What’s on in Palermo right now, hand-picked for visitors. Big festivals, food and wine fairs, concerts and exhibitions across Palermo and its province. Every listing tells you what it is, what it costs and how to book.
💡 Heads-up: some of the ticket and info links below are in Italian only. Don’t let that stop you. Pop the page into Google Translate, ChatGPT or your browser’s built-in translate and you’ll be booking in English in seconds.
⏰ Two things nobody tells you: evening shows in Sicily start late — most open-air concerts begin around 9:00-9:30pm, so plan dinner early or eat after, like the locals. And the Teatro di Verdura you’ll see all over this list is the city’s open-air garden theatre on Viale del Fante, north of the centre: about 15 minutes by taxi.
Don’t-miss festivals
Cous Cous Fest — San Vito Lo Capo
Why go: Ten days of international couscous, tastings and live music on the beach at San Vito Lo Capo. Worth the drive if you're in western Sicily in late September.
This week in Palermo (24 Aug – 30 Aug)
Notre Dame de Paris: the French mega-musical
What it is: The legendary French musical Notre Dame de Paris, based on Victor Hugo's Hunchback of Notre-Dame, staged in Italian for a two-week run in the open-air garden theatre. Shows start 9pm.
Why go: A full-scale European musical under the stars: the staging, dancing and soaring score carry the story even if you don't follow every Italian word.
Mozart's 'Il Sogno di Scipione': opera under the stars at the Botanical Garden
What it is: The first-ever Palermo staging of Mozart's rarely-performed early opera 'Il Sogno di Scipione' (K.126), written when he was sixteen, performed with orchestra, soloists and choirs among the palms of Palermo's Botanical Garden. Two nights, Fri 28 and Sun 30 August, starting 9pm.
Why go: Mozart on a summer night in a botanical garden is pure atmosphere. Honest note: it's a rare baroque-style opera sung in Italian, so you go for the setting and the music, not to follow the story.
Jova Summer Party at the Ippodromo
What it is: Jovanotti's giant two-night beach-party-style show at the racetrack under Monte Pellegrino: Italy's biggest feel-good live event. Afternoon start (4:30pm).
Why go: Less a concert than a six-hour dance party with tens of thousands of Italians: language optional, energy guaranteed.
Impressionist Treasures: Monet and Normandy
What it is: A blockbuster exhibition of Monet and the French Impressionists inside Palermo's Norman royal palace. Open Mon-Sat 8:30am-4:30pm (last entry), Sun and holidays to 12:30pm.
Why go: World-class Impressionist paintings in a UNESCO palace: the biggest art show in town, and it's air-conditioned when the streets hit 100F.
Warhol, Rotella and Arman: 80 Pop Art works
What it is: Eighty works by Andy Warhol, Mimmo Rotella and Arman inside the vast 18th-century Albergo dei Poveri, one of Palermo's grandest buildings (10 min by taxi from the centre).
Why go: Real Warhols in a jaw-dropping royal poorhouse most tourists never step inside: two sights in one, and it runs right through your trip.
Romanian Avant-Garde 1907-1947 at Villa Zito
What it is: A museum-grade show of early 20th-century Romanian avant-garde art in Villa Zito, an elegant Art Nouveau villa museum on Via Liberta, the city's grand shopping avenue.
Why go: A serious, quiet art show in an air-conditioned villa: culture plus a break from the heat, with the best shopping street outside the door.
Sicilian puppet theatre (Opera dei Pupi), daily shows
What it is: Daily performances of Sicilian puppet theatre (Opera dei Pupi) at the Antonio Pasqualino puppet museum in the old town: hand-carved armoured knights fighting out chivalric duels, a folk art UNESCO lists as intangible cultural heritage. Runs every day through 30 September.
Why go: The most authentically Sicilian hour you can spend indoors: it's all swordfights and spectacle, so the Italian barely matters, and kids love it. A genuine tradition, not a tourist gimmick.
Summer music & aperitivo nights at Villa Filippina
What it is: A summer-long series of relaxed live concerts and aperitivo in a green city garden. Concerts start at 7pm; open-air cinema screenings at 9pm.
Why go: Cheap, laid-back live music in a garden as the sun goes down: the easy after-dinner move that isn't a tourist trap.
Monreale is Sunshine: open-air theatre and street food
What it is: A summer-long program (through 6 September) of open-air shows, music and street food in the hill town famous for its golden cathedral mosaics.
Why go: Pair the best mosaics in Sicily with an evening of food and live shows: an easy half-day escape above the city heat.
Guided visits to the Porta d'Ossuna catacombs
What it is: Guided tours of an early-Christian underground burial site most tourists never see. Summer slots from 20 July: Wed & Fri mornings (10am-12pm), Thu & Sat afternoons (3-5pm), Sunday evenings (4-7pm).
Why go: An off-the-radar catacomb you can only enter on these guided slots: creepy, cool underground, and refreshingly crowd-free.
Fernando Botero: The Weight of Dreams
What it is: Twelve works by Fernando Botero, the Colombian master of round, oversized figures, at Palazzo Riso, Palermo's contemporary-art museum a short walk from the cathedral on Corso Vittorio Emanuele. Open Tue to Sat 9am-6:30pm, Sun and holidays 9am-1pm. Runs through 31 October.
Why go: One of the most instantly recognisable artists on earth, indoors and air-conditioned, right in the old town: no Italian needed, and it runs the whole length of your trip.
Coming up (next 3 weeks)
Last updated 28 Aug 2026. Prices and details can change, so always check the official link before you go.
I’ll be in Palermo nights of August 19, 20 & 21. I’d like to go to a cultural event every evening. What would you suggest?