Rimini Events and Festivals

(Rimini, Emilia-Romagna, Italy)

A huge variety of annual events are held in Rimini and the surrounding area each year. These include festivals associated with a particular food or drink, as well as events which have been held in a particular neighbourhood year after year and attract ever-increasing interest from visitors to Rimini.

As in other Italian cities, the busy resort of Rimini also plays host to a large number of trade fairs. A useful source of information on these events is 'Rimini Trade Fair', a bilingual periodical that can be obtained from Rimini Fiera, the city's main exhibition centre and lists all of the current festivals and seasonal things to do within the Emiliano-Romagnolo region.

Rimini Calendar of Festivals and Events 2014 / 2015

January

• New Year Celebrations - early January, opera performances run from New Year's Day for a few days
• SIGEP - an international exhibition held at Rimini Fiera, showcasing the work of Italian ice cream, pastries, bakery and confectionary artisan producers. As well as expo displays, also included are demos, competitions and training courses

February

• First Alternative - the main exhibition centre of the Rimini Fiera is the venue for this trade fair, which is devoted to Italian men's and ladies fashions
• Crossroads Jazz Festival - an annual music festival which is held in a variety of venues in the region, including Rimini. The festival kicks off in February and runs until the beginning of the summer

March

• La Fogherraccia - this traditional festival symbolises the end of the winter and the beginning of springtime. Bonfires, or 'fogheraccie', are lit all over the city on the eve of the feast day dedicated to Saint Joseph. Rimini boasts one of the largest fogheracce in the whole of Italy's Romagna region

April

• Paganello - early April, during Easter time, Rimini stages its international frisbee event. Competitors come from all over the world to try to win the Paganello World Beach Ultimate Cup. Live jazz concerts, children's entertainment and many other activities are organized to coincide with this sporting popular event

May

• Balconi Fioriti - mid-May, Rimini is transformed for a weekend thanks to this increasingly popular festival. The city's balconies are laden with extraordinary displays of flower blossoms in this celebration of all things green-fingered

June

• BluRimini - a lively event which includes regattas and races during the day and theatre entertainment and shows during the evening
• Gradisca - the summer solstice marks the start of Rimini's 100-day long summer festival. Parties, dancing, food and drink, and firework displays are enjoyed by thousands along the beach from Torre Pedrera to Miramare
• Rimini Jazz Festival - mid-June, a host of jazz musicians from all over Europe converge on and around the beaches to delight crowds with their musical performances

July

• Borgo San Giovanni Festival - mid-July, a traditional local festival which includes a fair with arts and crafts, music, shows and traditional food

August

• Ferragosto - a traditional Italian holiday which is celebrated on August 15th every year and is based around the feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. Lots of events are staged in Rimini during Ferragosto, including concerts and parties in the city's bars and clubs
• 'Riviera delle mode' Fashion Show - a feast of fashion with catwalk shows from the region's top designers as they tour towns and cities along Italy's Adriatic Coast. The show comes to Rimini during August and is staged in Piazza Cavour

September

• Borgo San Giuliano Festival- the city's best-known traditional festival that has been celebrated every other year for the past two decades. A specific theme is chosen, reliving the events and people that have become significant in Rimini's past
• Sagra Malatestiana Music Festival - mid-September, an event which includes performances by some top classical conductors and musicians

October

• Mangiar Sano - held in the magnificent setting of medieval Montefiore Conca near Rimini, this two-day event is dedicated to good food and includes tastings and seminars

November

• Lucincittà - at the end of November, Rimini switches on its Christmas lights in its historic district and along the main promenade

December

• Christmas Fairs - in early December, a varied programme of entertainment and events begins in various locations around Rimini. In the Marina Centro district, a nativity scene is put on display. Christmas fairs are held in Piazza Cavour, Piazza Martiri, Largo Ponte di Tiberio and Vecchia Pescheria, where you can pick up anything from a Christmas tree to locally handcrafted gifts