Palio di Siena 2027: Dates, Times and How to Watch

The Palio di Siena takes place twice every summer, on July 2 and August 16, in Piazza del Campo. Ten of the city’s seventeen contrade, the historic neighborhoods, race bareback horses three times around the square. The race itself is short; the historical parade, with more than 600 people in costume, the waiting and the celebrations take the whole day, and the trial races fill the three days before.

Updated September 2026. Dates, times and access rules from the City of Siena’s official Palio website, checked in September 2026. Times refer to 2026; we will update them when the City publishes the 2027 times.

Palio di Siena 2027 at a glance

How to watch the Palio di Siena

For free, in the center of the square

You can watch the Palio for free from inside Piazza del Campo, and the trial races on the three days before as well. You have to be in before the entrances close, and the City of Siena publishes a leaflet each year on how access to the square works. Expect a long wait on your feet, in a dense crowd and in the summer heat. It is the most intense way to see it, and the most tiring.

From a stand or a balcony

On the other hand, seats on the stands around the track, or at the windows and balconies of the buildings on the square, cost money. There is no central ticket office: according to the City of Siena, you have to contact the palcaioli, the managers of the individual stands, or the owners of the apartments directly. Book as early as you can, and be wary of anyone reselling seats without saying who runs the stand.

The day of the Palio di Siena: 2026 times

The City of Siena publishes the times each year. These are the 2026 times, as a guide to how the day runs.

For the evening trial races on the days before, the horses came out at 7:45 p.m. in July and 7:15 p.m. in August 2026; for the morning ones, at 9:00 a.m.

Palio di Siena practical tips

• Book your room as early as you can if you want to sleep in Siena on a Palio night.
• See a trial race: they are free, and they show you how the square works before race day.
• Bring water and a hat if you plan to stand in the square: it is July or August, and you may wait for hours.
• Respect the contrade: the City of Siena organizes the Palio, but the contrade live it; it is not a show for visitors.

What to book in Siena

Viator does not sell any Palio seat with enough reviews to recommend it. Instead, the experiences below are for the rest of your stay: we chose them for a rating of 4.8 or higher across more than 200 reviews, checked in September 2026, and run all year.

Siena and its cathedral

Affiliate link: Italy2Love earns a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you.

The Siena walking tour with skip-the-line Duomo entry goes through the old town and Piazza del Campo with a guide and into the cathedral with a reserved entry. Travelers rate it 4.8 out of 5 across 797 reviews, and prices start from about $46 (checked September 2026).

Siena by food

The Siena small-group food tour visits artisan food shops, market stands and eateries in the old town, with tastings that include cured meats, pici pasta and ricciarelli, the almond cookies of Siena. It takes about three hours, in groups of up to 12. Travelers rate it 4.9 out of 5 across 244 reviews, and prices start from about $85 (checked September 2026). For more options, compare the Siena food tours side by side.

The vineyards around Siena

The small-group wine tour and tasting near Siena visits organic vineyards and a historic cellar outside the city, with a tasting of at least four local wines guided by a sommelier and a light Tuscan lunch, in about three hours. Travelers rate it 5.0 out of 5 across 399 reviews, and prices start from about $99 (checked September 2026).

The rest of your trip

Also, if you are based in Florence, compare the day trips to Siena, San Gimignano and Pisa and the other day trips from Florence. Plan the region with the Tuscany travel guide, and see what else is on in Italy in our events guide.

Sources: Palio dates, rules, 2026 times, access and seating information from the City of Siena’s official Palio website (palio.comune.siena.it), checked September 24, 2026. Experiences: ratings, review counts, prices and inclusions read on each Viator product page (product codes 5493SIENADUOMO, 51159P42 and 64690P1), checked in September 2026. Featured photo: Mirco Mugnai, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Visiting outside the Palio? Here are the best things to do in Siena.

Beyond the race. The race lasts about ninety seconds. Luckily, Siena and its countryside last much longer.

• Siena walking tour: the Duomo included, or lunch and Chianti.
• things to do in San Gimignano: towers, frescoes and Vernaccia.
• Chianti wine tours: how to choose between group, e-bike and private.
• Tuscany itinerary: five, seven or ten days, with or without a car.

Rooms in Siena sell out for the Palio. Compare places to stay early.

Affiliate links: if you book through them, Italy2Love earns a commission at no extra cost to you.

Staying over? Our guide to where to stay in the Tuscan countryside matches each area to the kind of trip you want.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Palio di Siena in 2027?

The Palio takes place twice a year, on July 2 and August 16. In 2027, July 2 is a Friday and August 16 is a Monday. The trial races take place on the three days before each Palio.

Is the Palio di Siena free to watch?

Yes, from inside Piazza del Campo, as long as you get in before the entrances close. This also applies to the trial races on the three days before. However, seats on the stands and at windows and balconies around the square cost money.

How do you buy tickets for the Palio di Siena?

There is no central ticket office. According to the City of Siena, you have to contact the managers of the individual stands, the palcaioli, or the owners of the apartments that overlook the square.

What time does the Palio start?

In 2026, the historical parade entered Piazza del Campo at 5:20 p.m. on July 2 and at 4:50 p.m. on August 16, and the horses came out for the race at 7:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. The City of Siena publishes the times for each year.

How are the contrade and the horses chosen?

Ten of the seventeen contrade run each Palio. For July 2, they are the seven that did not run the previous July plus three drawn by lot among the other ten; the same rule applies to August 16. Then a draw assigns the horses to the contrade.