From 11th April to 29th May 2026, the North Tyrrhenian ports— Livorno, Piombino, Portoferraio, Rio Marina, Cavo and Capraia — will once again come alive with the Italian Port Days initiative promoted by Assoporti and coordinated by the North Tyrrhenian Port Network Authority.
This year’s edition features a new programme, with a wide range of events combining cultural dissemination, exploration of the local area, educational activities and performances open to the public.
Opening on 11th April: Rowing traditions and poetry about the sea
The initiative kicks off on Saturday 11th April with the Palio Studentesco Cittadino rowing race in Livorno at the Scali del Pontino, an initiative organized in collaboration with the Palio Marinaro Committee.
In the evening, at Livorno’s Cruise Terminal, National Sea Day will be celebrated with a Hermann Hesse poetry reading (in particular “In the Port of Livorno” – Poems, 1955), accompanied by a musical improvisation organised by the UNESCO Jazz Day Committee as part of JAM – Jazz Appreciation Month.
Shows, films, seminars: Livorno takes centre stage
The programme continues on Thursday 16th April with the play Sull’Oceano, starring Michele Crestacci and directed by Alessandro Brucioni, at the Magazzini Generali.
The following day, Friday 17th, sees the return of Partiture Visuali #4, a Super 8 film concert by the 8mmezzo association, at the Goldonetta theatre.
On Saturday 18th April, there will be a seminar entitled ‘Public Land & Sporting Activities’ discussing the relationship between sport and the local area, aimed at sports club officials and organized by the Scuola CONI Toscana in Livorno’s picturesque Old Fortress.
The port opens its gates to the public: guided tours and places to explore
On Friday 24th April, as part of the International Sailing Week, there will be two free guided tours of Livorno’s port (at 3.30 pm and 5.30 pm), departing from Porto Mediceo.
The following day, Saturday 25th April, the event moves to Portoferraio with the ‘Open Port’ project: a guided tour of the Villa delle Grotte and the harbour, organized in collaboration with the Tuscan Archipelago National Park.
On 24th, 25th and 26th April, there will also be guided tours of Livorno’s lighthouse, organized by the Italian Navy -Comando Zona Fari e Segnalamento dell’Alto Tirreno with the support of the APS Association Il Mondo dei Fari (booking on the Eventbrite platform from 12th April is required).
May: festivals, theatre, city walks and cruises
May kicks off on Sunday 3rd with Interminati Spazi, a performance for flute, narrator and computer-generated music at the San Ferdinando Church , organized by the Radice AR Association.
From 7th to 10th May, the Old Fortress will once again host Démadé – Liberi di Libri, a children’s literature festival.
On Tuesday 5th in Portoferraio (at Teatro dei Vigilanti) and Saturday 9th in Livorno (at Teatro Vertigo), the play ‘Napoléon. Le fantôme de l’Empereur’ (Napoleon. The Emperor’s Ghost), a play by Franco Franchini, will be brought to the stage by the FOS – Association for the Development of Classical Arts (APS).
On Saturday 9th May, a Jane’s Walk focusing on Livorno’s ‘port-centric landscapes’ is scheduled to take place: an urban walk between the port and the city, organised by INU in collaboration with Carico Massimo, Fondazione Magazzini Generali, CoDesign Toscana and CUT.
The cruise season officially opens at the port of Piombino on Monday 11th May, with the arrival of the Sirena, operated by Oceania Cruises.
Closing events: exhibitions, music, and marine education
On Saturday 16th May, the ‘Livorno, un mare d’amare’ (Livorno, a sea to love) project comes to a close at the Teatro Quattro Mori. On the same day, at 5.30 pm at the Magazzini Generali, the ‘Coordinate 6‘ contemporary art exhibition opens.
At 9.00 pm, the Old Fortress will host the sixth edition of Bloc Fest – Sounds of the Mediterranean, a music festival that brings together the sounds and cultures of the Mediterranean.
On Tuesday 26th May, at the Old Fortress, the prize-giving ceremony for the ‘Tell us about your port‘ school competition will take place, marking the conclusion of the 14th edition of the North Tyrrhenian PNA’s ‘Open Port’ project
Thursday 28th May marks the launch of the book “Fronte mare. Il waterfront del Sistema Portuale dell’Alto Tirreno. Riqualificazione e nuove coesistenze” (Pacini, 2025), (The North Tyrrhenian Port Network’s Waterfront. Regeneration &New Forms of Coexistence”) part of the Port Authority’s “Porti e Dintorni” (Ports & Their Surrounding Areas) series.
The initiative ends on 29th May with ‘Navi di Maggio‘
The initiative ends on Friday 29th May with ‘Navi di Maggio e Un Mare di Amici‘, an event dedicated to maritime safety, sustainability and raising awareness of port-related issues, organized in collaboration with the Harbour Authority, the Provincial Education Office, the North-West Tuscany Local Health Authority, ARPAT and the National Lifeboat Society. Venue: Livorno’s Porto Mediceo.
An edition that strengthens the bond between the port and the community
With an expanded, wide-ranging programme, the North Tyrrhenian Italian Port Days 2026 reconfirms the role of ports as cultural, educational and social interaction centres. An opportunity to discover places, activities and stories that are often hidden from the public eye, and to strengthen the bond between cities and their gateways to the sea.
Translation by Giles Foster
