An August evening, the shutters half closed, the air finally moving. The city is slower, and that's fine by us.
August in Ferrara comes in two movements. The first weeks are quiet: the centre empties, those who stay walk without hurry, and we breathe a little more easily too. Then, towards the end, the city changes rhythm all at once. It's the month when the August events in Ferrara all light up together, and the streets fill with music. Here is what we like this month.
The city lights up: the Buskers Festival
The main event comes at the end of the month. The Ferrara Buskers Festival returns from 26 to 30 August 2026 in the historic centre: music and street art taking over the streets and squares, with the traditional preview in Comacchio in the days before.
It's one of those moments when Ferrara is at its best. You wander with no destination, turn a corner, and there's a new sound: a violin, a choir, something you weren't expecting. The best things, often, weren't planned.
A practical tip from those of us who are in the dining room every evening: on festival nights the centre fills up. If you want an unhurried dinner between one show and the next, it's worth planning a little ahead. Then back out, into the music.
The call of the sea and the Lidi
August, around here, is also something else: the longing for the sea. The Lidi ferraresi, the beaches of the Ferrara coast, are just a step away, and this is the right time to go. A day on the beach, the sound of the water, and the evening settling in slowly.
There's a summer spirit we love: a summer night, soft lights, cool wine, a table to share. We won't give you programmes or dates for evenings by the sea; those change, and we'd rather not promise what we can't guarantee.
What we can tell you is what the Lidi bring to the plate. The pesce azzurro dell'Adriatico, the oily fish of the Adriatic, sardoncini and anchovies, is humble cooking and local identity at once: fried and then marinated with vinegar and bay leaves, the old way, or "scottadito", straight off the grill. It's the taste of summer on the Ferrara coast, and it's exactly what we like putting on the table right now.
What's good right now, on the plate
The season is in charge. In summer, pesce azzurro is at home here: small, full of flavour, honest. We treat it with very little, a bit of heat, a touch of acidity, a herb, because it's already good as it is.
It's the ingredient that makes the dish. Sea and lagoons, our liquid landscape of sand, water and salt. Everything starts there, and we like to tell you about it in person, table by table.
And in the glass: a cool one from close to home
In the heat, we want a wine that's cool and with a bit of life in it. Luckily, we have one on our doorstep.
They are the wines of the sands of Bosco Eliceo, the DOC of the Ferrara coast, where the soil is almost pure sand. Wines with low alcohol, good acidity and a faintly saline note that comes from the sea nearby. Fortana, the leading grape, in its frizzante version (lightly sparkling) is one of those bottles we often reach for in summer: bubbles, freshness, no pretensions. It goes beautifully with fish.
Then there are the artisan winemakers we love, the bottle-refermented wines, alive and saline, to uncork without ceremony over a plate of fried fish. That's our idea of a wine cellar: small, always moving, from here.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Buskers Festival in Ferrara in 2026?
The Ferrara Buskers Festival takes place from 26 to 30 August 2026 in the historic centre, with the traditional preview in Comacchio in the days before.
Is it worth visiting Ferrara in the first weeks of August?
Yes, if you're after a slower city. The first weeks are quiet: you can wander at your own pace, and the Lidi ferraresi are a short hop away for a day at the seaside.
Which local wine goes with summer fish?
We like the wines of the sands of Bosco Eliceo: fresh, faintly saline, and the Fortana frizzante, which really does go well with fish.
If you're passing by
August is our slow month that suddenly fills with music. If you're in town, for the festival, for the sea, or just for an unhurried evening, the table is ready. We talk about today's fish, choose a cool bottle, and it feels good to be there.
We look forward to seeing you. And if you already know us, you know the best thing is when you come back.
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