Discovering Comacchio through its traditions and festivals
The timeless charm, the wild call of the brackish valleys and the vibrancy of its seven Lidi make the Comacchio area one of the most surprising destinations in Emilia-Romagna. For those who love authenticity, rural culture and fine food, the festivals in Emilia-Romagna are not mere gastronomic appointments but true custodians of a centuries-old identity.
The Comacchio 2026 events calendar promises to be rich with must-see appointments. From the spectacular parades of allegorical boats along winter canals to the great autumn festivals dedicated to the queen of the valleys, every season offers the perfect occasion to plan a trip.
If you are looking for the right moment to discover this destination, here is a detailed month-by-month overview of all the most important festivals in Comacchio and the naturalistic and food-and-wine events in the surroundings of the Po Delta.
Photo: Pedro Nuno Caetano / Flickr – The canals of Comacchio XIX (CC BY 2.0)
January and February: the magic of Carnival
While the cold envelops the lagoon, Comacchio warms up with one of Italy’s most original winter celebrations.
The Comacchio Carnival
Unlike the classic masked processions that unfold along streets, in Comacchio the celebration moves to the city’s defining element: water. Between late January and February, the canals of the historic centre are transformed into the stage of a unique parade.
- The allegorical boats: the historic batane (the flat-bottomed boats typical of the lagoon) are transformed by local associations into real floating allegorical floats, topped by papier-maché structures that poke fun at politics, current events or celebrate traditional fairy tales.
- The atmosphere: the parade is accompanied by hundreds of costumed performers dancing along the quaysides. Under the imposing arches of the Trepponti and the Ponte degli Sbirri, typical seasonal sweets (such as crostoli and frittelle) are distributed, making the event an ideal destination for families.
Photo: EvelinaRibarova / Wikimedia Commons – Carnival on the water Comacchio Italy 2019 (CC BY-SA 4.0)
March, April and May: the awakening of the Po Delta
Spring is the perfect season for those who want to combine good food with nature exploration. The mild climate encourages green tourism and the discovery of the Park’s extraordinary biodiversity.
From March to the end of May, a vast coordinated programme unites all the localities in the Park (from Comacchio to Cervia, through to the Ravenna area). This is not a single festival but a container of events in the Po Delta focused on sustainability:
- Excursions and birdwatching: hundreds of guided tours on foot, by boat or on horseback through the fishing valleys and historic pine forests to spot pink flamingos and herons.
- Cycle tourism: cycling itineraries along the valley embankments, where land meets water, often combined with small tastings of zero-kilometre products at the valley fishing huts.
Between May and June, the Lidi di Comacchio, particularly Lido degli Estensi, inaugurate the tourist season with the great horticultural exhibition and market, Un Mare in Fiore. The streets fill with exhibitors of rare plants, artistic crafts, garden furniture and organic food products from the Ferrara countryside.
The first real summer-flavoured festival takes place from 29 May to 7 June in Porto Garibaldi (historically known as Porto di Magnavacca). The Festa della Madonna del Mare is a deeply felt celebration that unites faith with pride in the local fishing community:
- The procession: the statue of the Madonna is carried on the shoulders of fishermen to the quayside and loaded onto the fishing fleet for a solemn and evocative procession out to sea, aimed at blessing the waters and remembering those lost at sea.
- The table: upon the fleet’s return, food stalls dedicated to oily fish open. Sardines, anchovies and mackerel are grilled or fried on the spot, anticipating the great tradition of the summer festivals.
Photo: Mario Fornasari /Flickr – Delta del Po (CC BY 2.0)
June, July and August: the summer of the Lidi
During the central months of the year, life moves to the coast. The seven Lidi Comacchiesi come alive with concerts, open-air cinema and theatrical reviews for children.
La Notte Rosa – Hit’s Summer 2026
Scheduled for 19, 20 and 21 June 2026, this is the real Summer Festival of the Lidi di Comacchio. A long weekend of celebration embracing the brightest days of the year and involving the entire coast: great fun with concerts, shows and performances for everyone!
Cinema sul Mare
From 7 to 28 July 2026, every Tuesday evening at 21:30, the Cinema sul Mare offers an atmospheric open-air cinema among the coast of Comacchio. Screenings of arthouse films and emotionally rich movies will be held in two unique cultural settings: the garden of the Casa Museo Remo Brindisi at Lido di Spina and the Capanno di Garibaldi at Lido delle Nazioni. A special occasion to enjoy the big screen in an intimate, relaxed atmosphere, surrounded by greenery and cooled by the summer breeze just steps from the sea.
Festa dell’OspitalitÃ
A fixed appointment on 14 August in Porto Garibaldi for the historic Festa dell’Ospitalità . The centrepiece of this celebration is the harbour quayside, where local fishermen set up enormous industrial fryers to prepare the famous giant fried fish: quintals of freshly caught fish are fried on the spot and distributed free of charge. The entertainment continues throughout the evening along the seafront with live music shows, concluding with a spectacular fireworks display over the sea that illuminates the entire northern coastline.
