As of 6 September 2026. This overview summarises the current situation in Sicily – covering travel and transport, nature and safety, and culture and events.
Travel & Transport
Hydrofoil services to the Pelagie Islands have repeatedly been cancelled since late August: following an engine fault on the Porto Empedocle–Lampedusa route in late August, several sailings were cancelled, mainly affecting connections to Lampedusa and Linosa. Travellers to the Pelagie Islands should currently expect cancellations and diversions to the car ferry, and should not plan return dates too tightly. An overview of the general ferry connections to the islands helps in assessing alternatives.
On Monday, 7, and Tuesday, 8 September, a nationwide rail strike takes place (starting at 9:18pm on 7.9, ending at 9:00pm on 8.9), which also affects train services in Sicily. Further strike days have been announced for later in the month, including a multi-sector action on 25/26 September affecting local public transport. Details on the schedule, guaranteed service periods and upcoming dates are available in our strikes overview (term: Sciopero).
On the A20 motorway between Messina and Palermo, from the afternoon of 7 September an exit obligation applies at the Patti junction for vehicles heading towards Tindari – the reason is the pilgrimage to the Madonna del Tindari (details in the Events & Culture section).
Nature & Safety
Etna, Stromboli and earthquakes
The latest INGV weekly report (published on 1 September, covering 24–30 August) describes unsettled but non-eruptive degassing activity at Etna, mainly at the Northeast Crater, with episodic ash emissions and elevated SO₂ levels. Activity at the Southeast Crater remains weak. Our Etna live ticker continues to be updated with the official INGV and civil protection reports for current status changes. At Stromboli, the mild-to-moderate Strombolian activity typical of the volcano continues, with occasional lava overflow into the Sciara del Fuoco, with no change in hazard level reported by the responsible authorities.
In recent days, INGV recorded several minor earthquakes around Sicily, including near Caronia and San Fratello (province of Messina, magnitude up to 3.1) as well as in the Ionian Sea and the Sicilian Channel. According to the available reports from the responsible authorities, no damage to people or buildings has been recorded.
Heat and wildfire risk
The past few days have been marked by a pronounced wildfire and heat phase. Over the weekend of 29/30 August, the Corpo Forestale recorded 198 separate fires within two days by its own count, and the Sicilian civil protection agency declared the highest alert level, Red, in eight of the nine provinces (the sole exception being Trapani, at Orange). Fire services and forestry protection carried out more than 800 operations and around 20 approved firefighting flights (Canadair aircraft and helicopters); most fires started on fallow land and spread from there to woodland and, in some cases, to residential areas.
In one of these fires near Ciminna in the province of Palermo, a 26-year-old suffered severe burns on 30 August while trying to protect his family’s property from the flames; he died on 1 September in the intensive care unit of the Ospedale Civico in Palermo, and his father was also injured in the same fire. According to the responsible authorities, the public prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation, and the exact cause of the fire remained open as of the latest reports.
The situation remained tense in the days that followed too: on 1 and 2 September, Alert Level Red continued to apply in the provinces of Agrigento, Caltanissetta and Enna (with Catania added on 2.9), while Warning Level Orange applied in the remaining provinces. On 1 September, several simultaneous fires broke out in the province of Messina near Gallodoro, Letojanni, Taormina, Tortorici and, above all, Castelmola. At the same time the heat continued, with a perceived peak temperature of 39 degrees in Palermo (Warning Level Orange). Over the past weekend (4/5 September), there was again a cluster of fires with around 800 fire service operations, among others in the province of Catania as well as near Collesano, Villabate, Monreale and Misilmeri (province of Palermo), near Mazara del Vallo and Fulgatore (province of Trapani, there close to a hospital), near Santa Caterina Villarmosa (province of Caltanissetta), and along the provincial road between Acate and Vittoria (province of Ragusa).
The official daily notice from the Sicilian civil protection agency (No. 195 of 5 September 2026) now downgrades the wildfire risk for large parts of the island back to the lower pre-alert level Orange (Preallerta) with medium hazard; for heatwaves, Warning Level Yellow applies, with perceived peak values around 35 degrees. According to the national civil protection bulletin, the situation for 6 September overall remains at the green warning level, with locally higher values – it will be warmest inland around Caltanissetta. Ahead of hikes and outdoor excursions, an early start and sufficient water are still advisable; currently closed trails should not be used, and open fires or outdoor barbecues should be avoided given the still-elevated underlying risk.
