Events and exhibitions not to be missed in May in Italy in 2025

The month of May means spring, often fine weather and ideal temperatures for being outdoors. The great heat of the summer months is still far away, winter is behind us and the days have many hours of daylight. For this reason, May is one of the ideal months to visit Italy. In particular, May can uncover many events and curiosities of the Bel Paese.

Find out everything you need to know about events in May in Italy, starting with labour day, the day that marks Workers' Day. With a little organisation you can enjoy fantastic weekends or day trips to nature, the sea, the outdoors and cities of art.

So, let's waste no more time and dive right into discovering the events in May in Italy

May is one of the liveliest and most eventful months in Italy, a time when spring fully blossoms and the country comes alive with cultural, musical, religious and sporting celebrations.

From big art cities like Rome, Milan, Florence and Turin, to small villages and seaside or mountain resorts, every corner of Italy offers something special. In this article we will guide you through the discovery of unmissable events: from traditional festivals such as the Labour Day and the Infiorate, to major cultural festivals such as the Turin Book Fair and the Biennale Architettura in Venice, passing through gastronomic, musical and folkloric events.

There will also be a spotlight on the Giro d'Italia, which will cross spectacular landscapes from south to north, truly a unique opportunity to capture the various nuances of Italy. And then you will discover many authentic local experiences that will make your trip unforgettable.

May in Italy is a month full of lively festivities, mixing ancient traditions, religious commemorations and modern cultural events. The month begins with the 'Festa dei Lavoratori' (Labour Day) on 1st May, a national day dedicated to workers’ rights, often accompanied by concerts and public gatherings, including the big concert in Piazza San Giovanni in Rome. A free concert starting in the early afternoon and ending late in the evening. Leading exponents of Italian and international music perform on stage. Given the huge influx in case you decide to attend, we advise you to arrive in Piazza an Giovanni early.

But there is not only this concert. As it is a public holiday, there are events all over Italy.

In Taranto, for example, there is another significant concert at the Archaeological Park of the Greek Walls, which attracts many spectators. You could use this opportunity to visit one of Italy's most beautiful regions: Apulia. 

If, on the other hand, you are a fan of live music, there are several cities hosting concerts by renowned artists. In Rome, Jovanotti will perform at the Palazzo dello Sport, Negrita will be at the Vox Club in Nonantola in the province of Modena, and the band Dark Tranquillity will play at the Hall in Padua. 

If you live in northern Italy or this is the part of the peninsula you are interested in visiting at this time of year, we recommend a visit to Turin. Here, on May Day marks the conclusion of ‘Messer Tulipano 2025’ at Pralormo Castle, an event that offers visitors the chance to admire more than 100,000 tulips and narcissi in bloom. 

Sardinia is always a good idea! In Cagliari, the regional capital, the 369th Festival of Sant'Efisio will be celebrated, one of the most important religious processions on the island, combining devotion, tradition and local folklore.

Milan, capital of fashion and culture, offers three truly unmissable events in May.

From 5 to 8 May, the Lombard capital will celebrate its gastronomic tradition with Milano Food Week. The city will be filled with food-related events, from tastings and master classes with renowned chefs to pop-up restaurants popping up in unexpected locations. You will also be able to taste flavours from Germany, Ireland, Turkey, Egypt, the United States and Peru. 

From 23 to 25 May, music invades every corner with Piano City Milano, an event that brings over 400 piano concerts to parks, courtyards and even trams, ranging from classical music to jazz and modern sounds. If you are a fan of live music, this is the event for you. 

Sunday 18 May could be the day for an open-air country outing. On that date, in fact, the Lombardy countryside comes alive with ‘Per Corti e Cascine’, a rural festival in which old farmsteads open their doors to visitors, offering typical products, demonstrations of traditional crafts and an authentic atmosphere. A fun way to learn about country life: an event that is also suitable for children. 

To summarise: 

Milano Food Week: 5-8 May
Per Corti e Cascine: Sunday 18 May
Piano City Milano: 23-25 May

Florence, with its famous Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, continues to be a cultural landmark. The 87th edition of the prestigious festival will take place throughout the month, presenting a series of operas, concerts and theatre performances. Among the numerous shows on the bill, we recommend: Disney Fantasia - Live in Concert: a musical experience based on Walt Disney's famous films ‘Fantasia’ and ‘Fantasia 2000’, and on 9, 10 and 11 May the international étoile Roberto Bolle will star in the show ‘Caravaggio’.

