Summer Festivals in Tuscany

Summertime is also time for music festivals in Tuscany. If you are traveling around the main art cities, rolling hills and sea coastal resorts, you could have the opportunity to listen to good music taking part to one the many events with international stars or with local Italian singers.

Here a short list of the main summer festivals in Tuscany from June to September:

Lucca Summer Festival

This year Lucca Summer Festival it is at its 18th edition. Every July big international stars play in Piazza Napoleone, the beautiful square in the historical center of the town of Lucca. This year guests as Bob Dylan, John Legend and Paolo Nutini already sang, but other big names of international music such as Billy Idol, Elton John, Lauryn Hill, Mark Knopfler, Lenny Kravitz, Robbie Williams and Snoop Dogg, are scheduled.

Pistoia Blues

From 1 to 24 July the beautiful Piazza Duomo in Pistoia hosts one of the biggest festivals in Tuscany with artists as Dream Teather, Hozier, Counting Crows, Passenger, to finish with Santana and Sting.

Festival delle Colline Pratesi

Seven performances, two of them with free entrance. This is the 36th edition of this festival, held in the province of Prato, that always choose for alternative music and extraordinary artists to discover or rediscover. From the 8 to the 29 july in the towns of Prato, Poggio a Caiano, Vaiano, Villa Giamari in Montemurlo and at the Rocca di Carmignano.

Valdarno Jazz Festival

From the 1 to 21 July, it is one of the most interesting jazz festivals in Tuscany, in the Florence and Arezzo area. The festival always alternates famous international and Italian creative musicians.

San Galgano Festival

The unique and amazing San Galgano Abbey is the scenery of operas as the Barber of Seville, the Rigoletto or the Merry Widow and piano recitals, from 1 to 26 July.

Jazz Wide Summer in Pisa

The small beach along the Arno River, in the historical center of Pisa, hosts every Saturday from June to September jazz bands to liven up the warm summer evenings.

Puccini Festival in Torre del Lago Puccini

If you love Opera you cannot miss one of the Operas as Tosca, Turandot, Madame Butterfly and Trittico of the Puccini Festival in Torre del Lago Puccini in Versilia. The location is the open-air theatre along the lake of Massaciuccoli.

Teatro del Silenzio in Lajatico

This special open-air theatre created by the famous Andrea Bocelli in his birth land of Lajatico host every summer one of the most exclusive and requested music show by foreigners. This year two dates at the beginning of August: the first one with the Turandot opera by Giacomo Puccini and the second one with the Maestro Bocelli and other famous Italian singers as Elisa, Renato Zero and Gianna Nannini for the 10th anniversary of the event.

Bolgheri Melody

In the splendid location of San Guido along the famous cypress avenue of Bolgheri, in the Etruscan Coast, from the end of July and till the end of august, this festival hosts famous Italian singers and comedy shows.

Barga Jazz

During summertime Barga, the most Scottish town in Italy, is a lively town with many art and music events such as the Barga Jazz Festival. From 8 to 29 august, this jazz festival for composition and arrangement for orchestra can be the opportunity to visit and enjoy this tiny village.

Bolgheri Jazz in September

Every first weekend of September, Bolgheri Jazz takes place along the old alleys of the hamlet, a special opportunity to listen to good music and drink a glass of the extraordinary Bolgheri’s Reds.

Cover Photo Credits: Pistoia Blues Festival