October in Sicily: What to Do in Noto and the Surrounding Area in 2026
October in Sicily, in Noto, means the last performances of the Codex Festival (until 3 October) and the exhibition "Beyond Human" at the former Convent of Santa Chiara (until 22 October). Within an hour's drive there are free concerts in Priolo Gargallo, the FAI Autumn Days on 10 and 11 October, and the autumn food festivals of the Hyblaean Mountains: the Must Festival in Rosolini, the Agrimontana in Palazzolo Acreide and the Treasures of Buccheri.
October is one of the most pleasant months to visit Noto and the Val di Noto. Temperatures stay mild, the sea is still warm enough for a swim in the middle of the day, and the Baroque town centre is far quieter than in summer. It is also the season when the towns of the province of Syracuse celebrate the grape harvest and autumn produce, from grape must to black pork sausage.
This guide lists the events of October 2026, starting from Noto and moving outwards to the furthest towns in the province. Next to each place we give the approximate driving distance from Noto.
Events marked with an asterisk usually take place in October. The 2026 dates will be announced as soon as the organisers confirm them, and this page will be updated.
October 2026 at a glance
30 September – 3 October: Codex Noto Festival, Teatro Tina Di Lorenzo, Noto.
Until 22 October: "Beyond Human" exhibition, former Convent of Santa Chiara, Noto.
Late October*: International Ballet Festival, Teatro Garibaldi, Avola (9 km).
Early October*: Must Festival (Festa del Mosto), Rosolini (17 km).
18 October: opening of the Bicentenary celebrations, Canicattini Bagni (22 km).
Second half of October*: Mo'Sta Fest, Portopalo di Capo Passero (30 km).
All October: traditional puppet theatre (Opera dei Pupi), Ortigia, Syracuse (32 km).
11, 18 and 25 October: "The Addams Family", Teatro Alfeo, Syracuse (32 km).
10 and 11 October: FAI Autumn Days, Syracuse and province.
Late October*: Agrimontana, Palazzolo Acreide (33 km).
1 and 2 October: free concerts by Serena Brancale and Ricchi e Poveri, Priolo Gargallo (45 km).
Late October*: Treasures of Buccheri (I Tesori di Buccheri), Buccheri (50 km).
5 October: Marcello Giordani Memorial concert, Augusta (55 km).
Early October*: Prickly Pear Mustard Festival, Pedagaggi, Carlentini (60 km).
Until 31 October: the Kouros at the Archaeological Museum of Lentini (65 km).
Events in Noto in October 2026
Codex Noto Festival: the final performances, 30 September to 3 October
The Codex Noto Festival is Noto's festival of contemporary theatre, dance and music, now in its 14th edition. It is organised by the Cantina Sperimentale Iblea, with Salvatore Tringali as artistic director. The final events take place at the Teatro Tina Di Lorenzo, in the heart of the historic centre:
Wednesday 30 September: Antigone, esercizi di Democrazia ("Antigone, Exercises in Democracy") by IAC Centro Arti Integrate, at 9 pm. Morning performances are held for schools.
Thursday 1 October: La Divina Commedia raccontata ai bambini (Dante's Divine Comedy told to children) with Laura Nardi, in the morning. At 9 pm, a Poetry Slam with Renata Prado.
Friday 2 October: at 10 am, the public debate "Tra centro e periferia" (Between centre and outskirts). At 9 pm, a staged reading of Amarene with Orazio Condorelli, a community theatre project created with the people of Noto. It is followed by a live electronic music set by Vomex.
Saturday 3 October: at 9 pm, the closing show, La classe by Fabiana Iacozzilli.
Tickets are required for all performances.
"Beyond Human" exhibition at the former Convent of Santa Chiara, until 22 October
On Corso Vittorio Emanuele, the former Convent of Santa Chiara hosts Beyond Human, a group exhibition on the relationship between technology, the body and memory. It is also a chance to step inside one of the finest buildings of Noto's Baroque.
Noto's theatre season starts in November
The drama season at the Teatro Tina Di Lorenzo runs from November to May, with actors such as Cesare Bocci, Carlo Buccirosso and Enrico Guarneri. In October the theatre hosts only the Codex Festival.
Events near Noto: from Avola across the province of Syracuse
Avola (9 km): International Ballet Festival*
Every autumn the Teatro Garibaldi in Avola hosts the International Ballet Festival, with Italian and international companies. It usually opens in the last week of October and runs until late November, with some performances at the Teatro Comunale in Priolo Gargallo.
Rosolini (17 km): Must Festival*
Rosolini's Festa del Mosto celebrates the grape harvest over a weekend in early October. It is organised by the Misericordia of Rosolini in Piazza Garibaldi, Corso Savoia and the Parco Verde on Via Ronchi. Visitors can taste sweets made with freshly pressed grape must: mustata, soft and dried, mucatoli, crispelle, cuccia and cooked-wine biscuits. Information: Misericordia di Rosolini, tel. +39 0931 855455.
