With over 250 initiatives packed into 150 days between May and September, Rimini is gearing up for an extraordinary summer. The programme kicks off with the return of Vasco Rossi and continues with big-ticket concerts from Achille Lauro. The schedule also features key events such as the National Carabinieri Gathering, Cartoon Club, and the high-profile art exhibitions. This programme spans music, culture, cinema, literature, tradition, and food and wine, reconfirming Rimini as the "Queen of the Italian Summer." Highlights for the younger generation include the free performance by ‘Me contro Te’ and #RiminiWow, a summer village of YouTubers, TikTokers, and influencers turning Piazzale Fellini into a youth capital.
>The Superstars open the Season
The summer begins as early as May with the return of Vasco Rossi. On 29 and 30 May, he returns to the Romeo Neri Stadium after three years: Friday features a Soundcheck for Fan Club members, followed by the 'Data Zero' of Vasco Live 2026 on Saturday—the absolute debut of his new national tour, which has chosen Rimini as its starting point. Just days later, on 7 June, Achille Lauro takes the same stage for a preview of "Comuni Immortali," his new live project, that will take the Roman artist from Rimini to the stages of Italy's main stadiums..
May will also host significant international gatherings, including the Venditalia trade fair dedicated to automatic vending, the XXVI National Carabinieri Gathering — expected to draw over 100,000 people — and the Routes Europe aviation summit (17–20 May), transforming Rimini into a meeting point for the world’s leading airlines with over 1,000 global delegates. Furthermore, the film festival La Settima Arte will this year feature Oscar-winning director Paolo Sorrentino and actor Fabio De Luigi among those honoured by the jury presided over by Pupi Avati. The month closes with the international sporting event: RiminiWellness.
> Notte Rosa: Summer starts here
21 June is the date that officially marks the start of summer. For Rimini, it is also the heart of the Notte Rosa, now in its twenty-first edition. For the second consecutive year, "Hit’s Summer" ensures the Riviera's great celebration coincides with the summer solstice weekend, from 19 to 21 June. Driving the "Pink Weekend" is the highly anticipated return of the RDS Summer Festival to Piazzale Fellini (19 and 20 June), featuring the most awaited names from the music charts. Friday 19 is dedicated to the RDS Party, focused entirely on dance music, while Saturday 20 sees the main festival with the biggest names in music. The Sunday of the Notte Rosa will kick off the Liscio Street Parade, an event dedicated to traditional Romagnolo music and dance, which transforms Piazzale Kennedy for three days (21–23 June) into a vast open-air dance floor, welcoming orchestras, dance schools, and DJs for three days of spectacle and passion.
Preceding the early summer festivities are three major cultural appointments: the Strega Touron 6 June, which will bring the five finalists of one of Italy’s most prestigious literary prizes to the stage of the Teatro Galli. This is followed by Mare di Libri, thefestival for young readers (12–14 June), and the Biglietti agli Amici literary event (23–25 June), the festival weaving together writing, the spoken word, music, and thought. Additionally, from 16 to 19 June, Rimini hosts the prestigious Velo-city conference, the world cycling summit returning to Italy for the first time since 1991, with over 1,600 delegates from more than 60 countries. The event includes the Bike Village and the Bike Parade on 17 June, a cycling procession open to all that will colour the city. Closing the month of June is sport with Sand Rimini(25–28 June), a multi-sport event featuring street basket, padel, international beach volleyball, fencing, and foot table, with Carlton Myers as its exceptional patron.
> The Italian Global Series Festival opens July
In July, the focus shifts to the second edition of the Italian Global Series Festival, dedicated to Italian and international television series (3 to 11 July), while Percuotere la mente series the Malatesta Music Festival,as part of the 77th Malatesta Music Festival, brings international performers like Patrick Watson and Anna von Hausswolff to the stage. July also features three Crossroads appointments with Lakecia Benjamin Phoenix (14 July), the Italian Jazz Orchestra conducted by Fabio Petretti with special guest Simona Molinari (28 July), and Rau Gelato & The Giant (31 July).
Once again, RDS 100% GRANDI SUCCESSI takes centre stage in July with "RDS loves Rimini", featuring Roberta Lanfranchi and Claudio Guerrini broadcasting live on 24, 25 July and from 27 July to 1 August. The fun doubles with evening events such as Discoradio Party and the grand finale on the weekend of 31 July and 1 August with a special guest.
The legendary Cartoon Club and RiminiComix will once again draw massive crowds with exhibitions and cosplay conventions. Highlights include the first "Sunrise Cosplay" and the presence of international artists such as Giorgio Cavazzano, the acclaimed Disney illustrator, and John Nevarez, a visual development artist for Cars 2, Inside Out, and Coco. From 16 to 19 July, Piazzale Fellini comes alive with comics, video games, markets, and the cosplay convention. For the first time, RiminiComix will host "Wrestling Cosplay" featuring iconic characters from Tiger Mask to contemporary superstars like Hulk Hogan and The Undertaker. The month concludes with a strong message of civil rights at Rimini Summer Pride (25 July), while the #RiminiWow event features the ‘phenomenon’ duo Me contro Te (31 July), followed on 1 August by YouTubers and TikTok stars the Dieffe Bros, and closing on 2 August with the country’s most followed social collectives: The Breakfast Club, The Breakfast Crew, and The Snack Club.
> August: Music, Gastronomy, and Major International Events
August represents the beating heart of Rimini’s summer, with a dense calendar spanning gastronomy, spirituality, and culture. From the “RIM – Rimini in Musica” series (30 July – 1 August) to the mid-month “Dire, mare, mangiare” (14–16 August), the Parco del Mare and city centre transform into meeting places for tradition and modernity. From 8 August to late September, the ‘Le Città Visibili’ theatre and music festival returns with 25 live performances in both conventional and non-traditional spaces. Closing the month as per tradition, the Meeting for Friendship Among Peoples (21–26 August) confirms Rimini as an international crossroads for culture and dialogue. This year’s edition is enriched by an extraordinary event: the visit of Pope Leo XIV, who will arrive in Rimini on 22 August, marking a historic moment for the city and the festival.
Alongside the major events, smaller series continue throughout the summer. Accompanying the entire season are the famous Wednesday evenings in the historic centre with Rimini Shopping Night, an opportunity for shopping and culture organised by CNA Rimini.
> Other Major Season Appointments
September combines international events, sport, and popular roots. The Festival of Sporting Culture returns (3–6 September), while the San Marino and Riviera di Rimini MotoGP Grand Prix (11–13 September) at the Misano World Circuit draws fans from around the world. Balamondo (10–12 September) returns to the historic centre with its mix of liscio and international sounds. These are joined by traditional events like the Festa de’ Borg (4–6 September) and the Festa del Borgo Sant’Andrea (9–11 October), celebrating the authentic dimension of Rimini’s neighbourhoods.
> Major Exhibitions Running Throughout the Summer
Summer 2026 transforms Rimini into a great cultural stage. Among the most anticipated is "The Code of Passion: Bellini and Mantegna mirrored" at the City Museum from late June: after stops in Venice and New York, Giovanni Bellini’s restored Pietà returns to Rimini to dialogue with Andrea Mantegna’s dramatic Saint Sebastian. Also of great interest is the temporary exhibition "Luca Giovagnoli and six New York artists in Rimini" at the Palazzi dell’Arte (26 June – 13 September). In July, the 42nd edition of the Cartoon Club brings four distributed exhibitions across the City Museum and other venues, a classic staple of the Rimini summer.
Discover all events at this link: