Alba’s event calendar is dominated by food and wine, with the white truffle fair as the centrepiece. But the city and surrounding Langhe villages also host music festivals, medieval reenactments, and seasonal celebrations throughout the year. Most events are concentrated in spring and autumn, with a quieter summer festival season and a charming Christmas market. This guide lists the major annual events with dates, locations, and what to expect. For the best months to visit for specific events, see our best time to visit Alba guide.
Alba Events: Spring Festivals (March to May)
Vinum: Alba’s Spring Wine Festival
Vinum is Alba’s spring wine festival, held over four days in late April or early May (dates vary; check comune.alba.cn.it closer to spring). The entire historic centre becomes a walk-around wine tasting: you buy a tasting kit (glass plus a pouch for carrying it, roughly 20 euros) from stands on Piazza Duomo or Piazza Risorgimento, then visit tasting stations set up in piazzas, courtyards, and shops across the city. Over 100 Langhe and Roero producers pour their wines, including Barolo, Barbaresco, Barbera, Nebbiolo, Dolcetto, Arneis, and Moscato. Food stands sell local specialities. The event draws roughly 30,000 visitors over the weekend; book accommodation months ahead. This is the best single event for tasting a wide range of Langhe wines in one place.
Fiera di Primavera (Spring Fair)
The Fiera di Primavera is a traditional street market and agricultural fair held on a weekend in mid-April along Corso Italia and Piazza Savona. It features local produce, flowers, plants, artisanal crafts, and farm animals (a petting zoo section for children). There is also a vintage car display and a small amusement area with rides. Free entry. The fair has been running since the 16th century and retains a distinctly local, non-touristy character. A good event for families.
Alba Events: Summer Festivals (June to August)
Collisioni Festival
Collisioni is Piedmont’s largest music and literature festival, held over roughly ten days in July across multiple venues in Barolo, Alba, and surrounding villages (main hub in Barolo, 15km from Alba). The lineup includes international rock, pop, and Italian cantautori performers. Past headliners include Bob Dylan, Sting, and Neil Young. In addition to concerts, Collisioni hosts literary talks and interviews with writers and public figures in the festival’s literary tent. Tickets for headline concerts range from 40 to 80 euros. The festival square in Barolo has free-entry food and wine stands all day. Dates vary but the festival is always in July. Book tickets and accommodation months ahead; the surrounding villages sell out completely during the festival period.
Alba Music Festival
The Alba Music Festival is a classical and chamber music series that runs for roughly ten days in late May and early June. Concerts take place in the Cattedrale di San Lorenzo, the Chiesa di San Domenico, and the Teatro Sociale (Via Vittorio Emanuele 19). The programme includes symphonic concerts, chamber recitals, and choral performances by international musicians. Many concerts are free; ticketed events cost roughly 10 to 25 euros. Check albamusicfestival.com for the full programme released in April.
Alba Events: Autumn Truffle and Wine Season (September to December)
Fiera Internazionale del Tartufo Bianco d’Alba
The International Alba White Truffle Fair is the city’s flagship event, running every Saturday and Sunday from early October through the first weekend of December (roughly 10 weekends). The main fairground is in the Cortile della Maddalena (entrance from Piazza Medford), open 10:00 to 19:00 on fair days. The Alba Truffle Show inside the fairground features truffle vendors, wine tastings, cooking shows, and a sensory analysis area where you can smell and learn about truffle grading. The World Truffle Auction, a charity event where a single large white truffle is auctioned (sometimes for over 100,000 euros to international bidders via satellite link), takes place on a Sunday in mid-November at the Castello di Grinzane Cavour. During fair weekends, the entire city centre turns into a street festival with food stalls, music, and extended restaurant hours. The 2026 fair dates are expected to be October 10 to December 6. Book hotels 3 to 6 months ahead. For more details, see our things to do in Alba guide.
Palio degli Asini (Donkey Race)
The Palio degli Asini is Alba’s medieval donkey race, held on the first Sunday of October as part of the truffle fair’s opening weekend. Nine neighbourhoods (borghi) of Alba compete in a chaotic, humorous race around Piazza Medford, with jockeys riding donkeys rather than horses. The event parodies the famous Palio di Siena. Preceded by a medieval parade through the streets with participants in period costume, flag-throwers, and drummers. Free to watch from the piazza; arrive by 13:00 for the parade, with the race at roughly 16:00. The atmosphere is festive and very crowded.
Barolo Wine Tasting Events
Several Barolo villages host their own tasting events in autumn. Nebbiolo Prima, the annual preview tasting of the latest Barolo and Barbaresco vintages, is a trade-focused event held in late January at the Castello di Grinzane Cavour, but in September and October many cantine open their doors for the Vendemmia (harvest) with special tastings and cellar tours. Barolo Village hosts Benvenuta Vendemmia (Welcome Harvest) on the second or third weekend of September, with open cellars, music, and food stands throughout the village. Check baroloedintorni.it for dates each August.
Alba Events: Christmas and Winter (December to January)
Alba Christmas Market
The Mercatino di Natale di Alba runs from late November through December 24, set up in Piazza Duomo and Piazza Savona. Roughly 30 wooden stalls sell Christmas decorations, artisanal crafts, local foods (torrone nougat, panettone, cheeses, salumi), and mulled wine (vin brulé). There is a small ice-skating rink in Piazza Medford (roughly 5 euros including skate rental). The market is illuminated after dark, creating a picturesque scene against the backdrop of Alba’s red-brick towers. Free entry. Open daily roughly 10:00 to 20:00, but individual stall hours vary. Weekends are busy with families and day-trippers from Turin and Milan. For practical travel tips for winter visits, see our travel tips and FAQ guide.
New Year’s Eve in Alba
New Year’s Eve (Capodanno) in Alba is a restaurant-focused celebration. Most hotels and many restaurants offer a cenone di Capodanno (multi-course New Year’s Eve dinner) with prices ranging from 80 to 150 euros per person including wine and midnight toast. Piazza Duomo hosts a free public celebration with live music and a midnight fireworks display over the cathedral. The city decorates with lights through early January. Restaurant reservations for New Year’s Eve should be made by early December. Many restaurants close January 1; check ahead.
