Romagna is ready to be decked out in pink and to once again become Italy’s largest open-air stage.
Preparations are in full swing for this 21st edition of La Notte Rosa, the iconic event which, from 19 to 21 June 2026, marks the start of the Italian summer, confirming its status as one of the country’s leading events dedicated to tourism, music, entertainment and performance. A festival capable of uniting the sea, cities of art, villages and hills in a single grand collective narrative made up of emotions, concerts, culture and moments to be enjoyed until dawn.
The theme chosen for this new edition is music, the undisputed star of an event that continues to grow and engage diverse audiences, from families to young people, from fans of major events to lovers of the local area. Over three days, the Riviera and the hills of Romagna will be transformed into a mosaic of experiences, featuring national and international artists, live performances, dawn events, shows in the squares, beach performances and events designed to showcase nature and cultural heritage.
Among the most eagerly awaited events is the major RDS Summer Festival, which returns to Rimini for the third consecutive year. The heart of the festival will be Piazzale Fellini, where on 19 and 20 June DJs, radio presenters and leading artists from the Italian music scene will take to the stage.
Friday evening will be dedicated to the RDS Party, featuring a journey through dance music set to kick-start the Notte Rosa weekend, whilst on Saturday the stage will welcome chart-toppers and rising stars of the Italian music scene. The RDS village will accompany the event with activities and entertainment open to the public.
Also on Friday 19 June, Riccione will become the centre of a major national music event with “Riccione Music City”, scheduled to take place in Piazzale Roma from 9.30 pm to 11.59 pm. The official radio station will be RTL 102.5, which will bring some of the most beloved names on the Italian music scene to the stage, such as J-Ax, Ditonellapiaga, Samurai Jay and Eddie Brock. An evening that will combine live entertainment, energy and extensive national radio and television coverage, transforming Riccione into a musical showcase capable of reaching millions of people.
On Friday 19th, the festivities kick off at 9.30 pm in Misano Adriatico in Piazza della Repubblica with a major concert by Nomadi, one of the most beloved bands in Italian music. With a career spanning over sixty years, they will perform their most famous hits in a live show set to captivate all generations. At midnight, all eyes will turn skywards for the spectacular fireworks display in Piazzale Roma, taking place simultaneously across the entire Riviera.
In Cattolica, on 19 June from 9 pm to midnight in Piazza Primo Maggio, Jerry Calà will be performing his show “Una vita da libidine”, a musical and tongue-in-cheek journey through his fifty-year career. With a mix of songs, comedy and audience participation, the famous actor will bring his unmistakable style to the stage, accompanied by a live band. Before and after the concert, Radio Gamma’s DJ set will take centre stage for a long night of partying.
La Notte Rosa arrives in Bellaria Igea Marina and lights up Piazzale Kennedy with an evening not to be missed: the DJ duo Space Invaders at the decks and the infectious energy of Franky Party Vocalist will take the audience on a musical journey through rock-dance rhythms, irresistible hits and an engaging atmosphere under the stars.
In Cesenatico, on Saturday 20 June, contemporary music will take centre stage in Piazza Andrea Costa with a concert by Dargen D’Amico, one of the most original artists on the contemporary Italian scene. Following a DJ set by Radio Bruno, the singer-songwriter will take to the stage as part of the tour for his new album, performing live tracks that blend pop, rap and experimental music.
There is also great anticipation for the double bill in Comacchio, where the beaches of Ferrara will host the ‘La Notte Rosa Hits’Summer Riviera di Comacchio’ festival. On 19 June, at Lido degli Scacchi, LDA and Aka7even will take to the stage, headlining an evening of contemporary pop and new musical generations.
The following day, 20 June, it will be Fred De Palma’s turn, ready to bring urban beats and Latin sounds under the stars of the Riviera. Both events will be accompanied by DJ sets, entertainment and light shows designed to make the audience an integral part of the experience.
La Notte Rosa 2026 would obviously not be complete without involving Ravenna and Cervia with events combining music and entertainment. On Friday 19 June, the Moka Club will arrive in Lido Adriano with a concert dedicated to the great hits of the 70s and 80s, whilst in Cervia, in Piazza Garibaldi, the stage will be set for the folk and traditional sounds of the Balkans with a concert by Pranvera Balkan. In Marina di Ravenna, the weekend will be enlivened by “Midsummer Fires – Summer Solstice by the Sea”, featuring Celtic rituals, travelling shows, music and evocative atmospheres overlooking the sea.
The music will also take place in venues of great historical and cultural significance. In Codigoro, on 21 June from 9 pm to 11.30 pm, Pomposa Abbey will provide the setting for a concert by Nina Zilli and the Martini Big Band, a special event forming part of the celebrations for the millennium of the abbey church’s reconsecration. A large orchestra and one of the most beloved voices in Italian music will bring to life an evening that combines cultural heritage and musical emotion.
The 105 Summer Festival will take place in Ferrara on 18 and 19 June. Among the events set to attract thousands of people is the Ferrara Summer Festival, which on 20 June will bring German DJ and producer Paul Kalkbrenner – one of the most influential figures on the international electronic music scene – to Piazza Ariostea. A live show combining technology, immersive visuals and techno beats that will transform Ferrara into the beating heart of Italian electronic music until 2 am. Ferrara will also offer a special cultural event with ‘Castello by Night’, an extraordinary guided tour of the Castello Estense, open exceptionally until 11.30 pm and illuminated in shades of pink. A journey through frescoed halls, courtly tales and nocturnal vistas that will add a cultural dimension to the festivities.
The magic of the Notte Rosa will come to life on the sand. On 19 June, “Un Mare di Rosa – La Notte Rosa è a Riva” returns to Rimini, along the stretch of coastline between Bagno 50 and Bagno 63. Live music, DJ sets, contemporary circus performances, fire artists, tastings and the celebration of the tenth anniversary of “Un Mare di Vino” will bring to life a long evening by the sea, uniting the local area, flavours and entertainment.
La Notte Rosa will also retain one of its most evocative moments: the dawn concerts. On 20 June, on the beach at Rimini Terme in Miramare, the sunrise will accompany Petra Magoni and the Arké String Quartet, the stars of a show that will blend music, storytelling and experimental sound.
The following day, 21 June, the summer solstice will be celebrated in Riccione with Venerus, headliner of the ‘Albe in controluce’ series, on the public beach in the Marano area, offering an immersive musical experience amidst the sea and the light of dawn.
There will also be a focus on dance with “Magia in Movimento”, the show directed by Kledi Kadiu, scheduled for 20 June at 10 pm in Piazzale Roma, Riccione. Classical, contemporary and modern dance styles will come together in a show conceived as theatre under the stars, with world-class dancers ready to thrill the audience.
The grand finale will take place on Sunday 21 June in Bellaria Igea Marina, where the sky will take centre stage with the spectacular Air Show 2026. From 4.30 pm to 7 pm, the National Aerobatic Team, the legendary Frecce Tricolori, will soar through the skies of the Riviera, delivering one of the most eagerly awaited spectacles of the entire event. The coastline will be transformed into a vast open-air grandstand to bring the long Notte Rosa weekend to a close with a spectacle that leaves the audience gazing skywards every year.
As is tradition, Notte Rosa 2026 will feature major concerts and musical performances, but above all it will be a vast array of experiences capable of engaging every corner of Romagna and every type of audience.
Alongside the headline events featuring stars of Italian and international music, one of the most eagerly awaited and symbolic highlights of the festival will return: the spectacular fireworks display stretching the length of the Riviera, a moment that every year brings the region together under a single sky illuminated by colour, emotion and wonder.