Florence Month-by-Month

One of the top cities to visit in Italy, Florence has a few worthwhile festivals to add to your itinerary. Here are highlights of what's happening each month in Florence. Click on the links below for details of these listings or to see more festivals and events. Make sure to check out the  National Holidays in Italy to see which dates are holidays in Florence and throughout the country.​

January starts on New Year's Day, an Italian holiday that's a quiet day after the late-night celebrations and on January 6, also a holiday, Epiphany and la Befana are celebrated with a parade in the city center.

Top events in February are a  chocolate fair and sometimes Carnevale, Italy's version of mardi gras, falls in this month and although Florence doesn't have a big celebration it does have a parade.

March 8 is Women's Day, the 17th is Saint Partick's Day, and the 19th is Saint Joseph's Day, also celebrated as Father's Day in Italy. Sometimes Carnevale falls in March and sometimes Easter falls near the end of the month but the biggest event is the Florentine New Year, celebrated on March 25.

Florence has an unusual Easter event, the Scoppio del Carro, or explosion of the cart, shown in the photo. Easter often falls in April although sometimes it's in March. April 25 is a holiday for Liberation Day and at the end of the month, there's usually a Notte Bianca with lots of special events and museum openings well into the night.

May 1 is a big holiday throughout the country for Labor Day and some museums, such as the Uffizi Gallery, are usually closed but there are special events and often lots of tourists in the city. Maggio Musicale Fiorentino is a big music festival and the month ends with a gelato festival.

June 2 is a national holiday for Republic Day. Florence celebrates the feast day of its patron saint, Saint John, with Calcio Storico, a historic soccer match played in Renaissance costume and fireworks. FirenzEstate summer arts and music festival takes place in June.

Florence's summer festival continues in July and there's a dance festival. Many festivals are held in towns near Florence during summer.

The traditional start of the Italian summer holidays is August 15, Ferragosto, and during this month most locals head to the sea or the mountains, leaving many shops and restaurants closed for vacation although in the tourist area many will remain open. Events for the summer festival continue in August.

One of Florence's biggest and most traditional festivals, the Festa della Rificolona or Festival of the Lanterns, is held September 7 and includes a lantern parade, boat parade, and a fair. Wine Town Firenze usually happens at the end of the month.

October is a nice time to visit Florence when the tourist crowds start to diminish and the heat of summer is over. The Amici della Musica classical music concert season starts in October and many nightclubs have parties for Halloween.

November 1 is All Saints' Day, a public holiday. The Florence marathon is held the last Sunday of the month.

The Christmas season starts December 8, a national holiday, and an art and food fair is usually held on this day. Throughout the month you'll find Christmas markets, including a popular German-style market, as well as Hanukkah events early in the month. December 25 and 26 are national holidays.

Editor's Note: This article has been updated and edited by Martha Bakerjian.