Canicattini Bagni (22 km): 200 years of municipal independence
On Sunday 18 October, the council chamber of Canicattini Bagni hosts the opening of the Bicentenary of the town's municipal autonomy (1827–2027). The ceremony includes the presentation of a work by the artist Paolo Golino dedicated to the historic event. The town has also announced a new showcase of Hyblaean food and farm produce, planned for October*.
Portopalo di Capo Passero (30 km): Mo'Sta Fest*
Portopalo is the southernmost town in Sicily. In the second half of October it usually hosts the Mo'Sta Fest, a festival of mostata and "insabbiata". Mostata is the traditional sweet made from grape must. The insabbiata is a series of artistic carpets of coloured sand laid out along Via Lucio Tasca. Food stalls, live music and folk groups complete the festival.
Syracuse (32 km): puppets, children's theatre, exhibitions and FAI Days
Traditional puppet theatre, all October. At the Teatro dei Pupi in Ortigia there are performances Monday to Saturday at 5 pm, telling the tales of the knight Rinaldo: Rinaldo e la rocca maledetta, Rinaldo e la grotta del drago and Il giuramento di Rinaldo. The nearby Puppet Museum is open Monday to Saturday until the end of October.
"The Addams Family" at the Teatro Alfeo, 11, 18 and 25 October. October at the Alfeo is dedicated to children's theatre, with two shows every Sunday, at 11 am and 5 pm. A good choice for families travelling with children.
"Al di là del limite" (Beyond the Limit) at the Paolo Orsi Archaeological Museum. The exhibition brings together finds from Syracuse, Eloro, the Villa del Tellaro and Akrai with stage costumes and archive material from the classical plays staged by INDA, the Institute of Ancient Drama. The museum is open Monday to Saturday from 9 am to 7 pm, and on Sundays and public holidays from 9 am to 1.45 pm.
FAI Autumn Days, Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 October. FAI, the Italian National Trust, opens sites that are usually closed or little known. The 2026 edition is dedicated to craftsmanship and Made in Italy. The list of sites open in the province of Syracuse will be published on giornatefai.it.
Palazzolo Acreide (33 km): Agrimontana*
The Agrimontana is the main autumn food festival of the Hyblaean Mountains. It usually takes place in late October in Palazzolo Acreide, a UNESCO World Heritage town listed among the Most Beautiful Villages in Italy. Stalls line Piazza del Popolo and Corso Vittorio Emanuele. The star is Palazzolo sausage, made from black pork, alongside mushrooms, truffles, cheeses, mountain honey and pasta made from ancient grain varieties.
Priolo Gargallo (45 km): Feast of the Guardian Angel and free concerts, 1 and 2 October
Priolo Gargallo celebrates its patron, the Guardian Angel (Angelo Custode), from 28 September to 2 October. On the feast day, at around 11 am, the statue leaves the church amid fireworks and showers of coloured paper, followed by a procession. The festival includes two free concerts in Largo dell'Autonomia Comunale, both at 9.30 pm:
Thursday 1 October: Serena Brancale.
Friday 2 October: Ricchi e Poveri.
Buccheri (50 km): Treasures of Buccheri*
Buccheri is the highest town in the Hyblaean Mountains, at about 820 metres. On the last weekend of October it usually hosts I Tesori di Buccheri. Participating restaurants and farmhouses serve menus based on local produce, and the programme includes guided visits to the churches, walks in the woods and a mushroom exhibition. Buccheri is only a few kilometres from Palazzolo Acreide, so both can be visited on the same day.
Augusta (55 km): Marcello Giordani Memorial, Monday 5 October
Augusta remembers the tenor Marcello Giordani, for many years a star of the Metropolitan Opera in New York, with a concert at 7.30 pm in the Chiesa Madre. In the second half of the evening, the Syracusan pianist Manuel Cicero performs Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Symphony Orchestra of the Bellini Conservatory of Catania, conducted by Giovanni Ferrauto. Funds are raised during the concert for projects in Madagascar.
Carlentini – Pedagaggi (60 km): Prickly Pear Mustard Festival*
Pedagaggi is a small hill village belonging to Carlentini, at the gateway to the Hyblaean Mountains. For more than thirty years the local Pro Loco has organised this festival devoted to prickly pear mustard, usually in the first half of October. In the old San Cristoforo quarter, visitors can also taste cavateddi pasta with pork sauce, warm ricotta, focaccia, and local oil and wine. Carlentini also celebrates the Feast of Saint Thecla* in October.
Lentini (65 km): the Kouros and the Etno Fest*
Until 31 October the Regional Archaeological Museum of Lentini displays the Kouros of Lentini, the Greek statue whose torso and head have been reunited. The town also hosts the Etno Fest*, with a Slow Food farmers' market, a historical parade, street performers and world music between Piazza Duomo and Piazza Umberto I.
