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May in Italy: festivals with fixed dates

May has one national holiday, May 1, and three dates worth planning around: Bari's San Nicola festival on May 7 to 9, the Festa dei Ceri in Gubbio on May 15, and the Giro d'Italia, which runs May 8 to 30 in 2027.

May 15 in Gubbio, every year

The Festa dei Ceri falls on May 15 every year, a fixed date, and the run starts at 6:00 pm after the bishop's blessing. It climbs a course of roughly 4.3 km (2.7 miles) from the town to the Basilica of Sant'Ubaldo on Monte Ingino.

There is no overtaking. The three Ceri, Sant'Ubaldo for the builders, San Giorgio for the merchants and Sant'Antonio for the farmers, always arrive in the order they left, so winning means carrying yours as upright as possible without a fall.

Two stops of about 15 minutes break the run, at the bottom of via Cairoli and at the entrance to Piazza Grande. The rest is on the Festa dei Ceri page.

Bari: San Nicola, May 7 to 9

Bari's patron saint festival had its core on May 7 to 9 in 2026: the historical parade on the 7th, the saint's statue carried out to sea on the 8th, and the rite of the Holy Manna on the 9th. The full program ran from April 20 to May 22, 2026.

The core dates are stable from year to year; the exact times need checking each spring. The festival in detail is on the San Nicola page.

The Giro takes the month

The Giro d'Italia is a May race: the 2026 edition ran from May 1 to 31, and the 2027 edition is scheduled from May 8 to 30, organized by RCS Sport.

The route changes every year and crosses several regions. For a traveler that means roads closed for a few hours along each stage, which matters if you have a rental car and a hill town to reach. More on the Giro d'Italia page.

May 1, then June 2

May 1 is a national civil holiday under law 260 of 1949, and the next one, June 2, follows a month later. On May 1 offices, many shops and some services close or run holiday hours.

The full list is on public holidays in Italy.

Warm in Rome, wet in Venice

Rome averages 64.4°F (18.0°C) in May on 1991-2020 normals, with a mean high of 74.1°F (23.4°C) and a mean low of 54.7°F (12.6°C). That is the month the Roman afternoon becomes warm without yet becoming the problem it is in August.

Venice gets its highest monthly rainfall of the year in May, 80.2 mm, out of an annual 762.3 mm spread more evenly than in any other city in our set. The city's own climate is on weather in Venice.

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FAQ

Is May 1 a holiday in Italy?

Yes, May 1 is a national civil holiday under law 260 of 1949, and offices, many shops and some services close or keep holiday hours. It is the only national holiday in May; the next one is June 2.

Does the Festa dei Ceri move every year?

No. It is held on May 15 every year, a fixed date, and the run starts at 6:00 pm after the bishop's blessing. The three Ceri cover roughly 4.3 km up to the Basilica of Sant'Ubaldo and always finish in the order they started.

When is the Giro d'Italia in 2027?

From May 8 to May 30, 2027, on the calendar of RCS Sport, the organizer. The 2026 edition ran from May 1 to 31. Stages close roads for a few hours where they pass, so check the route if you are driving that week.

What happens at the San Nicola festival in Bari?

In 2026 its core was May 7 to 9: the historical parade on the 7th, the procession at sea on the 8th and the rite of the Holy Manna on the 9th, inside a program running from April 20 to May 22. The core dates hold from year to year.

Does it rain much in Italy in May?

In Venice more than in any other month: 80.2 mm in an average May on the 1991-2020 normals, out of 762.3 mm a year. Rome, by contrast, is warm, averaging 64.4°F (18.0°C) with mean highs of 74.1°F (23.4°C).

Section and topics

PlanClimateBariUmbriaEventsOvertourismRome

Sources (6)

  1. 1Pontificia Basilica di San Nicola - Bari · recheck by 2027-03-31
  2. 24.3La Festa dei Ceri - Gubbio; doc 2 · recheck by 2099-12-31
  3. 3RCS Sport · recheck by 2027-06-30
  4. 4Camera dei Deputati · recheck by 2029-12-31
  5. 516,239 · 129 · 15.8WMO Climatological Standard Normals 1991-2020 - serie trasmessa dall'Italia (stazioni del Servizio Meteorologico dell'Aeronautica Militare), archivio NOAA NCEI accession 0253808; ISPRA - Sezione Climatologia Operativa, applicazione 'Valori climatici normali' · recheck by 2032-12-31
  6. 616,105 · 762.3WMO Climatological Standard Normals 1991-2020 - serie trasmessa dall'Italia (stazioni del Servizio Meteorologico dell'Aeronautica Militare), archivio NOAA NCEI accession 0253808 · recheck by 2032-12-31