Messina’s festival calendar revolves around Ferragosto in mid-August, when the city stages Sicily’s most spectacular religious procession. But the event roster runs year-round, from Easter’s solemn confraternity parades to the June feast of the city’s patron saint. Here is a month-by-month guide to Messina’s events and festivals. Messina weather by month. best time to visit Messina. things to do in Messina. Messina neighborhoods guide. where to stay in Messina. Messina travel tips.
Events and Festivals in Messina: August (Ferragosto)
Procession of the Giants (13-14 August)
Two enormous papier-mâché statues, Mata and Grifone, ride through the city streets on horseback and truck-drawn carts during the annual Processione dei Giganti. The statues stand 6 metres tall and weigh approximately 800 kg each. According to legend, Mata was a local Sicilian woman and Grifone a Saracen warrior who fell in love and founded the city. The procession starts at Piazza Castronovo at 20:00 on August 13 and winds through the city centre for about three hours, accompanied by drummers and costumed performers. On August 14, the giants parade again in the afternoon, culminating at Piazza Duomo with a theatrical re-enactment of their meeting. The statues are stored at the municipal workshop on Via Industriale the rest of the year and can sometimes be viewed by appointment.
Vara of Messina (15 August)
The Vara is the main event: a 13.5-metre-tall pyramidal float weighing roughly 8 tonnes, hauled barefoot by hundreds of men through the streets on August 15. The float depicts the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, with tiers of angels, apostles, and biblical figures in papier-mâché, topped by a Christ figure pulling Mary toward heaven. The tradition dates to 1571, when Messina’s senate commissioned the first Vara to celebrate the victory over the Ottoman fleet at Lepanto. UNESCO recognized the Vara as an “intangible cultural heritage” in 2019. The procession begins at 11:00 from Piazza Castronovo and takes about six hours to reach Piazza Duomo (roughly 1.5 km). The devotees who pull the ropes (i tiratori) do so barefoot as an act of penance. The route passes along Viale San Martino and Via Garibaldi. Spectators line the streets; arrive by 10:00 to secure a spot near the cathedral. After the Vara reaches the Duomo, the evening features fireworks over the harbour at 22:00.
Events and Festivals in Messina: Spring and Early Summer
Easter Week Processions (March or April)
Holy Week in Messina is marked by elaborate processions organized by the city’s historic confraternities. On Good Friday (Venerdì Santo), the confraternities parade through the historic centre in traditional hooded robes (cappuccio), carrying centuries-old wooden statues depicting scenes from the Passion. The largest procession involves the Arciconfraternita dei Bianchi, recognizable by their white robes, who carry a 17th-century statue of the Dead Christ (Cristo Morto) from the Church of Santa Maria Alemanna to Piazza Duomo. Easter Sunday features the “Affruntata,” the meeting of the resurrected Christ with the Virgin Mary, re-enacted in Piazza Duomo at midday. Dates vary by year; check the Diocese of Messina website for exact times.
Feast of the Madonna della Lettera (3 June)
Messina’s patron saint is celebrated on June 3, the date legend says the Virgin Mary sent a letter of protection to the city’s Christian converts in 42 CE. The day begins with a morning mass at the Duomo, followed by a procession carrying the silver statue of the Madonna della Lettera from the cathedral to the harbour. At the waterfront, the bishop blesses the strait and the city from a ferry boat. The ceremony is followed by a fireworks display at 21:00 over the port. The day is a municipal holiday in Messina, so most shops close by early afternoon.
Infiorata di Corpus Domini (May or June)
On the feast of Corpus Domini (60 days after Easter), the streets around Piazza Duomo are covered with elaborate flower-petal carpets (infiorate) depicting religious scenes. Local artists and parish groups spend the night before arranging the petals. The bishop leads a procession over the carpets carrying the consecrated host. The display lasts only a few hours before the petals wilt in the summer heat, so arrive by 10:00 to see the carpets at their best.
Events and Festivals in Messina: Autumn and Winter
Sagra del Pesce Spada (Swordfish Festival, July)
This summer food festival in the fishing village of Ganzirri (Capo Peloro area) celebrates Messina’s most famous culinary export: swordfish (pesce spada). Local fishermen grill fresh swordfish steaks on the waterfront and serve them with lemon and olive oil. The festival runs over a weekend in mid-July (dates vary). Prices are reasonable at EUR 8-12 per plate. Live folk music and small-boat processions in the lake add to the atmosphere. Take the tram to Capo Peloro and walk 10 minutes inland to Lago di Ganzirri.
Festa di San Nicola (6 December)
The feast of Saint Nicholas, patron of sailors, is celebrated at the Chiesa di San Nicolò dei Gentiluomini with a morning mass and an afternoon procession. It is a quieter, more local affair than the summer festivals, but offers a glimpse of Messina’s neighborhood-level traditions. Children receive small gifts of chocolate and candied almonds.
Christmas Season (December to January)
From December 8 (Immacolata) to January 6 (Epifania), Piazza Duomo hosts a Christmas market with wooden stalls selling Sicilian crafts, torrone (nougat), and mulled wine. A life-size nativity scene (presepe) is set up inside the cathedral. On New Year’s Eve, the city stages a concert in Piazza Unità d’Italia followed by fireworks at midnight over the harbour. The Befana (Epiphany witch) distributes sweets to children in Piazza Duomo on the morning of January 6.
