Cattolica's events calendar moves from Fogheraccia on the beach on 18 March to the central flower show between April and May, then summer festivals and Ferragosto fireworks. Teatro della Regina resumes in autumn; from late November to Epiphany, festive lights and Christmas events fill the squares.
The seasonal calendar
Bonfires and flowers in spring, festivals and fireworks in summer, harbour and motorsport in September, theatre and festive lights in winter: these are the periods when events return.
| Period | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 18 March | Fogheraccia di San Giuseppe | Free beach opposite Piazza Primo Maggio |
| Easter | Gusto di vivere | Via Bovio and Piazza Primo Maggio |
| Late April and early May | Cattolica in Fiore | Central squares and streets |
| May | Inferno Beach, Granfondo Squali and Oceanman | Beach, sea off the harbour and, for Granfondo, roads as far as Gabicce Monte |
| June | Notte Rosa | Piazza Primo Maggio and beach |
| Late June or early July | MystFest | Theatre and central venues |
| July and August | JaZzFeeling and OUT! cinema | Piazza Roosevelt and Parco della Pace |
| August | Ferragosto fireworks and pesca alla tratta | Beach and harbour |
| September | Street Fish, Modcast, Festa dello Sport and Cattolica Ride Week | Harbour, park and centre |
| From November to April | Teatro della Regina season | Piazza della Repubblica |
| From late November to 6 January | Festive lights, shows, New Year's Eve and the 1 January sea dip | Central squares and beach |
Spring: the bonfire and Cattolica in Fiore
Fogheraccia di San Giuseppe is the bonfire on the free beach opposite Piazza Primo Maggio. Both the 2025 and 2026 editions were dated 18 March; in bad weather, the evening is postponed.
Cattolica in Fiore is a flower and plant exhibition spread through the centre between Piazza Roosevelt, Piazza del Mercato, Viale Bovio and Piazza Nettuno. It falls between late April and early May: from 27 April to 1 May in 2024, and from 30 April to 3 May in 2026.
Around Easter, Gusto di vivere offers activities between Via Bovio and Piazza Primo Maggio. May is the month for races: Inferno Beach, the beach obstacle race; Granfondo Squali, shared with Gabicce Mare; and Oceanman, open-water swimming off the harbour. Dates and routes are on the sport in Cattolica page; the Gabicce Mare events calendar explores events shared by the two resorts.
Summer: festivals, cinema and fireworks
Notte Rosa involves Piazza Primo Maggio and the free beach opposite, where fireworks over the sea begin at midnight; it has been held in June since 2025. MystFest is the crime and mystery festival, with events at the theatre and central venues: between late June and early July, from 6 to 12 July in 2026.
JaZzFeeling brings free concerts to Piazza Roosevelt on Thursday evenings between July and August. OUT! is the open-air cinema series at Parco della Pace on summer evenings.
Ferragosto fireworks take place on the free beach opposite Piazza Primo Maggio: the 2024, 2025 and 2026 editions were held on 15 August. At the end of the month, pesca alla tratta re-enacts a traditional fishing technique at the harbour.
September: harbour, music and motorsport
Cattolica Street Fish is devoted to Adriatic fish and harbour tradition. Modcast also includes activities in Gabicce Mare, while Festa dello Sport centres on Parco della Pace.
Cattolica Ride Week brings meetings, music and motorcycling guests to town during the week of Gran Premio di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini, held at the Misano circuit; the rest of the Grand Prix calendar is in Misano Adriatico events.
Theatre and the Christmas period
Teatro della Regina presents performances in Piazza della Repubblica. Its 2026-27 season runs from 18 November 2026 to 13 April 2027, with plays, music, dance and family Sundays: evenings and tickets are in the Teatro della Regina season calendar.
Festive lights come on in late November in Piazza Nettuno, on 23 November 2024 and 29 November 2025, and the Christmas programme continues to Epiphany: in 2025-26, under the name Bosco di Luce, it ran from 29 November to 6 January. On the evening of 31 December, New Year's Eve is celebrated in the square; on the morning of 1 January, the free beach opposite Piazza Primo Maggio hosts the New Year's Day sea dip, in 2025 as in 2026.
Finding the current programme
The Cattolica tourism portal publishes event listings with dates and venues for each edition; the Comune communicates programmes and changes. Evening activities beyond festivals are on the entertainment in Cattolica page. Comparison with other resorts is in Riviera events.