Palermo

January

• Epiphany Celebrations (Befana): January 6, celebrated with processions, sweets, and the appearance of the Befana in Palermo and surrounding towns.
• Festa di Sant’Antonio Abate: January 17, featuring bonfires, blessings of animals, and traditional foods in various towns, including Palermo.

February

• Carnival of Palermo: Features parades, masks, and traditional costumes.
• Sagra della Sfincia di San Giuseppe: Celebrated in Montelepre, focusing on traditional pastries and local delicacies.
• Palermo Film Festival: Showcasing local and international films, with screenings held in various venues across the city.

March

• Feast of St. Joseph: March 19, celebrated with traditional pastries like sfince and zeppole, processions, and local wines in towns like Palermo and Bagheria.
• Palermo Jazz Winter: An important event for jazz lovers, held in various venues across Palermo.
• Palermo Food and Film Festival: A unique event combining culinary arts and cinema, featuring food-themed films and related gastronomic experiences.

April

• Holy Week and Easter Celebrations: Processions and religious events in Palermo, including the Via Crucis and other traditional observances.
• Sagra del Carciofo (Artichoke Festival): Held in Cerda, focusing on dishes made with local artichokes.
• Palermo International Marathon: A major marathon event attracting runners from all over the world.

May

• Sagra della Fava e Pecorino: Celebrated in Marineo, featuring fava beans and pecorino cheese dishes.
• Giro d’Italia: This prestigious cycling race often passes through Palermo or nearby areas, attracting cycling enthusiasts.

• Targa Florio: One of the oldest car races in the world, held in the mountains around Palermo, typically in May.

• Sicily Mototour: An annual motorbike tour through the picturesque landscapes of Sicily, typically in May or June.
• Palermo International Music Festival: Featuring a wide range of musical genres, held in various historical venues throughout the city.

June

• Festa di San Giovanni Battista: June 24, celebrated with religious processions, traditional foods, and local wines in Palermo and other towns.
• Palermo Pizza Festival: A festival dedicated to pizza, featuring tastings, cooking shows, and music.
• Palermo Summer Fest: A series of open-air concerts and performances held throughout the summer months in various venues across Palermo.

July

• Festa della Madonna del Carmine: Mid-July in Palermo and surrounding towns with religious processions and celebrations.
• Feast of Santa Rosalia: Held annually from July 10th to 15th, it is one of Palermo’s most important and grand celebrations. It honors Santa Rosalia, the city’s patron saint, who is credited with saving Palermo from the plague in the 17th century. The event is marked by a spectacular procession where a statue of Santa Rosalia is carried through the streets, accompanied by music, dancing, and fireworks. The festivities also include a pilgrimage to Monte Pellegrino, where Santa Rosalia’s sanctuary is located.
• Estate Palermitana: A summer-long festival in Palermo with open-air concerts, cinema, theater, and various cultural events.
• Palermo Jazz Festival: An important event for jazz lovers, held in various venues across Palermo.

August

• Festa di San Salvatore: August 6, celebrated in Palermo with religious ceremonies and local festivities.
• Ferragosto: August 15, a major holiday celebrated with feasts, fireworks, and beach parties throughout Palermo and coastal towns.

September

• Festa della Vendemmia: Grape harvest festival in the province of Palermo, featuring wine tastings, music, and parades.
• Sagra del Pesce (Fish Festival): Celebrated in towns like Aspra, focusing on seafood dishes.
• Gran Fondo Sicilia: An annual cycling event featuring various routes through Palermo and the surrounding countryside, attracting amateur cyclists from all over, typically in September.
• Palermo Film Week: A week-long celebration of cinema with screenings, workshops, and discussions held in various venues.

October

• Sagra del Ficodindia: Held in Roccapalumba, celebrating the cactus pear fruit with local dishes and entertainment.
• Palermo Film Festival: A major international film festival attracting celebrities and filmmakers.
• Sagra delle Olive: Olive festival in Campobello di Mazara, featuring olive tastings and local wines.
• Sagra del Tartufo (Truffle Festival): Celebrated in Castelbuono, featuring truffle dishes and local wines.

November

• Sagra dell’Olio Nuovo: Celebrations for the new olive oil harvest in towns like Corleone, including tastings and traditional meals.
• Fiera dei Morti: Early November, featuring market stalls, local crafts, and traditional foods in Palermo.
• Palermo Jazz Autumn: A series of jazz concerts held in various venues throughout the city.

December

• Christmas Markets and Nativity Scenes: Throughout December, featuring local food specialties and wines, particularly in Palermo and Cefalù.
• Feast of the Immaculate Conception: December 8, celebrated with religious processions and local festivities.
• Feast of Santa Lucia: December 13, celebrated with various religious and cultural activities and the distribution of “cuccìa,” a traditional dish made from boiled wheat, often sweetened with honey or ricotta. 
• Santo Stefano Day: December 26, often marked with family gatherings and additional local events.
• Capodanno a Palermo: New Year’s Eve celebrations with concerts, fireworks, and cultural events throughout Palermo.