In Tuscany, the Cantine Aperte offer an unforgettable food and wine experience, allowing visitors to explore vineyards, meet producers and taste fine wines directly at the source. In particular, on 25 and 26 May 2025, the wineries of Montepulciano will open their doors to visitors for tastings and guided tours. 

On 19 May 2025, the small town of Sarteano (Siena) will host a fair dedicated to local crafts and antiques. But throughout the month of May, several Tuscan locations will host vintage, brocantage and modern antique markets. 

To summarise: 

Maggio Musicale Fiorentino: 9-10-11 May
Local craft fair in Sarteano: 19 May
Cantine aperte: 25-25 May

May is also the month for flower-lovers with the infiorate: fragrant and scenic celebrations held on the occasion of Corpus Christi or special religious anniversaries. The streets and squares of many Italian towns and cities are transformed into artistic carpets composed entirely of flower petals, created with extraordinary precision and creativity.

Among the most famous ones you can consider for a visit is the Infiorata of Noto, in Sicily, scheduled from 16 to 20 May 2025: along the evocative Via Nicolaci, a floral scene celebrating the theme “Peace is made Art” unfolds. Spello, in Umbria, is also famous for its infiorate that decorate the historic centre with ephemeral works of great visual impact, but in 2025 the event will be in June (Saturday 21 and Sunday 22).

Other infiorate events take place in Genzano di Roma, where the historic Via Belardi is transformed into a triumph of colours between 31 May and 1 June, and in Castelluccio di Norcia, where one can also witness the spontaneous flowering of lentils in the surrounding plain. These events combine art, spirituality and a sense of community and represent one of the most poetic expressions of Italian tradition.

Pietra Ligure in Fiore (Liguria) will host the Infiorata on 24 and 25 May 2025. This is the eighth edition of this international event and will see the participation of master flower arrangers from all over Europe and Mexico, the guest of honour. The streets of the village will be transformed into an open-air art gallery with some 50 floral works.

Among the most unusual curiosities is the Festa dei Serpari in Cocullo, a small village in Abruzzo. Here, the inhabitants carry a statue of St Dominic in procession, adorned with live snakes. This fascinating and unusual ritual is believed to protect against snake bites and toothache. In 2025 it will be the First of May. 

To summarise: 

Infiorata di Noto: 16-25 May 2025
Infiorata Castelluccio di Norcia: mid-May - July 2025 (depending on flowering).
Genzano di Roma 31 May - 1 June
Pietra Ligure in Fiore: 24 - 25 May

If you are an avid reader or simply want to spend time among books, literary meetings and culture in May, there is an event for you. We are talking about the Turin International Book Fair 2025, scheduled from 15 to 19 May at the Lingotto Fiere. The theme of this XXXVII edition, ‘The Words Between Us Read’, pays homage to Lalla Romano's novel and celebrates the power of words in fostering connections and mutual understanding. 

French writer and playwright Yasmina Reza will officially open the event with a lectio magistralis. Expected international guests include the American author Tracy Chevalier, the Swiss writer Joël Dicker, the Bulgarian Georgi Gospodinov, the Indo-American writer Jhumpa Lahiri and the French writer Valérie Perrin. 

The programme includes numerous thematic sections curated by writers, intellectuals and artists, offering visitors an all-round cultural experience. In addition, important literary anniversaries will be celebrated, including the 100th anniversary of the publication of Eugenio Montale's ‘Ossi di seppia’. 

At the moment, the complete programme of the Turin International Book Fair 2025 has not yet been made public; however, some previews have been announced about the prominent Italian guests who will participate in the event. The writer Melania Mazzucco will curate a section dedicated to art, while the writer and screenwriter Francesco Piccolo will lead meetings on cinema, hosting the directors and screenwriters Francesca and Cristina Comencini and the screenwriter Giulia Calenda. The section on lightness will be curated by Luciana Littizzetto, who will dialogue with Fabio Fazio and Mara Venier on different approaches to television. In addition, Erin Doom, curator of the romance section, will discuss the publishing phenomenon of the genre with Felicia Kingsley. Finally, Alessandro Piperno, curator of the novel section, will meet Jhumpa Lahiri, Pulitzer Prize-winning writer. 

