Lecce’s event calendar revolves around religious traditions, the pizzica folk music of Salento, and a growing contemporary arts scene. The biggest events cluster in August, when the Festa di Sant’Oronzo and La Notte della Taranta draw visitors from across Italy. But spring brings food festivals, summer delivers open-air cinema and music, and December transforms the baroque city centre with Christmas markets and nativity displays. Here are the key events and festivals in Lecce, with dates, locations, and what to expect.
Lecce Events and Festivals: Spring (March to May)
Settimana Santa (Holy Week, March or April)
Easter week in Lecce is a serious affair, with processions winding through the centro storico from Palm Sunday through Easter Monday. The most dramatic procession is the Venerdi Santo (Good Friday) procession, when hooded confraternity members carry heavy wooden statues of the dead Christ and the grieving Madonna through the candlelit streets. The procession starts at the Chiesa di Santa Chiara around 8 PM and follows a route through the old city lasting about 2 hours. Arrive by 7:30 PM to secure a viewing spot along Via Palmieri or Piazza Sant’Oronzo.
Corteo Storico di Lecce (May)
On the first Sunday of May, Lecce stages a historical parade with 500 costumed participants recreating the visit of Emperor Charles V in 1536. The procession starts at Porta Napoli at 4 PM and moves through the centro storico to Piazza Sant’Oronzo. It’s free and draws a large local crowd. The event also includes flag-throwing displays, falconry demonstrations, and a historical market in the castle courtyard. See also our things to do in Lecce.
Lecce Events and Festivals: Summer (June to August)
Festa di Sant’Oronzo (August 24 to 26)
Lecce’s patron saint festival honours Sant’Oronzo (Saint Orontius), the city’s protector. For three days, Piazza Sant’Oronzo fills with food stalls selling puccia sandwiches, grilled sausage, and pasticciotti, plus carnival games and live music stages. The religious highlight is the evening procession on August 26, when a silver statue of the saint is carried from the Duomo to the Roman column in Piazza Sant’Oronzo that once marked the end of the Appian Way. Fireworks over the castle close the festival around midnight. The event is free. Book hotels 6 to 8 weeks ahead if visiting during these dates. Check our best time to visit Lecce for practical advice.
La Notte della Taranta (August, culminating last Saturday)
This is Salento’s signature music festival, celebrating pizzica, the traditional folk dance and music of the region. Throughout August, smaller concerts and workshops take place in towns across the Grecia Salentina area south of Lecce. The main event, the Concertone finale, happens on the last Saturday of August in the town of Melpignano (30km south of Lecce). It draws 100,000+ people for an all-night concert where a rotating cast of Italian and international musicians reinterpret pizzica with orchestras, rock bands, and world music ensembles. Tickets for the Concertone cost €15 to €25 depending on seating zone. Shuttle buses run from Lecce to Melpignano (€5 return). The 2026 Concertone is scheduled for August 29. Book accommodations in Lecce or Melpignano 3+ months ahead.
Lecce Film Festival (August)
The Lecce Film Festival, held over 10 days in mid-August, screens European and Italian independent films in open-air venues across the city. The main screening location is the courtyard of the Convitto Palmieri, an 18th-century building near Porta Napoli. Tickets cost €5 per screening or €30 for a full festival pass. The programme is published on the festival’s website in late July. Most films are subtitled in English. Screenings start at 9 PM. See also our where to stay in Lecce.
Mercatino del Gusto (Food Market, Late July to Early August)
The Mercatino del Gusto (Taste Market) takes over Lecce’s centro storico for 10 days from late July into early August. Over 100 stalls from Salento producers fill the streets between Piazza Sant’Oronzo and the castle, selling olive oil, wines (Negroamaro and Primitivo), cheeses (burrata, caciocavallo), cured meats, and pastries. Cooking demonstrations and wine tastings run throughout each day (€5 to €15 for individual tastings). Entry to the market itself is free. The atmosphere peaks in the evenings with live music. See also our Lecce travel tips.
Lecce Events and Festivals: Autumn (September to November)
Fiera di San Martino (November 8 to 11)
San Martino is Lecce’s autumn fair, marking the end of the harvest season. The four-day fair fills Viale Gallipoli, the wide boulevard leading to the old city, with stalls selling roasted chestnuts, novello (new) wine, local cheeses, and handicrafts. It’s a mainly local event with a relaxed, family-oriented atmosphere. Free entry. The fair runs from 10 AM to 10 PM daily. Local restaurants offer special San Martino menus featuring roast pork and seasonal produce. For more climate details, read our Lecce weather by month guide.
Lecce Events and Festivals: Winter (December to February)
Natale a Lecce (Christmas Season, December 8 to January 6)
Lecce goes all-out for Christmas. From December 8 (Immacolata) through January 6 (Epifania), the city installs Christmas markets in Piazza Sant’Oronzo and along Via Trinchese, selling artisan gifts, decorations, and seasonal foods. Churches across the centro storico display elaborate presepi (nativity scenes), with particularly detailed ones at the Basilica di Santa Croce and Chiesa di Santa Chiara. An ice-skating rink is set up in Piazza Mazzini (€8 including skate rental). On New Year’s Eve, a free concert and fireworks display takes place in Piazza Sant’Oronzo. Hotel prices rise 20% to 30% during December 20 to January 3. Most attractions keep normal winter hours, closing by 6 PM. See also our Lecce neighborhoods guide.
Carnevale di Lecce (February or March, date varies)
Lecce’s Carnevale is smaller than the famous ones in Venice or Viareggio but has a distinctive Salento character. The main parade, usually on the Sunday before Shrove Tuesday, features papier-mache floats (Lecce is a historic centre of papier-mache craftsmanship) and costumed groups dancing pizzica through the streets. The parade route runs from Porta San Biagio to Piazza Sant’Oronzo. Free to watch. Smaller events, including masked balls and children’s activities, run for the preceding week. Check dates as they shift with Easter each year.
