Will the Palio di Siena be cancelled if it rains?

No — a Palio is postponed, not cancelled. Under article 90 of the Regolamento per il Palio the Mayor of Siena may put the race back to the following day when the track is unsafe, and the race is then run. The July 2026 Palio was rained off on 2 July and run on 3 July.

Was the Palio postponed on 16 and 17 August 2026?

Twice. Rain from about 14.00 on 16 August made the tufo unusable and the Comune moved the race to Monday 17 August; rain from Monday morning made it impassable again and the green flag went up a second time, moving the Palio to Tuesday 18 August. This time the weather held and the race ran at 19.00, won by the Contrada del Nicchio.

What are the official dates of the Palio di Siena in 2026?

The Palio di Provenzano was held on 2 July 2026 — run on 3 July after a rain postponement, and won by the Contrada dell'Aquila. The Palio dell'Assunta was due on 16 August 2026, postponed for rain twice, and run on Tuesday 18 August 2026, won by the Contrada del Nicchio. These dates are fixed annually: 2 July and 16 August.

Is the Palio di Siena free to attend?

Standing in the centre of the Piazza del Campo is free, on a first-come basis until capacity (about 15,000) is reached. Grandstand seats, balconies and windows require paid tickets booked through specialist agencies in advance.

How long does the race last?

The race itself lasts about 90 seconds — three laps of the Piazza del Campo — but the surrounding ceremonies, trials and processions run across four days.

How many contrade take part?

Ten of Siena's seventeen contrade run in each Palio, selected by a combination of rotation and lottery.

Can a horse win without its jockey?

Yes. A horse that completes the three laps first wins whether or not its jockey is still mounted — a riderless (scosso) victory is legitimate.

Palio di Siena 2026: Dates, Tickets & Insider Guide

The 2026 Palio season is over. Both races have been run: Aquila took the Palio di Provenzano on 3 July, and Nicchio the Palio dell'Assunta on 18 August, after two postponements for rain. This page is kept as the record of the 2026 edition — its dates and schedules are historical. For the next races, on 2 July and 16 August 2027, see the Palio di Siena 2027 guide; for who won, the results page.

Every year, twice a year, the people of Siena transform their medieval city into something that defies easy description. The shell-shaped Piazza del Campo — a UNESCO World Heritage site — is packed with tonnes of tufo — a sandy earth mix — to form a racetrack. Ten horses thunder around it three times in under ninety seconds. And yet the four days of ceremony, ritual, political intrigue, and collective emotion that surround it are among the most extraordinary things you will witness anywhere on earth.

This page is the year's dates and the shape of the days. For the Palio itself — what it is, how it works, how to watch it and where it comes from — the Palio guide is the parent page.

Both races of 2026 have now run. The July race, the Palio di Provenzano, was won by the Contrada dell'Aquila after a 34-year wait (read our race report). The Palio dell'Assunta, due on 16 August and postponed by rain twice, ran on Tuesday 18 August and was won by the Contrada del Nicchio.

The 2026 Palio Dates

Palio di Provenzano — 2 July 2026 (run). Held each year on 2 July in honour of the Madonna di Provenzano. The 2026 edition was postponed a day by evening rain and run on 3 July, where the Contrada dell'Aquila took its first victory since 1992. Our full race report is here.

Palio dell'Assunta — due Sunday, 16 August 2026; postponed by rain on two consecutive days and run Tuesday, 18 August 2026, won by Nicchio. The four days ran from Thursday 13 August, with the race itself moved twice by rain before finally running at the same published hours: the horses left the Cortile del Podestà at 7.00pm, with the Corteo Storico entering the Campo at 4.50pm. The day-by-day times are here. Dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and falling the day after Ferragosto, it was the summer's second and final Palio of 2026. These dates never vary — 2 July and 16 August, every year, whatever the weather does to the day the race is actually run.

NICCHIO WINS. The Comune di Siena's green flag went up at the trifore of the Palazzo Pubblico on two consecutive days — Sunday 16 August, then Monday 17 — moving the Palio dell'Assunta to Tuesday 18 August. This time the weather held, and the race was run at 19.00 as scheduled: the mortaretto warnings at 14.50 and 15.20, the track cleared from 16.10, the mounted Carabinieri at 16.45, the Corteo Storico entering the Campo at 16.50, and the horses out of the Cortile del Podestà at 19.00. Nicchio took the Drappellone, ridden by Giovanni Atzeni, Tittia, on Anda e Bola — confirmed via the Comune's own WhatsApp channel on the evening of the race. Full result: the field, the days, and the result.

What the Palio Is — and What It Is Not

The Palio is not a medieval reenactment and it is not staged for tourists. It is a living civic institution, organised by the Comune di Siena and rooted in the identity of the city's seventeen historic districts, the contrade. Every person born in Siena belongs to a contrada for life. The race lasts roughly ninety seconds — three laps, bareback, on horses drawn for each contrada rather than chosen by it, ridden by fantini hired by each contrada. The winner is the horse that completes the three laps first, with or without its rider. The prize is the drappellone, a hand-painted silk banner.

