Florence’s annual calendar revolves around religious feast days, historical sporting events
summer music festivals that fill the piazzas from June through September. The city’s events aren’t scattered randomly through the year: they cluster in late spring (Easter through June 24) and summer (June through August), with a quieter winter season punctuated by Christmas markets. Here are the specific dates and practical details for planning around the best time to visit Florence.
Florence Events and Festivals Calendar
Scoppio del Carro (Explosion of the Cart) – Easter Sunday
Piazza del Duomo, Easter Sunday at 11:00. This 350-year-old tradition involves a 30-foot wooden cart, pulled by white oxen adorned with flowers, processing from Porta al Prato to the Duomo. At 11:00, the Archbishop lights a dove-shaped rocket that flies down a wire from the high altar, ignites the cart’s fireworks
returns to the altar. A successful round trip signals a good harvest year. Arrive by 9:00 for a decent viewing spot in the piazza. The event is free. In 2026, Easter falls on April 5; in 2027, it’s March 28.
Maggio Musicale Fiorentino – May through Early July
Various venues, primarily Teatro del Maggio (Piazzale Vittorio Gui 1). Italy’s oldest music festival, founded in 1933, runs from late April through early July annually. The program includes opera productions, symphony concerts, and ballet performances.
Tickets range from €20 to €150 depending on the performance and seating. The 2026 edition opens with Verdi’s Don Carlo. Book through maggiofiorentino.com. The modern opera house, completed in 2011, seats 1,800 and sits in the Cascine Park west of the center.
Calcio Storico – June (Semi-Finals Early June, Final June 24)
Piazza Santa Croce. This is Florence’s most intense event: a 50-minute match combining soccer, rugby, and wrestling, played in historical costume on a sand-covered pitch in front of Santa Croce. Four teams represent Florence’s historic neighborhoods: Santa Croce (blue), Santo Spirito (white), Santa Maria Novella (red), and San Giovanni (green).
The semi-finals run on the second weekend of June, with the final on June 24 (Feast of St. John). Tickets cost €30-80 and sell out within hours of release. Buy through the official Comune di Firenze website in May. Even if you skip the match, the parade with 500+ participants in Renaissance costume marches from Piazza Santa Maria Novella to Santa Croce at 16:00 on match days.
Festa di San Giovanni (Feast of St. John) – June 24
Citywide. Florence’s patron saint day culminates with a free fireworks display over the Arno at 22:00, best viewed from the Ponte alle Grazie, Ponte Santa Trinità, or Lungarno. The day also includes the Calcio Storico final and a rowing race on the Arno.
Many museums offer free entry. It’s the single busiest day in Florence, with hotel prices at their annual peak. Book Florence accommodation months ahead if visiting on this date.
Estate Fiorentina (Florentine Summer) – June through September
Multiple venues across the city. This umbrella festival programs outdoor cinema screenings, jazz concerts, dance performances, and theater productions at venues including the Bardini Gardens, the Forte Belvedere, and Piazza SS. Annunziata. Most events cost €5-15 or are free. The program is released in late May on cultura.comune.fi.it.
Highlights include the Apriti Cinema open-air film series at the Uffizi courtyard (free, late June through July) and jazz concerts in the Oltrarno’s piazzas. Check Florence weather in June as some events cancel in rain.
Festa della Rificolona (Festival of Lanterns) – September 7
Procession from Piazza Santa Croce to Piazza SS. Annunziata, starting around 20:30. Children carry colorful paper lanterns on sticks, a tradition dating to the 17th century when farmers and peasants came to Florence for the Feast of the Nativity of Mary (September 8). The Basilica of SS. Annunziata hosts a small fair with food stalls and street performers. It’s a local, family-oriented event that tourists rarely attend. Free.
Pitti Immagine Uomo – January and June
Fortezza da Basso, Viale Filippo Strozzi 1. The world’s premier menswear trade show runs twice annually: mid-January (fall/winter collections) and mid-June (spring/summer collections). The January edition typically runs the second Tuesday-Thursday. While the trade show itself is industry-only, the city fills with fashion professionals, and many brands host public events, parties, and pop-ups. Hotel prices spike 30-50% during these dates. The 2026 summer edition runs June 16-19.
Christmas Markets – Late November through December 24
Piazza Santa Croce. The Weihnachtsmarkt (German-style Christmas market) runs from approximately November 25 through December 24 with 50+ wooden stalls selling mulled wine, sausages, crafts, and gifts. Hours are 10:00-22:00 daily. A smaller market operates in Piazza della Repubblica. The city also installs an ice skating rink at the Parco delle Cascine (€8 including skate rental). The Christmas tree and nativity scene in Piazza del Duomo go up around December 8.
