Trento Festival of Economics

A city-wide festival in the heart of Trento

Since its inception in 2006, the Trento Festival of Economics has become Italy's go-to event for making economics accessible to the general public. Designed to take major economic and social themes out of university lecture halls and specialized conferences, the festival takes place every May in the historic center of Trento, the capital of the Autonomous Province of Trento in the Trentino-Alto Adige region.

For several days, the city's squares, theaters, and historic palaces—from Piazza Duomo to Piazza Fiera, including the Auditorium Santa Chiara and various city-center venues—become one large, interconnected forum. The format is that of a widespread event: hundreds of simultaneous activities, including keynote speeches, dialogues, and panels open to everyone.

Nobel laureates, ministers, and leading economists

The Festival of Economics attracts some of the most authoritative names in the global economic landscape each year. Its editions have featured numerous Nobel laureates in Economics, Italian and European ministers, university rectors, central bankers, entrepreneurs, and journalists. The program addresses key current issues: monetary policy, markets and finance, energy and environmental transition, artificial intelligence, labor, demographics, and inequality.

An event for all, with free admission

One of the festival's hallmarks is its accessibility: the vast majority of sessions are free and open to the public, often with online booking to secure seats in the most popular venues. Alongside the main program, the Fuori Festival offers workshops, author meet-and-greets, and outreach activities dedicated to younger generations and families, while formats like "Economies of the Territories" provide deeper insights into local contexts.

Trento, economic capital for a week

The festival is organized by the Autonomous Province of Trento in collaboration with Trentino Marketing and the Gruppo 24 ORE, and is supported by a rich schedule of national and international media partners. Every May, the event turns Trento into a true capital of economic thought, drawing a large crowd of students, professionals, and curious visitors who bring the city's streets and squares to life.