Astronomy Festival

The Livorno Astronomy Festival

The Astronomy Festival is the premier educational event dedicated to the sky and space in the municipality of Livorno, Tuscany. Promoted by A.L.S.A. (Livorno Astronomical Science Association), which has been active since 1991, the event attracts thousands of visitors each year who flock to the city's monumental spaces for three days entirely dedicated to the science of the cosmos.

Now in its fourth edition in 2026, the event takes place in the evocative setting of the Fortezza Vecchia, an imposing medieval and Renaissance fortress overlooking the port, which is transformed for the occasion into an open-air observatory and a major scientific outreach center.

A program for everyone

The festival is designed to appeal to a broad and diverse audience: enthusiasts, curious minds, families, students, and scholars. The program blends scientific rigor with experiential activities, with special attention given to children. Recurring highlights include:

• Telescope observations of the Moon, the Sun, and deep-sky objects, led by amateur astronomers;
• Educational lectures held by researchers, astrophysicists, and science communicators, covering topics ranging from space missions to gravitational waves;
• Astrophotography exhibitions, featuring shots taken by A.L.S.A. members, dedicated to visual journeys through the cosmos;
• Children's workshops and educational games for families;
• Virtual reality experiences, space flight simulations, and immersive video projections.

A regional scientific network

The Astronomy Festival has established itself as a key meeting point for astronomical outreach in Tuscany. The initiative involves numerous local organizations, including the SAIT - Tuscan Section, the "Galileo Galilei" Amateur Astronomers Association of Pisa, and amateur astronomers from Prato and Lucca, alongside major scientific institutions such as EGO-VIRGO (the European Gravitational Observatory in Cascina) and Kayser Space. The event is sponsored by the Port System Authority of the Northern Tyrrhenian Sea and held in collaboration with the Mediterranean Museum of Natural History.

Livorno, a city of sea and sky

Hosting a festival dedicated to the stars in Livorno holds special significance: as a port city by vocation, historically linked to navigation and sky-gazing, the city offers an ideal backdrop for looking up at the universe from its fortresses overlooking the water. Free admission and its location in the historic center make the festival an accessible and popular event, capable of attracting visitors and cruise passengers alike.