The Palio di Siena is a bareback horse race run three times around Piazza del Campo, the shell-shaped main square of Siena, every year on 2 July and 16 August. Ten of the city's 17 contrade, its historic districts, compete for a painted silk banner, and the race is the climax of four days of trials, draws and processions.
In 2027 the traditional dates fall on Friday 2 July and Monday 16 August. Watching from the centre of the square is free; seats on the wooden stands and at windows are sold privately.
One thing most guides leave out: in recent years bad weather has pushed the race back more often than not.
This guide covers the dates, the rain delays, where to watch, race-day timings, getting to Siena and where to stay. Every fact was checked on the official pages of the City of Siena and the Terre di Siena tourism site on 6 November 2026.
What is the Palio di Siena?
The Palio is less a sporting event than the public life of the city's districts. Siena is divided into 17 contrade, each with its own identity, colours and emblem, and the Palio is the moment when those loyalties go on show in the Campo.
The track is about 1,000 metres long, laid with earth over the paving of the square, and the horses ride it three times without saddles. A horse that loses its jockey, the cavallo scosso, can still win for its contrada.
The 17 contrade and why only 10 run
The square cannot hold 17 horses, so only ten run in each Palio. For each race, the seven contrade that did not run in the same race the year before take part by right, and three more are drawn by lot from the other ten.
The draw for July takes place on the last Sunday in May, which in 2027 is 30 May. The draw for August is held on the first Sunday after the July race.
The drappellone, the prize everyone fights for
The winner receives the Palio itself, a tall painted silk banner the Sienese call the drappellone. A different artist paints it for each race.
In 2026 the July banner was painted by Ismaele Nones and dedicated to the Madonna di Provenzano; the August one, by Teodora Axente, was dedicated to the Madonna dell'Assunta.
A separate prize, the Masgalano, goes to the contrada judged best in the historical procession; the 2026 Masgalano went to the Torre.
When is the Palio di Siena in 2027?
The two ordinary races are fixed by tradition: the Palio di Provenzano on 2 July and the Palio dell'Assunta on 16 August. In 2027 that means Friday 2 July and Monday 16 August, the day after the Ferragosto holiday.
When we checked on 6 November 2026, the City's Palio site still showed the 2026 programme, so the detailed 2027 timetable was not yet published. Use the dates below for planning, then confirm times on the official site in spring.
The four days: tratta, trials and race
Tratta: on 29 June and 13 August the horses are tested on the track and the ten selected are matched with the ten contrade by lot. In 2027 those days are Tuesday 29 June and Friday 13 August.
Prove: six trial runs follow, from the evening of the tratta to the morning of the race, with morning trials at 9:00 and evening trials before sunset. In 2026 the evening trials started at 19:45 in July and 19:15 in August.
The fifth, the evening before the race, is the prova generale; the sixth, on the morning of the race, is the provaccia.
Race day: 2 July and 16 August, with the horses leaving the Cortile del Podestà at 19:30 in July and 19:00 in August.
What happens when it rains
If rain makes the earth track dangerous, the mayor can postpone the Palio to the next day after consulting the technical offices, the festival officials and the contrada captains. If bad weather continues, the race can be postponed again. A green flag hung from the Palazzo Pubblico signals the decision.
This has become the rule rather than the exception. According to the City's own race pages, the July Palio ran on 4 July in 2024, 3 July in 2025 and 3 July in 2026.
The August race ran on 17 August in 2024, on time on 16 August in 2025, and in 2026 was postponed twice for bad weather and run on Tuesday 18 August. That is five of the last six races delayed by at least a day.
The practical lesson is simple: if the Palio is the reason for your trip, keep at least one extra night in Siena, or a flexible booking, after the race date.
What happens on race day, hour by hour?
The day starts early. At 8:00 the Archbishop celebrates the jockeys' mass, and the provaccia follows at 9:00. Mid-morning the jockeys are formally registered at the town hall, in the presence of the mayor, in the segnatura.
In the afternoon each horse is blessed in its contrada's church, a short and crowded ceremony that ends with the words "go and come back a winner". Then the historical procession makes its way to the Campo.
In 2026 the City published these afternoon times. For the July race, a first warning at 15:30, a second at 16:00, the track cleared from 16:40, the Carabinieri cavalry at 17:15 and the procession entering the square at 17:20. For August everything was about half an hour earlier: 14:50, 15:20, 16:10, 16:45 and 16:50.
