10 must-see events and exhibitions in Florence in August 2025

In August, Florence remains a lively and exciting crossroads, where art and music meet the scents of Tuscan summer and the warmth of Renaissance stone. Amid sunny days, museum lines and downtown streets crowded with tourists, the city continues to offer fascinating events: outdoor concerts in historic gardens, contemporary art exhibitions and markets that tell the story of local traditions.

If you have chosen to visit Florence at this time, it means accepting the heat as part of the experience, and discovering a city that, despite the crowding, always manages to amaze with unusual places and unique atmospheres.

In this article, we point out 10 must-see events for an all-around experience of one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

August in Florence is synonymous with full summer: temperatures touch 35 degrees, squares resonate with different languages and the great classics - such as the Duomo, Ponte Vecchio or the Uffizi - become must-see stops for those visiting the city. The days are brightly lit, while the nights bring some relief, transforming streets and squares into places of encounter and spectacle.

Yet the beauty of this month does not end only in the most famous monuments: Florence in August also reveals a more intimate and authentic dimension, made up of events and festivals that enliven historic gardens, hidden cloisters and outdoor theaters. Summer festivals in the parks, concerts under the stars, contemporary art exhibitions and markets that give voice to local artisans tell of a city capable of surprising even off the beaten path.

If you have chosen to stay or arrive in the city during this period you can experience a diverse calendar of events, combining the most iconic Florence with lesser-known places and atmospheres. It's a chance to slow down your pace, lose yourself in medieval alleys, rediscover shady corners where you can stop and enjoy an artisanal gelato, and be surprised by events that spring up almost by chance behind a Renaissance doorway or in a secret cloister. Breathe Florence.

And when the sun sets, nothing is more beautiful than climbing up to Piazzale Michelangelo to admire the golden panorama that encompasses the entire city, breathe in the river breeze and understand, once again, how alive-and amazing-August Florence is.

On August 10, 2025, Florence celebrates one of its patron saints with the traditional Feast of San Lorenzo, a day that combines devotion and conviviality. At the center of the event is the famous 'Cena Popolare' when, in the Central Market area, typical dishes - pasta with meat sauce, watermelon, yogurt and cream - are distributed at a large shared table.

Families, residents and visitors gather together to honor San Lorenzo, enjoying live music and entertainment among the historic stalls. It's a moment of true community, telling of the authentic and relaxed Florence of August, when the city turns out to be welcoming and festive even beyond its best-known monuments. If you are visiting Florence on this very day, we recommend this experience to enjoy the typical Florentine atmosphere and folklore.

Florence (Central Market area) - August 10, 2025, 20,30

In the picturesque setting of Piazza dei Ciompi in the historic center of Florence, the August market offers two days dedicated to crafts, vintage and street food. An event that enlivens the neighborhood with colorful stalls, collectible curiosities and typical flavors, perfect for those who want to discover the more creative and informal side of Florence. An opportunity if you want to get lost among the historic stores of the area and savor the taste of the lily tradition.

Piazza De' Ciompi in Florence is one of the most characteristic places and is located near the Sant'Ambrogio district, which is within easy walking distance if your stay is in the historic center of Florence.

August 23-24 - Piazza dei Ciompi

Between garden and atelier, Villa Romana welcomes the public with exhibitions by international fellows-in-residence and young emerging artists. A place off the beaten track, where contemporary art and historic architecture coexist in perfect balance. Visiting Villa Romana means discovering the most experimental and cosmopolitan Florence, in a relaxed and stimulating context. In August it is perfect for taking some time out from the city's mugginess and immersing yourself in the exhibitions.

Villa Romana - August 2025 (continuing exhibitions)

On the occasion of the 550th anniversary of Michelangelo's birth, the Accademia Gallery is hosting an exhibition by Chinese artist Wang Yancheng. His abstract works, characterized by an extraordinary material force, dialogue with Renaissance art in a confrontation between past and present.

This is an opportunity to visit such an iconic place as the Accademia Gallery and be surprised by a contemporary tale of light and color. The exhibition presents about 25 paintings made between 2018 and 2025-some of them made for Florence-in which the importance of a conception of emptiness as a material state bubbling with possibility stands out.

Academy Gallery - June 24-September 21, 2025

If you want to spend summer evenings in front of a big screen and in the open air, the Stensen Foundation is once again offering its film festival this year, which transforms the courtyard into an en plein air cinema from August 7 to 23. Exactly at the Villa Bardini Gardens, where the view over the city is unique.  It is one of the most beautiful gardens in the city: but you can also visit others.