Campania will be the host region, while the Netherlands will be the guest of honour, with a programme dedicated to Dutch literature and culture. Among the Dutch authors present, the participation of Jan Brokken is expected. 

The Show will also offer spaces dedicated to special projects, such as the area dedicated to sport, with meetings featuring figures such as Franco Baresi, and the gastronomic section, focusing on themes related to food and its sustainability. 

The Book Fair will be held from 15 to 19 May 2025.

The Giro d'Italia 2025 is one of the most famous competitions in the world of cycling and is also an excellent opportunity to get to know various places in Italy. Indeed, the competition will offer not only sporting spectacle, but also a unique opportunity to discover some of Italy's most fascinating cities and landscapes. This year the Giro will cross Puglia with a stage from Alberobello to Lecce. Alberobello, a UNESCO site, is famous for its trulli, the typical white stone houses with conical roofs, while Lecce, the ‘Florence of the South’, enchants with its Baroque churches, such as the Basilica of Santa Croce, and the lively Piazza Sant'Oronzo. Passing through Matera, in Basilicata, you will have the chance to explore its famous Sassi, the ancient dwellings carved into the rock, now converted into charming hotels and restaurants.

In Naples, you will admire the spectacular backdrop of the Lungomare Caracciolo and Mount Vesuvius before getting lost in the alleys of the Quartieri Spagnoli or visiting the National Archaeological Museum. The seventh stage will cross Abruzzo, arriving in Tagliacozzo: here it is worth visiting the medieval historical centre and the Abbey of Santa Maria del Monte.

The race will then stop in Umbria, in Gubbio and Siena (Tuscany). In Gubbio, you can visit the Palazzo dei Consoli and the Roman Theatre, while Siena, with its famous Campo, Duomo, and medieval alleys, is one of the most fascinating cities in Tuscany. Still in Tuscany, the time trial between Lucca and Pisa will be a wonderful opportunity to visit the city walls of Lucca, the Guinigi Tower and, of course, the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Continuing towards the north of Italy, the Giro will stop in Vicenza, where the Palladian Basilica and the Olympic Theatre stand out, and then in Veneto, with a stop in Bassano del Grappa, famous for its Ponte degli Alpini and the production of grappa. Climbing the Dolomites, the route will touch on Monte Grappa and the Passo dello Stelvio, perfect places for scenic excursions.

The ride will end in Rome, offering an extraordinary opportunity to explore the Eternal City. From the Imperial Forums to the Colosseum, from the Trevi Fountain to St. Peter's Basilica, the finale of the Giro will be a true journey through Italian history and art.

If you are interested in following the Giro, this will be a unique opportunity to combine your passion for cycling with discovering the wonders of Italy, from the most hidden villages to the most famous cities.

In the rest of the country, May continues to surprise with a variety of celebrations. In Sicily, the Feast of Sant'Alfio in Trecastagni, on 10 May, colours the slopes of Mount Etna with religious processions, fireworks and the smell of street food.

In Venice, Veneto, the Vogalonga closes the month with a spectacular non-competitive regatta through the city's canals. Created in protest against the waves caused by speedboats, this tradition celebrates the return to Venetian rowing and involves boats of all kinds.

Also in Venice, the Architecture Biennale 2025 opens on 10 May (until 23 November). Curated by architect and engineer Carlo Ratti, the edition bears the title ‘Intelligens. Natural. Artificial. Collective.’, reflecting on the interaction between natural, artificial and collective intelligence in contemporary architecture.

Bari, in Apulia, honours its patron saint with the Historical Procession of St Nicholas, a grandiose parade through the city culminating in an evocative sea procession, followed by lively celebrations throughout the city. The dates of 2025: 7-9 May.

To summarise: 

Festa di Sant’Alfio a Trecastagni: 10 may
Biennale Architettura: 10 may - 23 november
Corteo di San Nicola, Bari: 7-9 may