Sicily in summer is not just beaches and baroque. Every July and August, the island transforms into one of Europe’s most extraordinary open-air concert stages — with performances set inside Greek theatres built two thousand years ago, volcanic amphitheatres, and public gardens under the shadow of Mount Etna.
This summer, the line-up is exceptional. From Angelina Mango to Claudio Baglioni, from Giorgia to the Negramaro, some of Italy’s most beloved artists are performing across Sicily between July and September. And the venues — Taormina’s Teatro Antico, the Greek Theatre of Syracuse, Catania’s Villa Bellini — are reason enough to attend even if you have never heard of the artists.
If you are staying in Catania, you are perfectly positioned. Taormina is 45 minutes away by car. Syracuse is one hour. And Villa Bellini — one of the main concert venues this summer — is a ten-minute walk from our apartment on Via Etnea.
Here is everything happening this summer, by venue.
Catania — Sotto il Vulcano Fest at Villa Bellini
Villa Bellini is Catania’s historic public garden — a nineteenth-century park of palm trees, fountains and baroque pavilions in the heart of the city. Every summer it hosts the Sotto il Vulcano Fest, part of the broader Catania Summer Fest promoted by the city council. This year’s line-up covers everything from indie to rap, rock to cantautorato.
All concerts take place at night, in the open air, with Etna as the backdrop. The garden is a ten-minute walk from Sicilia Encantada.
July
25 July — Emma
26 July — Blanco
28 July — Giorgia
31 July — Luchè
August
2 August — Subsonica
7 August — Caparezza
9 August — Salmo
11 August — Earth, Wind & Fire Experience
12 August — Fulminacci
21 August — Gemitaiz
22 August — Negramaro
23 August — Fiorella Mannoia
30 August — Massimo Ranieri
Tickets available at https://www.ticketone.it/ and https://www.vivaticket.com/it
📍 Villa Bellini, Via Etnea, Catania — 10 minutes walk from Sicilia Encantada
Taormina — Teatro Antico
There is nowhere quite like the Teatro Antico di Taormina. Built by the Greeks in the third century BC and later expanded by the Romans, it sits on a clifftop with a direct view of Mount Etna and the Ionian Sea. Watching a concert here — with the volcano glowing on the horizon and the ancient stone seats warm from the day’s sun — is an experience that stays with you.
Taormina Arte, the summer festival that fills the theatre from July to September, has brought some of the world’s greatest performers to this stage. This year’s programme is one of the strongest in recent memory.
July
24 July — Angelina Mango — Nina canta nei teatri d’estate
August
31 July / 1 August — Claudio Baglioni — GrandTour La Vita è Adesso
9 August — Luca Carboni
22–23 August — Il Volo
24–25 August — Pooh — Tour del 60° anniversario
September
10 September — Coez
13 September — Madame
Tickets available at https://www.ticketone.it/ and https://www.vivaticket.com/it
🚗 45 minutes by car from Catania / from Sicilia Encantada
Siracusa — Teatro Greco
The Greek Theatre of Syracuse is one of the largest and best-preserved ancient theatres in the world — larger even than the one in Taormina, and arguably more moving. Cut directly into the rock of the Neapolis archaeological park in the fifth century BC, it seats fifteen thousand people and has been in continuous use, on and off, for two and a half millennia.
This summer it hosts a handful of major concerts that are already generating significant interest.
July
10 July — Il Volo
23–24 July — Claudio Baglioni — GrandTour La Vita è Adesso25 July — Pooh — SOLD OUT — Tour del 60° anniversario
Tickets available at https://www.ticketone.it/ and https://www.vivaticket.com/it
🚗 1 hour by car from Catania / from Sicilia Encantada
Zafferana Etnea — Etna in Scena
For something more intimate, Zafferana Etnea — a small town on the slopes of Etna, 30 minutes from Catania — hosts its annual Etna in Scena festival at the Anfiteatro Falcone e Borsellino. The setting is extraordinary: a volcanic amphitheatre on the mountain itself, with lava fields visible in the distance.
The programme this August includes some of Italy’s most beloved voices.
August
1 August — Noemi
2 August — Arisa
12 August — Raf
19 August — Levante
21 August — Niccolò Fabi
29 August — Marco Masini
Tickets available at https://www.ticketone.it/ and https://www.vivaticket.com/it
🚗 30 minutes by car from Catania / from Sicilia Encantada
Everything you need to know
Getting there from Catania
Catania is the ideal base for all of these venues. Taormina (45 min), Syracuse (1 hour) and Zafferana Etnea (30 min) are all easily reachable by car. For Taormina, there is also a direct train from Catania Centrale that takes around 45 minutes. Villa Bellini is a ten-minute walk from Sicilia Encantada.
Buying tickets
Most events are available on https://www.ticketone.it and www.vivaticket.com. For Taormina Arte specifically, check https://taorminaarte.org/. Some events — particularly the Pooh at Syracuse — are already sold out. Check availability early.
What to wear
Sicilian summer nights are warm but the stone of ancient theatres can get cold after midnight. Bring a light layer. Comfortable shoes are essential — ancient stone seats are not designed for comfort over three hours.
Before the concert
If you are heading to Taormina or Syracuse for an evening concert, allow time to explore the town or archaeological site before the show. Both deserve at least two hours of daylight. Dinner in Taormina before the concert is one of the better ways to spend a summer evening in Sicily.
Catania as your base this summer
Sicilia Encantada is a restored 18th-century apartment in the heart of Catania — steps from Villa Bellini and perfectly positioned for day trips to Taormina, Syracuse and the slopes of Etna. We can also arrange private guided excursions to the volcano with our partners at Etna Tribe, cooking lessons in the homes of local Sicilian cooks, and private chef dinners in the apartment after a long evening of music.
Summer in Sicily only happens once a year. Make it count.
Reserve your stay at Sicilia Encantada — https://www.siciliaencantada.com