Calcio Storico Florence 2027: Tickets

Calcio Storico Fiorentino is one of the most extraordinary spectacles in Italy: a 16th-century form of football played in full period costume in the sanded Piazza Santa Croce, with rules that permit punching, wrestling, and headbutts alongside the objectives of moving a ball into the opposing goal. The 2027 tournament runs through June, with the final on Wednesday, 24 June — the feast day of St John the Baptist, patron saint of Florence, which is also the city’s biggest public holiday.

The four teams

Four historic Florentine neighbourhoods (quartieri) each field a squad of 27 players:

• Azzurri (Blue) — Santa Croce
• Bianchi (White) — Santo Spirito
• Rossi (Red) — Santa Maria Novella
• Verdi (Green) — San Giovanni

Rivalry between the quartieri is intense and long-standing. Players are drawn from the neighbourhood and train for the tournament each year. The squads include a mix of former professional athletes, martial arts competitors, and rugby players alongside neighbourhood volunteers.

Tournament format and dates

The tournament consists of two semifinal matches and a final. The semifinals take place on two Sundays in June; the final is always on 24 June. Exact semifinal dates for 2027 will be announced by the Comune di Firenze in spring 2027 — check comune.fi.it for the official programme.

Based on recent years, expect the semifinals around 13 June and 20 June 2027.

The match itself

Each match lasts 50 minutes of near-continuous contact. There are no referees in the conventional sense, only a supervisor (maestro di campo) who can intervene in cases of particularly egregious violations. Punching is permitted; only sucker-punching a man not in possession of the ball is forbidden (though the distinction is frequently unclear in practice).

The Piazza Santa Croce is filled with sand for the tournament and enclosed with wooden stands. The spectacle — medieval costumes, period drums and trumpets, the procession of the historical corteo before each match, and the intensity of the play itself — is unlike anything else in European sport or culture.

A flag-throwing display (sbandieratori) precedes each match, along with a historical procession involving hundreds of participants in period dress representing Florence’s 16th-century guilds and civic institutions.

Tickets

Tickets sell out within hours of going on sale, typically in late spring. The Comune di Firenze sells tickets through its official channels — watch the comune.fi.it website and the Calcio Storico Fiorentino social media accounts for the release date. Prices in recent years ranged from approximately EUR 25 to EUR 45 per seat depending on location.

Standing areas and partial-view positions may have separate, lower-cost tickets. Avoid purchasing from secondary market sellers at significant markup — tickets are typically non-transferable and may be verified at the gate.

24 June: San Giovanni and fireworks

24 June is Florence’s city holiday. Beyond the Calcio Storico final, the day includes:

• A historical procession through the city centre in the morning
• The offering of candles at the Baptistery (Offerta dei Ceri)
• A fireworks display over Piazzale Michelangelo in the evening, visible from the Arno bridges and the south bank of the river

The fireworks (fuochi di San Giovanni) are among the best free spectacles in the Italian calendar. The entire south bank fills with viewers from early evening; positions on the Ponte Vecchio and along Lungarno Serristori are claimed several hours in advance.

Planning your visit

Florence in late June is warm (25–30°C), busy, and expensive. Accommodation for June 24 weekend should be booked months ahead — the combination of calcio storico, San Giovanni, and peak summer tourism means the city fills completely. See our Florence city guide for accommodation recommendations and the Italy in June guide for broader context.

Our Florence activities page covers day trips from Florence and the best guided experiences for the surrounding region.