September in Italy: the Lido, the Regata, the heat

September starts in Venice: the 83rd Venice Film Festival runs on the Lido from September 2 to 12, 2026, and the Regata Storica takes the Grand Canal on the first Sunday of the month.

The Lido, September 2 to 12, 2026

The 83rd Venice International Film Festival, run by La Biennale di Venezia under artistic director Alberto Barbera, is held on the Lido from September 2 to 12, 2026. It falls between late August and mid-September each year, and it is the oldest film festival in the world, held since 1932.

The Lido is a separate island from the historic center, so a festival evening means a boat back. How the festival works for a visitor is on the Venice Film Festival page.

First Sunday: the Regata Storica

The Regata Storica runs every year on the first Sunday of September on the Grand Canal, organized by the Comune di Venezia. The historical procession that opens it recalls the welcome Venice gave Caterina Cornaro in 1489².

In 2026 the first Sunday was September 6. When we checked, the city's official page still showed the previous edition, so for future years treat the date as the rule applied rather than a published program.

Venice weather in September

Venice Tessera averages 66.9°F (19.4°C) in September on 1991-2020 normals, with mean highs of 75.6°F (24.2°C) and lows of 58.8°F (14.9°C). September brings 73.3 mm of rain, part of a year of 762.3 mm³ spread more evenly than in any other city in our set.

High water in Venice depends on tide, sirocco wind and pressure, not on local rain, so the rainfall figure tells you nothing about acqua alta. That subject is on weather in Venice.

Summer hours still run in the south

Until September 20, 2026, the Valley of the Temples at Agrigento kept its summer schedule: open until 11:00 pm on weekdays and until midnight on holidays. On September 6, the first Sunday of the month, entry was free until 7:00 pm and paid again from 8:00 pm.

Naples averages 72.0°F (22.2°C) in September, with mean highs of 80.8°F (27.1°C) and lows of 63.3°F (17.4°C), which is still summer by most visitors' standards.

The Arena's last nights

The Arena di Verona opera season runs into early September, and the 2027 season is scheduled to close on September 11, 2027.

The venue, and what the cheapest seats really are, is on the Arena di Verona page.

No national holiday

September has no national civil holiday under law 260⁸ of 1949: after August 15, the next one is November 1. Offices, trains and museums run to their ordinary timetables all month.

Local patron saint days are the exception, and they vary by city. For the August side of the choice, see August in Italy.

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