Amalfi’s event calendar mixes ancient maritime traditions, religious feast days, and summer music festivals. The town’s history as a powerful maritime republic (one of four, alongside Pisa, Genoa, and Venice) shapes its biggest celebrations. Most events center on the Duomo and the waterfront, and many are free to attend. Book accommodation 4-6 months ahead if you plan to visit during the Lemon Festival or the Feast of Sant’Andrea.. For more details, see our Amalfi weather by month. Read our best time to visit Amalfi for detailed information.
Amalfi Events and Festivals: Spring and Summer
Festa di Sant’Andrea (June 27 and November 30)
Amalfi’s patron saint is celebrated twice yearly. The June 27 feast marks the date Saint Andrew’s relics were brought to Amalfi in 1208. A statue of the saint is carried in procession from the Duomo down to the waterfront, where it’s placed on a boat for a blessing of the sea. The November 30 feast (Saint Andrew’s Day in the Catholic calendar) includes another procession and a fish-centered street feast in the piazza. Both dates draw pilgrims and visitors but on a smaller scale than the summer events. The June date coincides with the start of high season; book accommodation by February for this weekend. Read our things to do in Amalfi for detailed information.
Amalfi Musical (July to Early September)
A summer-long series of opera performances, classical concerts, and theatrical productions staged in the Arsenale della Repubblica, the 11th-century stone shipyard. The 2025 season featured Puccini’s Tosca and Verdi’s La Traviata alongside smaller chamber concerts. Tickets range from €25 (side seats) to €60 (center front), and performances typically start at 9 PM. The stone vaulted ceiling creates natural acoustics that don’t require amplification. Tickets sell through amalfimusical.it and at the tourist office in Piazza del Duomo. Book at least a week ahead for weekend performances in July and August. Read our best neighborhoods in Amalfi for detailed information.
Regata delle Antiche Repubbliche Marinare (Next: 2028)
This quadrennial rowing race pits teams from Italy’s four ancient maritime republics (Amalfi, Pisa, Genoa, Venice) against each other in a rotating host city. Amalfi’s team rows a galleon-style boat built to historical specifications, and the event includes a parade in period costume. The last Amalfi-hosted race was June 2024. The next is scheduled for 2028 in a different city (rotation order changes). When Amalfi hosts, the waterfront fills with 5,000+ spectators. The race itself lasts about 20 minutes, but the medieval-costume parade beforehand runs for two hours. Read our where to stay in Amalfi for detailed information.
Amalfi Events and Festivals: Autumn
Byzantine New Year (August 31 to September 1)
Amalfi celebrates the Byzantine calendar’s New Year with a historical procession through the medieval streets, costumed participants representing the Byzantine-era aristocracy, and the election of the “Magister di Civiltà Amalfitana,” a symbolic mayor who delivers a speech on Amalfi’s cultural heritage. The procession starts from the Duomo at approximately 6 PM on August 31 and winds through the centro storico. On September 1, a mass in the Byzantine rite is held at the cathedral. The event is free to watch, and the evening procession is particularly photogenic with torchlight and period banners. Read our Amalfi travel tips for detailed information.
Lemon Festival (Sagra del Limone, Mid-September)
Amalfi’s sfusato lemons, which are larger and more aromatic than standard lemons, take center stage in this weekend festival. The streets around Piazza del Duomo fill with stalls selling limoncello (€10-15/bottle), lemon-infused pastries, lemon-scented soaps, and fresh sfusato lemons by the kilo. Local restaurants offer lemon-themed menus (pasta al limone, lemon risotto, delizia al limone). A prize is awarded for the largest lemon. The festival runs Saturday and Sunday, roughly the second or third weekend of September; exact dates are confirmed in July each year. This is an excellent time to visit: summer crowds have thinned but the weather is still 26°C (79°F).
Amalfi Events and Festivals: Holiday Season
Christmas and New Year (December 24 to January 6)
Amalfi’s Christmas celebrations are modest compared to northern Italian cities but charming. A nativity scene is installed on the Duomo’s staircase, and the town strings lights across the narrow streets. Midnight Mass at the cathedral on December 24 is the main event, with the 10th-century bronze doors open and the crypt illuminated. Restaurants serve the traditional Feast of the Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve (book a table by early December). New Year’s Eve brings fireworks over the waterfront at midnight, visible from Marina Grande and the promenade. The Epiphany on January 6 closes the holiday season with a small procession. About half the town’s hotels stay open for Christmas; most restaurants close January 7 through early March.
