Palio di Siena - August 2027

The August Palio di Siena — the Palio dell’Assunta, dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin — runs every year on 16 August, the day after Ferragosto. In 2027 it falls on a Monday. This is the second of Siena’s two annual Palios and is generally considered the more prestigious of the two, tied as it is to the city’s patron feast. The August edition draws large crowds because it immediately follows Ferragosto weekend, when much of Italy is already on summer holiday.

The days before the race

Trial races (prove) begin on 13 August and run each evening in the Piazza del Campo at fixed times, typically 09:00 and 19:30. These trials are free to watch and far less crowded than the race itself — an excellent way to see the horse and track dynamics up close. The horse lottery (assegnazione dei cavalli) takes place on 13 August; from that point each contrada’s jockey begins training with their assigned horse.

On the evening of 15 August (Ferragosto), the city’s contrade hold their traditional neighbourhood dinners — long outdoor feasts in the streets and piazzas of each district, where hundreds of Sienese residents eat together in their colours. These dinners are not tourist events; they are the private gatherings of each contrada’s members. Watching the city prepare and the streets decorated in each district’s colours is one of Siena’s great summer sights.

The race

The race on 16 August follows the same format as the July Palio. The Piazza del Campo fills from around 14:00 for a race that begins at approximately 19:00 (times confirmed closer to the date on ilpalio.org). The centre of the square — where standing is free — requires arriving well before 14:00 and remaining in place for five or more hours in August heat. Bring water; no re-entry is permitted once the square closes.

Grandstand seating is allocated by contrada and allocated months in advance. A small number of tickets reach the open market through licensed brokers; prices for legitimate seats range from approximately EUR 300 to EUR 700 depending on position. Avoid buying from unlicensed sellers at inflated prices on the day.

The race itself lasts around 75 seconds. Ten of Siena’s seventeen contrade compete each year — the seven excluded from the most recent Palio plus three others drawn by lot. The horse that crosses the line first, even without its rider, wins for its contrada. The winning district celebrates through the night with a communal dinner in its home streets.

Getting there

Siena is not on a direct train line from Rome or Florence. From Florence, take a SITA or FlixBus coach from Santa Maria Novella bus station (around 90 minutes). From Rome, the fastest option is a train to Chiusi followed by a regional train to Siena (around 2.5—3 hours total). On Palio weekend, roads are closed and traffic is extreme — public transport only.

For a broader visit to Siena, see our Siena city guide and our Italy festivals calendar.

To explore Siena beyond the Palio, browse Siena tours including guided city walks and Chianti wine day trips on GetYourGuide.