After the procession comes the mossa, the start. Nine horses line up between two thick ropes, the canapi, in an order drawn by lot, while the tenth waits outside them. The start comes when that tenth horse charges in, and the starter, the mossiere, can declare a start invalid and call the horses back.
In August 2026 three starts were invalidated and the horses left the ropes five times, so the wait can be long.
The 2026 winners
The July 2026 Palio was won by the Aquila, its first victory since 1992, with the jockey Giovanni Atzeni, known as Tittia, on the horse Diodoro. Tittia won again on 18 August, riding Anda e Bola for the Nicchio, which had not won since 1998.
Where to watch the Palio di Siena: free in the Campo or a seat in the palchi?
Standing in the piazza
Free: admission to the centre of Piazza del Campo costs nothing, for both the trials and the race. Once the entrances close, no one else gets in, so arrive early.
In the official pocket guide for the 2025 edition, on 2 July entry was only from Via Dupré, from 16:30 to 18:30 and up to capacity; on 16 August, from 16:00 to 18:00. The entrances close one after another, clockwise from Via Dupré to Via di Salicotto.
The rules inside are strict. Children under 10 are not allowed into the centre of the square, even with an adult. Dogs, chairs, stools, bottles, glass, metal containers and alcohol are banned, and you may not stand on the pillars around the track. You may wait for hours, so bring a hat and drink before you go in.
The municipal stand
Palco comunale: the City sells seats on its own stand in front of Palazzo Berlinghieri. Tickets are sold in Piazza del Campo at the Via del Casato curve, with a limit of four per person.
Sales start at 7:30 on the day of the tratta, at 8:15 for morning trials and at 17:30 for evening trials. Seats for the evening prova generale are not sold.
Palchi, balconies and windows
Private palchi: the wooden stands around the square, and the windows and balconies above it, are sold by the people who run them or by the owners of the flats. There is no central box office. The City's pocket guide gives an email for information from private owners, palchi.paliodisiena@gmail.com.
Prices are set privately and are not published by the City, so ask exactly what is included, whether the seat is covered and what happens if the race is postponed. A seat on a stand or at a window is also the only way for children under 10 to see the race, since they cannot enter the centre of the square.
Watching a trial instead
If you cannot be in Siena on the day, the trials are the best alternative. They are run on the same track with the same horses and the same crowd of contradaioli, and the days between the tratta and the race give you six chances. The morning trials start at 9:00.
Getting to Siena on Palio days
Siena has no airport. The nearest is Florence airport, about 55 kilometres away. From Florence, regional trains take under two hours and a ticket costs no more than €10, according to the official tourism site of the Terre di Siena.
The railway station sits below the hill, about 20 minutes on foot from the historic centre, so allow extra time on race day.
Driving into the centre is not an option. The old town has numerous limited traffic zones, where entering without a permit means a fine, and on Palio days the streets around the Campo are taken over by processions and crowds. Leave the car in one of the car parks outside the walls.
If you are staying in Florence, a Palio day trip is possible, but with the horses leaving at 19:00 or 19:30 and the whole crowd leaving the square together, the return is tight.
Spending the night in Siena is far more relaxed. Our Florence itinerary for 3 days and the day-trip section of the Florence City Guide show how Siena fits into a Tuscan trip.
Where to stay for the Palio
Inside the walls, near the Campo: the San Martino and Città districts let you walk to the 9:00 trials and back for lunch. If you want to be this close on race dates, book as early as you can.
Camollia and the north of the centre: still inside the walls and on foot, with a slightly longer walk to the Campo.
Outside the walls: quieter, and with a car you can avoid the crowds, but you will walk or take a bus into town for each trial.
Our selection of the best hotels in Siena groups each hotel by area. For dinner after the race, when the contrade hold their own celebrations, the Siena restaurants directory lists places across the city.
The horses: safety rules and the welfare debate
The Palio has long been debated for the risks it poses to horses, and the City has tightened its rules since the late 1990s. Blood tests against doping, run with outside bodies, began in May 1999.
In June 1999 the protective barriers at the San Martino curve, the most dangerous point of the track, were redesigned. A few weeks later the City set up, on a trial basis, a register of horses trained specifically to race in the Campo.
