Ferrara Sport Festival

The widespread sports festival of Ferrara

The Ferrara Sport Festival is the major event that transforms the capital of the province of Ferrara, in Emilia-Romagna, into an open-air gym. Promoted and organized by the Sports Service of the Municipality of Ferrara, the event brings sport out of the facilities and back to the city: squares, parks, theaters, swimming pools, and playgrounds become the stage for open trials, tournaments, exhibitions, and demonstrations of dozens of disciplines for an entire weekend. The second edition is scheduled from Friday, September 25th to Sunday, September 27th, 2026, coinciding with the European Week of Sport.

Three more intense days

Compared to the first edition, which spanned four days, the 2026 festival is concentrated into three days to offer an even more intense and immersive experience. The first edition involved over 100 sports associations, with around 200 events spread across 36 sports facilities and 17 squares and parks, for a total of over 1,000 hours of sport and tens of thousands of participants. The second edition also aims for significant numbers, with a widespread network of locations involved throughout Ferrara.

The Sports Village in the Sottomura

The major innovation of the second edition is the creation of a true Sports Village in the evocative setting of the Sottomura: starting from the Casa dell'Ortolano and heading towards San Giorgio, along the path that runs alongside the ancient city walls, numerous sports associations will gather. In the evening, the Sottomura itself will host music and entertainment, to conclude each day with sport and conviviality.

Inauguration and Falchetti Memorial

Friday, September 25th, will be dedicated to inclusion, with the Falchetti Memorial hosted as every year in its ideal setting at the Darsena, coinciding with the official inauguration in the presence of authorities. Adapted and Paralympic sport remains one of the founding values of the event, with activities also designed for people with disabilities.

Disciplines and novelties

The program includes open trials for all sports, demonstrations, tournaments in squares and facilities, exhibitions in parks, as well as cultural moments, conferences, and debates in theaters and halls. Among the announced novelties are:

• ample space dedicated to martial arts, with a cage for mixed martial arts (MMA);
• new disciplines such as pole and aerial dance;
• an enriched offering of table sports;
• the return of the LND Village by the Lega Nazionale Dilettanti, dedicated to football.

A city that lives sport

Promoted by the Ferrara Municipal Administration with Mayor Alan Fabbri and Councillor for Sport Francesco Carità, the Ferrara Sport Festival is much more than a showcase: it is an opportunity to involve citizens, associations, and tourists, enhancing the deep connection between the Este city and sports practice. Amidst the UNESCO World Heritage historic center and the green spaces along the walls, the festival celebrates sport as a tool for health, community, and identity for the entire community of Ferrara and Emilia-Romagna.