Three steps forward
As every year, the seasonal calendar takes a theme, with this year’s edition dedicated to Enrico Greppi (1960-2021), known as Erriquez, the Florentine singer-songwriter and musician who co-founded the Bandabardò musical group. Lyrics by the band ‘Tre Passi Avanti’ (Three steps forward) make up the title of the festival, with literature and the 1980s as the other main themes.
Literary love
‘Literature 1922-2022’ pays tribute to six of the greatest writers and intellectuals of the Italian twentieth century who were born in 1922: Luigi Meneghello, Beppe Fenoglio, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Raffaele La Capraia, Giorgio Manganelli, and Luciano Bianciardi. You’ll be able to spot book stalls in plenty of piazzas from July 1-10, with bookstores all over engaged in presentations, debates, readings and literary meetings.
Festivals of all-sorts
All the arts get their time on the stage with music, dance, cinema, theatre and more filling Florence with a jam-packed calendar made-up of 15 festivals. Musart (www.musartfestival.it), from July 13-26, is set to see top-class performers in piazza Santissima Annunziata with Roberto Bolle, Lp, Goran Bregovic and Rock The Opera among the names that will delight audiences in the stunning setting. Florence Dance Festival (June 22-July 24) also forms part of the programme, bringing the best of contemporary dance, while Italian Brass Week (July 24-30 and Florence Folks Festival (July 21-23) are bound to delight music fans. Cirk Fantastik (September 8-18) finishes off the season in style, with circus antics amazing audiences of all ages.
Summer spaces
Sipping an aperitivo somewhere fresh is high on everyone’s agendas in the blistering heat of the summer. Bars and events come to parks and piazzas in the city, for a cool way to spend an evening, enjoying music and cool drinks as the sun goes down. Check out Giardino dell’Orticoltura, Anconella Park, Lungarno del Tempio, Ponte San Niccolò, the Rose Garden, Cascine’s Amphitheatre, piazza San Marco, Fortezza da Basso, Le Murate, Niccolò Galli garden, piazza Tasso, piazza dei Tre Re, and Parterre for a chilled summer evening. You won’t want to miss the Apriti Cinema (June 27 to August 7) calendar either, with cinema screenings in spots like Piazzale degli Uffizi and Museo Novecento providing a film viewing like no other.
The programme in numbers
- 15 festivals
- 137 projects
- 118 widespread events
- 3 special projects
- 14 summer spaces