The 17 Contrade of Siena

Only ten of the seventeen contrade run in each Palio. The seventeen districts are: Aquila (Eagle), Bruco (Caterpillar), Chiocciola (Snail), Civetta (Owl), Drago (Dragon), Giraffa (Giraffe), Istrice (Porcupine), Leocorno (Unicorn), Lupa (She-Wolf), Valdimontone (Ram), Nicchio (Seashell), Oca (Goose), Onda (Wave), Pantera (Panther), Selva (Forest), Tartuca (Tortoise), and Torre (Tower).

The boundaries have been fixed since 1729, when Violante Beatrice of Bavaria issued an edict formally defining the contrade territories. Each contrada maintains historical enmities with at least one other: the Aquila's adversary is the Pantera, and the Torre's enemy is the Oca — among the most bitterly held rivalries in the city. The Torre is also the object of the Onda's enmity, the one rivalry the Comune records as unilateral. The contrade are not teams; they are communities.

The Four Days

Arrive at least three days before the race. Day one (13 August) brings the tratta — the assignment of the chosen horses to the contrade, in an order drawn by lot — and the first of six trial races. Days two and three bring further trials, culminating in the Prova Generale on the evening of 15 August and the great contrada street dinners. Race day — 16 August as scheduled, 18 August in 2026 after two rain postponements — follows a schedule essentially unchanged for centuries: the Messa del Fantino at 7.45am, the Provaccia at 9.00, the signing of the jockeys at 10.30, the Benedizione del Cavallo in each contrada's church, the Corteo Storico entering the Campo at 4.50pm, and finally the horses out at 7.00pm, started by the fraught mossa.

How to Watch

Free standing in the Piazza del Campo — the centre is free, accommodating about 15,000 standing spectators; arrive early, as it closes before the race. Grandstand seats (palchi) — assigned elevated seating around the perimeter; key positions are the Mossa (start/finish), Fonte Gaia, Casato, and San Martino (the tightest corner). Balconies and windows — private positions above the grandstands. Booking: there is no central official ticket office; seated positions are private property booked through specialist agencies, ideally 6–12 months ahead, typically from several hundred euros per person.

Concierge note: Securing a quality seat requires local contacts and advance planning. For the 2027 races, enquire through our concierge service.

Where to Stay for the Palio

Hotels book out months ahead; for the rescheduled 18 August race, in-centre availability is now extremely limited. The strategic approach is a countryside property 20–30 minutes out with private transfers for race days. See our full Palio accommodation guide.

Practical Information

Siena has its own station, below the city at Piazzale Rosselli on the Empoli–Siena line: direct Regionale services roughly hourly from Florence Santa Maria Novella, about an hour and a half, with a free mechanised ascent from the platforms up to Porta Camollia. From Pisa, change at Empoli. Autolinee Toscane's 131R coach runs direct from Firenze Autostazione, and Flixbus serves the route as well. Do not drive into central Siena on race days. The Palio can be delayed by rain, as in 2026 when the July race was pushed from 2 to 3 July. The benedizione del cavallo, contrada dinners and celebrations are private community events; join only if invited.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the Palio di Siena be cancelled if it rains?: No — a Palio is postponed, not cancelled. Under article 90 of the Regolamento per il Palio the Mayor of Siena may put the race back to the following day when the track is unsafe, and the race is then run. The July 2026 Palio was rained off on 2 July and run on 3 July.
Was the Palio postponed on 16 and 17 August 2026?: Twice. Rain from about 14.00 on 16 August made the tufo unusable and the Comune moved the race to Monday 17 August; rain from Monday morning made it impassable again and the green flag went up a second time, moving the Palio to Tuesday 18 August. This time the weather held and the race ran at 19.00, won by the Contrada del Nicchio.
What are the official dates of the Palio di Siena in 2026?: The Palio di Provenzano was held on 2 July 2026 — run on 3 July after a rain postponement, and won by the Contrada dell'Aquila. The Palio dell'Assunta was due on 16 August 2026, postponed for rain twice, and run on Tuesday 18 August 2026, won by the Contrada del Nicchio. These dates are fixed annually: 2 July and 16 August.
Is the Palio di Siena free to attend?: Standing in the centre of the Piazza del Campo is free, on a first-come basis until capacity (about 15,000) is reached. Grandstand seats, balconies and windows require paid tickets booked through specialist agencies in advance.
How long does the race last?: The race itself lasts about 90 seconds — three laps of the Piazza del Campo — but the surrounding ceremonies, trials and processions run across four days.
How many contrade take part?: Ten of Siena's seventeen contrade run in each Palio, selected by a combination of rotation and lottery.
Can a horse win without its jockey?: Yes. A horse that completes the three laps first wins whether or not its jockey is still mounted — a riderless (scosso) victory is legitimate.

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By the Siena & Toscana editors