M'Illumino d'Inverno
Sorrento's Christmas festival featuring illuminations, nativity scenes, concerts, and the Ciuccio di Fuoco
About M'Illumino d'Inverno
Sorrento's Christmas in one grand program
M'Illumino d'Inverno is the festive program promoted by the Municipality of Sorrento, in Campania, within the Metropolitan City of Naples. From late November to mid-January, the town on the Sorrento Peninsula transforms into a sprawling stage: over a hundred events—ranging from entertainment, culture, and music to food and local traditions—bring life to the squares, churches, theaters, and museums of the historic center, Marina Grande, and the hillside villages of Casarlano and Priora. The event, which reached its seventeenth edition in 2025, is now the main driver of the Sorrento winter season and runs alongside the other municipal hospitality program, Surriento Gentile.
Illuminations, Christmas tree, and markets
The season kicks off with the lighting of the grand tree and the illuminations in Piazza Tasso, a highly anticipated ritual that fills the city's main square. In the following weeks, Corso Italia, Piazza Lauro, and Piazza Veniero host Christmas markets, featuring wooden stalls dedicated to local crafts, decorations, and typical coastal products. The Villa Comunale hosts The Christmas Garden, an installation designed for families, while the pedestrian area welcomes Chocoland - Christmas Edition, the artisanal chocolate festival that attracts thousands of visitors every year in early December.
Nativity scenes, theater, and concerts
- Living nativity scenes in the gardens of the Archbishop's Palace and in the village of Casarlano, with actors in costume among reconstructed workshops.
- Teatro delle guarattelle, the ancient Neapolitan puppet theater, and treasure hunts for children through the alleys of the center.
- Events at the Teatro Tasso: professional film days, prose performances, the Sorrento Jazz festival, and the Caruso - De Curtis International Singing Competition.
- Classical music concerts, gospel choirs, and events like MuseMuseo, which combines guided tours, music, and tastings at the Museo Correale di Terranova.
- Art and ceramic exhibitions in the Cathedral of Saints Philip and James and the Cloister of San Francesco.
New Year's Eve and the Ciuccio di Fuoco
December 31st is the most intense day. In the morning, the Teatro Tasso hosts the New Year's Eve Concert by the Sorrento Concert Society; in the afternoon, a folk group parades through Corso Italia and the alleys of the historic center, singing the traditional Canzone de lo Capodanno. In the evening, Piazza Tasso fills up for the Ciuccio di Fuoco, an ancient popular ritual where a donkey-shaped structure loaded with barrels and fireworks is set ablaze amidst the crowd: a spectacle of fire and irony that has become the symbol of Sorrento's New Year. After midnight, the party continues with live music and DJ sets, while fireworks rise from the waters of Marina Piccola.
January: Epiphany and living tableaux
The program does not end with the New Year's toast: the first half of January sees the return of the Three Kings procession for the Epiphany, the final days of the living nativity scenes, and evocative events like the tableaux vivants inspired by Caravaggio and Spagnoletto in the Basilica of Saint Antonino, which recreate famous 17th-century paintings live.
Why it's worth the trip
Visiting Sorrento in winter means rediscovering the city without the summer crowds: the terraces overlooking the gulf, the citrus gardens, the inlay workshops, and the seasonal cuisine can be enjoyed at a different pace. M'Illumino d'Inverno, created by the Municipality of Sorrento with the Sorrento Foundation, trade associations, and local cultural entities, blends the sacred and the profane, high culture and popular devotion: it is the most authentic way to understand how the Sorrento Peninsula experiences its holidays.
M'Illumino d'Inverno — edition 2026
The seventeenth edition of M'Illumino d'Inverno spanned seven weeks, from November 30, 2025, to January 18, 2026, confirming the widespread event formula: over a hundred appointments distributed between Piazza Tasso, Corso Italia, the Teatro Tasso, the Cathedral, the Villa Comunale, the Museo Correale, and the surrounding villages. Alongside the Christmas program ran the Surriento Gentile schedule, dedicated to hospitality and city life.