Vets examine the horses before the race, in June for July and in early August for August. Since 1991, a facility in Radicondoli has cared for retired Palio horses under an agreement between the City and the forestry service. In September 2026 the City set aside €42,300 for the year's equine protocol grants.
The rules apply to spectators too. On 1 October 2026 the City announced administrative fines for people who ran onto the track before the final mortar shot at the races of 3 July and 18 August 2026, with 32 notifications so far after a Polizia Locale investigation. Stay off the earth until the race is officially over.
For hosts and local businesses: planning around the Palio calendar
For hotels, apartments and restaurants in Siena, the Palio concentrates demand into two short windows: from the tratta on 29 June to the race on 2 July, and from 13 to 16 August. In 2027 the August race falls on the Monday after Ferragosto, which turns Friday 13 to Monday 16 August into one long weekend.
Sell the whole calendar, not just race day
Most visitors search for the race, but the four days around it are what fill a stay. A listing or a welcome note that sets out the tratta, the six trials and the race, with the 9:00 morning trials as the easy first taste, gives guests a reason to stay two or three nights.
The draw on the last Sunday in May, 30 May in 2027, decides which contrade run in July. It is a useful moment to update descriptions and contact past guests. Remember that the afternoon timetable in August runs about half an hour earlier than in July, and plan check-ins accordingly.
Plan for the extra night
With five of the last six races postponed by at least a day, the most useful policy a host can set is the one for a postponement. Decide in advance whether guests can extend by one night at the same rate, and say so in the listing.
Explain that the decision is announced on the day, signalled by the green flag on the Palazzo Pubblico. A clear answer before arrival prevents disputes on the evening of a postponed race.
Tell guests the rules before they book
Families need to know that children under 10 cannot enter the centre of the square, so a palco, a window or a balcony is the only option for them. Guests should also know that glass, alcohol and chairs are banned inside, and that the City is now fining people who run onto the track early.
Do not promise seats you cannot deliver. The municipal stand is sold in person in the square, four tickets per person; private palchi are sold by their owners. Pointing guests to these official channels is safer than reselling.
Deliveries, closures and notices
Around the race days the streets near the Campo fill for trials and processions, and the square is cleared well before each run.
Restaurants and short-let managers should schedule deliveries, cleaning and check-ins around the trial times and check the City's Palio notices each year. This is general information, not legal advice: the City of Siena publishes the official rules.
For a resident's view of the contrade, rents and daily life, see Living in Siena.
Palio di Siena FAQ
When is the Palio di Siena in 2027?
On Friday 2 July and Monday 16 August 2027, the two traditional dates. The tratta takes place on 29 June and 13 August, followed by six trials. Confirm the detailed timetable on the City's Palio site in spring 2027, and keep a spare day in case of rain.
Is the Palio di Siena free to watch?
Yes, from the centre of Piazza del Campo, as long as you get in before the gates close. Seats on the municipal stand, the private palchi and windows overlooking the square are paid.
Can children attend the Palio?
Children under 10 are not allowed into the centre of the square, even with adults. They can watch from a palco, a window or a balcony.
What happens if it rains on Palio day?
The mayor can postpone the race to the next day, and again if bad weather continues. A green flag on the Palazzo Pubblico signals the postponement. Five of the six races from 2024 to 2026 were delayed by at least one day.
Is there a Palio outside July and August?
Only occasionally. Extraordinary Palii have been run for exceptional anniversaries and events, but the two ordinary races are on 2 July and 16 August.
The Palio programme can change: check the City of Siena's official Palio site before you travel.
Official sources, checked on 6 November 2026: Comune di Siena, Palio information and 2026 timetable, Comune di Siena, The Palio of Siena (official brochure), Comune di Siena, the Palio pocket guide (access, rules, stands, postponements), Comune di Siena, Palio news, Comune di Siena, Palio 3 July 2026, Comune di Siena, Palio 18 August 2026, Comune di Siena, recent Palii (2024 and 2025 race pages), Comune di Siena, fines for track invasions (1 October 2026), Comune di Siena, Protocollo Equino 2026, Comune di Siena, protection of the horse and Terre di Siena, how to get to Siena.
Photo credits: cover, Piazza del Campo on a Palio day, by Lex Brogan; the Bruco coat of arms by mana5280; both via Unsplash (Unsplash License).
