What are the top 10 most important festivals in Italy in 2025? Well, we hope to answer that question below…
Italy, a country rich in history, culture and tradition, is home to a plethora of festivals that reflect its diverse regions and deep-rooted customs.
These celebrations, ranging from religious feasts to lively local events, offer a glimpse into the Italian way of life and are often accompanied by music, food, and vibrant parades.
Each region, town, and village boasts its own distinct festivities, which are eagerly anticipated throughout the year. These events are opportunities for communities to come together, reinforcing bonds and preserving traditions that have been passed down through generations.
Religious festivals hold a special place in the Italian calendar. These events are marked by solemn rituals, processions, and prayers, often culminating in communal feasts that bring everyone together in celebration.
Beyond their religious significance, many festivals in Italy are rooted in historical events, folklore, or the celebration of local produce. They serve as a living history lesson, where the past is brought to life through reenactments, games, and other cultural expressions.
In this article, we will explore the italian festivals which should be on every traveler’s itinerary.
10. FESTA DI SANT’AGATA – February 3-5, 2025, Catania
Festa di Sant’Agata 2025 (Feast of Saint Agatha 2025) will take place from Monday, February 3, to Wednesday, February 5, 2025, in Catania.
Festa di Sant’Agata is one of the largest religious festivals in Italy, celebrated annually in Catania in honor of the city’s patron saint, Saint Agatha.
This festival attracts hundreds of thousands of pilgrims and is a powerful expression of the city’s faith and devotion.
SHORT HISTORY: Saint Agatha was a 3rd-century martyr who was tortured and killed for her Christian faith. Her relics are believed to have saved Catania from numerous disasters, including eruptions of Mount Etna.
THE FESTIVAL TODAY: The festival begins with a grand procession known as the Offering of the Candles, followed by the display of the saint’s relics. The highlight is a silver carriage with the saint’s relics being paraded through the city’s streets.
The festival is marked by a mix of solemn religious rituals and joyous celebrations, including fireworks, music, and traditional food.
9. FESTA DI SANTA ROSALIA – July 10-15, 2025, Palermo
Festa di Santa Rosalia 2025 (Feast of Saint Rosalia 2025) will take place from Thursday, July 10, to Tuesday, July 15, 2025, in Palermo. Festa di Santa Rosalia 2025 will be the 401 edition of the festival.
The religious feast, one of the most important in Sicily, was officially recognized as an intangible heritage of Italy by the Central Institute for Demo-Ethno-Anthropology.
SHORT HISTORY: The feast is dedicated to Saint Rosalia, the patron saint of Palermo, and it commemorates the miraculous appearances of the Saint from 1624, when the city was hit by plague.
After the Archbishop of Palermo organised a procession through the city, carrying the relics of the Saint, the city was freed from the plague.
THE FESTIVAL TODAY: Every year, the festival lasts six days, with the first three days being reserved for the preparation of the great procession held on the evening of July 14th.
The central point of the procession is a vessel-shaped chariot, built different every year, carrying the Statue of Saint Rosalia.
8. EXPLOSION OF THE CART – April 20, 2025, Florence
The Explosion of the Cart 2025 (Scoppio del Carro 2025) will take place on April 20, 2025, in Piazza del Duomo, in Florence.
The Explosion of the Cart is a unique Easter tradition in Florence that dates back over 350 years. This ancient ceremony is a blend of religious significance and festive spectacle, taking place on Easter Sunday in front of the Florence Cathedral.
SHORT HISTORY: The tradition originated in the First Crusade, when a Florentine knight returned from Jerusalem with flint stones from the Holy Sepulchre. These stones were used to ignite the holy fire during the Easter Vigil.
THE FESTIVAL TODAY: The centerpiece of the event is a tall, ornate cart, which is loaded with fireworks. After the Easter Mass, a mechanical dove is ignited inside the Cathedral and sent flying along a wire to the cart outside, setting off a spectacular display of fireworks.
The success of the explosion is believed to ensure a good harvest and prosperity for the city in the coming year.
Scoppio del Carro 2025 is on the eight place in our Top 10 most important festivals in Italy in 2025.
7. CARNIVAL OF ACIREALE – February 15 – March 4, 2025, Acireale
The Carnival of Acireale 2025 (Carnevale di Acireale 2025) will take place between Saturday, February 15, and Tuesday, March 4, 2025, in Acireale.
The Acireale Carnival, held every year in the charming town of Acireale, on the eastern coast of Sicily, is one of Italy’s most renowned and colorful festivals.
SHORT HISTORY: The origins of the Carnival of Acireale can be traced back to the 16th century, making it one of the oldest carnivals in Italy.
THE FESTIVAL TODAY: The main attractions of the modern carnival include the majestic allegorical floats, the floral floats, and the costumed participants who bring the streets of Acireale to life.
During the Acireale Carnival 2025, between February 15 and March 4, the parade of allegorical floats will take place every Saturday and Sunday, on a predefined route.
6. FESTA DELLA BRUNA – July 2, 2025, Matera
Festa della Bruna 2025 will take place on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in the beautiful city of Matera.
Festa della Madonna della Bruna is Matera’s most important religious festival. This celebration honors Madonna della Bruna, the city’s patron saint, with a series of rituals that blend faith, tradition, and community spirit.
SHORT HISTORY: The origins of the festival are linked to a legend in which the Virgin Mary, disguised as a peasant woman, asked for a ride into Matera on a cart.
After reaching the city, she disappeared, leaving behind a statue of herself. This event inspired the city to honor her with an annual festival.
