Ferragosto at the Beach? Definitely an Italian Classic!
Beach parties, concerts, fireworks… Below are some events you can find along the Romagna Riviera this year.

Let’s start with the beaches of Comacchio, where the sky at Lido delle Nazioni will light up with a spectacular fireworks display (August 15th, 11:45 PM).

Heading down to the Ravenna coast, there will be several fireworks shows over the sea on Ferragosto. If you love music late into the night, we recommend stopping by one of the many beach clubs in Marina di Ravenna, which will be bursting with parties and uncontrollable fun on Ferragosto night.

Staying in the area, we highlight the dawn concerts scheduled on the beaches of Ferrara, as well as the numerous events of the Spiagge Soul festival on the beaches of Ravenna.

On August 15th in Cervia the Grande Orchestra Città di Cervia enchants the audience in the morning (6:00 AM) with a performance at dawn on the shores of the Adriatic. The celebration continues throughout the day with reading sessions and talk shows as part of Ferragosto with the authors, the final event of the famous summer festival Cervia Ama il Libro.

In Cesenatico, in addition to the numerous and ever-changing summer markets around the town, don’t miss the dawn concert on Sunday 17 August, a tribute to Pino Daniele, on the free beach in Piazza Spose dei Marinai.

In Gatteo Mare, Ferragosto is marked by the notes and memories of the “Father” of Liscio music, the great maestro Raoul Casadei, born on August 15th, with the Balamondo World Music Festival, a concert by the Mirko Casadei Big Band. Also worth noting is the concert by Fabrizio Moro on 14 August at the Arena Rubicone, followed by fireworks.

As every year, the city of Rimini offers a packed calendar of events and initiatives for mid-August. For film lovers, the Tiberio CinePicnic, the most evocative summer cinema arena, will be set up in Parco XXV Aprile, a stone’s throw from the Tiberius Bridge, from Wednesday 13 to Sunday 17 August, while for lovers of electronic dance music, on Ferragosto (15 August), the Rimini Beach Arena will come alive with the music of Cocoricò on the beach.
There will also be fireworks in the 138/139/140 beach area in Miramare on the evening of 16 August.

Moving down towards Riccione, the festive and fun atmosphere continues with a concert by Giuliano Palma, who will get everyone dancing with his ska and rocksteady sounds.

The small town of Misano Adriatico offers shows, dancing, concerts and the traditional fireworks display on 14 August at 11 p.m. on the municipal beach, Parco Mare Nord.

Finally, Cattolica, the green pearl of the Adriatic, wishes everyone a happy Ferragosto with a concert by Swingammore Dino Gnassi Corporation, live in Piazza Primo Maggio on 15 August.

Who said that Ferragosto has to be spent only by the sea?
The art cities of Emilia-Romagna are always a good idea, even on August 15th!

Let’s start with the city of Piacenza; the central Palazzo Farnese will be open all day to spend Ferragosto among art collections and treasures to discover. Don’t miss the city’s Cathedral and its Kronos Museum, with the climb to the dome frescoed by Guercino.

Continuing along the Via Emilia, we reach Parma, where you can join one of the Parma City Tours scheduled daily.

The summer in Reggio Emilia offers a rich calendar of events in the city and province, while heading down towards Modena, the Estate Modenese calendar sees the return of Ferragosto all’Opera in Piazza Sant’Agostino (9.30 pm) with La vedova allegra (The Merry Widow).

Bologna also offers a rich calendar of events throughout the summer, both in the city centre and in the surrounding area, with special openings, shows, music festivals and open-air film festivals.

Among these, don’t miss the Sotto le Stelle del Cinema (Under the Stars of Cinema) evenings (until 14 August), the traditional event in Piazza Maggiore dedicated to the masters of cinema, organised by the Cineteca di Bologna.

