What to do this week in Florence and surroundings
Events, exhibitions, and appointments not to be missed from 15 to 21 June 2026
Art, concerts, shows and good food. Here are the events not to be missed this week in and around Florence.
Pitti Uomo 110 at the Fortezza da Basso
From June 16 to 19, Pitti Uomo returns to Florence, bringing the city back to the center of the international men’s fashion scene. The Fortezza da Basso will host one of the most anticipated editions of the event, featuring over 720 brands from more than 30 countries and an exhibition program spanning tailoring, design, outdoor wear, streetwear, and new lifestyle trends. A strategic event for the global fashion industry that, despite a complex economic and geopolitical landscape, reaffirms Pitti Uomo’s role as an international platform for business, culture, and innovation. The 110th edition also features an immersive and highly visual concept: THE POOL, the creative theme for the 2026 summer cycle curated by Chris Vidal Tenomaa and Tuomas Laitinen of SSAW Magazine.
Simone Rocha Julius Caesar in Egypt at the Teatro del Maggio Musicale
Until 25 June, Georg Friedrich Händel’s Julius Caesar in Egypt, one of the absolute masterpieces of Baroque opera, will be staged. Conducting is Gianluca Capuano, whilst the production is directed by Davide Livermore. The opera premiered at the King’s Theatre in London on 20 February 1724, at a time when Handel was the most celebrated composer on the English scene and director of the Royal Academy of Music, an institution which, since 1719, had been promoting Italian opera with great success in the British capital. The three-act musical drama, with a libretto by Nicola Francesco Haym, immediately won over London audiences with thirteen consecutive sold-out performances.
The Main Hall of the Maggio Musicale Opera HouseThe Sun’s Passage through Florence Cathedral
The phenomenon of the sun’s passage through the gnomon of Florence Cathedral—the tallest in the world at 90 metres—is once again visible to the public. The sun’s rays pass through the hole in the dome’s lantern and project a disc of light that aligns perfectly with the image on the floor of the Chapel of the Cross, near the High Altar. The event, suspended since 2020 due to the pandemic, resumes this year thanks to the Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore in collaboration with astronomical institutions. It will take place on 19 June 2026, between 12:30 and 13:30, with free admission but booking required. Even overcast skies will not prevent the event from taking place.
Apriti Cinema in Piazza de’ Pitti
The Apriti Cinema summer outdoor cinema returns as part of the Estate Fiorentina program: from June 15 to July 26, every evening at 9:45 PM, feature films and documentaries will be screened in their original languages with Italian and English subtitles. Following the success of last year’s edition, the cinema will once again be hosted in Piazza de’ Pitti, one of the most picturesque locations in Florence’s historic center. The Apriti Cinema initiative is organized by the Associazione Quelli dell’Alfieri, with programming curated by Cinema La Compagnia, in collaboration with the Uffizi Galleries.
Baroque Festival Florence 2026: Les Epopées in concert at the Auditorium of Santa Croce al Tempio
Friday, June 19, at 9:00 p.m., a new event with the Baroque Festival Florence at the Auditorium of Santa Croce al Tempio. The program features the concert Chantez petits oiseaux with the ensemble “Les Épopées”: Claire Lefilliâtre (soprano) and Stéphane Fuget (harpsichord). The program features some of the most refined works of French Baroque, with music by M. A. Charpentier, H. D’Ambruys, S. Brossard, L.-C. Daquin, J.-B. Lully, F. Couperin, M. Lambert, and J.-P. Rameau. Tickets: €20 full price, €15 for Coop members, €13 for KOF members, €5 for students. Reservations: associazione.musicale.kof@gmail.com – 375 891 4223 – https://konzertoperaflorence.eu
Baroque Festival Florence 2026: Patxi Montero and Luca Favoni in concert at the Museo Galileo
Wednesday, June 17, at 9:00 p.m., the Baroque Festival Florence presents a new concert in the evocative setting of the Museo Galileo in Florence, in the “Il nuovo mondo di Galileo” hall. The evening’s featured artists will be Patxi Montero and Luca Favoni, performing on violas da gamba, in the program La Conference: violas da gamba in dialogue, a musical journey dedicated to the French repertoire of the 17th and 18th centuries. The program includes works by Sainte-Colombe, J. B. de Boismortier, and Marin Marais. Tickets: €20 general admission, €15 for Coop members, €13 for KOF members, €5 for students. Reservations: associazione.musicale.kof@gmail.com – 375 891 4223 – https://konzertoperaflorence.eu
Secret Florence 2026
From June 9 to July 1, 2026, historic cloisters, monumental courtyards, cinemas, urban spaces, and places of remembrance will become settings for experience and discovery during the eleventh edition of Secret Florence, the flagship festival of Estate Fiorentina, dedicated to contemporary forms of expression in music, dance, and the performing arts. This journey, open to all, kicks off on Tuesday, June 9, at 9:00 PM, with Lo Schermo dell’arte presenting the documentary Oltre il confine, Le immagini di Mimmo e Francesco Jodice at the La Compagnia cinema, dedicated to Mimmo Jodice, the great master of Italian photography who recently passed away. Click here to discover all the events.
Villas and Enchanted Gardens
From June 11 to August 1, ORT returns to some of the region’s most evocative locations, starting with the Medici Villas and Gardens of Tuscany (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), alongside venues such as the Forte di Belvedere, Pratolino Park, and the Medici Palace in Seravezza, featuring long-awaited returns—such as Villa La Ferdinanda in Artimino and the Giardino di Castello in Florence—and new venues including the Villa di Poggio Reale in Rufina. Fifteen concerts and seven productions, ranging from symphonic programs to special projects; click here for the program.
International Yoga Day at The Savoy
Monday, June 22, The Savoy welcomes the summer solstice with a day dedicated to wellness and gastronomy.Two sessions of Kundalini Yoga led by Allyson Volpe, a teacher who regularly collaborates with the hotel, will guide guests on a journey of practice and mindfulness: from 10:30 AM to 11:45 AM and from 12:00 PM to 1:15 PM. After the classes, the celebration moves to the Irene restaurant for a toast with Ginarte’s Solstice Tonic, a drink created to celebrate the start of summer. Following that, Chef Cosmai’s Solstice Lunch interprets the season with a fresh and light menu, featuring raw yellowtail, cold tomato and watermelon soup, veal with tuna sauce, and grilled octopus with burrata and citrus. An experience that combines yoga, mixology, and seasonal cuisine in an elegant and relaxed setting. (Limited seating; reservations required at +39 345 3529877. Yoga, lunch & drink: 90 euros)
Sagrati in Musica
The Toscana Classica Association returns, from June 4 to September 6, to enliven the city with the ninth edition of Sagrati in Musica, featuring concerts by the Toscana Classica Orchestra for Estate Fiorentina. Starts at 9:00 PM.
Mozart’s The Magic Flute in Siena
Starting June 8, it is possible to reserve a seat on Eventbrite to attend The Magic Flute by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, scheduled for Sunday, June 21, at 9:00 PM at the Teatro dei Rinnovati in Siena. The performance will open Sboccia l’Estate 2026, a festival that will run until September 11 and bring performances, concerts, and cultural events to Siena’s main venues. The program combines theater, music, dance, and major productions in a diverse cultural calendar.
Exhibitions not to be missed
There are many exhibitions around the city not to be missed in these first months of the year: let's discover them together!
Rothko a Firenze, Palazzo Strozzi (photo Ela Bialkowska, OKNO Studio)
