The following is a list of events of the year 2026 in Italy.
Incumbents President – Sergio Mattarella Prime Minister – Giorgia Meloni
Events January 25 January – A landslide with a length of occurs in Niscemi, Sicily, due to Storm Harry, prompting the evacuation of 1,500 residents.
February 6–22 February – The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo. 15 February – Two skiers are killed in an avalanche along the Mont Blanc massif in Courmayeur. 17 February – A fire destroys the 19th century Teatro Sannazaro in Naples. 26 February – Authorities arrest Burundian national Guillaume Harushimana in Parma in connection with the 2014 murders of three Italian missionary nuns in Bujumbura. 27 February – A tram derails in Milan, killing two people and injuring 40 others.
March
2 March – An ambulance operator is arrested in Forlì after being accused of murdering five elderly patients between February and November 2025. 4 March – A magnitude 4.5 earthquake hits Sicily, damaging at least 600 homes in Ragalna. 5 March – The Italian Ministry of Defence states that Italy is to dispatch naval assets to Cyprus. 6–15 March – The 2026 Winter Paralympics in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo. 12 March – The Italian Armed Forces base in Erbil, Iraq is struck by an Iranian missile, with no casualties or injuries reported. 14 March – The Constitutional Court of Italy rules in favour of the Meloni government's 2025 decree, which significantly restricted Italian citizenship by descent. 15 March – An Italian MQ-9 Reaper is destroyed in an Iranian drone strike on Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait. 21 March – Two people are killed in an avalanche at the Hohe Ferse near Ratschings. 22 March – Three paintings by Auguste Renoir, Paul Cézanne and Henri Matisse are stolen in an overnight heist at the Magnani-Rocca Foundation near Parma. The paintings are recovered by police in August. 22–23 March – 2026 Italian constitutional referendum: A proposal to reform the judiciary is rejected by 54% of voters. 30 March – Italy fails to qualify to the FIFA World Cup for a third consecutive time after losing to Bosnia and Herzegovina 4-1 on penalties at the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification in Zenica. 31 March – Italy denies the United States Air Force the use the Sigonella base in Sicily for operations related to the war in Iran.
May
16 May Eight people are injured in a car-ramming and stabbing in Modena. Italy's Sal Da Vinci finishes fifth at Eurovision 2026 in Austria with the single "Per sempre sì". May–June – 2026 Italian local elections.
June 2 June – Four migrant workers from Afghanistan and Pakistan are found killed inside a burnt-out minivan in Calabria. 19 June – Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni rejects claims by United States President Donald Trump that she had "begged" him for a photograph during the 52nd G7 summit in France. The remarks cause a diplomatic row, with Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani cancelling a planned visit to the United States.
July 2026 Italy wildfires 16 July – Former Autostrade per l'Italia head Giovanni Castellucci is sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment for the Ponte Morandi collapse in 2018. 30 July — Italy suspends Schengen Area agreements with Spain, citing the 2026 Morocco–Spain border incident. 31 July — A magnitude 4.7 earthquake hits Campania, injuring 26 people.
August 7 August – Rafael Advanced Defense Systems' contract to run an anti-drone shield is cancelled by Rome Fiumicino Airport. 9 August – Spain suspends Schengen Area agreements with Italy for one month in response to similar measures imposed by the latter country over the 2026 Morocco–Spain border incident. 15 August – Four Renaissance paintings attributed to Antonello da Messina are stolen in an overnight heist at the Regional Museum of Messina. 21 August–6 September – 2026 Mediterranean Games in Taranto.
September 9–26 September – 2026 Men's European Volleyball Championship in Bulgaria, Finland, Italy and Romania. 18 September – Italy announces that it will deploy warships to protect shipping through the Bab al-Mandeb. 20 September – Prime Minister Meloni announces that the country would limit the number of foreign pupils per class and prohibit burqas and niqabs in schools. 24–27 September – 2026 Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships in Pesaro. 28 September – A court in Rome sentences three Egyptian security officials to ten years imprisonment for abducting Giulio Regeni.
