FLO / The Florentine Day
September 14, until 10pm
Palazzo San Niccolò, via di San Niccolò 79, Florence
By now you probably know all about it. The first #TFDay is on right now as you read this (unless you’re reading this before 9am, in which case, bravo/a). Missed your chance to sign up? Pop by and “fly standby” for even the sold-out events in case there are some no-shows. Or just come chat with our redazione and colorful community!
MUSIC / Firenze Jazz Fringe Festival
September 13-27
Various venues in the Oltrarno
Turin’s top jazz festival has a new home in Florence. Music editor Michelle Davis shares what you need to know here.
MIME / Lindsay Kemp in Florence
September 14-23
Various venues in Florence
Lindsay Kemp | Ph. Richard Haughton
Englishman Lindsay Kemp has become something of an entertainment fixture in Florence: most recently, he performed in collaboration with IED Firenze during Pitti Uomo 92. Now the mime-dancer-actor-choreographer is back for a full week of workshops, performances and initiatives: a key entry is Le Murate’s exhibition of Kemp’s work, with a chance to meet him at the show’s opening (5pm meet-and-greet, 5.30pm inauguration, September 19). Other events are planned at the Museo Novecento and IED Firenze, but the main highlight will be Kemp’s performance at Teatro Puccini (September 22, 9pm), titled “Kemp Dances” and exploring the themes of invention and reincarnation. Book your tickets on the Teatro Puccini website.
SWEET / Gelato Festival
September 14-17
Piazzale Michelangelo, Florence
Top gelatai from around Europe put their skills to the test in piazzale Michelangelo: this is the grand finale edition of the traveling Gelato Festival, which showcases the continent’s tastiest flavors and their masterful makers. Sixteen of the European ice cream world’s influencers, selected over the course of previous editions, will fight for bragging rights in the birthplace of gelato, with the winner decided by popular vote and input from a panel of a journalists and experts. Slurp up the industry’s adventurous and artisanal flavors, with Florence’s prettiest backdrop as a sweet bonus. Score a delicious discount as a reader of The Florentine. View the full program on the Facebook page.
CIRCUS / Cirk Fantastik!
September 14-24
Cascine Park, viale degli Olmi/piazzale del Re, Florence
The Big Top is back! Florence’s most animated and ambitious circus festival returns with new tricks up its sleeve. The 2017 edition, part of Estate Fiorentina, features 60 performances by a plethora of international companies (Side Kunst Cirque, Baraka, Djoume, Slapstick and Teatro Necessario, among others), as well as Sunday morning shows by Florentine circus schools and daily workshops with the biggest names in the business. Budding acrobats, clowns and tightrope walkers can take part in the numerous children’s activities on the program. Watch the Cascine transform from city park to cabaret. For the full program, see the website.
FAITH / Festival delle Religioni
September 19, 22-23
Mandela Forum, piazza E. Berlinguer, Florence
What unites different religious traditions? What divides them? What place is there for faith in an ever-evolving world? Dig deep at the second edition of the Festival delle Religioni, founded in celebration of Florence’s longstanding humanistic tradition. Prominent clergy, philosophers, thinkers and laypeople from a range of nations, belief systems and theistic-or-nay perspectives will be present for three days of dialogue. The undisputed highlight comes on opening day with a visit from His Holiness The Dalai Lama, returning to Florence for the first time since 1999 for a roundtable discussion called “Freedom in Rules” (9am, September 19). Tickets are available on the BoxOffice Toscana circuit. To follow program updates, see the website.
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