Florence is a lively city and one of the cultural capitals of Italy. Almost every month there is an event, festival or special market. Below is a list of the most important annual events in Florence, organized by month.
Annual Events Florence
January
As an important fashion city there are of course also many fashion shows in Florence. January is the month in which they usually take place.
February
No major festivals.
March
No major festivals, unless Easter falls early.
March/April
Scoppio del Carro: On Easter Sunday, at 12 o’clock, a dove flies away from the cathedral and lands on a ribbon, starting a fireworks show from an old cart.
April
Mostra Mercato Internazionale dell’Artigianato: In the last week of April one of the most important festivals of artists and craftsmen in Europe takes place in Florence. It takes place in the Fortezza da Basso.
May
Festa del Grillo: On the Sunday after Ascension Day, so mostly in May, crickets are sold in small straw cages in Cascine Park. It supposedly brings fortune to set the crickets free in this park.
Maggio Musicale: A Musical Month. This festival, with music by the Orchestra Regionale Toscano, and dance, lasts until early June.
Ufficio Stampa Firenze Gelato Festival: for 5 days, at the end of the month, Piazza della Repubblica and Piazza Santissima Annunziata form the stage for one big gelateria.
June
Calcio Storico: A costumed football match, but then the medieval Florentine version of football, which was quite violent. The battlefield, towards the end of the month, is the Piazza di Santa Croce.
July
No important events
August
In August, everyone is on holiday and there are few Florentines in Florence, so not much happens. The only event worth mentioning takes place on August 10th. On this day, the Festival of San Lorenzo in the square of the same name offers live music and, from 21.00, after the market stalls have left the piazza, free lasagna and water melon for everybody.
The 15th of Augustus is called Ferragosto and is a national holiday. If you want to visit museums, make sure that they are open before you go there. Many shops and restaurants will be closed, and public transportation will not be very frequent.
September
Festa della Rificolona: on 7 September, the children of Florence meet in Piazza della Santissima Annunziata. They have candlelit paper lanterns to celebrate the birth of the Virgin Mary.
September/October: The biennial antiques market Mostra Mercato Internazionale dell’Antiquariato is held.
October
It starts in October, but lasts until April: The concert season of the Amici della Musica.
November
The film festival Festival dei Popoli (“Festival of Nations”) is the most important film festival in Florence. In Piazza dei Congressi, films are shown in the original language, with Italian subtitles.
December
Apart from the Christmas celebrations, there are no special festivals in Florence.