Holidays
1 January – New Year's Day 6 January – Epiphany 5 April – Easter Sunday 6 April – Easter Monday 25 April – Liberation Day 1 May – International Workers' Day 2 June – Republic Day 15 August – Assumption Day 1 November – All Saints' Day 8 December – Immaculate Conception 25 December – Christmas Day 26 December – Saint Stephen's Day
Art and entertainment
List of Italian submissions for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film 21st Rome Film Festival
Deaths
January 2 January: Ivanne Trebbi, 97, partisan and politician, deputy (1979–1987). 3 January: Natale Carlotto, 94, deputy (1976–1987). Francesco Paolo Casavola, 94, president of the Constitutional Court (1992–1995). 4 January: Mario Blasone, 85, basketball player. 5 January: Paolo Gillet, 96, Roman Catholic prelate, auxiliary bishop of Albano (1993–2005). Pier Francesco Guarguaglini, 88, defence industry executive, chairman of Finmeccanica (2002–2011). Cosimo Scaglioso, 89, senator (1994–1996). 6 January: Raffaele Nogaro, 92, Roman Catholic prelate, bishop of Sessa Aurunca (1982–1990) and of Caserta (1990–2009). 7 January: Raffaella Bragazzi, 66, television presenter. Domenico Graziani, 81, Roman Catholic prelate, bishop of Cassano all'Jonio (1999–2006) and archbishop of Crotone-Santa Severina (2006–2019). 11 January: Sergio Tarquinio, 100, painter. 15 January: Angelo Gugel, 90, papal assistant. 16 January: Rocco B. Commisso, 76, businessman and football team owner (Fiorentina). 19 January: Valentino, 93, fashion designer. 31 January: Fabio Scuto, 69, journalist (la Repubblica)
February 4 February: Lorenza Trucchi, 104, art critic. 8 February: Enrico Benzing, 93, journalist (La Gazzetta dello Sport, Il Giornale). Patrizia De Blanck, 85, television personality. 9 February: Giancarlo Dettori, 93, actor (Quattro bravi ragazzi, My Sister in Law, Damned the Day I Met You). Riccardo Fontana, 79, Roman Catholic prelate, archbishop of Spoleto-Norcia (1996–2009) and archbishop-bishop of Arezzo-Cortona-Sansepolcro (2009–2022). Antonino Zichichi, 96, physicist. 20 February: Giorgio Mendella, 73, telecommunications executive and fraudster, founder of Retemia. Bruno Landi, 86, president of Lazio (1983–1984, 1987–1990), deputy (1992–1994).
March
1 March: Jacopo Camagni, 48, illustrator and comics artist. 2 March: Eugenio Viale, 86, politician. Benedetto Santapaola, 87, gangster. 6 March: Antonio Puddu, 81, boxer. Franco Vito Gaiezza, 66, musician and writer. 8 March: Maricla Boggio, 88, writer. 9 March: Mario D'Acquisto, 95, politician. Bruno Contrada, 94, police and intelligence officer. 13 March: Giovanni Bolzoni, 88, footballer (Sampdoria, Genoa, Napoli). 14 March: Sergio Merusi, 83, politician and economist. 15 March: Valter Farina, 72, professional poker player. Cinzia Oscar, 63, singer and stage actress. 19 March: Umberto Bossi, 84, MP (1987–2004, since 2008), twice MEP, and co-founder of Lega Nord. 21 March: Angelo Romano, 91, politician. 23 March: Gaspare Russo, 98, president of Campania (1976–1979) and mayor of Salerno (1970–1974).
April
4 April: Paolo Cherchi, 88, philologist and historian of literature. 23 April: Renzo Travanut, 80, politician, president of Friuli-Venezia Giulia (1994). 26 April: Giuseppe Commisso, 79, mobster. 27 April: Daniele Roscia, 72, politician, deputy (1994–2001).
May
1 May: Alex Zanardi, 59, racing driver and paracyclist, Paralympic champion (2012, 2016). 20 May: George Eastman, 83, actor (Antropophagus, Rabid Dogs) and screenwriter (Keoma). 21 May: Vincenzo Santapaola, 56, mobster. Carlo Petrini, 76, gastronomist, founder of Slow Food.
