September 2026 in the Florence area

The Burning of the Tower in Signa, the Rificolona festival, the 100th Grape Festival, the Biennale Internazionale dell’Antiquariato, new exhibitions, and much more.

September Traditions

September’s calendar is packed with exciting events and long-standing traditional celebrations. Starting with the Antica Fiera di Signa — truly ancient, as this year it celebrates its 700th anniversary! — the fair features a rich programme (28 August–21 September) of exhibitions spread throughout the town, concerts and themed dinners, the barrel-racing competition, and evening markets. But the highlight is undoubtedly the Medieval Festival at Signa Castle (4 and 5 September): following a banquet, the spectacular historical re-enactment culminates in the “Burning of the Tower” at 11:45 p.m. on Saturday.

On 7 September, we move to Piazza Santissima Annunziata in Florence for the magical Rificolona festival. If you are lucky enough to be visiting during these days, you simply cannot miss one of the annual celebrations most beloved by Florentines (especially children!). With a procession setting off at 7 p.m. from Piazza Santa Felicita, the city fills with rificolone — illuminated paper lanterns in every shape and colour — before arriving at Santissima Annunziata for the traditional gathering.

The final weekend, meanwhile, is marked by two other traditions. The first is the Carro Matto, on Saturday 26 September, whose roots date back to fourteenth-century Florence and which offers a spectacle unlike any other. Re-enacting the journey once made by farmers to bring the new Chianti wine into the city to be blessed, a carro matto — a “crazy cart” loaded with hundreds of wine flasks and pulled by white oxen — still sets off from Rufina today, arriving in Piazza Duomo before completing its journey in Piazza della Signoria!

Last but certainly not least is the 100th edition of the Festa dell’Uva in Impruneta, featuring the unmissable parade of the neighbourhood floats on Sunday 27 September. It is a truly high-level creative and craftsmanship competition involving the entire community of the terracotta village and captivating hundreds of spectators.

The Main Events in September 2026

1. Exhibitions and Cultural Events

From September 10 to January 5, 2027, the exhibition "Beyond the Renaissance: Between Dürer and Parmigianino" will be on view at Palazzo Medici Riccardi, presenting a selection of important Mannerist prints from the exquisite collection of artist Georg Baselitz and the holdings of the Museum of Fine Arts in Budapest. From 11 to 13 September, Artigianato e Palazzo, now in its 32nd edition, brings the best of Italian and European craftsmanship to the Giardino Corsini, creating a dialogue between tradition and contemporary creativity.

The main cultural events and new openings, however, will be concentrated in the final weekend of September. At the Museo Novecento, from 26 September 2026 to 7 March 2027, the Victor Man exhibition presents the work of the Romanian artist and leading figure of the renowned Cluj School, with a selection of around 25 paintings exploring universal themes such as motherhood, self-portraiture, and the female figure.

At Palazzo Strozzi, from 25 September 2026 to 24 January 2027, a major new international exhibition arrives: “Broken. The Power of the Fragment”, exploring the evocative power of the fragment in sculpture through works by Giovanni Pisano, Michelangelo, Antonio Canova, and Auguste Rodin, alongside modern and contemporary artists.

From 26 September to 4 October, the magnificent Palazzo Corsini sul Prato once again hosts the 34th International Biennial of Antiques in Florence, an important event for collectors and art enthusiasts from around the world.

On 27 September, it is time for the XXIV Corri la Vita, an event combining sport, solidarity, and culture while taking participants through some of the city’s most evocative locations. The charity run or walk supports breast cancer prevention and research. By purchasing the traditional Ferragamo-designed T-shirt as the participation fee, visitors also gain access to numerous special openings of venues taking part in the event.

That same weekend sees the European Heritage Days, offering the opportunity to discover museums, palaces, and historic sites free of charge or through special initiatives. At the Basilica of Santa Croce, from 24 to 27 September, Genius Loci: Discovering Santa Croce returns. Organised by Controradio and Opera di Santa Croce, the event combines art, music, and theatre.

2. Music and Festivals

From 5 to 13 September, the Firenze Jazz Festival returns, bringing concerts and performances dedicated to contemporary jazz to venues across the city, creating a lively and international atmosphere. The 2026 edition also introduces a new main stage in the Giardino delle Scuderie Reali di Porta Romana, which will host the main events from 11 to 13 September.

Meanwhile, Rignano sull’Arno and Reggello host the long-running Festival Suoni e Colori in Toscana (30 August–13 September), a tribute to the great masters of music. This year’s theme is “Controcanto, storie e artisti fuori dal coro” (“Counterpoint: stories and artists outside the mainstream”).

On Saturday 12 September 2026 at 7 p.m., the major closing event of the Lattexplus Festival returns to the Cavea of the Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, featuring Ciao. Discoteca Italiana and Mind Enterprises live.

On the cinema front, from 10 to 13 September, the African Diaspora Cinema Festival (ADCF) celebrates its tenth anniversary at Teatro Affratellamento. Founded by director and artistic director Fide Dayo, the festival has numerous international collaborations and promotes African cinema and culture.

Finally, from 10 to 20 September, Open Air Circus — an international contemporary circus festival — returns to the Prato del Quercione in the Parco delle Cascine, with shows and performances designed to engage audiences of all ages and transform the park into a space of magic and creativity.

3. Wine and Flavours

September is also the ideal month for lovers of wine and local specialities. From 11 to 13 September, the Festa di Settembre di Londa, or Festa della Pesca Regina (celebrating a local speciality), offers a rich programme of cultural and food-and-wine events.

In Greve in Chianti, the Chianti Expo, first established way back in 1970, takes place from 10 to 13 September, offering a journey through local produce, wine, gastronomy, and crafts. Meanwhile, in the picturesque village of Montefioralle, the wine festival Montefioralle Divino returns from 25 to 27 September. In Florence, Enò Florence, on 20 and 21 September at Fortezza da Basso, offers two days dedicated to wine culture, with hundreds of labels available for tasting.

Completing the calendar is the 51st edition of Bacco Artigiano in Rufina, a historic event dedicated to wine and local specialities from the Rufina area, taking place from 24 to 27 September.

4. In the Spirit of the Palio

September offers numerous opportunities to experience village festivals featuring neighbourhood competitions, folk traditions, and various forms of the palio.

On 13 September, in Bagno a Ripoli, the Giostra della Stella is held — a medieval tournament contested by four knights representing each neighbourhood district. In Cerreto Guidi, the Palio del Cerro (5 September), which has been held since 1969, brings the historic centre to life with challenges between neighbourhoods, processions, and costumed performances.

In Capraia e Limite, the Palio con la Montata (14 September) recalls an ancient tradition centred on a rowing competition between neighbourhoods on the waters of the Arno. Finally, in Scarperia, immediately after the Renaissance Days (5 and 6 September), which recreate life in the Renaissance period, the town celebrates its founding with the re-enactment of the Diotto, culminating in the palio on 8 September.

September Itinerary

In the month of the International Biennial of Antiques in Florence, we take you on a journey to discover some of Florence’s most important collectors and antique dealers, whose precious legacies have become museums open to the public.

Discover the itinerary dedicated to art collecting in Florence.