The program alternates premieres, art-house films, comedies and award-winning films from festivals, offering the perfect opportunity to relax after a hot day strolling the streets of Florence. Bringing a blanket, sitting on the lawn and enjoying the evening cool while the images on the screen scroll by is a simple but always fascinating experience.

All films start at 9:15 p.m., consider the possibility of free parking at Fort Belvedere. 

Other useful info: Thursday screenings are free admission with prior reservation. Children up to 6 years old get in free of charge but do not have a seat, while pets are not allowed.

Villa Bardini Gardens - July 8 - August 24, 2025

August 2025 sees the return of “La Parola al Teatro,” a project that weaves shows, readings and performances in the most evocative venues of the Florentine metropolitan area. The calendar is rich and varied: from classic shows such as Macbeth to contemporary offerings such as Zingarity and The Great Glass, passing through the vernacular comedy of Old Hen and new projects signed by Giancarlo Cauteruccio.

Among the venues involved are Villa Strozzi and Villa Fabbricotti in Florence, the Acciaiolo Park in Scandicci, the Amphitheater in Fiesole and the Manzoni Theater in Calenzano, with some events in September as well. In addition to performances, the playbill offers itinerant moments such as Caravan Kermesse and meetings designed to tell the meaning of doing theater today, in a territory that chooses to “make a system” of culture. A special opportunity to experience the Florentine summer in a widespread way, discovering the beauty of places and the power of the theatrical word.

Florence, Scandicci, Calenzano, Fiesole - August and September 2025

The August 2025 Candlelight in Florence is a musical experience that combines the evocative power of Coldplay with the charm of a candlelight concert. In the elegant and historic setting of Villa Strozzi's Limonaia, an ancient 19th-century greenhouse surrounded by greenery, a string quartet will interpret the British band's most famous songs, giving you new and unexpected emotions.

An appointment that conquers for the suggestion of the environment, the soft lights and the intimate atmosphere, perfect for a summer evening different from the usual, between pop music and classic charm.

Limonaia di Villa Strozzi - August 3, 2025

A special event to pay tribute to singer-songwriter Paolo Benvegnù, in the heart of the Archaeological Museum of Fiesole, among artifacts and ruins that tell centuries of history. On stage, the Multiethnic Orchestra of Arezzo together with special guests such as Neri Marcorè for a concert that alternates music, words and memories. An intense and participatory evening designed for those who have loved Benvegnù's poetry and for those who want to discover, in a unique context, the power of his songs reinterpreted in an orchestral key.

Fiesole is located in the hills surrounding Florence, and getting there is easy: from the city center there are regular ATAF buses No. 7, which in about 25-30 minutes take you directly to Piazza Mino, right in the heart of Fiesole. It's a short trip that offers splendid views of the Florentine hills and, once you arrive, immediately turns into a unique experience between history, art and nature, perfect for experiencing concerts or shows immersed in the timeless atmosphere of the ancient amphitheater.

Archaeological Museum, Fiesole - August 4, 2025

On August 25, 2025, in the hills just outside Florence, "Jazz in Fattoria" returns to the beautiful setting of Villa Travignoli in Pelago. The event combines the excellence of the territory: live music meets local wines in a refined and evocative evening.

A live jazz ensemble will perform at sunset, accompanying the tasting of wines from regional wineries and delicacies of Tuscan cuisine. The harmony between music, nature and tradition makes this evening a complete sensory experience, ideal if you are looking for an authentic break outside the city.

Villa Travignoli - Pelago - August 25, 2025

Through Aug. 31, Brunelleschi Bookstore (In Piazza Duomo in Florence) is hosting "Vertigo. Zenith Photographs", a photography exhibition dedicated to those who love to look at the world from unusual angles. Shots from above capture squares, rooftops and urban perspectives that, seen from above, become almost abstract geometric compositions. A path that invites one to stop, to go beyond the usual gaze and rediscover architectural details that often escape in the daily hustle and bustle.

Inserted in the heart of the historic center, this exhibition becomes a perfect experience if you want to treat yourself, during the August days in Florence, to a few moments of silence, reflection and visual wonder, just a stone's throw from the streets most beaten by tourists.

Brunelleschi Bookshop - through August 31, 2025