Week of Cultures
Palermo's major multidisciplinary city-wide festival
About Week of Cultures
A week of culture spread across the heart of Palermo
The Week of Cultures is one of the most anticipated cultural events in the Palermitan spring. Launched in 2012, the event has grown into a true city-wide festival that, for nine days, fills the Sicilian capital with exhibitions, concerts, theatrical performances, screenings, book presentations, meetings, and guided tours. Its most unique feature is its self-funded and self-produced nature: every event on the schedule is proposed by artists, associations, and citizens, evaluated and accepted by a scientific committee, and is primarily free of charge.
A cultural laboratory throughout the city
The festival has no single venue but instead turns all of Palermo into a vast cultural hub. Events take place in some of the city's most evocative locations: the RISO Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, the Municipal Historical Archive, the Gancia Church, the Cantieri Culturali alla Zisa, the Oratory of San Mercurio, Palazzo Oneto, and numerous other sites scattered throughout the historic centre. This widespread format invites residents and visitors to rediscover the architectural and artistic heritage of the Sicilian capital through unique paths.
A multidisciplinary programme
The Week of Cultures programme weaves together different languages and disciplines. Each edition offers:
- Exhibitions of painting, photography, and contemporary art;
- Concerts ranging from choral and polyphonic music to world sounds;
- Theatrical performances and dance-theatre, often linked to Sicilian tradition;
- Lectura Dantis, literary meetings, and book presentations;
- Guided tours and immersive paths to discover the city.
Culture as a common good
More than just a festival, the Week of Cultures is a civic project that uses culture as a tool for social cohesion and participation. Themes such as the right to housing, the fight against gender-based violence, and collective memory find space alongside the great artistic and literary tradition. Promoted by the Municipality of Palermo with the support of the Department of Culture, the event confirms every year the cultural vitality of Sicily and Palermo's role as a crossroads of cultures in the Mediterranean.
Week of Cultures — edition 2026
15th edition: Palermo, capital of widespread culture
The fifteenth edition of the Week of Cultures brought Palermo to life from May 9 to 17, 2026, with a rich programme of events distributed across numerous venues in the historic centre. The festival, built around a schedule of self-funded proposals evaluated by the scientific committee, intertwined contemporary art, music, theatre, and literature.
Among the most significant appointments were the presentation at the RISO Museum of the volume "Arte e Culto - Percorsi del Contemporaneo. Il Carro di Santa Rosalia", the Dante reading "Conoscenza e Amore: la Via di Dante" on the 5th Canto of the Inferno at the Historical Archive, the "Vozes do Brasil" concert at Palazzo Oneto, and the concert by the Pietro Vinci Polyphonic Choir directed by Pia Tramontana at the Oratory of San Mercurio. There was also space for civil themes, with the "Storie de-generi" review against gender-based violence at the Sala De Seta of the Cantieri Culturali alla Zisa.
Numerous exhibitions were open during the week, including "Gianbecchina, poeta dell'identità siciliana", "Aquae", and "Raccontare Palermo. Un viaggio tra immagini e parole".
Programme Week of Cultures 2026
Some highlights of the 2026 edition
- Wednesday, May 13 - RISO Museum: presentation of the volume "Arte e Culto. Il Carro di Santa Rosalia" with Giorgio Filippone and Bernardo Tortorici di Raffadali
- May 13 - Palazzo Oneto: "Vozes do Brasil" concert
- Thursday, May 14 - Historical Archive: Dante reading "Conoscenza e Amore: la Via di Dante" with Maurizio Muraglia and Marco Pavone
- Friday, May 15 - Cantieri Culturali alla Zisa: "Storie de-generi", theatre, music, and photography exhibition
- May 15 - Oratory of San Mercurio: concert by the Pietro Vinci Polyphonic Choir directed by Pia Tramontana
Exhibitions scheduled: "Gianbecchina, poeta dell'identità siciliana", "Il sasso volante", "Aquae", "Ri-tratti di famiglia".
Highlights Week of Cultures 2026
Prices Week of Cultures 2026
Practical information — Week of Cultures
How to get there
Palermo is accessible by air via the Falcone-Borsellino Airport in Punta Raisi, connected to the centre by the Trinacria Express train and shuttle buses. By train, you arrive at the central station, which is well-connected to the main Sicilian cities. The festival events take place in various venues throughout the historic centre, easily reachable on foot or by public transport.
Admission and programme
Most events are free of charge. The complete programme with times and venues is published on the official website www.settimanadelleculture.it and on the event's social media channels. Booking is recommended for some appointments.
Information
For information: Palazzo Ziino, Via Dante Alighieri 53, Palermo - tel. +39 091 7407792.
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Where does it take place — Week of Cultures
Palazzo Ziino e sedi diffuse in città
Via Dante Alighieri 53, 90133 Palermo