Guided tours to discover the city are also recommended, such as the visit to the Torre dell’Orologio, bookable directly on the Bologna Welcome website. Art enthusiasts should visit one of the many exhibitions scheduled in the city.

In Ferrara, on the other hand, the Ferragosto celebrations move to the Darsena, along the Molo Wunderkammer. Here, Un Fiume di Musica (A River of Music) is scheduled: a series of musical events with free admission and donations going to local voluntary organisations.
On Thursday 15 August, you can also take advantage of the special opening of museums and city buildings such as the Castello Estense, the Schifanoia Museum and the Cathedral Museum.

Ferragosto in Ravenna is in the name of art. All the city’s UNESCO monuments are open and visitable, not only during the day but also at night, thanks to the guided night tours of Mosaico di Notte (Mosaic by Night), also in conjunction with special music events.

If you want to know all the openings of the state museums in Emilia-Romagna, we recommend visiting www.musei.emiliaromagna.beniculturali.it. Many cultural sites are open for Ferragosto and organize events, themed exhibitions, and special guided tours.

And what if we wanted to spend Ferragosto immersed in nature and the villages of Emilia-Romagna?

For those who prefer to escape the summer chaos of the more famous locations, the small hilltop towns offer a secluded but no less interesting retreat, such as the many villages of the Castles of the Duchy of Parma and Piacenza.

In province of Piace Trebbia Valley, the Appennino Festival throughout August offers concerts, meetings, shows, and special walks in the most picturesque places of the valley.

Remaining in the province of Piacenza, we recommend the event program in the village of Bobbio, which includes music, entertainment, and a fireworks display at the famous Ponte Gobbo (August 15th), as well as a garden dinner with live music and a nighttime guided tour of the Gropparello Castle. Don’t miss the visits to the charming villages of Grazzano Visconti and Castell’Arquato.

In the province of Parma, among the events in the castles, we recommend the falconry show Aquile e gufi in volo (Eagles and owls in flight) at Castello di Tabiano, the guided night tours by candlelight at Castello di Agazzano, and the guided tours in medieval costume at Castello di Varano de’ Melegari.

In the Reggio Emilia hills, we recommend the guided tour of Bianello Castle in the municipality of Quattro Castella, and there are many events planned in the Reggio Emilia Apennines as part of the Estate in Appennino festival.

Let’s now move to the Bolognese Apennines, where the Crinali Festival enlivens the valleys, trails and mountain villages with concerts and events along the most picturesque paths.

On 14 August at the Riolo Terme Fortress (RA), don’t miss the guided tour by candlelight.

In Santa Sofia, in the province of Forlì-Cesena, the international performing arts festival Di strada in strada is scheduled from 11 to 15 August; in Sarsina, the Plautus Festival enlivens the evenings around 15 August, while in Castrocaro Terme, the evening of 15 August is celebrated with the Jazz in Present concert in Piazza Machiavelli.

A few kilometres from the Adriatic Sea and Rimini, in the beautiful setting of Valmarecchia, on 14 August in the village of Verucchio you can take part in a guided tour to discover the heritage of the so-called Rocca del Sasso or visit the archaeological museum, while the village of Pennabilli offers the traditional events of the Estate a Pennabilli festival.

For lovers of good food, we recommend the Sagra della Pappardella al cinghiale (Wild boar Pappardella Festival) in Gemmano from 11 to 15 August, while in Mondaino, from 14 to 17 August, the traditional Palio del Daino returns, a historical re-enactment with parades and challenges between the contrade (districts) of the medieval village to celebrate the historical event that established peace between the Malatesta and Montefeltro families.

If you love hiking and walking, Ferragosto is an excellent opportunity for an excursion to the many natural parks of Emilia-Romagna or along the spiritual trails, which organise numerous events both during the day and at night during the summer.

Some examples?

The boat trip in the Comacchio Valleys, the cycle ride at sunset in the Po Delta Park, and the boat or bike trips to discover the Cervia Salt Pans.