Among the most popular moments: the lighting of the tree and illuminations in Piazza Tasso, the Lux Familiae ceramic exhibition in the Cathedral of Saints Philip and James, the professional film days at the Teatro Tasso, Chocoland Christmas Edition in the pedestrian area of Corso Italia, Christmas markets along Corso Italia, Piazza Lauro, and Piazza Veniero, the Christmas Garden at the Villa Comunale, the Caruso - De Curtis International Singing Festival, the Sorrento Jazz festival, and the New Year's Eve Concert.
On December 31st, the city gathered in the square for the folk group parade, the Ciuccio di Fuoco with actor Marco Palmieri, and the long night of live music and DJ sets, closed by fireworks over Marina Piccola. In the following days, the living nativity scene, treasure hunts, puppet theater, and Epiphany events continued.
Programme M'Illumino d'Inverno 2026
November - December
- Nov 30 - Jan 7: Lux Familiae exhibition, Cathedral of Saints Philip and James
- Dec 1-4: Professional Film Days, Teatro Tasso
- Dec 4-8: Chocoland - Christmas Edition, Corso Italia pedestrian area
- Dec 6, 6 PM: Tree and illumination lighting, Piazza Tasso
- Dec 7: Children's activities and puppet theater
- Dec 9-21: Christmas markets between Corso Italia and Piazza Veniero
- Dec 12-14 and 18-21: Markets in Piazza Lauro
- Dec 12-14: Caruso - De Curtis International Singing Festival
- Dec 15 - Jan 7: The Christmas Garden, Villa Comunale
- Dec 19: Sorrento Jazz concert, Teatro Tasso
- Sundays in December: MuseMuseo, guided tours, concerts, and tastings at the Museo Correale di Terranova
- Dec 25 - Jan 6: Living nativity scene and puppet theater
Dec 31 - New Year's Eve
- 11:30 AM: New Year's Eve Concert at Teatro Tasso, by the Sorrento Concert Society
- 5 PM: Folk group parade with the Canzone de lo Capodanno through Corso Italia and the historic center
- 6 PM: Ciuccio di Fuoco in Piazza Tasso, with actor Marco Palmieri
- 11 PM - 3 AM: Live music and DJ sets in Piazza Tasso
- 1 AM: Fireworks from Marina Piccola
January
- Jan 5-6: Christmas treasure hunt, Three Kings procession, and Epiphany events
- Mid-January: Tableaux vivants in the Basilica of Saint Antonino and final events until January 18
Highlights M'Illumino d'Inverno 2026
- Lighting of the tree and illuminations in Piazza Tasso
- Chocoland, the artisanal chocolate festival on Corso Italia
- Christmas markets across Corso Italia, Piazza Lauro, and Piazza Veniero
- Living nativity scene and ancient puppet theater
- Sorrento Jazz and the Caruso - De Curtis Singing Festival at Teatro Tasso
- The Ciuccio di Fuoco on December 31, a popular ritual symbolizing Sorrento's New Year
- Fireworks over Marina Piccola at 1 AM
Prices M'Illumino d'Inverno 2026
Practical information — M'Illumino d'Inverno
How to get there
By train: EAV Circumvesuviana line (Naples - Sorrento), terminus a few steps from Piazza Tasso. By car: A3 Naples - Salerno, exit Castellammare di Stabia, then SS145 Sorrentina (paid parking in the center, very limited during holidays). By sea: hydrofoils and ferries from Naples Beverello, Capri, and Ischia to Marina Piccola. Nearest airport: Naples Capodichino, connected by direct buses.
Rates
Illuminations, markets, nativity scenes, parades, the Ciuccio di Fuoco, and fireworks are free and outdoors. Some concerts and shows at the Teatro Tasso or in museums are paid or require reservations.
Tips
Book your accommodation for New Year's Eve in advance: hotels on the Sorrento Peninsula offer dedicated packages. For December 31st, it is best to reach Piazza Tasso on foot or by public transport, as the center is closed to traffic. Full program and updates are available on the Municipality of Sorrento website.
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Where does it take place — M'Illumino d'Inverno
Piazza Tasso e centro storico di Sorrento
Piazza Tasso, 80067 Sorrento