Festa di San Cassiano
From 9 to 13 August 2026, 10:00 to 24:00, Comacchio celebrates its Patron Saint with an event that unites folklore and an ancestral sporting competition.
- La regata delle vulicepi: a fiercely contested challenge between the historic districts takes place along the city canals. Local boatsmen compete in the traditional Comacchio rowing technique, practised standing on the narrow batane.
- The market and fireworks: the town centre fills with stalls of sweets and crafts, while at midnight the sky above the valleys adjoining the historic centre lights up with fireworks reflected on the lagoon water.
September and October: the triumph of the eel festival
Autumn is, without a doubt, the queen season for gastronomic tourism in Comacchio. When the days shorten, the eel festival returns.
The most famous festival in the area, attracting tens of thousands of visitors from all over Europe, returns in 2026 in its classic format spread over three consecutive weekends: from 26 September to 11 October 2026 (specifically on the weekends of 26-27 September, 3-4 October and 10-11 October) from 10:00 to 22:00.
The taste hubs
The reference point for eating is the large Food Stand near the Stadium, but every restaurant and trattoria in the historic centre offers special menus. The eel is served in over thirty different variations: memorable highlights include grilled eel (cooked over a wood fire to reduce its fat), eel in brodetto accompanied by soft yellow or white polenta, and eel marinated in vinegar.
Photo: Nicola Quirico /Wikimedia Commons – Manifattura dei marinati (Comacchio) – Confezioni anguilla marinata (CC BY-SA 4.0)
La Manifattura dei Marinati
During the days of the festival, a visit to this splendid facility is a must, where the only Slow Food Presidium dedicated to certified wild eels comes to life, prepared and cooked by hand following an ancient production process with written records dating back to 1700, involving a four-stage process: cutting, skewering, spit-roasting over wood fires and preservation through traditional vinegar marinade.
Opening hours:
- November, December, January and February:
Monday: closed
Tuesday to Saturday: 9:30 to 13:00 and 14:30 to 18:00
Sunday: continuous opening 10:00 to 17:00 - March, April, May, June, September and October:
Monday: closed
Tuesday to Sunday: 9:30 to 13:00 and 15:00 to 18:30 - July and August:
Open every day 9:30 to 13:00 and 15:00 to 18:30 - Public holidays: continuous opening 10:00 to 17:00
- Closing days: 25 December and 1 January
Ticket prices (from 1 May 2026):
- Full price: € 7.00
- Reduced price: € 5.00 – Over 65s, groups of more than 25, and minors (aged 11 to 17)
- Free admission: residents in the municipalities of the Po Delta Park, people with disabilities and their companion, children under 11 (only if accompanied by parents), military personnel, journalists with press cards, licensed tourist guides
During the marinated fish festival and the eel festival museum admission is free.
Culture and entertainment
The festival is not only about food. The packed 2026 programme includes art exhibitions, antique and collectors’ markets along the streets of the town centre, performances by travelling brass bands and practical demonstrations of eel catching using the ancient lavoriero system in the Comacchio valleys.
Photo: Bultro /Wikimedia Commons – Manifattura dei Marinati (CC BY-SA 4.0)
November and December: an autumn of sea and Christmas in the lagoon
The end of the year does not slow down the offering of festivals in the Po Delta, which continue to celebrate the excellence of the Adriatic before giving way to the poetry of the Christmas lights.
In Porto Garibaldi, deep autumn brings two extraordinary local catches to the table. Under a large heated marquee on the harbour quayside, local chefs offer hot fish soups, seafood risotto, cuttlefish with peas and the deliciously sweet boiled or oven-gratinated mantis shrimps. An intimate and authentic event, perfect for true purists of fresh sea fish.
Christmas in Comacchio
- The nativity scenes on the water: under the arches of the historic bridges (such as the Ponte di San Pietro, the Ponte dei Borghi and the Trepponti itself), life-size artistic nativity scenes are installed, scenographically illuminated and viewable simply by strolling along the canals.
- New Year’s Eve in Comacchio: on the night of 31 December, the celebration invades the squares of the historic centre. The highlight of the event is the spectacular Incendio del Trepponti: at the stroke of midnight, Comacchio’s iconic monument becomes the centre of a breathtaking pyromusical theatrical show, with cascades of light and special effects simulating a historic fire, accompanying the start of the new year to the rhythm of music.
Photo: Carlo Pelagalli /Wikimedia Commons – Natale a Comacchio, Trepponti dal Ponte degli Sbirri (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Holiday Park Spiaggia e Mare: the starting point for events in the Po Delta
The calendar of events in Comacchio demonstrates how this sliver of land and water can regenerate and surprise throughout the year. Whether savouring the catch of the local fishing community during warm summer evenings or being enchanted by the mysticism of the floating nativity scenes in winter, every event represents a privileged gateway to local culture. Staying at Holiday Park Spiaggia e Mare in Porto Garibaldi offers the logistical advantage of always being just a few minutes from these great celebrations, allowing you to combine the tranquillity of campsite life with the most authentic experiences of lagoon tradition.
Foto in copertina: serbosca / Flickr – Comacchio By Night (CC BY 2.0)
