Ypsigrock Festival, Castelbuono — August 6th-9th
The Ypsigrock Festival returns for its 29th edition in the medieval town of Castelbuono in Sicily. The festival is considered Italy’s first boutique festival (a small music festival) and a gathering spot for those who like indie music.
International artists will perform in Castelbuono, at the foothills of the Madonie Mountains, toward the end of this week.
Red Valley Festival, Olbia — August 13-15th
Another musical festival – this time in Sardinia – is the Red Valley Festival. Featuring both Italian and international artists, you can see the festival lineup here.
This year marks the festival's 11th edition.
Palio di Siena, Siena — August 16th
Il Palio di Siena is Italy's most famous historical horse race. A traditional event held in Siena, Tuscany, twice a year, on July 2nd and August 16th. The latter is called Palio dell’Assunta because it’s in honour of the Madonna Assunta.
Il Palio consists of four days of events and practice races culminating in the main horse race: three laps of Piazza del Campo for a total of about 1,000 metres.
The race starts at 7pm on August 16th, but spectators might want to arrive at Piazza del Campo by 4:30pm to secure a spot.
Faradda dei Candelieri, Sassari — August 14th
In Sassari, Sardinia, thirteen large wooden columns (candelieri), each carried by eight bearers, are paraded from Piazza Castello through the historic centre to honour the Madonna Assunta.
The event – recognised by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage – will start at 6pm in Piazza Castello and end at the Santa Maria di Betlem church.
Arena di Verona Opera Festival, Verona — throughout August
The 103rd Arena di Verona Opera Festival features 50 evenings of performances from June 12th to September 12th 2026, with major productions of Aida, Turandot, Nabucco, La Traviata and more staged in the Roman amphitheatre during August.
You can find all the shows and buy tickets here.
READ ALSO: What you need to know about Italy's free museum Sundays
Ferrara Buskers Festival, Ferrara — August 26th–30th
The Ferrara Buskers Festival is a five-day street festival, with musicians and performers coming together in the streets of Ferrara in Emilia-Romagna.
The events will start at 7pm and include talks, artistic labs, readings, art exhibitions and shows. There will also be street food in Piazza Castello and a craft market in Corso Martiri della Libertà. Daily tickets and festival passes are available for purchase online.
After midnight, there will be free concerts and DJ sets in the Cortile del Castello Estense. The full programme is available here.
Ravello Festival, Ravello — July 4th–September 5th
The 74th edition of the Ravello festival, in Campania, takes place in Villa Rufolo, with open-air concerts from July to September. There are nine performances throughout August, spanning from jazz to symphonic repertoire on the stunning backdrop of the Amalfi coast.
You can find out more about the concerts and buy tickets here.
Puccini Festival, Torre del Lago, Tuscany — July 17th–September 5th
Every summer, the small Tuscan town of Torre del Lago hosts a prestigious open-air opera festival entirely dedicated to Italian composer Giacomo Puccini.
The 72nd edition features performances of La Bohème, Turandot and Madama Butterfly, among other classics.
**Palio dei Terzieri, Città della Pieve, Umbria — August 10th-23th **
For two weeks in August, Città della Pieve in Umbria hosts a renaissance reenactment: the Palio dei Terzieri festival.
Three of the town’s neighbourhoods, called Terzieri, compete in a historic archery competition, while the city centre is decorated with flags and emblems, and local residents dress in historical costumes.
READ MORE: Staying in Rome this August? Here’s what to do and see
Food festivals — all month
No matter your culinary taste, there are plenty of food festivals to choose from in August across Italy.
From the sagra della gricia, celebrating one of Lazio's iconic pasta dishes made with guanciale, pecorino and black pepper, taking place on August 17th-18th in Grisciano, to the sagra delle tagliatelle fritte (fried meatballs filled with tagliatelle, meat and bechamel) in Monterubbiano, Marche, from August 10th to August 14th.
If you love spicy food, you can’t miss sagra de li diavulicchi in Morciano di Leuca, Puglia, on August 6th, where you’ll be able to taste different spicy dishes, and sagra della ’nduja, a typical spicy pork sausage, on August 8th in Spilinga, Calabria.
For those who prefer seafood, la sagra della vongola (clam festival), in Tortoreto Lido, Abruzzo, from August 5th to August 9th is another option.
Outdoor cinema — all month
Movie lovers can almost always find an open-air movie screening in Italy during the summer months.
In Rome, the outdoor theatre Ettore Scola in Villa Borghese hosts free movie screenings in the original language with Italian subtitles. If you like watching films in Italian and have missed some of the movies in theatres during the year, Cinevillage is the place to go, with €5 screenings until September.
In Milan, outdoor movie screenings will continue throughout the summer as part of the annual AriAnteo movie series.
Florence also has several outdoor movie venues.
The Sotto le Stelle Festival continues in Bologna with screenings until August 14th alongside the free Cinemoving screenings in Venice that will continue until September.
Don’t forget that August 15th, Ferragosto, is a national holiday in Italy so expect fireworks and festivities across the country – as well as many business closures.