June
1 June: Ermanno Arslan, 85, archaeologist. 4 June: Claudio Appiani, 69, rugby union player (Calvisano, national team). 5 June: Vania Protti Traxler, 89, entrepreneur. 8 June: Paolo Manunza, 71, footballer (Teramo, Piacenza, Ragusa). Mauro Viviani, 76, footballer (Leonzio, Colligiana, Akragas). Piero Pasini, 84, basketball coach. 9 June: Matteo Fantuzzi, 46, poet. Corrado Solari, 77, actor. 11 June: Natalino Irti, 90, academic and jurist. 16 June: Camillo Ruini, 95, Roman Catholic cardinal, auxiliary bishop of Reggio Emilia-Guastalla (1983–1991), president of the CEI (1991–2007) and Cardinal Vicar (1991–2008). 17 June: Carlo Ginzburg, 87, historian (The Cheese and the Worms, The Night Battles, Ecstasies: Deciphering the Witches' Sabbath). 19 June: Rodolfo Giampaoli, 86, president of Marche (1990–1993). 24 June: Tullio Možina, 91, Italian-born Slovene guitarist and singer.
July
2 July: Giacomo Lanzetti, 84, Roman Catholic prelate, auxiliary bishop of Turin (2002–2006), bishop of Alghero-Bosa (2006–2010) and Alba Pompeia (2010–2015). 3 July: , 84, film director and architect.Addio a Yervant Gianikian, morto a 84 anni il “poeta dell’immagine” Bruno Lucchesi, 99, Italian-American sculptor. 4 July: Adriano Caprioli, 90, Roman Catholic prelate, bishop of Reggio Emilia–Guastalla (1998–2012). , 82, artist.È morto Fausto Delle Chiaie, il primo street artist di Roma , 90, footballer (Mantova, Vicenza).Condoglianze Mantova per la scomparsa di Sergio Pini 5 July: , 66, film and television director.Morta a 66 anni Tiziana Aristarco, regista di fiction come "Mina Settembre" e "Provaci ancora prof!" Giovanni Fanello, 87, footballer (Catanzaro, Reggiana, 1960 Olympics). 6 July: , 88, psychologist and Capuchin priest.È morto padre Erminio Gius, protagonista della psicologia italiana e docente universitario: aveva 88 anni 7 July: Beniamino Di Giacomo, 90, footballer (Napoli, Inter Milan, national team). 8 July: , 88, journalist and television presenter.Addio a Luigi Colombo, storico giornalista sportivo e inventore della telecronaca a due voci 9 July: Dino Bruni, 94, road racing cyclist, Olympic silver medallist (1952). 11 July: Domenico Adinolfi, 80, boxer and actor. Peppino di Capri, 86, singer-songwriter ("Un grande amore e niente più", "Champagne") and pianist. , 94, film critic and historian.Il necrologio dei giusti la critica italiana perde il decano dei suoi critici. se ne va bruno torri 12 July: , 79, footballer (Potenza).È morto Nando Scarpa, il miglior cannoniere della storia del Potenza 13 July: , 88, footballer (Treviso, Mestrina, Prato).È morto Giuseppe Galtarossa, storico capitano del Treviso: aveva 88 anni 14 July: Neliana Tersigni, 81, journalist (TG3). 26 July: Angelo Romero, 86, baritone and actor. 30 July: Franco Baresi, 66, footballer (AC Milan, national team), world champion (1982).
August 19 August – Michele Sensi-Contugi, 44, dual citizen of Italy and Ecuador, businessman, Director General of the National Intelligence Center (CNI) (2024-2026). 26 August – Domenico Papalia, 81, mobster ('Ndrangheta).
September 1 September – Enzo Bianchi, 83, Roman Catholic friar, founder of the Bose Monastic Community. 11 September – Emma Bonino, 78, minister of foreign affairs (2013–2014), senator (2008–2013, 2018–2022) and twice MEP. Raffaele Costa, 90, deputy (1976–2006), minister of transport (1993–1994) and twice of health. 15 September – Vitantonio Lovallo, 112, supercentenarian. 16 September – Pietro Soddu, 97, deputy (1983–1994) and three-time president of Sardinia. 30 September – Peppino Mazzullo, 100, actor and voice actor (Topo Gigio).
References
External links Online calendar