5 things to do in June in Bologna

Summer is just around the corner: culture, music, food and all our favourite activities are spilling out into the open air.

Check out the top 5 things to do this June in Bologna through squares, courtyards, parks and the countryside.

1 – UNESCO-Porticoes Festival

From 4 to 9 June, the event celebrating the UNESCO World Heritage Porticoes is back: six days of music, performances, shows and guided tours to discover previously unseen masterpieces, between porticoes and towers, the two distinguishing architectural elements of Bologna's skyline.

Check out the full programme on the official website 

2 – Relive great cinema

In Bologna, June means open-air cinema!

First and foremost, thanks to the free screenings in Piazza Maggiore curated by Cineteca di Bologna. Soon the dates and films for this summer 2024 will be announced, with the usual climax during Il Cinema Ritrovato, with restored masterpieces and great auteur films.

As of 7 June, the Biografilm Festival will also be hitting Bologna's cinemas, an event dedicated to life stories and cinema in both fiction and documentary genres.

3 – Getting around festivals

June is of course the perfect month to enjoy culinary delights in the villages outside the city gates. Many festivals are taking place in late spring, including the Zola Jazz and Wine, the Condimenti Festival and the folk festival Sagra Della Badessa. Find all food and wine events in the area at Sagre e Feste->.

4 - Temporary exhibitions

Several temporary exhibitions will be enlivening the city in June. Don't miss the exhibition Bologna Fotografata, extended until 4 August, which traces the city's history from the late 19th century to the 1990s.

This is not the end of the story! At Palazzo Pallavicini you can dive into the depths of the sea thanks to the exhibition Sharks and Abyss, whereas the exhibition Stregherie is dedicated to subversive women in history. At Palazzo Belloni, with its 70 works, you can check out the Museo delle Illusioni (Museum of Illusion), while around the city you will find the widespread exhibition La pittura a Bologna nel lungo Ottocento (Painting in Bologna in the Long Nineteenth Century).

5 - Excursions and bike routes

Finally, this is the perfect time to reunite with the territory on foot or by bicycle.

The Trekking col Treno project offers a rich agenda of walks outside the city, but you can also explore the city centre on your bike by taking one of the many cycle routes (such as the Sun Route) towards the outskirts and beyond. 

Also, make sure you don't miss the historic Gran Fondo Dieci Colli race and all the other upcoming events on 2 June 2024 on the dedicated page.