As of 5 September 2026. This overview summarises the current situation in Sicily – travel and transport, nature and safety, culture and events, and general tourism topics.
Travel & Transport
Etna emitted ash from its summit craters again on the afternoon of 4 September; the responsible volcano authorities subsequently raised the aviation colour code (VONA) from Orange to Red. During the night of 5 September, airspace sector C2 was temporarily closed, and landings at Catania-Fontanarossa Airport were reduced to around five per hour; approaches to Comiso were also affected. According to initial assessments early in the morning, this involves weak, irregular ash emissions that dissipate quickly around the summit – however, the situation can change at short notice. Travellers with flights to or from Catania should check their flight status directly with the airport or the airline before heading to the airport.
On 7 and 8 September, a nationwide rail strike takes place in Italy: from 9:18pm on Monday to 9:00pm on Tuesday, disruptions are expected on long-distance and regional services run by the FS group, Italo and Trenord. Individual intercity and night train connections towards Calabria and Sicily are expected to continue running as guaranteed services; on the island itself, regional trains and buses may be affected. Anyone travelling during this period should check the official strike and guaranteed-service list in advance.
For ferry connections to the island groups, several current notices from the shipping company Liberty Lines apply: individual routes were suspended on 4 September, the landing stage on Vulcano has been moved to a new pier, and revised timetables have been announced for the Messina/islands routes until the end of September. The Lampedusa–Linosa connection continues to be cancelled on Tuesdays and Fridays. Before booking any island trip, it’s worth checking the shipping company’s up-to-date daily notices, since wind and weather can lead to short-notice cancellations.
Nature & Safety
Etna
Following the eruptive phase officially declared over from 6 to 23 August, the INGV Osservatorio Etneo has again recorded ash emissions from the summit craters since 1 September, most recently with the aviation colour code raised to Red on the afternoon of 4 September. The weekly report for the period 24 to 30 August, published on 1 September, describes changeable degassing behaviour, mainly at the Northeast Crater. We do not make our own hazard assessment; the reports of INGV and the Sicilian civil protection agency are authoritative and are updated at short notice as needed.
Weather, heat and wildfire risk
The Sicilian civil protection agency issued Notice No. 194 of 4 September, declaring Warning Level Yellow for heatwaves for the 24 hours from midnight on 5 September, with a perceived peak temperature of up to 35 degrees. A pre-alert level Orange applies for wildfires, with medium hazard. On 4 September, fire services and civil protection volunteers were occupied with several fires in the Palermo area, including in Collesano, Villabate, Monreale and Misilmeri, where homes and businesses had to be protected. Overall, the weather remains stable and summery; isolated afternoon showers are possible over the Etna area and the hinterland of Ragusa.
Events & Culture
Festa della Madonna di Ognina (Catania)
In the fishing quarter of Ognina on the northern edge of Catania, celebrations in honour of the Madonna di Ognina begin on 5 September and run until 13 September. In the province of Catania, the feast is regarded as the second most important after the feast of the city’s patron saint, Sant’Agata, and it has its roots in the district’s maritime tradition, where devotion to Mary has been linked to fishing for generations. On 8 September, the traditional “Svelata” takes place at 8am: after a brief address by the parish priest, all the lights in the church come on, a brass band plays in the square, and fireworks accompany the moment when the statue of the Madonna slowly appears from the main altar. The highlight is the procession by sea on Saturday, 12 September: the statue leaves the small harbour of Ognina and is carried along the coast to Aci Castello and Aci Trezza on the water, accompanied by decorated and illuminated boats. For visitors, this means significantly more traffic and very limited parking around the harbour of Ognina, especially on the evening of 12 September; arriving by bus or on foot from the city centre is more realistic than driving your own car. A street festival, a craft market and a blue-fish sagra accompany the programme; access to the religious celebrations and street events is free, while the usual market prices apply for food and drink at the stalls.
Cous Cous Fest (San Vito Lo Capo)
From 18 to 27 September, San Vito Lo Capo hosts the Cous Cous Fest for the 29th time, an international festival that puts the cultural exchange around the Mediterranean dish couscous at its centre. At the heart of the event is a cooking competition in which teams from various countries present their traditional preparation of the dish; the world championship final is scheduled for Saturday, 26 September, at 8pm. Daily between noon and midnight, the so-called “Case del Cous Cous” offer more than 20 recipe variations from around the world, while Sicilian and Mediterranean producers show their products in the Expo Village along the seafront promenade. The concerts on the beach stage are free to attend in the evenings; a menu at the couscous houses costs from 12 euros, taking part in the competition rounds costs 25 or 35 euros, and the world championship final costs 50 euros. Ticket sales in 2026 run for the first time via an official app with digital credit; anyone buying on site receives a physical card with a QR code. Because of the high demand during this period, parking in the village is scarce during the festival – arriving early or staying overnight locally makes the visit easier.
Le Vie dei Tesori Festival
The cultural festival Le Vie dei Tesori is celebrating its twentieth anniversary in 2026 and, during this period, opens buildings, palaces and churches in several Sicilian cities that are otherwise closed or hard to access, for guided visits. The first wave begins on 19 September in nine cities – Alcamo, Bagheria, Carini, Enna, Leonforte, Mazara del Vallo, Messina, Termini Imerese and Trapani – and runs until 4 October, with opening hours on weekends. Palermo, where the project began in 2006, does not start until 9 October and remains open until 15 November; Caltanissetta, Corleone, Marsala and Sciacca follow from 10 to 25 October, and Catania from 9 October to 8 November. Admission works via coupons for four entries for 10 euros or ten entries for 18 euros, available online or at the info points; the coupons are not tied to a specific person and can be shared among several visitors. Reservations are not necessary for most sites, and entry is direct with a ticket or coupon and QR code.
Alongside this, numerous smaller festivals take place in September: the Fiera dello Jonio in Acireale (4 to 13 September) showcases crafts and regional agricultural products, while the Sagra dell’Arancino and the Fiera di Settembre in Aci Castello (10 to 13 September) as well as the Festa del Grano in Raddusa (11 to 13 September) recall harvest and bread-baking traditions. Around 8 to 10 September, numerous towns also celebrate their respective Marian pilgrimages, for example in Tindari, Gibilmanna and along the Milazzo coast – each with a local character and without wider traffic implications.
General & Tourism
Summer 2026 is recording one of the highest occupancy rates of recent years in Sicily, according to current tourism statistics: between mid-June and mid-September, average room occupancy stood at around 63 percent, above the Italy-wide average, with a peak in Ferragosto week. Individual destinations such as Taormina reported occupancy rates of around 90 percent in September. The season is increasingly extending into September and October, so tourist demand is spread more evenly across the year than it was a few years ago.
Note: all information as of 5 September 2026. Before travelling, please check current timetables, opening hours, event dates, and weather and safety warnings again.
