionable ballrooms and discos. It’s one of the most prestigious showcases in Italy and internationally, for high-quality artistic arts and crafts. Tradition, innovation and the pursuit of high quality have been the hallmarks of this show that has been held now for more than 70 years. The venue is the Fortezza da Basso. May/June Festivals
Maggio Musicale: beginning in May and running until early June, the Maggio Musicale is a month-long performing arts festival featuring a variety of concerts and ballet performances. Highlights include the Orchestra Regionale Toscano and a very popular dance programme. This is one of Florence’s major arts festivals. At the end of the parade, the players are introduced to the spectators and the ‘Seigniory’. During the game itself, two teams (each of 27 combatants) play on a field that is actually a giant sand pit. One main referee, six linesmen and a field master intervene when the fighting gets out of hand. The duration of the game is 50 minutes, with the winner being the team having most points or 'cacce' and hopefully still standing. June/August Festivals
Estate Fiesolana: is a celebration of the arts, dance, drama, film and music, held annually from mid-June until the end of August. Organised by the Fiesole Town Council, this is Italy’s oldest open air festival, now running for close to 60 years. September Festivals
Rificolone: in early September the city’s children dress in their Sunday best, sing songs and carry papier-mache lanterns on sticks (called ‘rificolone’), joining in celebrations that are focused around Piazza Santissima Annunziata. Many believe that the celebration is held in commemoration of the day that troops from Florence triumphantly entered Sienna with lanterns tied to the ends of their pikes. November/December Festivals
Festival dei Popoli: Tuscany’s most important film festival has been held here throughout November and December for the past 40 years. This world-renowned event in the world of documentary filmmaking brings together professionals and film buffs to view the best the world has to offer. The festival has archives making more than 7000 titles available for viewing by request. Recent event themes have included topics such as the impact of cinema on underdeveloped countries. | 