Events & Culture
Pilgrimage to the Madonna del Tindari (7–8 September)
At the basilica of Tindari, high above the coast near Patti, the central pilgrimage to the “Black Madonna” (Madonna Bruna) takes place on 7 and 8 September, one of the most important Marian pilgrimages in northern Sicily. The highlight is the evening procession with the statue on 7 September, beginning around 6:30pm with an intercessory procession; on 8 September a solemn Pontifical Mass follows at 11am, with the traditional handover of the votive lamp, donated this year by the municipality of Torrenova. The pilgrimage is preceded by a several-day novena, to which, according to the organisers, pilgrims from all over Sicily are expected.
Practically relevant for travellers are the traffic changes: from 2pm on 7 September, an exit obligation applies on the A20 Messina–Palermo for vehicles heading towards the basilica at the Patti junction, and as early as 8pm on 6 September, restrictions apply for motorhomes along the access road and in the Locanda 1/2 parking areas. In the immediate area around the sanctuary and the Teatro Greco, a parking ban with towing applies, and access to the traffic-calmed zone remains reserved for emergency vehicles and authorised traders. A more frequent shuttle runs between the Locanda and Olives car parks on the festival days, and reserved parking spaces plus a dedicated shuttle are available for people with disabilities. Anyone visiting the site on these two days should allow considerably more time for the journey there and back, or should consider visiting on the days that follow instead.
Marzamemi Cinefest (6–10 September)
In the fishing village of Marzamemi in the far southeast of the island, the seventh edition of the Marzamemi Cinefest begins today, an international festival on the cultural identity of the Mediterranean. The opening takes place at 7pm on the Piazza Regina Margherita, and the evenings that follow until 10 September are dedicated to cinema, but also to music, discussion panels and regional produce. The 2026 edition is dedicated to the sea and to free diver Enzo Maiorca, who died ten years ago; guests expected include actresses Barbara Tabita and Aurora Quattrocchi, as well as former Senate President Pietro Grasso.
According to the organisers, access to the screenings and the piazza is generally free of charge, though different arrangements may apply for individual special events. As Marzamemi is a small village centre with limited parking, an early arrival on festival evenings, or a parking spot slightly outside with a short walk into the centre, is worthwhile.
Cous Cous Fest in San Vito Lo Capo (18–27 September)
From 18 to 27 September, San Vito Lo Capo hosts the Cous Cous Fest for the 29th time, a ten-day festival of cuisine, music and intercultural exchange centred on the dish of the same name. At the heart of the event is the international couscous competition: the qualifying rounds take place on 24 and 25 September, with the final and awards ceremony on Saturday, 26 September, at the Bia Theatre on the Piazza Santuario. Alongside this, there are free concerts on the beach on several evenings, including Sal Da Vinci at the opening on 18 September, as well as Mario Incudine, Stadio and Ditonellapiaga on the following days.
Access to the festival grounds and the concerts is free; tastings in the “Case del Cous Cous” currently cost from 12 euros, tickets for cooking shows from 10 euros, and tickets for the competition finals up to 50 euros; tickets are sold via the official festival app. Anyone planning the date for a short trip to San Vito Lo Capo should expect noticeably more traffic and full car parks in the village on concert evenings, and should book accommodation early – the town is in any case one of the most sought-after tourist destinations in western Sicily.
Alongside this, numerous smaller sagre and village festivals are taking place, such as the Festa della Pizza in Caccamo, the fish sagra for the Festa della Madonna di Ognina in Catania, and sagre in Portopalo di Capo Passero and several inland municipalities – mostly without wider significance, but a sign of the busy events season in September.
General & Tourism
Beyond the points mentioned above, there are no further tourism-relevant reports for the period covered.
Note: all information as of 6 September 2026. Before travelling, please check current timetables, opening hours, event dates, and weather and safety warnings again.