THE FESTIVAL TODAY: The day begins with the Procession of the Shepherds, followed by a mass in the Cathedral of Matera.
The highlight of the festival is the procession of a triumphal cart carrying a statue of the Madonna. The procession culminates in the dramatic Rite of Destruction, where the cart is torn apart by the crowd, symbolizing the triumph of good over evil.
The festival concludes with a spectacular fireworks display over the city.
5. FESTA DEL REDENTORE – July 16-17, 2022, Venice
Festa del Redentore 2025 (Feast of the Redeemer 2025), one of the most important events in the Venetian calendar, will take place on Saturday, July 19, and Sunday, July 20, 2025, in Venice.
Every year since the 16th century, the feast is celebrated in the third weekend of July. At first, Festa del Redentore was a purely religious event, but over the centuries profane elements were added to the religious manifestations.
SHORT HISTORY: Between 1575 and 1577, a merciless plague ravaged Venice and claimed the lives of about one-third of its population. The Doge of Venice vowed to build a grandiose church dedicated to Christ the Redeemer if the plague ended.
After the church was built, the city was declared cured, and the Venetians initiated a new celebration called Festa del Redentore.
THE FESTIVAL TODAY: On the first day of the feast, a great party is held, completed in the evening by a spectacular fireworks display.
The second day of the feast, Sunday, is reserved for religious service and for the Regata del Redentore, a race of typical Venetian boats.
4. CALENDIMAGGIO – May 4-7, 2022, Assisi
Calendimaggio 2025 will most likely take place between Wednesday, May 7, and Saturday, May 10, 2025, in the beautiful town of Assisi.
On this occasion, the town is divided in two parts – Nobilissima Parte de Sopra (Noble Upper Part) and Magnifica Parte de Sotto (Magnificent Lower Part).
SHORT HISTORY: The origins of Calendimaggio are lost in time. Most likely, the festival tried to revive an ancient pagan custom that celebrated the return of spring and the renewal of the cycle of life.
THE FESTIVAL TODAY: The festival begins with the official proclamation of Calendimaggio. Then, Parte de Sopra and Parte de Sotto challenge each other for the conquest of the Palio, through parades in medieval costumes, reenactments of medieval life and musical performances.
At the end of the games, the jury, composed of internationally renowned experts in medieval culture and history, choose the winner of each edition.
Calendimaggio 2025 is on the fourth place in our Top 10 most important festivals in Italy in 2025.
3. INFIORATA DI NOTO – May 16-20, 2025, Noto
Infiorata di Noto 2025, the 46th edition of the famous flower festival, will take place between Friday, May 16, and Tuesday, May 20, 2025, in Via Corrado Nicolaci, in the beautiful town of Noto.
Infiorata di Noto is part of the Baroque Spring (Primavera Barocca), a series of events including concerts, craft exibitions and the Baroque Procession (Corteo Barocco), consisting of people in period costumes, flag-wavers and musicians, who parade through the streets of the historical center of the town.
SHORT HISTORY: The tradition originated in the 17th century in Rome. It was a mean to celebrate religious events by adorning church floors with flower petals, creating stunning, ephemeral works of art.
In Noto, the event was born 40 years ago, when the Noto floral artists met the ones from Genzano, part of the Metropolitan City of Rome, where this pictorial technique was developed.
THE FESTIVAL TODAY: After the preparations of May 16 and 17, the actual contest will take place on Sunday, May 18, with locals and tourists alike waiting their turn to admire the wonderful mosaic of petals, until late in the evening.
2. PALIO DI SIENA – July 2 & August 16, 2025, Siena
Palio di Siena 2025 will be held, as usual, twice in 2025, in the magnificent Piazza del Campo, in Siena.
The first event, Palio di Provenzano 2025, will take place on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, and the second, Palio dell’Assunta 2025, will be held on Saturday, August 16, 2025.
Dating back to the 14th century, this fiercely competitive event pits the city’s 17 districts (contrade) against each other in a race around Piazza del Campo, Siena’s main square.
SHORT HISTORY: The Palio originated as a religious festival in honor of the Virgin Mary, with the race serving as a display of the city’s devotion. Over time, it evolved into a more secular event, though its religious roots remain evident in the rituals surrounding the race.
THE FESTIVAL TODAY: On the day of the Palio, the city is filled with parades, flag-waving ceremonies, and historical reenactments.
The race itself lasts just about 90 seconds, but its outcome is of immense importance to the Sienese, because the winning contrada is celebrated with feasts and processions.
The intensity and passion of the Palio make it a truly unique cultural experience.
1. CARNIVAL OF VENICE – February 14 – March 4, 2025, Venice
The Carnival of Venice 2025 (Carnevale di Venezia 2025) will take place between Friday, February 14, and Tuesday, March 4, 2025, in the incredible city of Venice.
Perhaps one of the most famous festivals in the world, the Venice Carnival is a grand spectacle of opulence, mystery, and tradition. Held annually in the weeks leading up to Lent, this festival dates back to the 12th century.
SHORT HISTORY: The Venetian Carnival was initiated as an attempt to allow the social classes of Venice to mix for a limited period of time.
The wearing of masks symbolized the removal of social barriers, enabling people from all walks of life to interact freely.
THE FESTIVAL TODAY: The Venice Carnival is best known for its elaborate masks and costumes, which transform the city into a living, breathing piece of history.
Today, the Carnival of Venice is marked by grand masquerade balls, street performances, and parades. Highlights include the Flight of the Angel, and the contest for the best mask.
The Venice Carnival 2025 is on the first place in our Top 10 most important festivals in Italy in 2025.
