The penultimate week of the Florence Dance Festival welcomes one of the most talented male ballet dancers the world has ever seen, on a par with the likes of Nijinsky, Baryshnikov and Nureyev. Despite his polarising character and scandalous behaviour that have made his professional trajectory far from straightforward, Sergei Polunin will go down in history as one of the greatest ballet dancers, making his appearance at the Florence Dance Festival a must-see [...]
Monday, July 15, 9.30 pm To open its third week, the Florence Dance Festival will host an evening entitled ‘Spotlight on Choreography’ that will showcase the unique choreographic visions of three world-renowned dancers. The first of the trio is Italo-Finnish dancer and choreographer Irina Baldini who will perform ‘7 ways to begin without knowing where to start,’ a show presented at the Biennale Danza di Venezia 2017 and 2018. The piece explores of [...]
July 14, 2019: BASTILLE DAY CELEBRATIONS, Piazza Ognissanti. 8 pm – midnight. Free entry. In honour of France’s national holiday on July 14, from 8 pm – midnight Piazza Ognissanti will revel in all things French, from pétanque (boules or bocce) to crêpes. As always, this year’s Bastille Day celebrations is organised by the French Institute of Florence, located in the square. There will be food and drink stands set up in the [...]
The second installment of the Florence Dance Festival at the Great Cloister of Santa Maria Novella welcomes a variety of special performances and events, from parodic ballet to experimental dance. Artists and dance companies have come from the world over to take part in the diverse festival and showcase the unique styles they bring to the arena of modern dance. Monday, July 8, 7 pm A screening of ‘Rebels on Pointe,’ a documentary [...]
July 4: INDEPENDENCE DAY. Cloister of Santa Maria Novella, Florence. Pull out your red, white, and blue attire for this year’s 4th of July festivities in a green space near the Florence train station. From 7:30 pm until 12:30 am, enjoy the music and other events including a concert by the chorus “Vocal Blue Trains” which will perform at 8:30 pm, bringing a unique mix of gospel, rock and funk enriched with jazz [...]
Thursdays June 27 — August 1: FIRENZE DALL’ALTO, ALTRI PUNTI DI VISTA (Florence from above, other points of view). Venues vary. All events are free, but spots are limited and must be reserved in advance. The simple and uncomplicated desire for a relaxing seat with a view after a scorching hot Florentine day has been taken to new heights with this summer series. Sponsored by L’Estate Fiorentina 2019, the project consists of six [...]
Medieval games, fireworks, and a day off work — the perfect combination to cure your Monday blues. All these and more will be yours when Florence celebrates its patron saint, John the Baptist (San Giovanni), on his feast day, June 24. The day of commemoration and festivities begins at 9 am with a historical procession from via del Corso to Palazzo Vecchio. Dressed head to toe in Renaissance clothing, foot soldiers, cavalry and [...]
Sat. 22 & Sun. 23: DECIBEL OPEN AIR. Visarno Arena, Viale del Visarno, 14 The most popular and most attended music festival in Italy is coming to Florence again. For two days, more than 20 artists will perform on two different stages at the Decibel Open Air music festival. Some of the top DJs in the world will be featured in this year’s line-up. On Saturday, the artists that will be performing include [...]
Everyone hears about the sun peeking up over the horizon, through the clouds, through the rain. But has anyone ever heard of the sun peeking through a building? It’s possible to see that happen in the Duomo during the month of June. This event is a unique, one-of-a-kind event on the summer solstice: the summer sun will peek through a circular window in the cupola of the Duomo to the floor. The windows [...]
This weekend, June 16 and 17, is the kickoff for one of Florence’s most beloved traditions — Calcio Storico, a violent, historic ball game that serves as the battleground for a year’s worth of neighborhood supremacy. The reds will face off against the greens on Saturday, with the whites battling the blues on Sunday. After a procession of 530 people in 16th century clothing, representing traditional families, guilds and institutions of the city, [...]
