April 13, 2026

What to do this week in Florence and surroundings

Events, exhibitions, and appointments not to be missed from 13 to 19 April 2026

Art, concerts, shows and good food. Here are the events not to be missed this week in and around Florence.

The Death of Klinghoffer at the Teatro del Maggio Musicale

John Adams’ The Death of Klinghoffer makes its debut in Florence, conducted by Lawrence Renes and directed by Luca Guadagnino, marking its premiere at the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino. The opera, with a libretto by Alice Goodman, explores the complexities of the conflicts between myth and history, driven by the power of music and storytelling. Composed in 1991 and rarely performed in Italy, it is inspired by the hijacking of the ship.

Teho Teardo in concert at the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo

Thursday, April 16 features a live performance by Teho Teardo, a leading figure in Italian experimental music. The concert will feature a preview of the soundtrack to Marco Bellocchio’s Portobello and selections from the project Plays Twin Peaks and Other Infinitives (2025), which reworks Angelo Badalamenti’s music into an evocative blend of Baroque sounds and nocturnal atmospheres. Free admission by reservation (limited seating) starting April 9 at 9:30 a.m. on the website duomo.firenze.it

The Medici Park of Pratolino Reopens to the Public

With the arrival of spring, the Medici Park of Pratolino reopens to the public, including on holidays, offering a wonderful opportunity to stroll through nature and admire the spring blooms. The park, designated a UNESCO site since 2013, is a place of great charm that blends nature and art. Inside, visitors can explore two Italian gardens from the Medici era and a picturesque romantic garden, as well as admire extraordinary works such as Giambologna’s famous Colossus of the Apennines and the creations linked to the genius of Bernardo Buontalenti, all set within a lush wooded landscape featuring monumental trees. Until November 1: Free admission on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays with varying hours: April–May: 10:00 AM–8:00 PM; June–July: 10:00 AM–9:00 PM; August–September: 10:00 AM–8:00 PM; October–November: 10:00 AM–6:00 PM. Monday through Thursday: 9:00 AM–2:00 PM by reservation. Special opening: Monday, June 1 (10:00 AM–9:00 PM).

Blanco in Concert at the Mandela Forum

Following the release of his new single Maledetta rabbia, Blanco has announced his first arena tour, produced and organized by Friends & Partners and Vivo Concert, which will stop at the Nelson Mandela Forum in Florence on April 20.

Bar Artemisia Celebrates the Genius of Mark Rothko

The Bar Artemisia at the Hotel Savoy celebrates the genius of Mark Rothko with Maestro of Colours, a new cocktail menu inspired by his paintings, to coincide with the exhibition dedicated to the artist at Palazzo Strozzi starting March 14. Created by Bar Manager Federico Galli in the mixology space designed by Salvatore Calabrese, the menu features four cocktails that reinterpret Rothko’s colors and minimalist aesthetic, combining refined ingredients with a keen eye for visual appeal. Among the offerings: Red Horizon, Nocturne Vermillon, Golden Silence, and Milky Light, the latter being non-alcoholic. A tribute to signature mixology and contemporary art, in the spirit of a dialogue between taste and creativity.

Brevissime, the new art history lessons at the Stefano Bardini Museum

The 2026 spring season of Brevissime. Lessons in art history takes place at the Stefano Bardini Museum, in collaboration with the Florentine Civic Museums. This year's theme, Rupture. Moments, figures, and materials that have diverted the course of history, runs through a program that explores decisive fractures and transformations, from books that have changed the image of the cosmos to the artistic revolutions of the past. It begins on March 5 with Michele Dantini and a reflection on the ‘non-break’ in Italian art of the late 20th century, between memory and political discontinuity, with a focus on Fontana and Burri. On March 26, Aldo Galli explores the fifteenth-century renaissance of terracotta, while on April 2, Thomas C. Salomon dedicates his lecture to Bernini's Baroque revolution. On April 16, Claudio Paolini reconstructs Florence during World War II and the preservation of its artistic heritage; on April 23, Camilla Pietrabissa analyzes landscape as a modern genre. On May 7, Michèle K. Spike will talk about three female figures who played a decisive role in Florentine history; on May 14, Mario Iozzo will lead us to the birth of the “classic” with Phidias and the Parthenon. Alessandro Morandotti will close the series on May 21 with Caravaggio and the foundation of a new figurative language. Tickets can only be purchased online on Eventbrite.

Orchestra da Camera Fiorentina: the 2026 season kicks off with over 80 concerts

The Orchestra da Camera Fiorentina, founded and conducted by Giuseppe Lanzetta and recognized by the Ministry of Culture as one of Italy's leading concert and orchestral institutions, will present over 80 concerts from March to December 2026 in historic and artistic venues throughout Tuscany and central Italy. Among the protagonists: Stefan Dohr (first horn of the Berliner Philharmoniker), Francesco Manara (first violin) and Massimo Polidori (first cello) of the Teatro alla Scala, as well as Vanessa Benelli Mosell, Lior Shambadal, Francesco D'Arcangelo, and Piero Romano.

April 19–20: concert dedicated to Mozart, conductor Giovanni Minafra, soloists Marco De Lisi and Giulietta Keti Ritacca.
May 2: Vanessa Benelli Mosell conducts at the Niccolini Theater (preview April 30 in Lucca), soloist Wolfgang Redik, with Mendelssohn, Beethoven, and Rossini.

Venerus at Otel

Monday, April 13, at 9:00 p.m., Venerus will perform as part of the Speriamo – The 2026 Tour during the Viper Theatre season, with a special “away” show at Otel.