Assisi Summer 2026: art, music and tradition in the year of St Francis

There are years when Assisi is more than a place — it becomes an event in itself. 2026 marks the eighth centenary of St Francis’s death, and the city is celebrating with a summer season unlike any other: contemporary art, medieval festivals, open-air concerts at the Rocca Maggiore, hikes on Mount Subasio and live music from Angelina Mango to Renaud Garcia-Fons. One after another, through to September.

Contemporary art at the Rocca Maggiore: Pistoletto and Xhixha

The season opens with “Franciscus. Brother in Art”, an exhibition by Michelangelo Pistoletto at the Rocca Maggiore (until 4 October 2026). The Arte Povera master brings to Assisi decades of work — the Third Paradise, the Sign Art series, The Flags of Religions — in a radical gesture: proclaiming Pope Francis the “First Saint of Art”. Not a religious act, but a recognition within the language of art of a figure who turned life itself into a work.

Across the historic centre, from June to August, Helidon Xhixha’s metal sculptures in the medieval alleyways of Assisi capture and scatter natural light from iconic locations. His new monumental Tau is the centrepiece.

Music: from medieval chant to Angelina Mango

The Rocca Maggiore becomes one of Italy’s most spectacular open-air stages this summer. Three festivals run back to back in July and August:

• Assisi Summer Festival (16–18 July) — Sayf, Calar with Ale de Tuglie, and The Kolors with a Radio Subasio DJ set.
• Riverock Festival (22–26 July) — Bluvertigo, Sarafine, and more to be announced, plus Evanland, the international festival of the inner world.
• Suoni Controvento (31 July – 4 August) — Mannarino (1 August), Coez (4 August), Angelina Mango (5 August). Extraordinary finale on 13 September: Giovanni Allevi inside the Basilica of St Francis.

World music fans will find the Cambio Festival performing in the castles of the surrounding territory — Castello di San Gregorio, Castello di Palazzo, Costa di Trex — with international names including Antonio Forcione Quartet and Renaud Garcia-Fons. And Note di Assisi — 26 concerts from June to August across Assisi and Santa Maria degli Angeli — fills the squares with local artists in every style, every week.

For lovers of early music, DeMusicAssisi 2026 – Gloriosus Franciscus (4–9 August) is a journey into Franciscan medieval soundscapes: concerts, lectures and seminars on 13th–15th century Assisi, directed by the Accademia d’arti antiche Resonars.

The Palios, tradition and Mount Subasio

The season is shaped by historic events too: the Palio del Cupolone (12–20 June), a 19th-century reenactment in Santa Maria degli Angeli, and the Palio di San Rufino (22–30 August), more spectacular than ever this year.

On Mount Subasio, from July to September, free themed hikes — stargazing treks, food-and-wine walks, yoga — are organised by the municipality. On 4 July, the Ascent to the Mountain returns with the Ensemble Micrologus. The 2026 theme: “The Disciples of Francis” — Clare, Agnes, Jacopa de’ Settesoli, the women who shaped the Franciscan story.

Where to stay: close to everything

Our Assisi apartments — Le Volte, Luce, Respiro and Riflesso — are in the heart of the medieval city, a short walk from the Basilica of St Francis and the Rocca Maggiore. From here you reach the concerts, exhibitions and palios on foot. And in the morning, before the crowds arrive, the city is entirely yours.

Assisi’s summer 2026 won’t come around again. If you’re thinking of visiting, now is the time to book.