Festivals and processions

Historic horse races, jousting tournaments, festivals of lights, and village fairs featuring regional cuisine: Tuscany celebrates its traditions throughout the year. Here you will find the most famous festivals and processions with their fixed dates, the dates for 2026/2027 (where already published), and practical tips for visiting.

Festival calendar of Tuscany

Appointment	Party	Location
January/February	Carnevale di Viareggio (Paint-mâché Float Parades)	Viareggio
Easter Sunday	Scoppio del Carro	Florence
May (2026: May 24) and August (2026: August 14)	Balestro del Girifalco (crossbow shooting)	Massa Marittima
June (3 days)	Ferie delle Messi (Medieval Festival)	Gender towers
Juni, Finale 24. Juni	June, final June 24th	Florence
June 16 / June 17	Luminara and Palio di San Ranieri	Pisa
Juni (2026: 20. Juni) und 1. Sonntag im September	Joust of the Saracen	Arezzo
last Saturday in June	Gioc del Ponte	Pisa
2. Juli und 16. August	July 2nd and August 16th	Palio of Siena
July (2026: July 9–12)	Monteriggioni di Torri si Corona (Medieval Festival)	Monteriggioni
25 July	Carousel of the Bear	Pistoia
August (2026: August 11-15)	Sagra della Bistecca	Cortona
last Sunday in August	Bravìo of the Barrels	Montepulciano
beginning of September	Fiera del Cacio with Gioco del Cacio al Fuso	Pienza
September 7 (evening)	Festa della Rificolona (Lantern Festival)	Florence
September (2026: September 10–13)	Exhibition Chianti Classico	Greve in Chianti
2. Sonntag im September	2th Sunday in September	Crossbow Palio
September 13 (evening)	Luminara di Santa Croce (Volto-Santo Procession)	city ​​wall
last weekend in October	Sagra del Tordo (Neighborhood Archery)	Montalcino
Late October/Early November	Lucca Comics & Games	city ​​wall
November weekends	White Truffle Market Exhibition	San Miniato

The most famous festivals in profile

Palio di Siena (2. Juli und 16. August)

Der Palio ist das berühmteste Fest der Toskana: ein Pferderennen ohne Sattel, drei Runden um die Piazza del Campo, das meist nicht länger als 90 Sekunden dauert. Von den 17 Contrade (Stadtvierteln) treten jeweils zehn an. Der Palio am 2. Juli ehrt die Madonna di Provenzano, der am 16. August Mariä Himmelfahrt. In den Tagen davor finden Proberennen und historische Umzüge statt. Mehr zur Stadt in unserer Stadttour Siena.

Scoppio del Carro in Florence (Easter Sunday)

On Easter Sunday, decorated white cattle pull the tall float "Brindellone" in a historical procession to the Duomo. During Easter Mass at 11 a.m., the "Colombina" is launched – a rocket in the shape of a dove that flies from the altar to the float, where it sets off a firework display. If the rocket successfully flies, it is considered a good omen for the coming year. Tips for the city: Florence city tour.

Calcio Storico Fiorentino (June)

Auf der Piazza Santa Croce spielen die vier historischen Stadtteile von Florenz – Azzurri, Bianchi, Rossi und Verdi – eine raue Mischung aus Fußball, Rugby und Ringen in Renaissance-Kostümen. Die Halbfinals finden Mitte Juni statt (2026: 13. und 14. Juni), das Finale immer am 24. Juni, dem Fest des Stadtpatrons San Giovanni.

Giugno Pisano: Luminara, Regatta and Gioco del Ponte

In June, Pisa celebrates its festival month. On the evening of June 16, thousands of candles illuminate the palazzi along the Arno River during the Luminara festival. On June 17, the Palio di San Ranieri , a rowing regatta between the city's districts, takes place. On the last Saturday of June, the two halves of the city compete against each other on the Ponte di Mezzo in the Gioco del Ponte . This regatta, featuring the ancient maritime republics (Pisa, Genoa, Amalfi, Venice), changes location annually; in 2026, it was held in Pisa on June 2.

