Ravello Festival: Concerts, Dates, Venues & How to Visit

The Ravello Festival is a summer season of music and the arts held in the cliffside gardens of Villa Rufolo, high above the Amalfi Coast. This guide explains what it is, roughly when it runs, where the concerts take place, and how to plan a visit — always confirming the current programme with the official source.

Published by Villa Mansi, a place to stay at SS373, 57, Ravello. Reviewed by Mariarosaria Mansi on 27 September 2026.

What is the Ravello Festival?

The Ravello Festival is one of Italy's long-running summer arts festivals, best known for classical concerts performed on a stage set in the terraced gardens of Villa Rufolo, where the platform extends over the cliff edge with the Gulf of Salerno behind the musicians. The programme also includes orchestral and chamber music, and other arts events, across the season.

When is the Ravello Festival?

The festival runs in the summer, broadly from around June to September, with the exact dates and line-up published fresh each year. Because the programme changes annually, do not rely on last year's schedule — check the official Fondazione Ravello programme for current dates and performances before you book travel.

Where the concerts take place

The signature venue is the garden of Villa Rufolo in Ravello's centre. Some events are held at other venues in and around the town; the official programme lists the venue for each performance. Seating is open-air, so an evening wrap is wise even in summer.

The dawn concert

The festival's most famous event is its dawn concert, when music begins in the very early morning as the sun rises over the sea. It is popular and requires an early start; plan transport and timing carefully. If you are specifically planning around it, see our note on staying nearby for the sunrise concert.

Tickets

Tickets are sold through the festival's official channels and can sell out for the most popular concerts and the dawn event. Buy from the Fondazione Ravello official site rather than third parties, and book early for peak dates.

Getting there, parking and transport

Ravello's centre is a limited-traffic zone (ZTL), and parking is scarce and expensive in high season. Many visitors arrive by SITA Sud bus or taxi, or stay nearby and walk or take a short transfer. If you drive, choose accommodation with its own parking — Villa Mansi includes free private parking. For late evening and dawn events, arrange your return transport in advance; see the transport guide.

Where to stay for the festival

Staying in or just below Ravello keeps transfers short after late performances. Villa Mansi sits below the hilltop centre, between Ravello, Atrani and Amalfi, with self-catering sea-view suites and parking; you can book a single suite or reserve the whole villa for a group. See also festival accommodation for more on planning around the concerts.

What to do before and after a concert

Pair the festival with the gardens of Villa Rufolo and Villa Cimbrone, a walk down to Atrani or Amalfi, and dinner with a view. Our things to do in Ravello guide covers the rest.