Italy's Festivals and Music Events

The experts at Italy 4 Real have a great list of the most popular music, film and art events in Italy. We travel each year searching out the best in Italian music events.

Amalfi Coast Music & Arts Festival Voice/opera, chamber music, winds, piano and visual arts. Join musicians, artists and enthusiasts in the spectacular setting of Vietri, Italy on the Amalfi Coast inJuly for two 10-day sessions. Daily master classes, coaching, concerts, exhibits, excursions, etc. for amateur and aspiring professional musicians and artists. Guest program also available for enthusiasts, friends and family.

Assisi Performing Arts Festival Vocalists and instrumentalists convene in Assisi, Italy, in a program designed to complement the course of study that a music student would experience at a university or conservatory. Focus is on classical music, although jazz is highlighted with the recent addition of the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra.

• Arena di Verona Outdoor opera during the summer months in the Roman amphitheater in Verona.
• Festival of Two Worlds In Spoleto. Held since 1958, generally in July, a massive program of symphonic music, opera, dance, jazz.
• Rossini opera festival In Pesaro, birthplace of the composer. Generally in August. Features music of Rossini, but includes others.
• Auditorium Parco della Musica Various musical events of all kinds throughout the year at the new music auditorium in Rome in the Flaminio quarter of the city near the Olympic village.
• Maggio Musicale Fiorentino In Florence, a wide selection of classical concerts throughout the season, generally from October through April.

Umbria Jazz Festival In Perugia, generally in July. The largest such event in Italy.

• Music Fest Perugia In Perugia, from 28th July to 10th August. Classical music, focusing on piano and voice. Masterclasses, recitals, and concerts with I Solisti di Perugia. Concerts are in extraordinary halls such as Sala di Notari (July 31, August 2), Basilica San Pietro (August 7 and August 9)
• The Ravello Festival Extensive program in July and August in Ravello, on the Amalfi coast.
• Ravello Concert Society Separate from the above, concert and chamber music, generally starts in March.
• SoundSCAPE Contemporary Music Festival In Association With the University of Kansas, USA. Concerts are held in historical venues throughout the town center of Pavia, 35km south of Milan. Mid-July.
• San Leucio Festival. Classical, jazz, and pop music festival in July near Caserta. Also see Music of Campania.
• San Remo Festival The largest festival of Italian pop music in Italy. End of February/beginning of March.
• Annual Verdi Festival at the Teatro Regio in Parma.
• Annual International Festival of Operetta at the Teatro Giuseppe Verdi in Trieste.
• Kals'Art festival of music, cinema, theatre and art held in the summer in Palermo, Sicily. (This link is to the '05 festival program.)l
• Festival dello Stretto in Reggio Calabria
• Paleariza in Reggio Calabria
• Neapolis Festival in Naples
• Ravello Festival in Ravello
• Flame Fest in Bologna
• Independent Days Festival in Bologna
• Flippaut Festival in Bologna
• Netmage in Bologna
• Castelfranco Blues Festival in Castelfranco Emilia
• Ferrara sotto le stelle in Ferrara
• Porretta Soul Festival in Porretta Terme
• Play It Loud! Festival in Orzinuovi
• Rototom Sunsplash in Osoppo
• Liri Blues Festival in Isola del Liri
• Amore Festival in Rome
• Dissonanze in Rome
• Roma Tango Meeting in Rome
• Goa-Boa Festival in Genoa
• Festival della canzone italiana in Sanremo
• Mantova Musica Festival in Mantova
• Elita Festival in Milan
• Evolution Festival in Milan
• IdroscaloRock in Milan
• Gods of Metal in Milan
• Festival Latino Americando in Assago
• Tradate Iron Fest in Tradate
• Celtic Music Festival in Cremona
• Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro
• Traffic Festival in Turin
• Carpino Folk Festival in Carpino
• Festival Notte della Taranta
• Rockaralis in Cagliari
• Arezzo Wave in Arezzo
• Italia Wave in Livorno
• Ypsigrock Festival in Castelbuono
• Agglutination Metal Festival in Sant'Arcangelo
• Folkest in Spilimbergo
• Festival dei Due Mondi in Spoleto
• Music Fest Perugia in Perugia
• Heineken Jammin Festival in Venice
• Festival della Montagna in Trento
• Festival dell'Economia in Trento

Arena of Verona (June - September) www.arena.it

Maggio Musicale Fiorentino (May - June) www.maggiofiorentino.com

Opera/Ballet Season at the Outdoor Arena, Macerata (August) www.maceratagallery.it

Pesaro Rossini Opera Festival (August) www.rossinioperafestival.it

San Remo Festival (March) www.sanremo.rai.it

Spoleto Festival in Umbria (June - July) www.spoletofestival.it

Ravello Classical Music Festival (June - September) www.rcs.amalficoast.it

Ravenna Festival (June - July) www.ravennafestival.org

Rome - Auditorium Parco della Musica (January - December) www.musicaperroma.it

Umbria Jazz (July) www.musicaperroma.it