Our events listing keeps you up to date on the latest and greatest in culture, music and other English-friendly entertainment. Staying in town for the hot summer months? The city will be livelier than you think. This is a selection of the best events in Florence through early September.
TRADITION/Rificolona
September 7
Piazza Santa Felicita
Honoring the birth of the Virgin Mary, the Rificolona Festival is one of Florence’s most beloved folklore processions, taking place every year from piazza Santa Felicita to Santissima Annunziata. Though its exact origins are debated, the event probably mimics 17th-century farmers’ September journeys to Santissima Annunziata, where they would pay tribute to the Madonna. Contemporary Florence’s children and families parade through the streets with colorful paper lanterns, creating a spectacle that puts the famous Tangled scene to shame. Head to Santa Felicita a little before 8.15pm to prepare for the procession.
Editorial update, August 28: Lacking lantern inspiration? Go to the Giardino dell’Orticultura at 4.30pm on Sunday, September 6 for a full afternoon of crafting fun with the kids! Materials available with a 2 euro contribution.
SPORT/ International Champions Cup
August 2, 9pm
Stadio Artemio Franchi, viale Manfredo Fanti 4
The boys are back in town! Fiorentina gets back from pre-season activities in Northern Italy in time to participate in a series of summer games. Now in its third year, this is the first time that the International Champions Cup has gone truly global, featuring the best football clubs from around the world. In the only match on their home turf, la Viola will face off against Barcelona, the current Champions League titleholders. For more information on the friendly tournament, visit www.internationalchampionscup.com.
ph. Courtney Runn
SURREAL/ Dalí Meets Dante
Until September 27
Palazzo Medici Riccardi, via Camillo Cavour 5
Salvador Dalí meets the ‘Supreme Poet’ in this pleasant, unexpected pairing at Palazzo Medici Riccardi. Famous for both his bizarre work and erratic behavior, Dalí dabbled in book illustrations, including Dante’s Divine Comedy. See Dalí’s graphic, psychoanalytical take on Inferno, Purgatory and Paradise in the Galleria delle Carrozze: melting clocks may not show up in the Inferno circles, but plenty of his stylistic standards make appearances in these intensely allegorical illustrations. See www.thedaliuniverse.com for further information.
SAINTLY/ Summer at San Lorenzo
August 10
Piazza San Lorenzo
In August, it can feel like most of Florence has flown the coop. But loyal San Lorenzo residents stick around for the feast day of their neighborhood’s namesake, held every year on August 10. Watch the historic court parade through town beginning at about 10am, but post-7pm is when the fun really gets going: head to the piazza for music, dancing, free watermelon and lasagna. Don’t get so caught up in the party that you miss the Perseids meteor shower, which peaks on this night. Feast your eyes on the starry skies, dotted with San Lorenzo’s ‘tears’.
HORNS/ Italian Brass Week
July 19–26
Various venues in Florence
Brace yourself for a brass takeover. Directed by Luca Benucci of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, this festival brings together trombonists, tubaists, trombonists and beyond, hailing from around the globe. Students will learn from some of the standout members of the world’s most prominent orchestras, and the public can enjoy concerts in Palazzo Medici Riccardi, the Basilica of Santo Spirito and Teatro dell’Opera di Firenze. Don’t miss the Water & Music for Life concert scheduled for July 24 on the Ponte Vecchio (9.30pm). For the full program, see www.italianbrass.com.
CLASSI-COOL/Chimenti Sings Bowie
July 20, 9.30pm
Museo del Novecento, piazza Santa Maria Novella
Get a glimpse of ‘Life on Mars’ at the Museo del Novecento as Arezzo-based rocker Andrea Chimenti performs the best of David Bowie. Having released a cover of the Bowie classic ‘Ashes to Ashes’ in 2014, Chimenti will now give a more complete tribute to the pop chameleon, known for his zany Ziggy Stardust alter-ego in addition to chart-topping hits like ‘Changes.’ Before the Bowie homage heats up, chamber orchestra I Nostri Tempi will perform classical selections from Beethoven. Concertgoers can also expect top tracks from Chimenti’s catalog. For more information and to purchase tickets, see www.nuovieventimusicali.it.
CULTURE/ Balagan Café
Select Thursdays until August 27
Florence Synagogue garden, via Luigi Carlo Farini 6
In 18th- and 19th-century Russia, the word Balagan referred to pop-up theatres in city squares where folk performances took place. At Florence Synagogue’s Balagan Café, the Hebrew hub opens its doors for apericene, concerts and talks (in Italian) in its magnificent garden, offering a chance to sample delicious traditional Jewish foods and explore varied components of Jewish culture. Highlights include a July 30 concert by New York trumpeter Frank London, a key figure in the klezmer musical tradition originating in Eastern Europe. For more information and the full lineup, see www.balagancafe.it.
