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ISSIMO’s Cultural Calendar for 2026

December 11, 2025

ISSIMO’s Cultural Calendar for 2026

Take out your agendas: These are the events we’re most excited about this year (in Italy, of course)

There’s never a dull moment in Italy, and this year’s cultural calendar is proof of that. From art spectacles to festivals, Olympics to seaside opera, 2026 is packed with events as diverse as the country’s landscapes, and as rich as its heritage. Ready to plan your year?

February: Winter’s Grand Opening

Italy kicks off its 2026 cultural year with its most globally visible event: the Milano–Cortina Winter Olympics. Running from February 6–22, the Games offer more than sport: they’re a feast of ceremony, spectacle, and live entertainment at venues from Milan to Cortina d’Ampezzo and beyond. Expect unforgettable artistry in the opening and closing ceremonies, and Italian flair woven through every moment.

6 – 22 February 2026

Milan, Cortina D’Ampezzo, Val di Fiemme

March: Florence, Through the Eyes of Rothko

March brings one of the most anticipated art events of the year to Florence: a major exhibition dedicated to Mark Rothko, hosted at Palazzo Strozzi from 14 March to 23 August 2026.

Curated by Christopher Rothko alongside Elena Geuna, the show traces the artist’s entire career through more than 70 works loaned from leading international institutions, from New York to London and Paris. But this is more than a retrospective. It’s a dialogue between Rothko and the Tuscan city, unfolding across its most resonant cultural spaces.

Beyond Palazzo Strozzi, the exhibition extends to the Museo di San Marco and the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana, creating a layered journey through art, architecture, and contemplation. The result is an immersive experience worth a visit. 

14 March – 23 August 2026

Palazzo Strozzi,  Museo di San Marco and Laurentian Medici Library

Design, design design

Each April, Milan transforms into the world’s most thrilling design laboratory with Salone del Mobile, the city’s flagship international furniture and design fair. This year is no exception. From 21–26 April 2026, the fairgrounds at Fiera Milano Rho become a vibrant crossroads of innovation, craftsmanship, and future thinking, showcasing everything from visionary furnishings to material experiments from across the globe.

But Salone isn’t just a trade show:  it’s the heart of Milan Design Week, where galleries, courtyards, studios and palazzi host pop-up exhibitions, installations and talks that spill into the city itself. If you want to feel inspired, delighted and surprised, this is the event for you. 

21 – 26 April 2026

Fiera Milano Rho & across Milan

May: Contemporary Art Takes the Stage in Venice

From May 9 to November 22 2026, Venice turns into the world’s most exciting hub for contemporary art with the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia. This landmark showcase, titled In Minor Keys, unfolds across the historic Giardini, the Arsenale, and unexpected corners of the city, bringing together national pavilions and bold voices from around the globe.

9 May – 22 November 2026

Venice – Giardini, Arsenale, and citywide venues

June: Opera Under the Stars in Verona

There’s no setting quite like it. From 12 June to 12 September 2026, the Arena di Verona once again transforms into one of the world’s most magical open-air stages with the 103rd Arena Opera Festival. Watching an opera here is more than a performance: it’s a full sensory experience, where music, history, and summer night air come together inside a two-thousand-year-old Roman amphitheatre.

The 2026 season features around 50 performances, opening with Verdi’s La Traviata and continuing with beloved classics like Nabucco and Puccini’s La Bohème, alongside ballet and symphonic concerts. Whether you’re a lifelong opera lover or a first-timer, this is one of those Italian moments that feels truly unforgettable.

12 June –12 September 2026

Verona – Arena di Verona

July: Jazz Hands in Umbria

Every July, the medieval streets of Perugia come alive with music and atmosphere as the Umbria Jazz Festival returns to town. From 3–12 July 2026, the festival transforms this hilltop city into one of Italy’s most vibrant cultural stages, where jazz spills out from historic squares, intimate venues, and the grand Arena Santa Giuliana.

Besides its concerts, Umbria Jazz is a city-wide event that marries Perugia’s medieval charm with world-class performances, spontaneous jam sessions, and summertime energy. Expect headliners and surprises alike, including powerhouse performances like Zucchero’s evening set on 11 July – all against the beautiful Umbrian skyline.

3 – 12 July 2026

Perugia – various venues, including Arena Santa Giuliana

August: Taranto Takes the Mediterranean Stage

In late summer, the spotlight shifts south. From 21 August to 3 September 2026, Taranto hosts the Mediterranean Games, welcoming athletes from more than 26 countries across Europe, Africa, and Asia. With over 200 competitions from athletics and swimming to fencing and volleyball, the city becomes a vibrant arena of sport, movement, and shared energy.

But it’s not just about the games. During this showcase, Taranto itself shines as a meeting point between cultures, histories, and coastlines, pairing high-level competition with the rhythms of southern Italy. 

21 August – 3 September 2026

Taranto and surrounding areas, Puglia

September: Rome, in a New Frequency

On 12 and 13 September 2026, Dissonanze returns to Rome, reigniting the city’s conversation with cutting-edge electronic and experimental sound. Long a reference point for Italy’s contemporary music scene, the festival brings together composers, producers, and artists working at the intersection of electronics, performance, and research.

Hosted at the Auditorium Parco della Musica, Dissonanze shows that Rome’s cultural pulse extends well beyond its ancient rhythms. Expect bold soundscapes, immersive performances, and two days tuned firmly to the present.

12 – 13 September 2026

Rome –  Auditorium Parco della Musica

October: White Truffles in Alba

Every October, the rolling hills of Piemonte celebrate one of Italy’s most coveted treasures: the white truffle. At the Fiera Internazionale del Tartufo Bianco d’Alba – running from October 10 to December 6 in Alba – gourmands, chefs, and curious travellers gather to savour this aromatic gem in all its forms.

Markets brim with truffle stands and local produce, tastings thread between historic piazzas, and expert “tartufo hunters” and their dogs are ever-present reminders of an age-old craft. Beyond food, the festival is cultural theatre: talks, pairings, and events that illuminate why this humble fungus has such a mighty reputation.

10 October – 6 December 2026

Alba, Piedmont

November: Venice, Between Sacred and Secular

On 21 November 2026, Venice pauses for one of its most evocative annual traditions: La Festa della Madonna della Salute. Locals and visitors alike cross the Punta della Dogana and the Accademia Bridge toward the grand basilica of Santa Maria della Salute, offering flowers and gratitude in a ritual that blends the sacred with the city’s everyday life. 

Part procession, part pilgrimage, this festa is rooted in history (born of gratitude for deliverance from plague) yet it still resonates as a living expression of Venetian identity. Expect candles, quiet hymns, and the warm glow of devotion against the cool November skies.

21 November 2026

Venice — Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute

December: A South Tyrolean Christmas in Bolzano

As winter settles in, Bolzano turns into a real-life snow globe. From late November through 6 January 2027, Italy’s largest Christmas market takes over Piazza Walther, filling the city with wooden stalls, twinkling lights, and the unmistakable scent of mulled wine.

The Mercatino di Natale di Bolzano is a festive classic: handcrafted decorations, local treats like gingerbread and Zelten, and plenty for little ones too, from carousels and mini-trains to baking workshops. It’s the perfect place to slow down and savour the season.

Late November 2026 – 6 January 2027 (closed 25 December)

Bolzano — Piazza Walther

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