Giostra del Saracino in Arezzo (June and September)

In Arezzo 's Piazza Grande , knights from the city's four quarters ride with lances against a wooden figure, the "Buratto". The tournament takes place twice a year: in June (2026: Saturday, June 20) and on the first Sunday in September (2026: September 6).

Carnival of Viareggio (January/February)

The Viareggio Carnival is famous for its enormous, often satirical papier-mâché floats that parade along the seafront promenade. Six parades are planned for 2027: January 30, February 4, 7, 9, 14, and 20. Information and tickets: Fondazione Carnevale di Viareggio.

Lucca: Luminara di Santa Croce and Lucca Comics & Games

Am Abend des 13. September zieht in Lucca die Lichterprozession zu Ehren des Volto Santo, eines verehrten Holzkruzifixes, durch die kerzenbeleuchtete Altstadt. Ganz anders, aber ebenso voll wird es bei Lucca Comics & Games, einem der größten Comic- und Spielefestivals Europas – 2026 vom 28. Oktober bis 1. November (offizielle Seite).

Other historical tournaments and parades

• Balestro del Girifalco, Massa Marittima: Crossbow shooting of the three districts with parade, twice a year (2026: May 24 and August 14).
• Palio della Balestra, Sansepolcro: Crossbow competition against the marksmen from Gubbio on the second Sunday in September.
• Giostra dell’Orso, Pistoia: Reiterturnier der vier Stadtviertel auf der Piazza del Duomo am 25. Juli.
• Bravìo delle Botti, Montepulciano: The Contrade roll heavy wine barrels uphill to the Piazza Grande – on the last Sunday in August. More about the place: Montepulciano.
• Monteriggioni di Torri si Corona: Medieval festival in the castle walls of Monteriggioni, in July (2026: July 9–12).
• Ferie delle Messi, San Gimignano: Three-day medieval festival in June. More: San Gimignano.
• Festa della Rificolona, Florenz: Am Abend des 7. September ziehen Kinder und Familien mit bunten Papierlaternen durch die Stadt.

Sagre and festivals

A Sagra is a village or harvest festival centered around a regional product – similar to a church fair, but with food as the main focus. Most take place from late summer to autumn and are advertised locally with posters. Well-known examples:

• Sagra della Bistecca, Cortona: Bistecca from the large grill in the Giardini del Parterre, in August (2026: 11–15 August).
• Fiera del Cacio, Pienza: A festival celebrating Pecorino cheese takes place in early September, featuring the "Gioco del Cacio al Fuso," a game where cheese wheels are rolled. More information: Pienza.
• Expo Chianti Classico, Greve in Chianti: Wine fair on the Piazza in September (2026: September 10–13). Background: Wine of Tuscany.
• Sagra del Tordo, Montalcino: Parades, archery competitions by the four city districts and food stalls, on the last weekend of October (2026: October 23–25).
• Mostra Mercato del Tartufo Bianco, San Miniato: Trüffelmarkt an den letzten drei Novemberwochenenden (2026: 14./15., 21./22. und 28./29. November).
• Mostra Mercato del Tartufo Bianco, San Miniato: Truffle market on the last three weekends of November (10: 14th/15th, 21st/22nd and 28th/29th November).

Tips for visiting

• Arrive early: For matches like Palio, Calcio Storico, or Luminara, the stands are full hours in advance. Seats in the stands are subject to a fee and often sell out early.
• Book accommodation early: Rooms around Palio and Lucca Comics are quickly booked, e.g. Accommodation in Siena or Accommodation in Lucca.
• Arrival: Old town centers are usually closed to traffic during festivals (ZTL). Park outside the city center or travel by bus and train.
• Outside of the holidays: You can view the Campo and the Palio venue at your leisure, for example, during a Guided tour of Siena and the cathedral or from Torre del Mangia .
• Weekly markets: The regular ones Tuscan markets by day of the week They take place throughout the year.

Frequently asked questions about festivals in Tuscany